The Epitaph Volume 62, Issue 4, 2024-25

Band marches in internationally televised 136th Rose Parade

embers of the marching band trek forward, breaths labored and steps heavy. The grandstands rise up ahead, and finally, they turn the corner, unveiling an unforgettable sight. The parade stretches out in front of them. Floats, marching bands and endless crowds carpet the city as far as the eye can see. TV cameras sweep over the band, and that is when they feel the magic of the Rose Parade.

The Tournament of Roses Parade, held annually on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, was originally created to celebrate California’s good weather and blooming flowers, director of bands John Burn said. Now, it is one of the most famous parades in the world. This year, the band marched in the parade for the first time since 2018 and played a mashup of Spongebob’s “Best Day Ever” and U2’s “Beautiful Day,” Burn said.

“I was very excited [when we were accepted] because I knew what a great experience it would be for the students,” Burn said. “We provided thousands of people on the parade route and millions more with joy, and they gave it back to us with their applause and smiling faces. There’s something really magical about that.”

In addition to the 800,000 spectators that attended this year’s parade, major news networks also televised the event to millions around the world, Burn said. One of the most important parts of the parade is a 110 degree turn onto Colorado Avenue, nicknamed TV Corner because major news networks such as NBC and ABC set up video cameras to stream the parade live there, visual caption head Elad Zohar said.

“It’s televised and one of those moments you [have] to get right,” Zohar said. “Traditionally, a 90 degree turn is easier for marchers to visualize whereas 110 degrees is a more unique angle. People are unfamiliar with it, and it takes more time to acclimate to that degree of turning.”

The process to participate in the parade was competitive, and out of the hundreds of bands that applied worldwide, only 20 were selected to march, Burn said. The application consisted of a video of the band performing and a resume of the band, which were submitted a year in advance, Burn said.

However, band members only had three rehearsals to prepare for the event, Zohar said.

“A lot of [the rehearsals] had to do with maintaining the shape of the block as we travel: moving together, keeping our lines straight and not rushing the step size,” Zohar said. “We trained by walking laps for a while. We walked four miles one rehearsal just to prepare.”

Drum major, junior Nora Steel said she looked forward to marching in the parade be cause it was a unique opportunity to perform at an event on an international scale.

“It’s on another level because it’s such a large event,” Steel said. “Millions of people are watching it from TV and the grandstands. It’s an amazing opportuni ty not just to be in the Rose Parade but also to march down Disneyland.”

Chinese department hosts first C-Night

Event aims to celebrate Lunar New Year, share Chinese culture

Sachin Chandran, Ethan Xue and Alan Zhang

The Chinese department hosted its first Chinese Cultural Night, or C-Night, on Jan. 24 in collaboration with the National Chinese Honor Society, Chinese teacher Vivian Ju said. The event aimed to celebrate Lunar New Year and promote both Chinese culture and the Chinese department, Ju said.

The event featured a wide variety of cultural activities, including student performances, origami, shuttlecock and Chinese checkers, Ju said. These events provided students with the opportunity to learn about and connect with Chinese traditions, she added.

C-Night was initially proposed in early 2024, shortly after the near-termination of the Chinese program, NCHS activities director, senior Lindsay Cao said. C-Night was modeled after Japanese Night, which had similar goals of cultural exchange through activities, Cao said.

“I was able to see the Chinese community and parents come together after we almost lost the Chinese program,” Cao said. “I was like: ‘Our community is really big. What if we could have [an event] to better establish Chinese culture at HHS?’”

One of the Chinese department’s biggest partners in making C-Night a reality was NCHS, which contributed to the planning and entertainment of the event, sophomore Naveen Badrinath said.

“There were NCHS members that volunteered to help host the event, and NCHS had several tables that they hosted to lead fun activities for people,” Badrinath, an MC at C-Night, said. “They did a lot of [organization] with other clubs, and I think they were really important overall in planning C-Night.”

See C-Night, page 2

C-Night showcased aspects of Chinese culture through performances and presentations, Badrinath said.

Maya Dutt, Vivian Kim and Mackie Vu

Photos courtesy of Jim Zumsteg

Photo courtesy of Jim Zumsteg

Photo by Ethan Xue

Burn said that the marching band performing in the Rose Parade was a wonderful way to conclude his final year of teaching.

A-building fire prompts restoration efforts

Students, teachers discuss cause of fire, repair process

Aviv Matas, Malar Raguraman and Catherine Yang

A fire started in A108 on Dec. 26 at around 10:30 PM, principal Denae Nurnberg said. Jon Bui, a fire captain from the Santa Clara County Fire Department, which responded to the incident, said it was prompted by the malfunction of a lithium-ion battery.

The fire activated the sprinkler system, which kept it from spreading until the fire department extinguished it completely, Bui said. To enter the classroom, firefighters forced their way in by breaking through the window, Bui added.

“The window was broken to access the panic hardware of the door,” Bui said. “When we force a door open there can be substantial damage to the door. It has to do with causing the least amount of damage to a building when we can.”

Although efforts were made to minimize damage, the aftermath of the fire still required repairs, such as the removal and replacement of ceiling tiles and sections of walls due to water damage from the sprinklers, Nurnberg said.

“When I walked in there that night, they kept telling me to be careful because the ceiling tiles were falling,” Nurnberg said. “They were heavy because they were saturated with water, so all the ceiling tiles had to be replaced. Chunks of the wall had to be taken down and are being replaced because we don’t want mold.”

Classroom restorations should be finished by late February, Nurnberg said. Other repairs include reinstalling a window, deep cleaning for dust and debris, painting and retexturing, Nurnberg added.

Since the portable batteries posed a fire risk, they had to be removed from all of the A building classrooms, history department lead Christy Heaton said. The batteries were commonly used as an alternative to extension cords, and their removal meant history teachers transitioned to using Chromebook carts instead, Heaton said.

“We had 10 of them in class-

rooms, so facilities and administration had to round up and take out [the battery packs from] our classroom so that our rooms didn’t catch on fire,” Heaton said. “I am fortunate [to have] a Chromebook cart and there are a lot of teachers who come over and take Chromebooks when their students need them.”

Before returning to school from holiday break, teachers from the history department assisted history teacher Andrea Yee, whose classroom was damaged by the fire, in moving cabinets, chairs, desks and other salvageable items into her new classroom in B204, Heaton said. Many kids and teachers also helped, Heaton added.

“Our department is really close,” Heaton said. “If somebody has a fire in their classroom, everybody else is going to pitch in to make sure they get the supplies they need.”

Sophomore Koena Paul said she heard about the fire from a social media post her friends had sent her.

Paul said she thinks the new classroom is good but doesn’t match the energy of the old one.

“Ms. Yee’s classroom had posters and paintings her students made,” Paul said. “It was a more lively environment than the classroom we are in right now.”

Although her students have been forced to adjust to learning in a new environment, Yee said they have been quick to adapt to the classroom.

“Students were curious at first,” Yee said. “After they learned about what happened, they seemed to have just settled in and accepted the new routine for now. I’m glad, but I’m hoping to get back to the old classroom sooner than later.”

While the fire was an inconvenience and a source of worry for many, Yee said she is glad the incident didn’t occur during school hours.

“It was better that it happened over break versus when students are in there,” Yee said. “I’m just thankful that no one was hurt.”

C-night

Continued from page 1

Aside from NCHS, various clubs like the Taiwanese Student Association contributed to C-Night by hosting activities, PTSA co-president, senior Logan Chang said.

“Other clubs helped by creating booths [and] different activities to introduce other tidbits of Chinese culture,” Chang said. “Those small clubs helped piece together Chinese culture as a whole.”

Furthermore, school organizations like PTSA and ASB also contributed by providing additional resources, Ju said.

“PTSA gave us a funding source to purchase a lot of the materials, stands and whatever we needed,” Ju said. “ASB has [also] been very supportive of us. The facility department got the equipment ready, [and] the IT team supported us with the microphone, stage and setup.”

Ultimately, the event could not have been held without the students and parents, Badrinath said.

“Every student in the Chinese program participated in some way or another,” Badrinath said. “Most did presentations. Some helped post tables, and others were performers or managed the performances. Parents came to support their kids and helped donate food.”

As a result of the preparation put toward C-Night, freshman Kyle Chang said the event provided an opportunity for attendees to bond with one another.

“C-Night was fantastic. I got to hang out with my friends and [present],” Chang said. “People of all different ethnicities came to watch performances, even if they didn’t understand the language.”

Considering the near shutdown of the Chinese department, Badrinath said Board of Trustees vice president Stanley Kou’s presence at the event was very meaningful.

“[Kou] coming to show us his support really means a lot because it shows how much the district appreciates the Chinese program at HHS,” Badrinath said. “It’s a really big change from a year ago when [the board] was considering closing down the Chinese program.

Substantial support and months of planning culminated in the event’s success, Badrinath said.

“Overall, C-Night was super successful, and it achieved its goals of bringing celebration in our new year,” Badrinath said. “With all the amazing performances and presentations, I think we’ll continue to do it next year.”

Trustees begin term following new election system

Danielle Feldsher, Ethan Xue and Alan Zhang

Former FUHSD language teachers Pat Carpio-Aguilar and Danny Choi were sworn in to the FUHSD Board of Trustees on Dec. 17, marking the first implementation of the new by-trustee election system, Board of Trustees member Choi said.

Prior to their elections, Carpio-Aguilar and Choi were language teachers, working in Area No. 2’s Sunnyvale Elementary School District and Area No. 5’s San Jose Unified School District respectively, superintendent Graham Clark said.

“[The new trustees] have experience in education, since they have been teaching for many years,” Clark said. “They know how to engage with parents, students and the community, so they have a lot of background on issues a board member would need to know about.”

The new board members were elected under the new voting system, unlike the previous one that involved candidate elections across FUHSD. It divides the district into five equally-populated trustee areas that each hold an election for a single representative, Choi said.

As a newly elected board member, Carpio-Aguilar said she wants to be transparent with students so they understand and participate in board matters.

“My vision is to have a board room full of students,” Carpio-Aguilar said. “If they are not there [physically], we will

have students online ready to ask us the tough questions.”

Despite taking on a district level position, Carpio-Aguilar said she hopes community members, especially students, will continue to feel comfortable contacting her for help with issues.

“As a teacher, you’re very approachable when people see you, and they’re like: ‘I can tell her what’s going on,’” Carpio-Aguilar said. “I want people to continue to see me as a person they can approach, that they can feel listened [to] and heard.”

As a result of his experience with the education system, Choi said he wanted to give back to the community in similar ways.

“This is exciting [because] now, I see what the other end of the public educational system is like and contribute to making it the best,” Choi said. “I’ve been fortunate that the system has treated me well as a student and

map of by-trustee voting areas”

as a teacher, so I want to make sure we continue to do that as an institution into the next decade.”

Specifically, Choi said he aims to promote healthier emotional communication, especially for male students who do not usually consider exploring this topic.

“I want to make sure we continue to create the best learning environment for students [so] they become their best selves,” Choi said. “I would like to make sure we have the resources students need to talk about mental health.”

Principal Denae Nurnberg said the increase from three to six course selection sessions was implemented to give students more opportunities to explore both core and elective classes.

“If I’m torn between a couple of courses, I can go to all of them. On the other hand, each class presentation ends up being shorter.”

—

“Six [sessions] is good because people want to explore. When it was longer, we’d try to fit multiple subjects into one session, and people weren’t really going to what they want.” —

Damages resulting from the fire require classroom repair and refurbishment, Nurnberg said.

Photo by Alan Zhang

C-Night showcased aspects of Chinese culture through performances, activities and presentations, Badrinath said.

Photo by Vivian Kim

Photo by Catherine Yang

Scan to read more about the by-trustee election system in our May 3 article “District finalizes new

Libby Dover (11)

Music teacher Jeff Morton

Photo by ElenaShim

PhotobyDanielleFeldsher Photoby CatherineYang Course Selection Fair undergoes

Seniors recognized as Regeneron STS Scholars

Students earn distinction for scientific research

Annika Abraham, Isabela Guilardi and Olivia Levesque Ouellette

Society for Science announced the 300 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholars on Jan. 8, principal Denae Nurnberg said. Seniors Samuel Yuan and Adithya Giri are two such scholars and received national recognition for their scientific research, Nurnberg said.

The scholarship is not only an impressive accomplishment for its recipients but also an impactful contribution to the STEM programs at HHS, Nurnberg said.

The total of $4,000 in scholarship money will go toward funding the STEM program and science department with new lab equipment, Nurnberg added.

Samuel Yuan

Two years ago, what started as an interest in physics evolved into something more, Yuan said. His research project, which explores the usage of AI in finding new families of superconductors, was inspired by a technology review article, Yuan said.

“It’s hard to find new families of superconductors,” Yuan said. “This project uses AI to help make it a little bit easier for scientists to find them.”

As a high school student, Yuan said he does not have the same technological foundation as a graduate student, so the mentorship he received helped account for his knowledge gap, Yuan said.

“I’m not a professional, so there were challenges in regards to looking at the outputs of the model and which ones are realistic. My mentor helped me with that part,” Yuan said. “[My mentor also] helped me with the publication process. This was a published paper, and he guided me through the peer review process.”

Although it can be difficult to have a significant impact on the science community as a high school student, Yuan said he hopes his research will aid physicists in their work.

“I hope physicists, when they’re looking for new superconductors, can use this to make their search a little bit easier before taking a guess at what compound might be promising,” Yuan said. “They can use this model to [produce] a list of potential compounds that might be interesting for them to investigate.”

Yuan said winning the scholarship validated his ambitions in the scientific field and gave him the confidence to pursue STEM after high school.

“It’s a confirmation that, as a high schooler, you can make a small contribution to science and get some confidence from doing that,” Yuan said.

Adithya Giri

Giri said he worked on his project, which was about conformers — the fusing of a convolutional

Student cafeteria workers return after temporary layoff

Termination of non-service shifts overturned

Student workers returned to their shifts on Jan. 14, district manager for nutrition services Divya Puri said.

After a request from the California School Employees Association, FUHSD terminated the employment of student workers for non-service time shifts on Dec. 20, Puri said.

Following a board study session on Dec. 3, the CSEA union, which represents adult food service staff, raised concerns about the uneven ratio of adult to student workers, CSEA president Gracie Charon said. This prompted the

union to file a request, which involved reviewing student worker timesheets, to ensure union workers were being protected, Charon said.

“There are currently 47 staff members and 50 student members working throughout the district, which was alarming,” Charon said.

“CSEA has the responsibility of making sure union workers aren’t being displaced with outsourced labor, and that’s why CSEA asked some questions.”

As a part of the negotiations with CSEA to bridge the employment gap, the District agreed to create a new six hour position for one CSEA cafeteria worker in each FUHSD school, Charon said.

The intense reaction to the layoffs helped reinstate the employment of student workers, Puri said.

“To my surprise, we got many student workers advocating for their need to work in the cafeterias,” Puri said. “Cafeteria staff and even some of our cooks emailed our board and superintendent, saying they love mentoring our kids and that this has been a great partnership.”

News in a minute

The sudden decision to end employment for student workers for shifts outside of brunch or lunch surprised student cafeteria worker, senior Shrinidhi Sundarrajan said.

“Initially,

Local: San Francisco hosts Lunar New Year celebrations

Residents and tourists gathered to celebrate Lunar New Year on Jan. 25 in San Francisco’s Chinatown, according to CBS News. The event had hundreds of vendors at the annual flower market fair and sold traditional east Asian foods and decorations. The celebration aimed to connect participants with Chinese culture, according to CBS News.

The celebrations were set to span three weeks, culminating in the Chinese New Year Parade on Feb. 15, according to the parade website. It is the largest Lunar New Year parade outside Asia, expecting to draw over 200,000 visitors, according to ABC News.

neural network and a transformer — for six months before the competition.

“Transformers are used in ChatGPT. They need really large datasets to actually work well,” Giri said. “I made these transformers work significantly better by taking some inductive biases from the convolutional neural networks, which improved the performance of these transformers by over 18%.”

Throughout the re search process, Giri said he faced diffi culties, particularly with the matrix rank consistency. As a result, trouble shooting and refining his work was criti cal, Giri said. “I was fran tically trying to make sure the mechanics worked and then coming up with

I was shocked because I got the email right before I started school, and we didn’t know a single thing about this before [winter] break,” Sundarrajan said. “A lot of student workers are working to save up for something, and for me, it’s for college. I’m going to be graduating soon, so that put a dent in my whole financial plan.”

The five student workers at HHS help the cafeteria service run smoothly, food service manager Teresa Fortson said. While student workers were not being employed for non-service shifts, Forston said the cafeteria staff felt overwhelmed with the extra tasks.

“[Student workers] are a godsend,” Forston said. “It was more work for us to fill in the gap where the students used to be and [took] more time away from what I needed to be doing. We’ll adapt to anything, but it doesn’t come without consequences and stress.”

Sundarrajan said both she and her family were relieved to receive confirmation that she could return to working the morning shift.

“I had already started searching for other jobs, but none of them fit my schedule,” Sundarrajan said. “Because school is a safe space, it also gave my parents a lot of reassurance. I was relieved that we could come back to work.”

Cafeteria staff are thrilled to have things return to normal, Puri said.

“We value our students and our partnership, and having student workers inside the cafeteria goes beyond just working. It gives students financial independence [and] a look into the adult world,” Puri said. “It also gives our employees a way of nurturing the community we’re serving.”

National: Trump threatens tariffs on Colombia amid deportation issues

Military planes carrying deported immigrants landed in Colombia on Jan. 28 after previously being denied entry on Jan. 26, according to NBC News. The conflict signaled the first disagreement between the United States and its major Latin American ally since president Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, according to BBC.

In response to the dispute, Trump threatened a 25% tariff on all Colombian imports along with a travel ban and visa revocations, according to NBC News. Colombian president Gustavo Petro relented and allowed deportation flights to land. However, he insisted on

a new algorithm to make sure the project would work,” Giri said.

Reflecting on his achievement, Giri said although the research process was challenging, it was ultimately rewarding.

“More than anything, it’s a validation of my effort,” Giri said. “I had an idea and worked on it for five-six months. I really enjoyed the research process, so [winning] was like the cherry on top.”

Rose parade

Continued from page 1

Contra section leader, junior Claire Limsui said she remembers the awe she felt when marching down Colorado Avenue.

“At first, there’s not that many people but then you turn [on TV corner] and there’s just thousands of them,” Limsui said. “It’s cool because they came to see you, and they’re cheering you on. You feel like you’re in the center of the world.”

Despite the rehearsals the band held to prepare for the event, the two hour march took its toll, especially on those with heavier instruments, drum captain, senior Kyle Morgan said.

“I was worried because the drumline staff said it would be terrible,” Morgan said. “It was fine for me, but I had it easier than some of the other drumline members like the quads and the bass [drums], who have heavier instruments.”

However, some people held signs with jokes throughout the

parade, which helped preserve morale, marching baritone player, sophomore Fisher Zheng said.

“I remember there was a sign that said ‘In-N-Out in one mile,’ and that kept me motivated throughout the parade,” Zheng said. “Those things made me pretty excited, and I felt like I needed to keep [marching] for these people.”

Looking back on her experience, Steel said the number of spectators and the distinctiveness of the event exceeded her expectations, making the extensive preparation and challenges worth it.

“I was so tired [after the parade], and I thought I was going to pass out,” Steel said. “But during TV corner, all I could think was, ‘Wow, this is absolutely insane’ because there were so many people. I’ve never seen so many people come to watch a marching band before. It was a unique experience I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else.”

flying migrants on Colombian military planes to retain their dignity, according to AP News.

The flights initially had clearances removed due to reported mistreatment of immigrants, according to Reuters. None of the 200 migrants were found to have criminal records, according to AP News.

International: Palestinian families return to North Gaza

After 15 months of war, displaced Palestinians were allowed to return to North Gaza on Jan. 27, according to AP News. Over 200,000 people were estimated to have moved back to homes they left at the beginning of the war, according to BBC.

The original migration was planned for Jan. 26, but the Israeli military blocked Palestinians from returning over a dispute regarding the release of civilian hostage Arbel Yehud, according to BBC. A new deal secured the release of Yehud and two other hostages, and the return of displaced Palestinians to North Gaza was eventually reached later that day, according to NYT.

Many Palestinians struggled to make the difficult journey amid the disappointment and sadness of returning to broken homes. However, most of those who returned stayed optimistic about the possibility of rebuilding their cities and regaining a sense of normalcy, according to CNN.

Henry Hu, Alicia Liste and Madeleine Yee

Kevin Miao

Giri (left) said his success wouldn’t be possible without the support of his family and mentors.

Student workers, who were temporarily laid off, help reduce stress on adult staff, Sundarrajan said.

Scharf said as soon as he heard the theme was “Best Day Ever,” he thought of the Spongebob song with the same name.

Photo by Jim Zumsteg

Photo by Madeleine Yee

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Opinion

Staff Editorial

FUHSD needs transparency in cafeteria

A nutritious, balanced diet is essential for teenagers to grow and maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, FUHSD has made maintaining a healthy diet difficult by failing to provide transparent nutrition information for school cafeteria food.

Critical information for nutritional values such as added sugar are often un available on the FUHSD website, according to the FUHSD Nutritionals for Spring 2025 Menu. This pre vents students from access ing accurate information and understanding the full nutri tional value of the meals they consume.

FUHSD must make nu trition facts more accesible through displaying nutrition al information in the cafete ria and updating their online charts to contain complete data.

One notable example of incomplete data is seen through the yogurt parfaits served at brunch. The av erage yogurt parfait con tains around 125 calories, according to Nutritionix. However, the yogurt provid ed by FUHSD contains over 500 calories, according to the FUHSD Nutritionals for Spring 2025 Menu.

Items such as the yogurt parfait lead students to as sume they are eating healthy school food when, in reality, they are consuming poten tially unhealthy amounts of calories. This gap between assumptions and reality can lead to unintentional over

consumption of calories, especially for students trying to make healthier choices.

Additionally, around 52.5% of items on the FUHSD nutritional menu mark added sugars as (M), or missing. This lack of

Without adequate nutrition facts, serious health issues such as child obesity can increase among students, according to the CDC. If the details of school food remain unknown, students can easily consume

for students to easily read as they pass through the cafeteria line.

FUHSD should also create specific placards that are showcased in front of each item, which could list important nutrition facts for daily options.

These simple labels next to food items can allow students to make informed, personalized decisions based on the food they eat.

Moreover, district-level nutrition managers must ensure that current online information is fully available to students instead of leaving important facts as missing or unavailable due to difficulties with food providers, according to the FUHSD Nutritionals for Spring 2025 Menu.

Updating this information online can also help students plan their meals ahead of time at home. Providing this flexibility allows students to gain more control over their nutrition intake, which makes them more accountable for their own dietary choices.

Another way FUHSD can help is by teaching students how to establish healthy eating habits. The district can achieve this by providing materials on the total suggested number of calories, added sugars and other nutrients students should consume daily.

FUHSD must understand the importance of nutrition for students and ensure we have enough information to make healthy choices.

Assasination of CEO highlights class divide

Growing social gap should alarm Americans

The death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, sent shockwaves across America. After the death was officially announced, many Americans took differing stances toward the suspect, Luigi Mangione — was he a hero or a villain?

Those who justified Mangione’s actions were largely motivated by rage against the health insurance industry. Denial rates and medical costs have significantly increased in recent years, with the top cause of bankruptcy in the United States being health-related, according to CBS News.

The denial of claims by large corporations like United Healthcare, which only aim to maximize profits, displays the inherent corruption in the healthcare system.

Healthcare should be a human right, yet the United States is the only developed country without universal coverage, according to the Commonwealth Fund.

To combat rising healthcare issues, supportive government programs such as Medicare must be expanded to help more lower-class citizens.

Medicare should lower its age of eligibility from 65 to 60 years old, which will allow more lower-class

Americans prone to health problems to qualify for proper treatment.

By loosening the restrictions on healthcare, lower-income individuals will be able to obtain necessary treatment without the fear of affordability, which will help close the class divide by fostering greater equity in health outcomes.

This connection between healthcare access and financial inequality emphasizes the greater problem of class divide in our country, and Thompson’s murder is simply a mi crocosm of the issue.

For example, our broken gov ernment also reflects this growing divide. President Donald Trump has connected with billionaires, includ ing the richest person in the world, Elon Musk, according to Politico.

By appointing him to spearhead the new Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has grown roughly $83 billion richer since Nov. 5, ac cording to CNN.

The ultra-wealthy must stop abusing the political system and pushing for policies that only en rich themselves. As they increase corruption by swaying politics, their oligarchy-like actions only contribute to the growing class di vide. Musk has more money than he could ever spend, yet many ev eryday Americans can’t even afford healthcare.

To fight this, Americans should join local political action groups or donate to charities that support the lower class, such as ones that offer education and opportunities to indi viduals in need.

that provide federal funding to improve welfare programs or raise the federal minimum wage.

Not only do a few wealthy elites influence the government to their benefit, but their evasion of taxes harms social welfare as a whole.

Such individuals have collectively avoided more than $150 billion a year in taxes, according to CNBC.

As the chasm between social classes grows, we must spread awareness of income inequality and fight for policies that help the lower class while pushing wealthier Americans to contribute their fair share.

If we don’t fight for change, then the greedy actions taken by the rich will continue harming

Additionally, we should back politicians who support policies

Jason Lai

FUHSD must

Illustration by Jason Lai

IllustrationbyAnnieGuo

Slaves to the land of the free

California prisoners are abused, underpaid

Adam Orrin

In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment banned slavery in the United States for everyone except one group: incarcerated individuals. Despite the law, sixteen states currently allow for the practice of forced labor as punishment for prisoners. One of these states is California.

In November, California voted to continue to allow slavery in our prison systems by rejecting Proposition 6, which sought to end this system in our prisons.

Currently, 65% of California’s prisoners are forced into involuntary labor, with most receiving no compensation for their work, according to the Restorative Justice Center at UC Berkeley.

In addition to forced labor, prisoners who are unable to complete their jobs due to injuries or illness face additional punishments, including the loss of visitation, according to CalMatters.

Despite the harsh and immoral reality of the current system of forced labor in California, rehabilitation through jobs for prisoners can be done positively. However, forced labor completely undermines this goal.

Prisoners who work these jobs often face cruel punishments such as violence or solitary confinement, which increases their chance of recidivism, according to the Princeton Legal Journal.

Enforcing such punishments fosters an environment where prisoners relapse into repeat offenders in a concept called recidivism. Our legislation not only fails to rehabilitate but does the opposite by stripping prisoners of their dignity and ability to pursue rehabilitative paths.

Although some prisoners do apply for specialized jobs that pro-

Don’t only vote for the nice candidate

Jimmy Carter was a good guy but

a mediocre president

Jonathan Xue

COLUMN — More than 40 years after the fact, Jimmy Carter’s legacy as our 37th president led to an outpouring of praise. At his state funeral on Jan. 9, former presidents and family members gathered to remember his political accomplishments and celebrate his character.

Carter was celebrated for his emphasis on human rights, environmental protection and post-presidential work for Habitat for Humanity, the affordable housing organization he constantly volunteered for, according to NPR.

Many of his ideas regarding environmental protection and human rights were far ahead of their time, and Carter’s post-presidential work continues to inspire Americans and fellow presidents, according to NPR.

But no matter how forward-thinking and powerful his morals may be, Carter’s many failures as president are an even more important reminder for Americans. A good person doesn’t always make for an effective president.

Looking back on the circumstances of his election, Carter was primarily pushed into the presidency because of his good-natured, honest and small-town personality in a time when Americans had largely lost trust in the government following the Vietnam War, according to Texas A&M University.

Those who voted for Carter disregarded his apparent political inexperience and unpreparedness in approaching potential domestic

issues and international relations, instead choosing him for his outward charm and kindness.

Voters must not become tunnel visioned toward character when making such an important choice as choosing the next president is. Presidents will serve for years after their election, and the policies they pass will impact the United States long after their terms have ended.

When deciding on such an important role, Americans must consider the political ability a candidate brings to the table because a presidency is not solely based on good nature, it is based on impactful policy.

Carter only served one term for good reason. The last year of his presidency was marred by numerous issues like the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a 444-day Iranian hostage crisis and soaring inflation, according to Brookings.

His inability to solve any of the previously mentioned issues led to a resounding defeat in the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan, but these failures also demonstrated how unqualified Carter was to act as president.

Important issues like inflation and foreign policy were barely addressed by Carter’s administration and were largely left for future presidencies to solve. Carter’s approval ratings while in office remain among some of the lowest ever recorded, and toward the end of his tenure, he grew deeply unpopular among the public, according to Gallup.

Americans must not vote for any president like Carter who breezes through periods of prosperity but fails to act in times of crisis. It is in these unexpected hardships when voters most need effective leadership to guide our country.

Based on morality alone, Carter continues to serve as a beacon for what Americans should aspire to hold ourselves to. But as much as Carter’s work after his presidency deserves national praise, his time as president deserves equal reflection on its shortcomings.

The presidency is not simply a reward for good behavior, and Carter’s character failed to help Americans in times of need. But his continued legacy teaches voters a valuable lesson. Voters are far better off choosing an unpleasant yet impactful president than a kind but useless one.

vide wages, these prisoners work grueling shifts and are underpaid. For example, almost 800 incarcerated firefighters have begun fighting against the wildfires in Los Angeles, according to ABC News.

In contrast to their non-incarcerated counterparts who earn around $30 an hour, these firefighters are paid $5.80 to $10.24 per hour with an additional $1 per hour bonus during emergencies, according to The Guardian.

These prisoners work tirelessly to protect our families, homes and communities but are paid what the average California firefighter makes in an hour for a full day of work. How can we expect to see these citizens reenter society when the money they earn isn’t enough to get them back on their feet after serving their sentence?

Prisoners are people, too, and the first step toward seeing their humanity is educating ourselves about the devastating effects of our current system. Otherwise, incarcerated people will continue to be subjected to modern slavery as we

turn a blind eye to their struggle. Keeping prisoners for forced labor punishes the working class by undercutting workers and institutionalizing incarcerated indi-

viduals. The fight for reform can only be won by pressuring elected officials not to give up on anti-recidivism legislation that better supports incarcerated individuals. Voters must also advocate their concerns about the prison system to politicians. Otherwise, these people will forever remain slaves

Honors classes must be expanded

Honors science classes ensure proper preparation

Elena Shim

As a student in the Bay Area, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the pressure to achieve academic excellence. However, despite this high level of ambition among students, the FUHSD science program falls short in providing the proper support to prepare students for rigorous AP science courses.

While chemistry honors is currently offered at HHS, other honors courses for subjects such as biology and physics must also be introduced. This would help integrate students into a fast-paced learning environment and give them the chance to explore such subjects deeply.

The lack of honors science classes creates a jump from high school to college coursework. This gap makes learning science, subjects that need attention for their

complexity, very overwhelming.

In comparison to high school courses, honors classes are more challenging and cover material at a faster pace, which pushes students to build a strong work ethic, according to Appily.

For example, I took chemistry honors in my sophomore year and learned about various scientific principles that are now applicable in AP chemistry. The class helped me build essential skills and ways to approach problems, allowing me to successfully adapt to the AP chemistry curriculum.

Chemistry honors also allowed me to foresee any struggles I would have in AP chemistry. Understanding what may be trickier in AP Chemistry helped to build my confidence to take on the AP course.

FUHSD must expand its honors science courses to consider students who thrive in a step-by-step learning style. Implementing honors classes for biology and physics will create a stepping stone for students to transition from regular to AP classes, giving them a period to hone crucial skills and understand complex topics.

Without this transition, the jump in difficulty from regular to AP courses only leaves students in the dark to figure out difficult, complex concepts on their own. Given such benefits, honors science courses should not only be limited to chemistry. Biology and physics students deserve the same chance to prepare for academic challenges. This change would ensure that all students, regardless of their learning pace, can have the opportunity to succeed in AP courses.

California ‘works’ toward the future New labor laws

are a great start to reform

Sachin Chandran

The American Dream is a concept that many use as motivation to achieve their goals. The idea that anyone can build something for themselves in a country that has preached equality of opportunity has been an essential belief for innovation and growth.

Unfortunately, this dream has become more difficult to achieve due to the lack of worker protections in federal labor laws.

However, some states are standing up for the working class, including California. As exemplified by California’s 2025 labor reforms, this legislation features many steps in creating a fairer working environment.

A significant improvement is raising the state minimum wage from $16 to $16.50 an hour, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations. However, federal regulations are comparatively behind in raising the minimum wage, as the national minimum wage has been stagnant at $7.25 an hour since 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Similar to California, the federal government must also increase its

minimum wage. Since 2009, there has been a cumulative inflation of 49% to the cost of a dollar, yet the federal minimum wage has not changed at all, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

California’s state government has combated high prices by raising the minimum wage to match the cost of living. As a country, we must petition our leaders to push for a higher minimum wage policy at the federal level to create a realistic living standard.

Another improvement introduced by the legislation is the new paid family leave policy. Under previous federal law, employers could require employees to use two weeks of their vacation time before accessing the eight weeks of paid family leave offered by the state, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

This idea is extremely counterproductive, as the point of paid family leave is for employees to take time off during emergencies. Forcing employees to use their vacation time before their emergency leave defeats the purpose of offering emergency leave because it removes the distinction between emergency and vacation time.

Effective on Jan. 1, California’s new labor laws allow employees to directly access their eight weeks of paid family leave benefits without two prior weeks of vacation time, according to Littler.

This act is a step in the right direction because it provides em-

ployers with additional flexibility and allows them to use their vacation time freely. However, much more must still be done.

Currently, paid family leave offers no job protection. This legislation must be expanded to include it, so a worker who is dealing with an emergency doesn’t have to worry about losing their job.

While California’s new legislation moves the needle forward, the rest of America must follow in its footsteps. The federal government must expand labor protections to provide Americans with basic privileges, and voters must support such measures. Without these reforms, the American Dream will fade until it is unattainable.

Forced labor in our prison systems prevents rehabilitation.

The federal government must adopt and expand on California’s new policies.

Illustration by Elena Shim

The lack of science honors classes creates stress for students, hindering their academic journey.

by

Vivian Kim

Illustration by Maya Dutt

Opinion The Epitaph

Global warming really is global

Economy cannot justify dismissal of climate change

Malar Raguraman

Students growing up in the Bay Area are constantly reminded of the climate. Whether it’s the presentations at school, reminders to save water or the plethora of electric vehicles on the streets, global warming is treated as a critical issue. However, when it comes to climate, Silicon Valley is a bubble the 2024 election has burst open.

For once, the stark reality of the country invalidates the delusion of climate progress. President Donald Trump, an active critic of climate change, was voted into power.

Promising to dismantle critical policies against harmful fossil fuels, Trump and his views on global warming threaten the minimal progress that has been made during the Biden administration.

On the first day of his second term, Trump pulled the country out of the Paris Agreement for the second time. The international treaty legally binds countries to make large commitments preventing climate change, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Trump argued that climate treaties like the Paris Agreement will hurt the economy, as they

steer American taxpayer dollars to third-world countries that do not require or merit financial assistance, according to the White House.

Trump believes policy focused on cleaner energy is unnecessarily expensive and inflation can be combated by establishing dependence on oil and gas. However, this is invalid, as the clean energy market is rapidly growing and even spurring economic growth, according to Science Direct.

priority that must be placed before per sonal agenda or even the economy. The consequences of global warming are especially prevalent in America, with the recent fires in Los Angeles re sulting from cli mate weather phenomena, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Regardless of whether moving toward cleaner energy benefits the economy or not, intensifying weather is displacing Americans around the country. Climate change progress isn’t throwing money at third-world countries to offset responsibility but is a solution to an urgent issue affecting everyone.

Trump’s fervor to dismantle climate progress was clear from his first term. And yet, enough voters rallied behind his denial of global warming to place him in power.

The stark reality is that, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence, global warming is something the public simply refuses to take seriously. Only 54% of Americans believe

Rather than pushing for real progress, Trump misuses his powers as president to worsen the state of the climate.

Physics needs to cover more topics to let students explore

Physics only covers mechanics, needs expansion

On my first day of AP physics 1, I was excited to finally learn the mathematical concepts behind fields of physics like quantum mechanics. In time, I learned that AP physics 1 is a course that only teaches classical mechanics. To my disappointment, I would have to independently study my fields of interest, as the courses that teach them are not offered at HHS.

There are a total of four AP physics courses: AP physics 1, 2, C: mechanics and C: electricity and magnetism, according to College Board. The former two are yearlong, algebra-based foundations, while the latter two expand on previous concepts with calculus.

AP physics 1 is a great starting point, as more advanced courses, such as AP physics C: mechanics, require a fundamental understanding of its concepts.

However, the absence of AP physics 2 and AP physics C: electricity and magnetism means that certain units, like thermodynamics and modern physics, are never covered.

HHS currently offers AP physics 1 and AP physics C: mechanics — sticking to the College Board expectations of a year-long course for AP physics 1 and expanding AP physics C: mechanics to be yearlong instead of a single semester.

As a current student in AP physics C: mechanics, I am able to take calculus and apply it to concepts in AP physics 1, which helps build my skills in mechanics.

However, by offering only AP physics 1 and C: mechanics, students are only exposed to one facet of physics: classical mechanics. This restricts students from broadening the scope of their knowledge, making their only exposure to other facets of physics the end-

of-year projects that barely introduce concepts like electricity and circuitry.

If AP physics 2 or AP physics C: electricity and magnetism were offered at HHS, it would allow students to better pursue the fields they are interested in.

AP physics C: mechanics builds on AP physics 1 concepts, making it easier to self-study. Instead, many students self-study AP physics 2 or AP physics C: electricity and magnetism, courses with entirely new concepts, for the annual AP tests. Comparatively, this is

more difficult to do since it covers a new set of topics that students have not been introduced to in a classroom setting.

Offering AP physics 2 or AP physics C: electricity and magnetism is essential for a complete physics education. By including both major branches of College Board physics in the school curriculum, students with diverse interests can learn the skills they need for their future studies directly at school instead of being forced to learn and apply these concepts independently.

climate change is a major threat, according to the Pew Research Center.

Ultimately, the government reflects the ideals of the people it represents. Education on the realities of global warming is a key step in making government recognize the importance of climate change.

Our community must take tangible steps toward combating misinformation by incorporating climate education into school curriculums, hosting information

seminars and emphasizing the importance of teaching future generations about the disastrous effects of climate change, regardless of whether or not they see it in their everyday lives.

We tend to use political disunity as an excuse to disagree, but weather will not cease to intensify if we continue to go back and forth on the issue of climate change. Global warming isn’t partisan, and neither is sustaining the human race.

Santa Clara County takes a positive step for families

County prioritizes children, but must plan ahead

Henry Hu

At the end of 2024, Santa Clara County announced that it would be contributing $260 million of its annual budget toward helping atrisk youth throughout the county, according to the San Jose Spotlight.

However, due to the incoming Trump administration threatening to withhold federal funding for critical services, including those protecting at-risk children, this decision should be seen as only a step in the right direction for the county rather than a complete victory.

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to increase the children’s budget by 9.1% to a total of $1.29 billion for the current fiscal year. This funding will contribute to services ranging from housing for homeless children to increased funding for libraries and school-based social services, according to the County of Santa Clara’s Open Data Portal.

As a lifelong resident of Santa Clara County, I have experienced the importance of government services, such as public libraries, in shaping my development. Now, Santa Clara County is attempting to ensure thousands of at-risk children receive the help they need, whether in housing, food security or education.

The county takes a step in the right direction by ensuring that children from different backgrounds and levels of income will have the opportunity to develop alongside their peers toward a successful future.

For example, one of the initiatives Santa Clara County has passed will allocate nearly $300,000 in extra funding to the Cupertino library. The library will now be able to provide more study space, library materials and events for students in the community to enjoy, ac cording to the Coun ty of Santa Clara Open Data Portal. By allocating resources

for education and public services, children of all classes and races have the opportunity to learn, think and dream. All children deserve the opportunity to learn and grow, and Santa Clara County has taken a step in the right direction to ensure that.

However, the Trump administration now threatens to upend all the progress the county has made. With the administration promising to slash welfare and social services, the county now needs to be prepared to take more drastic measures to counteract any future harm to family services funding.

President Donald Trump promises to cut over $200 billion in federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over the next 10 years. He also promises to limit participation in similar welfare services for immigrants, even those legally allowed in the United States and applying for citizenship, according to Brookings.

Now, more than ever, Santa Clara County must take action to prevent its family services from coming under fire. The county must modify its welfare rules to protect immigrants and the unhoused from potential budget cuts passed at the federal level.

Furthermore, the county must anticipate potential cuts to federal funding and make plans for balanced budgets in the future to ensure these critical family services are well-funded and effective.

Santa Clara County has set its priorities straight when it comes to ensuring future success for every child. The county has done well to increase funding for child and family services, working to ensure a better future for thousands of families in our community.

However, there is still much work to be done. Santa Clara County must establish additional measures to future-proof its policies against the looming threat posed by Trump’s administration. The next few years will be a test to see if Santa Clara County will see massive success in the future or if we will see its progress taper off.

Parth Dhaulakhandi

Santa Clara County’s family and child services are threatened by budget cuts promised under the Trump administration.

Illustration by Malar Raguraman

Infographic by Parth Dhaulakhandi

Illustration by Henry Hu

Maximus the mustang: unmasked

Unique role of mascot promotes school spirit

Feldsher, Aashka Nagarkar and Malar Raguraman

At each rally, a familiar sight excites and entertains students in the crowd. An energetic mustang hops around, fist-bumping students and making dramatic gestures.

The HHS mascot, Maximus, livens the school atmosphere and leaves an impression on anyone who goes to school events.

For many students, Maximus serves a critical role in rallies and school social events, promoting school pride, junior Monty Morrison said.

“Our main thing is a horse, so I think it’s fun to have a little horse walking around and just chilling out there,” Morrison, who was

previously the mascot, said. “Every school has got to have a mascot.”

Senior Gabe Taylor, who has been under the mask five times, said he enjoys being Maximus because it gives students something to look forward to at the end of the week.

“I go off the top of my head. I just go around and dap people up. I don’t have a routine,” Taylor said.

While Taylor was Maximus for the first few rallies this school year, the role has since opened up to anyone who is interested, rally commissioner, senior Parnika Kotamsetti said.

Morrison said he volunteered to be Maximus because he thought it would be an amusing experience.

While it was exciting, Morrison said being in costume was tough due to its limited field of vision.

“I was trying to look around. I was really confused about the whole thing because someone would tap me, and I would have to do a full 180 degree turn to see them,” Morrison said.

More personally, senior Devishi Mishra said being Maximus helped

her step out of her comfort zone.

“The horse is definitely symbolic of my high school experience and trying new things,” Mishra said. “It’s out of my comfort zone to do something really nerve-wracking like that.”

Aside from bringing spirit to rallies, Kotamsetti said Maximus has also proved effective in bringing positive attention to the ASB social media accounts.

“Last year, for Homecoming, we made this promotional video with the mustang, and it was very popular,” Kotamsetti said. “There were a lot of likes and views on the video, and it had more engagement than any of our posts with just human beings.”

To students, Maximus encourages people to put themselves out there and provides a mascot anybody can connect with, Mishra said.

“You can be part of the rally and interact with it, even if you’re a bit shy and don’t want to do the games or talk to others,” Mishra said. “The mascot is someone that anyone can be friends with.”

ELD program breaks language barriers

Program provides cultural exposure, chances to learn

Isabela Guilardi

Many people are unaware of the struggles related to learning a new language, English Language Development commissioner, senior Thien-Mai Vu said. The ELD program aims to combat such language-related challenges by connecting international students with mentors, Vu said.

“We have something called an ambassadors program, where we have fluent English speakers help ELD students who are passionate about learning English,” Vu said. “We try to make ELD students feel more included and more involved because there’s a low participation rate when it comes to school events with ELD students.”

Every Friday during tutorial, mentors work with students to teach them new words and work out questions together, Vu said. Through the program, many students have improved their English and graduated to the next ELD level, Vu said.

“I’ve seen a lot more kids become passionate about [learning],” Vu said. “They become even more social, and they’re more involved and enthusiastic in school events, which is always our goal.”

ELD commissioner, junior Kenzie Murray said she is grateful for the program, as learning a new language is a difficult task made easier by mentorship pairings.

“The mentee and mentor relationship grows as we go on, and I feel like everybody is happy to come to the meetings,” Murray said. “It’s nice to see ELD students grow into a higher level with other people.”

Both mentors and ELD students gain valuable exposure to new cultures through the program, ELD co-coordinator Wilma Wu said.

“It’s a good chance for both [sides]. The mentors that are here just want to learn about another culture, ” Wu said.

As a former ELD student herself, Vu said it's hard being in a new setting while feeling isolated from others. However, through the ELD program, students can find a community they can learn with, Vu said.

“People should care [about ELD] because, at the end of the day, kindness is what’s really important,” Vu said. “I feel when you’re giving someone the opportunity to learn to support themselves, that’s rewarding for yourself, as well.”

Photo by Isabela Guilardi

Mentors and mentees collaborate on activities to practice discussions in English, Vu said.

Robotics team rolls toward upcoming competition

Officers discuss procedures, goals for build season

The robotics team, or Team 670, is in the midst of its build season, where members are brainstorming, programming and constructing a robot for their upcoming regional competition, VP competition, senior Sebastian Freitag said.

This year, the prompt outlined a game in which two teams of schools each have a reef. Their robots aim to bring the most coral to it while also removing algae, treasurer, senior Wilson Wu said.

“It is unique since there are more components than in previous years,” Wu said. “Most years, it is just shooting hoops like basketball. But this year, there are so many more components to score points, and you have to incorporate that into the robot.”

In the first couple of days of build season, the team members were focused on generating ideas for the robot design, Freitag said.

“It all starts with reading the rule book and figuring out how we think the game will be best played,” Freitag said. “We have some people who sketch out different designs or ideas that they have for what we can do. For example, the tech team will start to brainstorm the different components and write some pseudo code for it.”

When they decided on an idea,

which cannot be disclosed due to confidentiality reasons, members prototyped and printed out all the parts, allowing the testing process to begin, Freitag said.

“We always aim to have our tech team get to use the bot, test it and try to optimize it by a month and a half into build season,” Freitag said. “After that, the tech team works on the code for the subsystems as well as our autonomous paths, [and] our drive team practices before our competition.”

To efficiently produce and use its robots, Team 670 is comprised of multiple groups, each with its own goals and responsibilities, Wu said. This includes an outreach, business, software, hardware and drive team, Wu added.

However, build season isn’t

always smooth, sometimes resulting in miscalculations for lengths and flaws in the design, president, senior Karen Zhang said. Additionally, in past years, Team 670 has fallen behind its schedule, making one of its main goals this year to stay on time, Zhang added.

To resolve issues brought up by the short time frame, the team created an agenda and will hold frequent team meetings, Wu said.

“We try to create a calendar and have a schedule of what we want to complete each week,” Wu said. “If we don’t [finish] after each week, we have a team discussion and think of different ways to complete this.”

Outside of constructing and programming robots, Zhang said she hopes members of Team 670 will learn to explore different

Robotics building process

aspects of robotics and grow out of their comfort zone during build season.

“When I was a freshman, I knew absolutely nothing, and I just wanted to be more involved and be able to understand the competition, the organization and how things work. I hope members feel comfortable in this space [by] asking questions and being involved,” Zhang said.

This year, the team hopes to match the achievements and results it made during the previous season, Freitag said.

“Last year was our first regional win: [at] Arizona East Regional,” Freitag said. “We’ve never actually won a regional before, so this year we’re hoping we can run it backa. I think the hope is that we can bring it back and head to Houston.”

Danielle

Alan Zhang

Maximus is an important aspect of school spirit, especially at events, Kotamsetti said.

The

Freitag said.

Photos courtesy of Karen Zhang

Infographic by Selina Wang and Alan Zhang

Photos by Malar Raguraman

Ways to celebrate Black History Month:

Watch a movie

‘Get

Out’

Listen to an artist book

Bob Marley

Junior Ryder Tong said “Get Out” is intense and thought-provoking — a pristine representation of the modern horror genre. Tong said the movie highlights injustices faced by the Black community in America.

‘Born a

Junior Mirabelle Brathwaite said she enjoys Bob Marley’s “Uprising” album, as she and her dad listened to it together when she was younger. Brathwaite said reggae is an important genre that she feels connected to.

Bringing Black history into the class

Teachers discuss role of Black culture in curriculums

“Jazz is America’s art form, and it was created by African Americans. To do jazz without African American composers would not be doing it justice. That’s where the music came from, so we need to know who the people were and what their music was, especially if that’s the name of the class.”

— Director of bands, John Burn

“We don’t have a large African American community here, so it’s incredibly important for the few students who are to see themselves reflected in the curriculum. But it’s also important for everybody else to experience a culture, academically at least, that they may not be having a lot of day-to-day interaction with.”

— Art department lead, Tyler Cripe

“In [the] freshman year [class], we added ‘The Hate U Give.’ I think most teachers teach it first semester. Different teachers have a variety of Black authors in poetry and short sto ries, but we felt like it was important to also have a full-length text.”

— Literature department, lead Christina Graham

Crime’

Sophomore Anahita Singal

“Born a Crime” was written ah’s perspective, and that rica during apartheid. perspective helped her her own intersectionality.

BSU discusses Black culture, role of advocacy

The path

Jason Lai, Adam Orrin and Mackie Vu

Pride and power

Students, staff discuss Black culture, history Month:

celebrate BHM

Support a business

Singal said she liked how written from Trevor Nothat it covered South AfSingal said Noah’s fresh her to uncover aspects of intersectionality.

Black History Month is important to me because ...

Junior Maya Dutt said she hasn’t been able to find a restaurant that makes shuro wat like Zeni does. The founder of the restuarant also helps new immigrants find housing and jobs. From good food to loving community, Zeni has it all, Dutt said.

path toward progress

misconceptions, the use of accidental offensive sayings and politics.

“What’s important is to focus on interpersonal relationships like educating friends,” Nelson said. “[Educating] people you talk to goes a long way.”

Furthermore, BSU adviser Shay Bellamy said she has been involving herself by supporting Black-owned businesses and attending local events.

“It makes me feel like there’s so much more work to be done,” Bellamy, the college and career center adviser, said. “I know it gets challenging to balance work, life, activism and community involvement, but it makes me feel a part of the solution.”

Nelson said BSU plans to host a spirit week during Black History Month and other events to share Black culture and history. One activity the club is planning to host is a chalk mural on the quad stage, Nelson said.

“The chalk mural is mostly an event to get participation and have fun,” Nelson said. “Our spirit week is for BSU to celebrate Black History Month and share our celebration with the school. We want to make BSU’s presence at HHS known, especially compared to how it was during last school year.”

Another aspect of the month includes activism, and Nelson said there is still progress to be made in addressing social issues within the Black community. At school, Nelson said he hopes to see more involvement in BSU meetings and activities.

“Having more people at general meetings, events and socials makes for more socializing. More involvement from HHS would also mean we could reach more people and educate more on the Black community,” Nelson said. “That kind of outreach allows for progress to be made through learning about diversity,

the Black community and history.”

BSU secretary, senior Diego Thomas said something as small as reading a New York Times article, watching a video or wearing a shirt can be possible ways to celebrate the month.

“Small things count, and big things matter, too. You don’t need to be doing big community management projects,” Thomas said. “You can just do very small things to celebrate the history month.”

Looking forward, Bellamy said student participation in activism specifically is key to uplifting the Black community.

“Student activism has always been important for the growth of any community, including the Black community,” Bellamy said.

“You guys are the future, but you’re also a pivotal part of how the world will work and change based on how involved you are in the community.”

“I feel it's good to know about Black history, to celebrate Black history and [to learn about] the resilience and adaptability that Black Americans had.”

Mirabelle

“There aren’t a lot of Black students at this school, so I think it’s really cool that we get a month to cel ebrate ourselves and inform other people about our culture.”

“It gives recognition to a whole side of America that isn't always properly attributed. A lot of music came from Black culture. A lot of entertainment, whole cuisines and whole cultures were centered around Black culture, and that's never mentioned [or] talked about.”

“It honors the history and cul ture of Black excellence. It ac knowledges the achievements and struggles of our an cestors and also recognizes individuals who have fought for justice and equality.”

Brathwaite (11)

Alayah Young (11)

Shadrack Ayesiga (12)

Jackson Reavis (12)

The Epitaph Lifestyles

The art of self-expression

Students, teachers discuss how art impacts lives

Selina Wang

Beyond simply providing students with a creative outlet, art also helps students with self-expression, Frontier editor-in-chief, senior Lucia Liu said. This can mean different things for different people, but for Liu, she said she uses her art as a way to connect with and share Christianity.

“There’s the painting part, and I love doing that. It’s really freeing and relaxing, but there’s also what you paint,” Liu said. “I feel like sometimes I’m afraid to express my faith to my friends by talking, so art is a beautiful way to show it.”

Furthermore, by becoming involved with on-campus art communities, junior Reesie Zhang said art can act as an opportunity to connect with others.

“I’m more involved in the school community through the art club, and I’ve gotten to know more people like my [fellow] officers,” Zhang said. “We had junior officer interviews, and I got to know how people thought about art.”

3D design teacher Clare Dee said art can be a unique oppor-

tunity for self-expression. For instance, Dee said she is not ashamed to teach purely through her own style, sharing aspects of her personality.

“I’m not embarrassed anymore, being of a certain age,” Dee said. “I’ll dance around the class to get that energy out and to show my students. I will act out certain [embroidery] stitches like a crazy person.”

In addition to offering opportunities for self-expression, Liu said art can also reflect the creator’s character. Her pieces are full of vibrant, bold colors that reflect her bubbly and outgoing personality, Liu added.

“If you see my art, there’s a lot of primary colors,” Liu said. “I don’t like to use gray and desaturate the colors. I think it’s a form of expression, and it makes me happy every time I see a burst of color.”

At HHS, the 3D design and art room aims to be a safe space where students can let loose, relax and fully express themselves

however they want without added pressures, Dee said.

“It’s the class where they can be themselves,” Dee said. “The class [is] where they use their hands, especially in 3D sculpture and design. [They] make things that use a part of their body and brain that don’t get as much use in other academic classes.”

Photography through a different lens

Kwong shares career, teaching journeys

Olivia Levesque Ouellette

Starting his photography journey in high school with just a cartridge film camera, photography teacher Edmond Kwong said the art form has since transformed into a lifelong endeavor.

“I always have a camera with me because it gives me the opportunity to capture whatever I’m in the mood to capture at the time,”

Kwong said. “It’s my way of keeping a visual journal of what I see and where I’ve been.”

During his career as a professional photographer, Kwong said he worked for local newspapers, even photographing events at HHS. His works were published in papers such as the Los Altos Crier, US Sun and Mercury News, Kwong said.

“I got the experience of working in a professional photographer’s capacity and the responsibility of what it takes,” Kwong said. “What I also do with that experience is turn around and teach it to my own students.”

Photography club president,

senior Gavin Weng, said he values how Kwong goes beyond teaching solely photography skills by preparing students for real applications of the art.

“When you have a gig, for example, you have to [consider] the conditions of the event, what you might have to bring and how to accommodate your client,” Weng said. “Kwong encourages you to take into account what is really happening around you as a factor in your photography.”

After taking Kwong’s class, senior Riya Zingade said his passion for teaching photography sparked her interest in joining the photography club.

“[From] the way Kwong talks about photography, you can tell it’s something that means a lot to him,” Zingade said. “That just made me feel inspired because you’re learning from someone who loves the topic.”

Rather than taking photography just to fulfill art credits, Kwong said he encourages his students to view it as an art form and an important skill.

“I want [students] to see photography from a different perspective or lens,” Kwong said. “Photography gives you one piece of equipment to capture what is happening. It’s a different way of expressing your thoughts and sharing it with people.”

Sophomore carves out time for passion

Self-taught woodworker turns hobby into business

Madeleine Yee and Kaylin Yi

Intrigued by the concept of woodworking in his freshman year, sophomore Sree Vemuri said he decided to try his hand at the craft by using a few basic woodworking tools and following YouTube tutorials.

Since then, Vemuri said this infatuation has transformed into not only a meaningful hobby but also a business.

“[Woodworking] is relaxing for me because I’m really focused on what I’m doing,” Vemuri said. “It’s a nice way to get away from my homework and whatever else I have to deal with.”

However, Vemuri said that he was motivated to start his own business because he wanted to earn back the cost of the woodworking materials.

“I’ve been trying to build up a portfolio and enough items to actually start selling stuff,” Vemuri said.

“My goal for the next few years is to build enough cutting boards and charcuterie boards, which I have lots of experience with, to make sales and make back some of the money I’ve been spending.”

Along with constructing his resume, Vemuri said he operates an Instagram business account where he regularly posts about his recent projects.

However, Vemuri said finding time for his passion can be difficult, especially during the school year. In his free time, he picks up smaller, more feasible projects, Vemuri said.

“Originally, I was hoping to start selling furniture,” Vemuri said. “Then I realized that, with school and how little time I had, I wouldn’t really be able to do that on a large scale.”

For the most part, Vemuri said

he has primarily sold and gifted his creations to family members and a few of his friends.

One of Vemuri’s friends, junior Shannon Wu, said she sees significant potential for Vemuri to grow his business.

Wu said she supports Vemuri and his pursuit of new project ideas and looks forward to seeing his business expand.

“I think [woodworking] is really cool, and there’s a lot of parallels between woodworking and what Sree and I do in robotics,” Wu said. “What’s cool is that, because Sree has a woodworking background, he has a lot of knowledge when it comes to a lot of machines that we work with.”

Aside from making pieces for business purposes, Vemuri said he also enjoys using his woodworking skills to create handmade gifts for friends and family.

“In the last year, almost every gift I’ve made for any of my friends has been made entirely out of wood,” Vemuri said.

Sophomore Jaya Singhal, who received wooden earrings from Vemuri, said the earrings were made out of three different types of wood. The earrings were given to her after their team won a robotics competition, which brings back pleasant memories, Singhal added.

“They’re very special because [Vemuri] made them, and it was my first time being human player during the robotics competition. So it was a good memory to have,” Singhal said. “I wear them to a lot of events.”

Throughout his woodworking journey, Vemuri said his parents’ support has been instrumental in helping him pursue the hobby. In the future, Vemuri said he plans to continue developing his skills and to take on more complex projects.

“[Woodworking] taught me a lot of skills that apply to more things in general,” Vemuri said. “It has given me the skills where I can feel confident in what I’m doing.”

Future plans and early decisions

Seniors share early decision results, future plans

What made you apply to your college?

“I fell in love with [Stanford] a long time ago. I’ve had the unique privilege of being familiar with the Stanford community from a young age. I [have] always felt a sense of warmth and belonging, not just from the beautiful campus but also from the people I’ve met.”

- Gavin Weng

What do you plan to study in college?

“I plan on studying math. I think that math is really interesting because it makes up the fabric of the universe, and it naturally arises in nature. It’s also really interesting in how many applications it has to science.”

- Rohan Bodke

What are you most looking forward to in college?

“NYC is a huge city, and I never experienced living like that. I’m excited to have new adventures. Hopefully, [I will] find some exciting opportunities, internships and research positions. I hope to meet a lot of new people.”

- Bhavya Krishnan

Vemuri said woodworking has taught him valuable skills and provided a creative outlet for relaxation and personal growth.

Kwong said his expertise in photography influences his teaching style.

Photo by Olivia Levesque Ouellette

Through art, students can relax and embrace their identities, Dee said.

Photo courtesy of Sree Vemuri

Photo by Henry Hu

Photo courtesy of Lucia Liu

Fulfilling purchases made through careful consideration

Understand why money is spent to avoid future regrets

Amanda Boles

COLUMN — The term “buyer’s remorse” is probably one many people are familiar with. For me, it was a feeling of shame I felt, even when making purchases for my own enjoyment.

Last year, when I finally settled down to do a deep cleanse of my room, I found myself with a pile of lost artifacts halfway through the

session: knitting needles, mini figurines, sparkly bouncy balls, you name it.

At the end of my decluttering spree, seeing the accumulation of items that no longer served me was disappointing. It represented all the money I had wasted over the past year.

Reminders of my par ents telling me to “spend carefully” resurfaced as I contemplated all the ways I could have been wiser. The junk piled up, and with it, my guilt did, too.

Whenever I bought some thing that was not a necessity, I viewed it as a naive and wasteful

decision. It seemed inevitable that my purchases, like the set of bracelets I bought but never wore, would be forgotten.

Still, I would spend money in the name of “making myself happy,” but the looming regret never really

started making my own money to spend, it was still hard to indulge without feeling guilty.

Science Bowl environment sparks passion, community

Club inspires students to dive into STEM fields

Brian Ling and Jonathan Xue

From nuclear energy to computers, Science Bowl immerses students in a variety of specialized science topics, vice president, senior Armaan Gomes said. The club encourages students to explore niche concepts, many of which cannot be found in the school curriculum or daily life, Gomes added.

Similarly, president, senior Peter Ferolito said he hopes that through involvement, members can discover a passion for science and a community of like-minded people.

“I hope members can make new friends through the club, find people they can learn with and interact with similarly minded people,” Ferolito said. “There’s a real community here. People are really passionate about science, and together, we learn, have fun and practice our knowledge of science.”

Ferolito said he chose to study math, space and physics because every subject ties together to provide an understanding of how the world works. The subjects are fun to learn and help him understand natural phenomena like weather, plate tectonics and mountain building, Ferolito said.

Additionally, Science Bowl offers competitions for members to apply their learning from the club, Gomes said. To prepare, the club hosts biweekly practice sessions and annual tryouts to create a school team.

Science Bowl teaches content through relaxed learning and fastpaced competitions, Ferolito (far left) said.

“You meet a lot of people at competitions, and it also provides an adrenaline rush from competing,” Gomes said. “Competitions are focused on racing to have a faster reflex than the other team and also working with your own team to find the correct answer.”

Because of this, Gomes said Science Bowl has not only taught him a multitude of scientific facts but has also provided him with valuable communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills through its competitions.

Secretary, senior Soham Nanawati said he joined Science Bowl to expand his scientific knowledge.

“Science Bowl has definitely developed my dedication and perseverance because I can now sit down and go through many chapters of a textbook in a single day,” Nanawati said. “It’s also improved my critical thinking because the questions force you to organize your thoughts quickly and efficiently.”

Nanawati said although studying for competitions can be tedious at times, the satisfaction he gains from correctly answering difficult questions motivates him to hone his knowledge and continue his involvement in the club.

“You get lifelong friends because you spend so much time practicing with these people, and eventually, you get to know them well,” Nanawati said. “It’s very fun because Science Bowl turns science into a game in a way that’s unique, fun and cool.”

Seeking to remedy these feelings, I consulted my parents for a second opinion on my future expenditures. Having them question my motives for buying an item helped me avoid impulses that I would later regret. It became a habit for me to delay making a purchase to consider if the item would truly be worthwhile. If I bought something for the sake of external validation or just because “I felt like it,” then the pur-

chase was unnecessary. However, if I could see myself using the item daily or if it was to make lasting memories, then it was justified.

Learning how to differentiate between these two categories helped me identify why I was buying something in the first place and if the purchase would actively improve my life. As I developed my ability to make responsible decisions, I started opening up to indulgences with a new perspective.

I encourage anyone else who is conflicted by their purchases to dig deeper and understand why. By reflecting on the true purpose and value of decisions, it is easier to find clarity and even fulfillment in such choices.

The One Acts experience

Drama department hosts annual One Acts which feature several student-led scenarios, each showcasing their creative capabilities

“I

“I’ve

“My

Sports broadcasting club promotes athletic community

Students hope to increase sports engagement

Isabela Guilardi and Catherine Yang

The commentator’s voice fills the room, narrating every play with enthusiasm as the crowd leans in with anticipation. Families and friends gather on the stands to cheer for athletes.

The newly formed sports broadcasting club provides students with opportunities to cover sports in unique ways, whether it be through making live and online commentary, creating fun videos or interviewing people about sports, co-president, sophomore Andrew Fekete said.

“We get pre-game and post-game interviews, talk to the fans and get clips to post online,” Fekete said.

Co-president, junior Ryan Moyer said another objective of the club is to broadcast unorthodox sports for people to learn about and enjoy.

“I think a lot of the main sports such as basketball and football are widespread, while smaller sports, ones that aren’t as popular, aren’t broadcasted,” Moyer said. “When I started the club, the overall goal was just being able to introduce those other sports to people and mix in sports culture with people that don’t play sports.”

Similarly, Fekete said he hopes the club helps create increased enthusiasm for sports within the school community.

“We wanted to bring more attention to sports, especially since HHS is well known for their band and clubs like FBLA,” Fekete said. “We wanted to increase viewership in a [similar] way for sports and hopefully get people to come to less popular sports. A lot of people do go to the football games, but it would be great if people would go to sports that aren’t as popular.”

Moyer said in preparation for the games, the club’s meetings consist of planning and assigning content to document the games.

“In our meetings, we generally give basic information about our upcoming games,” Moyer said.

“We’re only doing home games right now. So we have a schedule of all the home games and have people sign up for what they want to do, whether it’s broadcasting, filming or creating clips to post on Instagram.”

Since the club is still in its early phases, the biggest issue is getting an adequate number of members, Fekete said.

When signing up to broadcast games, things started slow, with around four people signing up for each game, Moyer said.

Despite the low number of attendees, club adviser Mallory Lantz said she still has high hopes for the club. For instance, Lantz said she hopes the club can find different ways to broadcast a game, whether it be through post-game recaps or highlights to promote the games on social media.

Additionally, Fekete said a big goal the club hopes to achieve is giving international and online families — especially those who are international or unable to attend a game in person — a chance to experience a game by broadcasting online.

“The biggest goal is allowing people who can’t show up to the game, especially grandparents who live across the country, a chance to watch [them] play,” Fekete said.

Overall, Moyer said the club’s mission is to continue to advertise

sports, especially those that aren’t as mainstream, with a new method of broadcasting and media.

“We are hoping to get more people involved in the sports world,” Moyer said. “I think it is not as big as it should be, even though we have a lot of great teams here.”

Photo by Brian Ling

The new sports broadcasting club aims to expand coverage of school athletics through live commentary and social media, Moyer said.

Photo by Aviv Matas

really get to see the students reflected in their own plays. So overall, it’s one of my favorite shows of the year.”

— Drama teacher Alana Caires

favorite part of

always loved performing, it just feels very natural.”

— Jackie Pagan (11)

Infographic by Isabela Guilardi

Jackie Pagan (11)

Brooklyn Borges (12)

Jett Garkusha (12)

QR codes make restaurants mediocre

Physical menus are integral to the dine-in experience

Amanda Boles

As I walk into a restaurant, I am greeted by distinct light fixtures, wall art and furniture. Visual details subtly blend to convey what cuisine is served, giving the establishment a unique atmosphere.

The waiter walks me to a table, but I am left without a physical menu to flip through. Rather, I look down to a soulless QR code.

Menu QR codes are now implemented in almost 75% of all restaurants, according to QR Code KIT.

Thus, this unappetizing development has become extremely difficult to avoid.

While QR code menus can eliminate the inconvenience of flagging down a waiter, they trade off a much more immersive dinein experience. Physical menus are an integral part of a restaurant’s feel that QR codes often ruin because they interrupt the cohesive aesthetic of a restaurant.

When eating, I want to view menus without zooming in on PDFs or being taunted by loading screens. My disappointment becomes further exacerbated by the same uninviting user interfaces that pop up after scanning.

If I wanted convenience, I would have just ordered takeout. Taking the time to sit down shows that I want to appreciate all that is being offered and not just

A beautiful menu with carefully chosen fonts and decorative touches can be exciting to hold. Its various characteristics give the establishment personality and help diners feel far more connected to the place where they are eating.

Furthermore, there is a social aspect to menus that QR codes can’t match. Instead of discussing menu items together, I find people individually scrolling on their phones.

Looking at a digital menu also serves as a gateway to other digital distractions, which prevents people from being more present and conversational.

Additionally, physical menus allow for social interactions that reveal a restaurant’s hidden strengths. When ordering through such means, the personable staff come to life, allowing diners to form a more personal connection with the restaurant.

The way a waiter joyfully introduces daily specialties or offers assistance as they hand out menus is always a delight. It sets the restaurant’s tone, and faceto-face interactions make me feel valued as a patron.

Although QR codes can offer various benefits, such as eliminating wait time for placing orders and reducing paper waste created by physical menus, they are not worth sacrificing a restaurant’s liveliness for.

I want to browse the pages of a menu to determine an establishment’s personality. Physical menus convince me to stay and eat through their appealing qualities. When dining in, they help define a truly original and memorable

The Tulips are a slice of heaven

Duo pairs ethereal harmonies with cute lyrics

Maya Dutt

COLUMN — I have always been naturally drawn to bedroom pop music because of its low-key vibe. I adore artists like beabadoobee and Mitski while I play earlier Pink Pantheress songs like “Just a waste” and “Passion” on repeat.

When 80s-style bedroom pop and endearing lyrics combine, you get The Tulips: a Filipina and Latina duo from Los Angeles.

The Tulips was formed in 2023 by Jewlz and Andrea as an indie dream pop band, according to Spotify. They combine gentle guitar, minimal drums and ethereal harmonies to create music that feels like sleeping on a cloud.

The low fidelity aspect of their music helps bring out the inexperience of first love in their songs.

The Tulips love to insert witty lines in their music, and they make me warm because of how adorable they are. The song that first introduced me to the band, “favorite apple,” caught my attention because of a line in the chorus:

“Do you look both ways when you cross my mind?” This endearing play on words combined with the harmony they sing at the end of the lyric instantly had me hooked.

While the band is usually calm, they aren’t afraid to make more energetic songs. “SICK!” has the spirit of Olivia Rodrigo, with a darker bass guitar and an angrier chorus than their usual songs.

Now that The Tulips have released enough music, I can feel them start to explore the niche they have made for themselves.

Jewlz is starting to include her Latina heritage into the duo’s music and “still love you (todavía),” combines Spanish and English lyrics in a style reminiscent of The Marias.

Goosebumps crawl over my skin as “Highway 61 Revisited” by Bob Dylan thrums through the theater, a visceral experience that is even more impressive when I realize that Timotheé Chalamet is singing the song himself.

Released on Dec. 25 “A Complete Unknown” is a music biopic about the legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, played by Chalamet. The film follows Dylan’s first four years of rising to fame in 1960s New York City, during which he revolutionizes folk music through meeting fellow musicians.

As a fan, I was eager to see how the film would depict such an enigmatic figure. However, I had many

doubts before viewing the movie. I found similar biopics of music legends, such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” disappointing and award-baiting. Thankfully, my doubts about music biographies were subverted once I saw “A Complete Unknown.”

Exceeding all my expectations, Chalamet immerses himself into a very difficult role and captures Dylan’s complexity as a three-dimensional character. Dylan’s songs pushed the boundaries of folk music as he fought for social justice, yet he still remained a mystery to the public due to his reluctance to conform to social expectations.

From the nasal pitch when singing to the unwillingness to explain his feelings, Chalamet perfects Dylan’s voice and habits, successfully replicating Dylan’s almost mythical aura.

Alongside Chalamet, the acclaimed actor Edward Norton portrays Dylan’s mentor and companion folk musician, Pete Seeger, with quality acting. Seeger and Dylan are presented as foil char-

Whether

or simply in

study

look both ways before crossing your mind.

Bots destroy user experience

AI-created accounts ruin engaging reels, deceive users

Kevin Miao

Every day, I swipe away at my screen, reel after reel, looking for entertaining content that will bring me joy. However, I have noticed a shift. Such videos that were once original and funny have turned into boring, AI-generated content.

Thousands of reels about the same content are automatically generated, with over 30% of content on Meta platforms being generated by AI, according to NPR.

Additionally, I was shocked to discover that AI accounts were not just cheaply generated AI videos but also AI influencers who act like real users. These accounts trick users to gain influence and engagement, according to Forbes.

Bot influencers provide no benefit by substituting real interactions with relationships with AI chatbots. These bots harm the de-

acters who view folk music from different perspectives.

While Seeger supports traditional folk music that advocates for social justice, Dylan aims to evolve the genre by incorporating different instruments such as the electric guitar and controversial topics like religion. This tension develops a rivalry between the old and new generations of folk, which is engaging to watch.

A notable aspect of Dylan was his advocacy for civil rights. For example, he sang during Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech “I Have a Dream” and “Masters of War” during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

However, the film fails to dwell on the effects of his activism on the community. I wish the movie provided more details about Dylan’s political views, as it would give some fresh insight into how his music affected people during times of political turmoil.

“A Complete Unknown” does not attempt to explain Dylan’s motivations or ideologies. It sim-

velopment of crucial social skills, as users who constantly chat with AI bots often lack the ability to respond to emotions, according to Psychology Today. These harmful accounts are produced almost purely for prof it and created by companies to make money by tricking people into engaging with AI, according to Forbes. Further more, they drive engagement toward compa nies and push human influ encers out of the field.

This results in the death of creativity in content as more and more AI floods social media. Media companies such as Meta and TikTok must move away from creating AI accounts to purposefully trick viewers and implement regulations to actively prevent users from using AI to auto-generate content. The existence of AI accounts with the sole purpose of deceiving

viewers and gaining traction perpetuates the dead internet theory, where the majority of the internet is AI with only a few human users, according to Forbes. This concept is distressing for many individuals, including myself, as it undermines the trust we place in the content we consume.

Now, with AI accounts on Instagram and YouTube comment sections filled with “lol” and “haha,” this theory seems increasingly real. Companies that encourage these accounts inflate the influence of AI and promote irrational fears, which negatively impacts the mental health of many users. There is no question AI is becoming a larger part of our daily lives, and it will continue to influence the media we see. However, AI should not be used to simply deceive people and gain likes. Instead, it should be used as a tool to create better content, not as a replacement for original thought.

ply shows his authentic nature: a genius who never cared about the expectations of others or what they thought of him.

Although this film is a mostly accurate portrayal of Dylan, the biopic offers nothing special to comment on his legacy, which holds

it back from greatness. Even after the two hour film, Dylan remains a complete unknown.

Jason Lai

you are a fan of dream pop, looking for a new band to listen to

need of new

music, The Tulips won’t

Chalamet perfects Dylan’s voice and mysterious personality.

The Filipina and Latina duo’s sound is reminiscent of artists like beabadoobee and The Marias.

Illustration by Amanda Boles

Photo illustration by Maya Dutt

Photo from Searchlight Pictures post repetitive and boring content.

Movie: “A Complete Unknown.” Grade: B+. Rated R. Watch in theaters.

Illustration by Kevin Miao

Long live ‘Harbin’: a story of Korean independence

Drama draws line between liberation and resistance

COLUMN — In a battlefield littered with bodies, blood is splattered across the snow and men fight over the corpses of their fallen comrades. The outnumbered Korean resistance forces manage to defeat the Japanese military in battle but at a tremendous cost.

This is “Harbin,” a Korean drama released on Jan. 3. The film details how Korean resistance forces assassinated Itō Hirobumi, the prime minister of Japan, who occupied Korea in the early 1900s.

Although the movie is packed with action, it also takes the necessary time to dive into the moti-

vations of the main cast, adding a layer of emotion to their losses and victories throughout the film.

Ahn Jung-Geung, a Korean re sistance leader, is the most com plex character, with two forces constantly pulling him in opposite directions. The first force is his de sire to avenge his fallen comrades by assassinating Hirobumi, but the second is his belief that every fighter, Korean or Jap anese, is a person whose humanity cannot be ignored.

This theme is prevalent throughout the movie, as JungGeung discovers that one of his friends is a spy for the Japanese. Rather than killing him as the oth ers suggest, Jung-Geung decides to spare his life, believing that he deserves a second chance and should be treated with mercy.

Jung-Geung, a staunch sup porter of Korean independence, draws the line at an innocent life.

Epitaph Picks: What’s your favorite Valentine’s Day media?

“I recommend the ‘rosie’ album by Rosé. It’s about breakups and the arguing aspect of relationships, which depicts a more realistic side of

“Every year, I watch the movie ‘Valentine’s Day.’ It’s a romcom and super fun to watch with my mom.”

“My recommendation is ‘Hey Lover’ by The Daughters Of Eve. It’s a classic love song that always make me smile.”

Sex appeal is not their only power

Stop the sexualization of female heroes

Aashka Nagarkar

As a comic book fan, from a young age, I was always aware of how writers treated female superheroes compared to male counterparts. While male heroes received intricate suits and complex storylines, female superheroes were often relegated to skimpy outfits and plots that felt sexually exploitative.

One of the most glaring examples of such stereotypes is Harley Quinn. Harley Quinn has been repeatedly fetishized, with storylines romanticizing her abusive relationship with the Joker ,and artists progressively portraying her in more revealing outfits.

Recently, DC Comics announced they are releasing a special edition comic dedicated entirely to Harley Quinn’s farts in March, according to League of Comic Geeks. Even worse, it is promoted as a scratchn-sniff comic

where readers can scratch Harley Quinn’s butt and sniff it.

By beginning the comic book description with “Calling all sickos,” the studio does not hide the fact the target audience is individuals with strange fetishes, according to DC.

This comic takes away any hope I had for Harley Quinn being taken seriously as a character, as it continues to sexualize her rather than diving deeper into her storyline.

Harley Quinn is also objectified in movies. In the 2016 movie “Suicide Squad,” there are multiple unnecessary scenes of Harley Quinn stripping.

Depicting Emma Frost as simply eye candy instead of an independent superhero downplays the fact that she should have been a formidable opponent. As an Emma Frost fan, this scene ruined the movie because she could have played a larger part in the storyline considering she is one of the most powerful telepaths.

If female superheroes are not given chances to be powerful beyond sex appeal, they will never be viewed as serious characters. This recurring stereotype alienates women and leads to negative assumptions about their capabilities.

This humanity makes “Harbin” a unique action film. Where many films would simply justify the deaths of others by labeling them as the “bad guys,” “Harbin” gives them a name, a motivation, a family and a history. The Koreans’ motivation to resist their occupation is undeniably portrayed in the fight scenes. While the violence in “Harbin” is graphic and chaotic, it is also clearly intentional and well-choreographed. In the opening fight between the Japanese military and the Korean resistance, the camera cuts between characters as they struggle in the madness of the fight. These cuts show how fast-

paced the fighting is, which emphasizes the slow slashing movements of their weapons. This camera work does wonders when it comes to making the slow, grueling reality of these battles more exciting on the big screen.

These thrilling fights and deep moral struggles allow “Harbin” to deliver an action-packed film that tells a story of the emotional and moral struggle of liberation and violence. It highlights how, although violence is necessary for Korean freedom, the loss of life for everyone, Japanese or Korean, is devastating.

When the fog clears and swords are laid down, the harsh reality becomes obvious: nobody wins in war. One can only hope to make sure that the dead did not die in vain.

Movie: “Harbin.”

Grade: A. Rated NR. Watch in theaters.

Bad Bunny hops genres in new

Newest release mixes urban and traditional styles

Listening to the first few seconds of “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” was all it took for me to realize this album is very different from Bad Bunny’s others. Going far beyond the typical Latin rap mixes synonymous with the artist, Bad Bunny’s newest album, released on Jan. 5, explores his love for his Puerto Rican homeland.

While upbeat songs such as “KLOuFRENS” and “EL CLúb” will please those anticipating something similar to the urban style featured in previous albums, the true brilliance of “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” is seen in its experimental mix of traditional Puerto Rican music genres with modern house, reggaeton and rap rhythms.

The album’s longest song, “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” exemplifies this exciting contrast and is one of my personal favorites. Beginning with Bad Bunny’s recognizable, monotonous voice and a repetitive house beat, the song slowly and skillfully transforms into a vibrant salsa.

With a catchy chorus and impressive fast-paced instrumentation, “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” makes me want to get up and dance.

album

lyricism to highlight complex cultural and political issues facing the island.

Take “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” for example. While it is a noticeably quieter, more repetitive song, its lyrics reference the ongoing argument over Puerto Rican statehood. To the scratching rhythm of a güiro, a traditional Puerto Rican instrument, Bad Bunny expresses his fears over the island’s prevalent issues of impending cultural loss and gentrification.

The album’s final song, “LA MuDANZA,” which explores similar themes of patriotism, took me completely by surprise. Starting with an unexpected acappella moment, Bad Bunny’s deep, raspy voice instantly captivated me.

Compounded with a captivating rhyme scheme and lyrics bursting with impactful word choice, this song seems more like slam poetry than music. With complex storytelling set to cheerful salsa and explosive drum solos, “La MuDANZA” showcases Bad Bunny’s ability to skillfully move past the superficial nature of his previous club hits.

This song, reflective of the album as a whole, proudly proclaims Bad Bunny’s unconditional love for Puerto Rico — something I can wholeheartedly relate to.

These scenes overshadow what could have been a tasteful plot point about the psychological effects of her abusive relationship with the Joker, but it is instead turned into a spectacle for male fantasies. The fetishization of female superheroes not only affects their storylines but also weakens their strengths in comparison to male counterparts. For example, in the 2011 film “X-Men: First Class,” Magneto, a weaker villain who doesn’t have great physical capabilities, easily overpowers Emma Frost in her diamond form, which is supposed to be indestructible.

However, while a significant portion of comic book media still sexualizes female characters, DC Studios has taken steps to create representation where female characters are more fleshed out.

Namely, Ratcatcher 2 in the 2023 movie “The Suicide Squad” wears a suit similar to male superheros and is treated as an equal in terms of skill. Unlike the original movie, “The Suicide Squad” never objectifies her and successfully portrays her as a valuable member of her team.

As comic book media progresses, other companies such as Marvel Studios must aim to create tasteful female characters similar to Ratcatcher 2 by showcasing their strengths and complexities instead of simply objectifying them.

Despite attempts at true female superhero representation, major comic book companies still have much to accomplish.

By focusing less on butts and more on capes, viewers can finally get the chance to see these heroes as three-dimensional characters rather than objects for sexual exploitation.

Impossible to miss in the album are Bad Bunny’s innumerable references to his island homeland as shown in song titles written in the phonetic pronunciation of the Puerto Rican accent. For example, the song “VeLDÁ” is a spin on the word “verdad,” or “truth,” highlighting how Bad Bunny proudly celebrates his heritage.

In a similar nod to his roots, Bad Bunny collaborated with fellow Puerto Rican artists to create some of the album’s catchiest songs, such as “WELTiTA.” This piece, produced with the smaller-scale band Chuwi, allows Bad Bunny to uplift and give a voice to other talented musicians.

As the daughter of a Puerto Rican, I also value how Bad Bunny uses his large platform and exceptional

Though I would not ordinarily gravitate toward Bad Bunny’s releases, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing this well-executed mix of traditional and modern Latin genres. “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” offers a valuable opportunity to get a glimpse of a new, unanticipated facet of Bad Bunny’s musical talent.

Album: “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.”

Grade: B.

Artist: Bad Bunny.

Adam Orrin

idea that many other resistance fighters simply shrug at.

Bad Bunny skillfully embraces his Puerto Rican roots through strategic lyrics and rhythms.

Alicia Liste

The sexualization of female superheroes such as Harley Quinn creates poor storylines.

Photo from Apple Music

love. ”

“The Webtoon ‘The Mafia Nanny’ takes a new approach to romance, and the drama between the characters is very intriguing.”

—Olivia Levesque Ouellette (10) —Adam Orrin (11)

—Mackie Vu (12) —Kevin Miao (12)

Illustration by Amanda Boles

PE dance offers unique fitness course alternative

Students learn, perform various dance forms

Parth Dhaulakhandi, Evelyn Wang and Veronica Zhao

PE dance is a course offered to sophomores, juniors and seniors, serving as a unique alternative to other PE classes, such as PE 10-12 and PE Weight Training, PE teacher Lisa Nakamatsu said.

“It gives you a chance to get your cardio in [and] maintain your health, but it’s not competitive,” Nakamatsu said. “It’s more about leaning into each other. You get a chance to interact with other students and work together.”

Nakamatsu said the course allows students to embrace teamwork by teaching them how to support each other.

“This class gives that opportunity of [learning] how to work with somebody [and] how to give somebody kudos for something that they’ve contributed to the process,” Nakamatsu said. “When somebody reciprocates that, it is empowering.”

However, PE dance has faced low course sign-ups this year. If low enrollment persists, the course may not be offered in future years, principal Denae Nurnberg said.

Nakamatsu said she taught two or three PE dance periods per year for the past 21 years, making this her first year with only one period.

“With declining enrollment, everything is on a teeter-totter, and we don’t know which way it’s

going to go,” Nakamatsu said. “If I don’t have the numbers, I won’t have the class. I’m hoping next year things change [through] word of mouth.”

The PE dance curriculum differs from other FUHSD schools, incorporating cultural dance in place of Western genres like jazz and ballet, Nakamatsu said.

“We have salsa, merengue, double dutch and African Haitian

Freshman takes court for varsity

First freshman on varsity basketball in 13 years

Sachin Chandran, Jason Lai, Aviv Matas and Madeleine Yee

Freshman shooting guard Wesley Lee is the first freshman to join the varsity boys basketball team in over 13 years, coach Matthew Wright said. Lee stands out because of his strong work ethic as well as his physical and mental strength, Wright said.

Lee began showcasing his basketball abilities during the 2024 summer league basketball games, where he demonstrated his quick learning capabilities and defensive skills, Wright said.

“We first brought him [to varsity] for summer basketball to give him an opportunity to prove himself,” Wright said. “He didn’t back away from the older, bigger and stronger guys. He was taking charge and ready to play varsity basketball.”

Although Lee has played basketball his entire life, he said he still had to adapt to the heightened intensity of the varsity team.

“I’m more of a newcomer, so I don’t really know the system,” Lee said. “Varsity level basketball is just a lot quicker pace, so in the

belly dance, and then we end the year with Bollywood,” Nakamatsu said. “I try look at the student population and find dance forms that represent our kids in class.

This gives you a chance to go, ‘I matter. Look, I’m here.’”

By incorporating multiple styles, Nakamatsu said she aims to also make PE dance a class for those without dance experience.

“Kids come into this class and [are] like, ‘I don’t have to have been training since I was three or four. I can find success just [by] trying

something new,’” Nakamatsu said. “That in itself is its own message: we should be trying new things and not be afraid to do that.”

On the other hand, for those with dance training, the class offers an opportunity to gain exposure to novel styles, Anish said.

“Even if you do some form of dance outside of school, the dance styles taught are not something you would do outside of school,” Anish said. “We are always learning something new in the class, [and] that’s really important.”

Girls soccer kicks off with new players

Varsity team adjusts to loss of graduated players

Isabela Guilardi, Vivian Kim, Aashka Nagarkar and Adam Orrin beginning, it took time to adjust to that level.”

Rather than aiming to serve as a potential MVP on the JV team, Lee strives to be the ultimate team player by challenging himself on the varsity team, Wright said.

“He’s not complaining about [his playing time] and he doesn’t want to be the star of the show,” Wright said. “He just wants to be part of the team and contribute to the [game].”

Lee holds many impressive qualities as a player, shooting guard, senior Michael Hom said. Lee is both coachable and constantly pushing his teammates to improve, Hom said.

“When he makes a mistake and one of the coaches or [his] teammates tells him how to fix it, he easily puts it in place,” Hom said. “He really pushes me to get better at my ball handling when he guards me on defense, and it makes [both of us] better.”

In addition to his coachability, Hom said Lee contributes to a positive team environment

and is always looking for more ways to connect with his teammates.

“Before the school year, Lee and his dad approached me to reach out and be in contact [for the upcoming] school year,” Hom said. “It showed how he wants to give himself the best opportunity to learn and grow.”

As the season progresses, Lee has already shown considerable growth and is acclimating to his position as a freshman on varsity, Hom said.

“As he interacted with our team more and got to know everybody, he got to build chemistry with us,” Hom said. “He’s beginning to know that we believe in him and we want him to give it his all.”

Following the graduation of 11 seniors from the varsity girls soccer team last season, the team has adjusted to the absence of returning players by prioritizing team work and communication with new players, captain, midfielder Carlie Breiner said.

“Right now, especially because it’s early in the season, we’re trying to learn how to play off of each other and build attacks with each other, especially with all of the new players,” Breiner, a senior, said. “It’s definitely an adjustment [after] losing half our squad.”

As a result of the loss of graduated players, many players have to play positions that they may be unfamiliar with, coach Raquel DeJesus said.

“Soccer is a team sport,” DeJesus said. “We may need to step up when we need to if we want to win. We may need to be put in positions where we’re not comfortable. It’s been an adjustment to try to figure out positions, but it’s also been an ad-

Pedal to the metal in competitive cycling

Student, staff discuss cycling experiences

Alicia Liste, Selina Wang and Kaylin Yi

Routinely traversing through the expansive Santa Cruz mountains, competitive biking partners junior Franchesco Sanchez and junior William Derham are members of the Black Mountain Composite biking team, Derham said.

Unlike school-affiliated sports, Derham said competitive cycling can lack a sense of team spirit. To combat this, Derham said having a biking partner like Sanchez is key to staying motivated.

“[In cycling], you don’t work with other teammates as much. It’s more about the camarade-

rie and friendship you have with them,” Derham said. “I always want to be better than [Sanchez], and he wants to be better than me. So we complement each other.”

The benefits of competitive biking include the time spent in nature and the sense of accomplishment after completing a strenuous ride, Sanchez said.

“[I also enjoy] the variety and the surprising amount of trails that can be found in this area,” Sanchez said. “You can make your ride diverse. You can do different routes around the area or even do the same [route] from different directions.”

Cycling approximately 80 to 100 miles per week, Sanchez said he wishes competitive biking was offered at HHS.

“There is a lot of good energy that goes around [the team] through biking. Everyone is really friendly and very energetic,” Sanchez said. “I feel like there are

a bunch of bikers at HHS, and we should be given a chance.”

The competitive biking community extends beyond students, as science teacher Daniel Bacher said he enjoys both the social and physical benefits of the sport.

Having previously completed a 75-mile biking event, Bacher said he is now training for a 100-mile event, also known as a century. Bacher said this upcoming event will require intense physical and mental preparation.

“I think the mental game of being consistent [and] going out there on the days you don’t feel like [biking] really helps,” Bacher said. “Also, at a certain point with biking and any endurance event, you just get into a meditative state where you’re focusing on your surroundings.”

While steep hills and injuries pose a challenge to cyclists, they can be overcome with a strong mental fortitude, Bacher said.

justment for the team to figure out where they play, as well.”

The varsity team is adjusting to the new team dynamic with underclassmen stepping into the positions previously held by seniors, center back, junior Emma Moser said.

Many skilled players have been moved up from the JV team to help inject new energy to the varsity team, Moser said.

“We have some juniors coming in from JV last year, and we have some really good freshman and sophomores,” Moser said. “We’re just filling in those positions everywhere.”

Despite the initial doubts at the beginning of the season about the lack of many returning players, the team soon realized the change would not significantly hinder their progress while playing, midfielder and defender Selene Bruyere said.

“At the start of the season, everyone was like, ‘Oh, we lost our seniors. We’re not the same team anymore,’” Bruyere, a junior, said. “But this change doesn’t mean we can’t win anything.”

“If you’re an endurance athlete, the more you do it, the easier the mental challenge becomes,” Bacher said. “The physical and the mental are connected, and it’s more of a mental thing than it is a physical thing.”

Beyond mental challenges, Derham said one of the setbacks of competitive cycling is a rider’s reliance on equipment.

“I have three different bikes, but it’s hard when they break down because you need to fix them or you can’t do your sport anymore,” Derham said.

However, Derham said he encourag-

es those new to cycling to persevere through the sport’s challenges.

“There are some really hard downhill rides, and it’s easy to fall and hurt yourself,” Derham said. “As a kid, whenever I’d fall, I’d never want to do it again. [You have to] stick with it and not give up.”

Derham said having Sanchez (left) as his riding partner pushes him to improve.

Photo courtesy of Francesco Sanchez

Photo by Aviv Matas Lee (right) said his dad and watching the NBA sparked his interest in basketball.

Anish (center) said the class is a way for her to relax and reduce stress.

Photo by Adam Orrin

Photo by Evelyn Wang

The team is adjusting to the loss of players by using new techniques, Breiner (left) said.

Powerful players

Leona Kovaci

“My brother motivates me to be a better player through friendly rivalry. Seeing him on the bleachers helps me play better because I have someone that I should try harder for.”

– Leona Kovaci (11)

STATS:

Position: Point gaurd

Favorite Pro: Caitlin Clark

Strengths: Defense, teamwork

Inspiration: Leon Kovaci (brother)

Favorite post-game meal: Wingstop

“Leona is super active. She plays with a lot of heart [and] is a very entertaining player to watch. She works really hard but knows when to keep it [lighthearted] when practice gets hard.”

– Coach Megan Fong

Mark Garstka

STATS:

Position: Center Midfielder

Favorite Pro: Lionel Messi

Strengths: Ball awareness, handling

Inspiration: Dad

Post-game meal: Burger

“I trust Mark. He takes our penalty kicks [and is] consistent. Mark’s one of the reasons why I want to come back next year. He will be one of our leaders.”

– Coach Adam Clark

Brian Chou scores Athlete of the Month

Senior brings points to varsity boys basketball

Sachin Chandran

Transferring from another school can cause confusion and struggle, especially for student-athletes who require adjustment to new coaching and team dynamics, varsity boys basketball forward, senior Brian Chou said. However, Chou said the change did not pose

much of an issue to his growth as an athlete.

After Chou transferred from Archbishop Mitty HS in his junior year, coach Matthew Wright said he has continually put in the hard work necessary to learn the ropes of HHS basketball.

“[Chou] had to get used to our coaching style and to the different ways that we teach things,” Wright said. “Anytime the ball is in the air or passed to him, you can see him smiling before the ball gets there. He just wants to play basketball.”

One of Chou’s biggest strengths is his scoring ability, surpassing more than 30 points on multiple

occasions this season, Wright said. Last year, the team lacked a true scoring threat, which Chou is now providing, Wright added.

“Where he really thrives is getting the ball into the paint around the rim,” Wright said. “That’s been a huge asset for the team this year and one of the reasons why [we are one] of the highest scoring teams in our league.”

Chou’s integration into the team was a seamless process, as forward, senior James Yoshida said he has known Chou since sixth grade through club and school basketball. During that time, Yoshida said he has watched Chou grow immense-

Boys Basketball

0-0

ly as a player and person.

“In middle school, he was a different player,” Yoshida said. “He wasn’t as much of a scorer, and was not as aggressive. Since he’s come from [Mitty], I’ve seen him grow much more aggressive. [He’s] stronger, a lot more physical and a great teammate.” Chou said despite his initial disinterest in basketball, he has grown to love the sport.

Photo by Sachin Chandran

Photos by Brian Ling

Students reflect on the impact of music on personal lives

we make a mistake, we can keep going.”

Students share their experiences with cultural music

“In my band, my dad plays the accordion, my brother plays the bass, my [older] brother plays the guitar and I play the drums. Through music, my fam ily and I got a deeper connection. It makes me more aware of the music that my parents and their parents experienced while they were my age, and I got to know my dad’s story better than I did before.”

-

“[Czech music] is not differ ent from other music, except that it is in a different lan guage and is mostly guitar. I like [Czech songs] because my mom knows the words, so we can play them to gether. Even though I didn’t grow up in the Czech Repub lic, through music, I have a sense of the childhood ex periences that my mother had.”

Dulce Sotelo (10)

Senior strives for future in music education

5.64%

Senior Eugene Cho said he plans to major in music education due to his experience working with Adam Wilke at Drum Corps International.

“I witnessed firsthand how he educated these young, talented members to become even better [both] individually and as a group,” Cho said. “By the end of the summer, when I heard them play for the last time, it motivated me to educate young musicians to excel in their instrument, which is why I chose to be on this path.” Cho said playing and conducting music allows him to be in his own world that is unaffected by stress. He wishes to share that experience with other musicians, Cho said.

“[Music] has given me a vision of what I want to do with my life,” Cho said.

“It’s a way I can express myself, no matter where I am or what state I am in.”

Wind Ensembles

69.28%

319 students are currently enrolled in 7 music ensembles. Below are the percentages of students in each one! Upcoming Events

During second period on Feb. 13, choir will surprise students by serenading them with singing valentines sent by their friends or lovers. The annual orchestra festival will be held at HHS from Feb. 7 to 8, welcoming 35 orchestra ensembles across the Bay Area. The event has performances that will be evaluated by a panel of judges.

The band box dye features a lineup of guitar, bass, piano, drums and vocals

According to the FUHSD Calendar

- Tina Yu (10)

Photo courtesy of Tina Yu

Photo courtesy of Irina Lifantsev

Photo courtesy of Stacy Lee

Band members include sophomore Kiki Yoshimoto and sophomore Tina Yu.