Zoom boxes fill the screen as OCSA’s Black Student Union (BSU) co-president, Tyler Simpson-Pouncey (IM ‘21), begins the meeting. Club members are quick to unmute themselves and share compelling news with their peers. It’s clear that despite all of the changes that have occurred this past year, two things remain the same: the welcoming spirit of a BSU meeting and its commitment to Black History Month (BHM).

Beginning as a safe space for students of color to gather in a community and express themselves, BSU was a fairly isolated club on campus until students decided to take action. One such student is Ariyah Nichol (ACT ‘22), a club member since 2017, who noticed a shift in BSU in her second year, following a loss of the majority of the club’s members who had graduated. In order to ensure that the former leaders’ legacies lived on, the club became more involved within the OCSA community, starting with participation in International Week. “We decided that we want to make an impact on OCSA, we want to be seen. We are sick and tired of not seeing ourselves represented… in general on campus,” Nichol said.

This year, BSU is replacing its typical celebrations with a club-made magazine. What does this mean? Normally, BSU gets approval from the school administration to run its program during Friday on 10th Street. Booths line the street with topics ranging from protective hairstyles to significant Black artists. A series of poems are performed. And last year a new tradition was created, a choreographed dance. While many assumed the pandemic would limit the club, BSU’s expected content remains and more attention has been allotted to raising awareness via social media.

Several students in the club will soon be the subject of a Leadership-created series, OCSA Daily Takeovers. The goal of these is to gain interest in the club and promote Black culture. Whether that means solely the zine, visits to the weekly Tuesday meetings or aspects of Black history that the students feel compelled to share. Additionally, BSU created new digital content, one being “The Black Excellence Show”. A series of raps centered on commonly overlooked historical Black figures. Lastly, to finish off BSU’s BHM celebration, is the pre-filmed slam poetry performance airing February 26. Featuring some of the most notable names in poetry such as Langston Hughes, Terrance Hayes and Maya Angelou, this collection is intended to inspire and convey the essence of what Black history is all about. “I think that poetry in general is so important, especially to Black culture and Black history, because poetry is music, it’s art. And one of the ways we have risen from the chains of oppression is through art,” Nichol said.

As one might expect this year’s online format has created significant obstacles in cultivating club participation. This is best exemplified by the lack of turnout for school sanctioned events. BSU has combatted this issue through the creation of a diverse, engaging program, accessible to all. Additionally, by partnering with OCSA Leadership, BSU strives to bridge the gap within the OCSA community created by distance learning. “The hardest thing, especially when it comes to just all cultural celebrations in general, is that they're all about unity and coming together. And with that, it's hard to not be able to come together physically to celebrate these events,” Nichol said.

This year, more than ever, BHM holds indispensable power and significance. Following the events of the past year, it is crucial for people everywhere to uplift the voices of the Black community to ensure that their stories are heard. Yet this increased awareness is bittersweet when its advocates’ work spans across generations. “This is something that we’ve been wanting for a very long time, that we’ve been fighting for. And it’s kind of disappointing that it took so long to get to. However, the beauty of that is the fact that so many more people are at a higher consciousness now because they are awakened to what’s going on… injustice and inequality,” Nichol said.

Solidarity and support are qualities that society needs in order to create an environment where everyone has a place. So, honor and celebrate BHM, this year, and the years to come! As BSU’s former president, Mariah Williams (MT ‘20), said, “Black history is American history, which makes it everyone’s history.”

Revisiting OCSA’s Inclusivity Mission

By: Cassandra Kesig

As if distanced learning wasn’t already making the day-to-day combination of academics and conservatory hard enough, the difficulty of not being on campus extends to OCSA’s elaborate network of student-admin task forces, who have been working behind the scenes to diversify our narrative. Split into two subsets--the academic and the art--students who belong to the diversity coalition have been putting out information, putting on events, working with teachers, administrators and parents to revise our interactions with race in the classroom.

The pitfall of such an endeavour, though, is the timeline, which is perhaps the source of a lack of immediate and visible results six months into the initiative, much of the progress seemingly internal. Where an initial publicity for the project existed, a somewhat insular march of progress has sprung up to replace it. “You can’t change curriculum right away, but you can change instruction,” says Jennifer Woo (IA ‘21), a member of the academic team who works primarily with the Literature and Composition Department. Strides made in this realm are, generally, suffuse with admin work, leaving many students to wonder when noticeable changes will be implemented.

The arts branch of the initiative has had a comparatively flashy debut, if only because it doesn’t require a complete overhaul of a system enforced by external institutions. Popular Music’s Stevie Wonder Tribute concert, which premiered shortly before winter break, was the largest and most collaborative project to date. In tandem production with BSU, the concert paid tribute not only to Stevie Wonder’s musical stylings, but, really, the fundamental contributions of Black musicians on the American music scene since its conception. Creative Writing’s spoken word project, aptly titled “Writers Are the First Responders of the World”, asked students to comment on current social and political climates, and the film compilation was released Mid-January (though it was only designed to replace an intended collaboration with Instrumental Music, which ended up lacking the needed budget).

At the end of February, the academic task force’s Black Allyship summit--four comprehensive units of educational content regarding African American history and its relation to the contemporary Black American identity, hosted by Christina Miles (CW ‘21) and Tyler Simpson-Pouncey (IM-W ‘21)--will be released schoolwide. For many, this is the kind of content that students anticipated at the beginning of the year, when the demand for reform was fresh, and in fact Miles and Simpson-Pouncey have had the Summit in the works since summer. The final cut will be four hours of video content.

Insurrection, Impeachment, Inaugurations

By: Jennifer Woo, Max Mikkelsen, and Mallory McKenna

The year 2020 made its claim to fame by being the epitome of “unprecedented and uncertain times.” The big question is: how will the year’s events be remembered by future generations? Every year, students learn about the Boston Tea Party, Bleeding Kansas, and the Civil Rights movement. Where will the COVID-19 pandemic and Trump era fit into the American narrative?

“I believe that textbooks will treat Trump and COVID as a one-off, kind of interesting thing that happened because of social media,” said Global Studies and AP World History teacher, Rachel Trask.

The expansion of Twitter and other social media platforms has allowed information to spread faster than ever before, which can be a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, social media users can spread information that may not be getting covered by larger outlets. However, conspiracy theories and other untruths can also spread just as fast.

Our news cycle is faster than ever, and still accelerating. In the 1970s, the American public learned about the Watergate scandal through nightly news shows on ABC, NBC and CBS. There was no minute-by-minute news update, no Reddit, no Facebook. Now there seems to be a source for every claim, no matter how outrageous it may be.

“There is an aspect of frenzied technology that picked up the pace of events, far faster than really anything that has happened so far,” said Trask.

Technology giants like Twitter and Facebook demonstrated their influence in the political sphere when they banned Donald Trump from their platforms following the Capitol riot. So many Americans get their news from social media, and rely on its accessibility to share their opinions and build momentum for causes. Last spring, thousands of BLM demonstrations all across America were born from a simple flyer being shared around Instagram. Community organization of protests and rallies has been a major contributor in increased civic engagement over the last 4 years.

“If anything, [2020] is most similar to 1969, and the civil rights era, and also the Reagan era of the 1980s.” said Trask. Both 2020 and 1969 saw a spike in political engagement, especially among younger generations. In 1969, organizations like Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) led hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in protest against the Vietnam War draft in the name of peace. According to the New York Times, 15 to 26 million people participated in Black Lives Matter protests over the summer, and millions more spread anti-racism through monetary support for funds, boosting black stories on social media and confronting injustice in their daily lives.

This has been part of a broader trend in civil engagement throughout the last few years. The 2018 Midterm elections had the highest turnout in history, and 2020 had the highest turnout for any presidential election, jumping a little over 7% since 2016.

Youth voter turnout also increased at about the same rate as adult voter turnout. According to Tufts University, 53% of eligible youth voted in 2020, jumping 8 percent since 2016. Millennials and older generations have praised Gen Z for taking action and stepping up to fight racism, climate change and injustices in every area of society. However, at the same time, it can feel like those generations are only willing to admire student activism, but not always stand with us. It is easy for adults to brush off youth opinions, claiming that they are too naive and too young to understand.

The phrase ‘history repeats itself’ seems to ring true time and time again. America’s story is a cycle of political division, economic panics, peace, war, protest, repeat. It’s tempting to bury history, to run from the shamefulness of the past instead of facing it. However, it seems that without facing the good and the bad of the American experiment, our country will continue a “Groundhog Day”-style repetition of events. When asked why she believes historical education is important, Trask responded by highlighting all of the things she learned about her own history.

“The fact that my family had owned slaves and had participated in the direct oppression of black and brown people in America [...] I can’t ignore that,” said Trask, “I think it's important to learn history, because it's important to know who we are. And at the end of the day, the less we know about ourselves, the less we will know about each other.”

OC COVID Vaccinations

By: Max Mikkelsen

As COVID-19 vaccines become increasingly available, more and more Orange County residents have been vaccinated, many of them being family members of OCSA students. According to the Orange County Health Care Agency, almost 265,000 residents have been vaccinated, including more than 85,000 second-round vaccinations.

Orange County Health Care Agency has stated that they plan to have herd immunity by July 4th, and experts predict 70 percent of the population will need to be vaccinated to achieve it. To meet this goal, Orange County has created mass vaccination “supersites.” These sites include places like Disneyland in Anaheim and Soka University in Aliso Viejo. Orange County plans to open five supersites, which will eventually have the capability to administer 40,000 doses a day.

Stella Goodman (CV ‘23) said she is “very excited” that her grandparents were able to receive the vaccine. “It's such a relief to know that my grandparents are now way less vulnerable to getting the virus” said Goodman.

Orange County has outlined its COVID-19 vaccination plan into 3 phases: Phase 1A, 1B, and 1C. Goodman’s grandparents fall under the 65 and older group, who can currently receive the vaccine at OC mass vaccination sites. The Orange County Health Care Agency has stated “mobile vaccination teams will also be deployed to reach individuals in their communities to increase ease of access.”

Another group of people that have been able to get the vaccine during Phase 1A are community health workers, who help neighborhoods with their health needs and spread vital information to communities that may not be able to access it as easily. “My mom works for St. Joseph’s which is a community center for homeless people,” said Elizabeth Garza (CMD ‘22). “She’s sometimes in contact with people and has a lot of meetings so she was able to get the vaccine to stay safe. I feel a lot better now that she’s safe from the virus.”

When the vaccine was first made available, frontline healthcare workers such as nurses and doctors were one of the first groups to receive the vaccine. “My Mom is a nurse and right now she’s working on the COVID floor” said Natalie Seckington (ACT ‘22). “I’m happy about [her getting the vaccine], there’s a sense of security knowing the chances of her getting [COVID] and bringing it home is low.”

This month, The Orange County Health Agency plans to start Phase 1B of their vaccination plan. This includes Food and Agriculture workers, the homeless, transportation workers and teachers.

Three-quarters of all ICU patients are senior citizens, so vaccinating vulnerable groups means less people in the hospital, and less busy frontline healthcare workers. OC health officer, Dr. Clayton Chau, said that “our ICU capacity dropped because our most vulnerable population kept going in for those beds.” The more seniors that are vaccinated, the more space hospitals will have.

For more information about whether you or your family members are eligible to be vaccinated, visit https://occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/covid-19-vaccine-resources or call (714) 834-2000 for the Orange County COVID-19 Hotline.

Lunar New Year: Past and Present

By: Lauren Le

I used to think the best part of the Lunar New Year was the red envelopes. Some years, I made upwards of 700 dollars from just flashing my irresistible “baby charms” to whoever would listen. For a long time, the money and wearing my traditional áo dài were what made me look forward to the holiday. There’s an indescribable sense of luxury you get from wearing long, satin pants. Even though many people know me as the one who’s always thinking or talking about food, it took me a long time to like what we ate during the celebration. Now, coconut, mung bean, and pickled vegetables are among my favorite things. Beyond just my tastebuds evolving, my outlook on the holiday changed. As I got older and my earnings dwindled down, I realized that I didn’t love Tết any less than I did when I was hustling my butt off. Spending time with my family is what really made the day so memorable.

The Lunar New Year symbolizes so much: rebirth, prosperity and celebration, but I always associated it with love, and reunion. This ties in perfectly with my infatuation with food: I don’t love it because I get to eat homemade goodies all the time (I actually never eat what I make). The aspect of food that I’m so enamored with is how I can find a new way to express my love for the people that mean so much to me. I’m constantly strengthening the connection between passion and family as much as I can, with every pastry, cake, or loaf of bread, which also helps me strengthen my cultural roots.

Legend has it that a mighty Vietnamese king was having trouble picking one of his 18 sons as his successor. He told them that whoever brought him the tastiest dish would win the crown. The youngest son was very poor, and could only afford to make something with local ingredients, but he loved his father so much that he put all his effort into making something magnificent. He created bánh chưng, which is a square sticky rice cake, stuffed with marinated pork shoulder and mung bean paste, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed. The king was so impressed and honored that he immediately chose the youngest son as his successor. Every year, to honor the bond between the King and his favorite son, Vietnamese families exchange bánh chưng as a symbol of love .

Last year, I learned how to make bánh chưng from scratch. Despite how tedious the process sounded to others, I went through every step with the biggest smile on my face. All this love and care was another way for me to bring a little bit of joy into my family’s Tet. I went around delivering the cakes to my family members, and I will never forget how happy I was to share a gift that not only meant so much to me and my own family, but to an entire community. As a second-generation American, my cultural identity has always been a big influence in my life, and every crease of a banana leaf and neat bow of twine strengthened my ties to my heritage. Lunar New Year is the day I feel closest to my roots and my family, which makes me happier than any other time. But to be completely honest, the red envelopes help too.

“It Only Happens in the Movies...Right?”

By: Mehra Marzbani

Nothing is better after a long, hard week at school than to watch a good movie. Since 1888, movies have been around to provide viewers with an outlet from reality. All genres of film—romance, comedy, drama, mystery, science fiction, action, horror and fantasy—teach us about the world and ourselves, and help us relax when bored or stressed. In fact, films transport the viewer to a make-believe world, distracting the viewer from all daily troubles—that is, for approximately one hour and 35 minutes. Sometimes the movies have a happy ending, but other times one is left telling themselves, “Don’t worry, it only happens in the movies.” But what if the horrific events actually start happening in real life? Case in point, “Contagion” and “White House Down.”

Everyone remembers 2020. The coronavirus conundrum. It wasn’t long until avid movie watchers found a film that paralleled exactly what we were experiencing, the 2011 thriller “Contagion.” “Contagion” follows Matt Damon as he tries to navigate around a deadly “MEV-1” virus that spreads from China when those who are infected touch surfaces that others touch, ultimately leading to a pandemic. According to former epidemic intelligence service officer Dr. Seema Yasmin, “Contagion” has a lot of similarities to the coronavirus.

“Showing the transmission of this new [fictional] virus from a bat to a pig and then to humans is probably really close to the transmission of [COVID-19], probably from bats to some intermediate animal, and then from that animal to humans...until it's spread around the world.” Sick people in the film also experienced similar symptoms, including sore throat and headaches. But that was all just a coincidence, right?

Flash forward to January 6, 2021. On that day, a terrible insurrection of the U.S Capitol Building occurred. While watching the events of that day, one can’t help but recall a movie with striking similarities, the 2013 film “White House Down.” Just as we were all eager to hear the results of Congress’s electoral vote count, poor Joey King thought she would get a nice tour of the White House. Instead, she had to witness violent attacks from rebels, including right-wing individuals, just as we witnessed a mob of individuals wanting to overturn the election invade the Capitol and greatly disturb the Congressional session.

Sure, there were some differences: the invaders in the movie held the president hostage rather than being encouraged by the president himself to rebel, and ironically, the attackers in the film were actually wearing masks. Despite this, the similarities are quite daunting. Viewing news clips of Congressmen and women being evacuated from the House Chambers to a safe location mirrored the evacuation of the White House staff in the film. Furthermore, movie scenes depict the attackers breaking valuable items inside the White House and destroying furniture, synonymous with the smashed windows and trashed offices at the Capitol. Finally, both the film and the insurrection at the Capitol came to an end due to military intervention. And this quote from the film sums up exactly what we were thinking on that horrific day: “What is happening right here in America?”

So the next time a thriller or suspense leads the viewer to nervously remind themselves, “This is only a movie,” one might want to think again. Perhaps Netflix could add “Possible reality” to its category codes. Until then, let us hope that our reality is predominantly happy like most movie endings. And to be on the safe side, let us hope even harder that if reality is to imitate a movie about aliens in the future, it imitates “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” not “The Thing.”

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By: James Herde

Sesame Street

By: Jennifer Woo

One of my earliest memories is standing outside of my parent’s bedroom door crying because I had overslept and missed Elmo’s World on Sesame Street. To this day, I hate sleeping in.

Watching Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Elmo, and the rest of the puppet crew on Sesame Street is a shared childhood memory for so many people around the world. For many adults, Sesame Street is a reminder of the naivety of childhood when $5 was a fortune, 9 AM was time for play, not work, and “C” was for cookie, not coronavirus.

Sesame Street has been pioneering diversity and positive child psychology for children’s TV for decades. These writers/producers balanced education with entertainment to help prepare kids for the future.

For ‘research purposes’, I watched hours of Sesame Street clips on Youtube and even though I’m 18 years old, they still made me smile. There is something very endearing about watching One Direction sing about the letter U, no matter how old you are. I was amazed by how Sesame Street has adapted to the needs of kids today and how different it was from when I was a toddler.

Sesame Street introduced the first muppet with autism, Julia, in 2015. Julia’s friendship with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and Big Bird helped model positive interactions with neurotypical and neurodiverse kids. Big Bird learns that Julia doesn’t like loud noises, certain textures, and sometimes behaves differently. He also learns that she is super fun and loves to sing, just like he does. Julia’s role on the show positively impacts how kids interact with autistic and other neurodiverse classmates at school and can shape a more accepting and understanding generation.

In the last year, Sesame Workshop has released Sesame Street specials such as “The Power of We” to stand up to racism and the ABC’s of COVID-19.

In December, Sesame Workshop partnered with the MacArthur Foundation, the LEGO Foundation, International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Building Resources Across Communities (BRAC) to create a program for displaced Rohingya Muslim children living in Bangladeshi refugee camps. They created two new characters, Noor and Aziz, and through their humanitarian program, Sesame Workshop hopes to give refugee children enhanced learning experiences and the joy of play!

Sesame Workshop also created “Ahlan Simsin”, which translates to “Welcome Sesame” in Arabic, which caters to displaced children across Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. In addition to Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Grover, the Arabic adaptation features Basma and Jad and a “baby goat named Ma’zooza who eats everything in sight” according to Sesame Workshop’s website.

Sesame Street’s approach to inclusivity is so effective because it portrays diverse characters as human beings first.The program highlights the characters’ similarities and celebrates their differences. Julia is just a girl who likes to sing, play and paint, but she also has autism. Lily is a character who experiences homelessness and food insecurity, but she loves to spend time with Elmo and Sophia. The show teaches kids how to be compassionate towards others who have different experiences than them, and that in the end, we are more alike than different.

To be honest, I don’t have very vivid memories of watching Sesame Street (although I must admit I can still sing the Elmo’s World theme song verbatim). I can’t tell you my favorite episode or recite any of the lessons that they taught, but I do remember how I felt when I watched the show. The colorful characters taught so many of us how to count, how to spell, and most of all, how to be a good person.

Gerti The Tarantula

By: Mia Soumbasakis

My name is Gerti the Curly Hair Tarantula, AKA Ms. Karlberg’s spider, and soon, I will molt. Bald spots are forming on my abdomen and I’ve just enough energy to fall into a new exoskeleton, one with just as many golden hairs and eye sockets. When I do so, I’ll leave a message on the inside of my shed exoskeleton, a message for Genavieve the cricket. I’ll be dreadfully careful as I fold out of myself, dotting my i’s and curving my apostrophes. I have a way with webs. It’ll go something like this:

Dear Genavieve, How is life away from the cage? Are you finding food alright? I presume you’re nibbling on real lives instead of plastic ones.
I know our last interaction was not exactly amicable and I can’t say I’m sorry for lurching at you, but you won fair and square. If I were you, I’d shimmy out of the hole on the top of the cage as well. Anyhow, I hope you’re alive and find my exoskeleton in the trash. I hope you’ll crack it delicately like you would a chickpea.
I’m making a new skin for myself, something I’ve only done once before. I hope I look striking, like a pinecone or a cactus or something with spikes rather than fur. Then maybe I could stab my crickets like you would a kebab. If I end up looking the same, I hope at the very least my eyes fit in slightly lopsidedly like they did last time. That way, when I look up, the glass curves around me and I can pretend I’m in a snowglobe.
I’m making a new skin for myself, but housing my slender heart is something that happens in layers. I’ve lived in a cockroach-filled school, three different houses, and under a step stool, where I could hear my heart louder than the frantic chatter surrounding me. I’ve rebuilt my burrow more than four times, with webs as a welcome mat to catch whatever comes lurking and just enough dirt around the entrance so that only I can climb and see inside. My first two burrows were modeled after Narnian caves, the first after the faun’s and the second after the beavers’. I wanted to feel cozy, like I could put red peppers or potatoes into a pan and cook them surrounded by picture frames of a family of spiders and eggs. Crickets tried to impose sometimes, but I’d kick them or whack them with my pan, a tennis racket shape created out of web and mulch. You crickets always think I like to play with my food, that I want to converse with it first, but I am a tad too old and too sane for that. Genevieve, I confess, if you were here and I wasn’t conserving my energy to molt, I might try to eat you too.
I just remembered something you’d love to know about—the cricket ghost who circles my home and heart sometimes. He’s more of a voice than anything else, but he says he’s the inside of the cricket corpse in the corner of the cage. He came on the day after my flight, and for a moment I thought for sure my mind was going fuzzy. And maybe it was, and maybe crickets don’t actually have insides and I just materialized him because he’s a Taurus and I’m a Capricorn and he’s the only creature in the world who’s called my hair golden. I always thought they were yellow or brown, like dead grass.
When he arrived, it was the morning after my flight, the morning after I’d momentarily lived under a step stool after my flight. It had gone as follows: a hand was placed in my cage, I thought maybe it was the palm of a larger spider, like maybe a Goliath bird eater. It was not, of course; it was the palm of a human who was trying so hard not to be scared of me that it forgot to slow the beating of its heart. I could hear it so loud the moment my toes hit its hand, so I made a run for it, up the arm, to the top of the hill, to a quiet place, a place where I could hear more than hearts—I was flung to the ground and covered with the step stool faster than I could say [name of the scientist Gerti was named after, have to ask Ms. K].
That was all quite frightening, and the next morning I had to make my burrow again on a new plane of mulch tapestry of horoscopes, one like the one from my decoration dreams. (Each time I rebuild my burrow, I fall asleep while the moon sweeps below the earth and dream about hanging ornaments made of dirt and webs of tablecloths and tapestries.) The cricket ghost complimented my decorating skills and said he’d love to grab a bite with me, which I thought of course would be insanely awkward considering he’s dead and I eat crickets. But he had a solution, as he often does, and I made us stardust out of webs. His cricket insides would float in and around it, and I would cycle it back into my abdomen. It was like pulling out tape and then wrapping it up again, tedious but worth it because I got to hear about the time he thought his antenna were legs as a child.
We have plans for February 14, me and this ghost. Maybe we’ll watch the plants grow outside my window or whistle a song to each other or dream of dresses and real leaves.
I don’t see you as a ghost, Genevieve. I know you’re alive somewhere and I hope that once you find this exoskeleton, crack it open like a chickpea, and read my webs inscribed upon it, you will fetch me some real leaves and rain them down to me through the holes in the cage. This way, I’ll have a gift to give my ghost cricket.
—Gerti

From Saints to Chocolate Boxes: The History of Valentine’s Day

By: Isabel Hahn

Isabel Hahn- Valentine's Day History.jpg

February 14, Valentine’s Day, is a day that is recognized worldwide. Every time the special day rolls around, loved ones usually show their appreciation for each other by exchanging gifts like candy, handmade cards and stuffed animals. In the present day, it is hard to imagine Valentine’s Day as anything other than a holiday full of cheesy pick-up lines, chocolate hearts and the colors pink and red everywhere. However, contrary to its lighthearted and commercialized modern presence, Valentine’s Day has somewhat of a more twisted and mysterious past.

It is said that Valentine’s Day had ancient origins as a Pagan fertility festival celebrating the Roman god of agriculture, Faunus. This annual festival was known as “Lupercalia,” and along with making animal sacrifices and praying for a year of increased fertility and health. Women were paired off with men by drawing names from a jar. These matches would usually lead to marriage.

Following the rise of Christianity in Rome, Lupercalia was outlawed in the 5th century AD when Pope Gelasius deemed February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day to commemorate the martyr Valentine. There are several legends detailing the life of Saint Valentine. One portrays him as a Christian priest who was imprisoned and fell in love with his jailor’s daughter. Before he was put to death, he wrote a letter to her and signed it with the phrase “From your Valentine,” which is an expression still used today. Another tale suggests that Valentine was a priest who continued to perform marriages in secret despite Emperor Claudius II outlawing marriage for young soldiers at the time. Valentine is said to have worn a cupid ring so soldiers would recognize him. It is unclear which legend is the most accurate account of Valentine’s identity, but all of them depict him as a heroic and very romantic figure. He lived his life prioritizing love and deep care for those around him. Valentine became known to the public as the patron saint of love and someone who connected couples with God.

Although the Saint Valentine legends connected the holiday with love, Valentine’s Day only became definitively linked with romantic love much later in 1375, with English poet Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem “Parliament of Foules.” In his poem, Chaucer defined Valentine’s Day as a time for mates to join together. Starting in the 15th century, a new era of courtly, elegant displays of love began, and the word “valentine” began to be used to describe a lover in romantic poems and songs. The oldest recorded valentine was created in 1415 by the imprisoned Charles, Duke of Orleans, in the form of a letter to his wife.

Around the 1700s, Valentine’s Day began to be associated more with its modern consumerist version. People started to exchange small trinkets and handwritten notes amongst their friends and family. The act of gift giving grew in popularity. Eventually, with the development of efficient printing technology around the start of the 20th century, mass-printed cards started to outnumber handmade ones. Many of these manufactured cards were decorated with soft and colorful illustrations. Short poems and, in some cases, even had added lace and ribbons. Cheaper postage rates also increased the number of pre-made cards bought and sold.

Card printing was just the start of Valentine’s Day related production. In the following decades, Valentine’s Day completely shifted away from its religious roots and evolved into the commercial and materialistic holiday most are familiar with. Companies constantly look for ways to convince consumers to join in on the celebrations by purchasing gifts for their loved ones. Such gifts include jewelry, candles, mugs and more. Over time, businesses have learned to profit off of the feelings of love and appreciation that come along with the holiday.

No matter the era, Valentine’s Day has always been a celebration of love. Love can mean different things, and there is no one right way to show it. Love is the vows exchanged at a wedding, but it is also the warmth of squeezing someone’s hand. It is a bouquet of roses left at the front door, and it is also a short phone call before bed. Just like how love is an ambiguous concept, Valentine’s Day has become an ambiguous holiday. There really are no set rules or traditions; Valentine’s Day can be whatever one wants it to be.

The Modern Valentine’s Day

By: AJ Miyake

From the influence of chocolate companies to societal pressures, Valentine’s Day has become a very materialistic holiday, focused more on receiving than giving.

This commercialization of the holiday started in chocolate companies but has since been compounded by other commercial businesses such as food labels, soap companies, toy companies, and even grocery stores. At times it feels like everyone is attempting to profit off of Valentine’s Day. Even consumers who don’t need to buy gifts often find themselves indulging in their favorite sweets as an alternative, not to mention the number of people who go scavenging for candy on sale the day after. Valentine’s Day is practically owned by capitalism.

Valentine’s Day advertising guilt trips people in relationships into buying goods and often fails to include single people in their targeted audience, leaving those who are independent or saving money to feel ostracized frankly, sending the wrong message. Nobody should feel like the stability of their relationship relies on material things, and nobody should believe that love is spending copious amounts of money on small things that only bring temporary happiness. . Even aromantic people can feel out of place surrounded by heavily love-centered media, as it’s hard for most to understand how romance can be important enough to dedicate a holiday to. Those in ambiguous or unconventional relationships can also become stressed on whether or not to be celebrating, who to be doing it with, or how to be doing it, and cookie-cutter Hallmark cards don’t make it any easier.

To top it all off, gendered advertising--originally invented by capitalism--becomes excessive around the holiday. Typical Valentine’s Day advertising seems to preach about how a man needs to buy a woman something as if she is unable to buy it herself, and though this is not necessarily the intention of such advertisements, such themes are still being promoted to people from a young age. What we see in media is likely part of the reason so many tweens want to be in a relationship too early.

Despite how the holiday has been reformed, there is some good that comes from it. Valentine’s Day is a good chance to support small businesses by making handmade crafts or meals. A good date option could be the comfortable hole in the wall nearby selling food made with love, or ordering a custom-made present from a business that makes specialty items. It’s much better to support businesses like these who actually care about what they make as Valentine’s Day is a day about love, and there’s an abundance of people who put love into their craft. The focus on gifts should be on personalization and supporting those who don’t simply mass-produce goods in a factory.

Don’t let Valentine’s Day get you too down, as it is mostly made up of advertising that attempts to persuade us into spending unnecessarily. After all, love does come in many forms, but mass-produced chocolate hearts and Kraft candy Mac & Cheese isn’t one of them.

Letterboxd CEO Lucas Todd bans Zack Snyder (Satire)

By: Erick Ferrufino

By now many of us are familiar with the hit review app “Letterboxd” that blew up amongst cinephiles over the last few years. For those unfamiliar with it, Letterboxd is a social media platform where users can log, rate and share opinions on their favorite movies. Many popular film critics have begun to use the app to review new film releases and give their thoughts. A key feature the app utilizes is the “favorites” section where users can upload their top four favorite films and display them on their profile.

This section has made recent heat amongst the community after Letterboxd CEO Lucas Todd released a statement promising to remove Michael Bay’s filmography from being applicable. Here is Todd’s statement:

“Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve loved movies. On Sundays, my father would take me to the theater and we’d watch whatever piqued our interest most. Those were some of my favorite memories of him. Years later I kept that tradition with my own daughter and I’d take her to the downtown theater on my days off. I love the art of film and would never take it away from anyone else.

“However, I am sick and tired of Zack Snyder fans abusing the favorites feature on Letterboxd and adding Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to their top four! What is so cool about a pretentious film bro making superheroes fight each other in dark alleys?! There are so many amazing, insightful, and life-changing pieces of artwork you can watch but these redneck DC Cinematic Universe (DCEU) punks sit down and choose to watch Zack Snyder movies and give them five stars on my app. Go watch a real movie or get a job, Keith! Marvel makes better movies!

“Because of this active attack on cinema being facilitated on my platform, I have decided to remove all of Snyder’s works from the site and ban him from reviewing films. My platform is welcome to all lovers of cinema, hell I even let Quentin Tarantino fans on here, but I will no longer tolerate DCEU snobs on this site.”

This controversial decision has left many Snyder fans upset and distraught. Conrad Telles, a long time Snyder fan and San Diego State film student, had lots to say about Todd’s decision. He said, “It’s outrageous that a social platform could just ban such a notable figure’s works! I’ve been a fan of Zack Snyder ever since I was 13 years old when I saw Man of Steel (2014) in theaters. His films are more than just men in spandex destroying public property, but the struggles of heroism and good vs evil. It’s a clear violation of the First Amendment to ban a figure based on free speech alone and that we demand Snyder and his works be restored immediately!”

However, others believe the deplatforming of Snyder could be a good thing. University of California, Los Angeles student, Alyssa Marquand, said, “I attend a school with a fairly large film major population and the amount of students that talk about the genius in these films is insane. They’re not art, they’re not masterpieces, it’s just bad writing covered up by fighting and explosions. Why do these people think a four-hour black and white cut of Justice League is new wave cinema?! Letterboxd has no obligation to validate these people.”

Despite the public outcry against Snyder’s ban, Letterboxd has made it clear they have no intentions of undoing their CEO’s actions, releasing a public statement saying, “The First Amendment does not apply to private companies, please stop calling our customer service to spew that garbage.” This ban will likely set a future precedent for social media platforms that can now choose to remove figures they don’t agree with.

Tips & Ideas for Senior Year Second Semester

By: Serapina Chung

Can I just say, congratulations to everyone who survived 2020, students and faculty alike. Although it’s been more than a month since New Year, we’re still in the early stages of 2021 and could always deserve a little pat on the back.

So, seniors—now that the college application process is over, all that’s left is the waiting game. Of course, to get our minds off of the impending chaos (I’m just kidding; great things are coming your way!), we have the highly-coveted “Senior Year Second Semester” (I’ll call it SYSS for short) that I, personally, have always dreamed of after seeing previous upperclassmen celebrate the last of their high school experience. SYSS always seemed so distant, like some fictional paradise or phenomenon that only occurred in movies or sustained through rumors.

Anyways, I compiled some (hopefully) beneficial information to make the most out of this unpredictable semester, while encapsulating some of the lessons I’ve learned to embrace from the year prior.

Send your future self a letter
This is a tradition that I’ve held to since seventh grade, as well as something that has helped me evaluate myself as a person over time. There’s a website called Futureme.org that allows you to compile a letter for your future self and emails it to you to a date of your choice, as early as a week or as far as 2050. My advice: send a letter to yourself on graduation day,the first day of college, or those significant life moments you know you’ll cherish forever. However, I’ve had my share of spontaneous letters so it’s really up to the writer’s preference.
Don’t give up (I believe in you!)
I’m not here to dictate what affects your mental health, but if there’s anything I can tell you, it’s that school should NOT be your number one source of stress. I’m sure you’ve felt plenty of that over the past four years, so try not to overwhelm yourself with unrealistic productivity ideals. Yet, this isn’t to say that school should become a nuisance trivial to your everyday life. Now is the time to loosen the reins a bit, remove yourself from the busywork and relish in the time you’ve sacrificed: those long, hard nights studying for that biology quiz or starting that AP Lang essay. However, even though it’s SYSS, there’s no harm in trying, but there is in slacking off. If you need motivation to pay attention, or just feel bold, turn that Zoom camera on and see what happens.
The fun stuff
You’ve made it to the end of the list! Or maybe you just skipped to the last number, I don’t know and, to be honest, I couldn’t care less. What matters is that there’s still lots to do, safely and satisfyingly.
1. Game Night
  Virtually, there are a variety of games to pick and choose from: Skribbl.io, Cards Against Humanity (online), Drawception (like Telephone but through illustrations), Spyfall, Clue (online), Minecraft, a digital Escape Room etc., preferably over Zoom. You could even make a Kahoot for your friend group, with trivia questions about all of your inside jokes and memories. If you’re planning on meeting with your friends in-person, some socially distanced games include the Whisper Challenge, Mafia, and many of the games mentioned above.
2. Teleparty (aka Netflix Party)
  Looking for a cozy movie night or TV-show binge with your friends and family? Teleparty offers a simple but nonetheless cinematic experience from the comfort of your bed, couch, or virtually anywhere with online company! There’s a lot of other streaming platforms beyond Teleparty, so your watchlist is truly endless.
3. Scrapbooking
  Sharing a diary or scrapbook with friends and family is a great way to cherish the little things in your day-to-day routine. It’s also an easyway to preserve memories among friends; send it around to each person and have them contribute a page, creating a creative little memento you can continue adding to during college as well.

Hopefully this has inspired a few ideas of your own. We can still have fun second semester while abiding to COVID regulations, and there are so many opportunities, both large and small, that can bring joy into our lives. My last piece of advice is this: stay close to the ones you love and never stop doing the things you love. Who knows? Maybe living in a pandemic won’t seem so terrible after all.

Zodiac Horoscopes

By: Emma Han and Jamie Lee

Graphics by Emma Han

Rat (2008, 2020)

The Rat is known to be funny, charismatic, and sharp. While they may be greedy and self-centered, they are also curious, constantly seeking new challenges and knowledge. Compatible with the Dragon or Monkey. Best to avoid the Horse or Rooster.

Ox (2009, 2021)

As one of the strongest zodiacs, the Ox is detail-oriented, honest, and a strong-willed leader. They can be overly stubborn and paranoid, but are reliable companions. Compatible with the Rooster or the Snake. Best to avoid the Tiger, Dragon, or Sheep.

Tiger (2010, 2022)

The Tiger is a natural leader who is headstrong, authoritative, and ambitious. Tigers are warm-hearted; but be careful, they can be moody and impulsive. They are faithful and loyal friends. Compatible with the Dragon or Pig. Best to avoid the Ox, Snake, or Monkey.

Rabbit (2011, 2023)

Tender, quiet, and compassionate, Rabbits are most popular among friends and family. They are known to be the most loyal in all relationships. Thriving in happy environments, they avoid drama and conflict and can be seens as pushovers. Compatible with Sheep or Pig. Best to avoid the Snake or Rooster.

Dragon (2000, 2012)

Another powerful zodiac, the Dragon is charming and lucky with love. While they can be conceited, they are natural born leaders, good at giving advice and staying diligent. Dragons are also energetic and ambitious dreamers. Compatible with the Rooster, Rat, or Monkey. Best to avoid the Ox, Sheep, or Dog.

Snake (2001, 2013)

The Snake is seductive, intelligent, and sly, often known as the Little Dragon. Closed off from strangers, they are passionate with old friends and lovers. Despite having a strong will and ambition, their only enemy is laziness. Compatible with the Dragon or Rooster. Best to avoid the Tiger, Rabbit, or Pig.

Horse (2002, 2014)

The Horse is warm-hearted, positive, and a symbol of freedom. While they can be stubborn and outspoken, Horses are known to be generous and independent. They always have a positive attitude towards life, so they are a great influence on friends and family. Compatible with the Tiger or Sheep. Best to avoid the Rat, Ox, or Rooster.

Sheep (2003, 2015)

Quiet and gentle, the Sheep is among the most popular animals, loved by many. While the Sheep may seem peaceful and calm, they are anxious and insecure, with the need to feel loved. The Sheep is also creative and has great artistic talent. Compatible with the Horse and Rabbit. Best to avoid the Ox, Tiger, and Dog.

Monkey (2004, 2016)

The Monkey is witty and intelligent, and stands for brilliance and perseverance. They can be highly popular due to their amicability, but can become stubborn and impatient when faced with challenges. Compatible with the Ox and Rabbit. Best to avoid the Tiger or Pig.

Rooster (2005, 2017)

Like the Monkey, the Rooster is confident and intelligent. They are observant and skillful, and seldomly rely on others. Roosters can also be selfish and arrogant. Compatible with the Ox or Snake. Best to avoid the Rat, Dog, or Horse.

Dog (2006, 2018)

Sincere and kind, the Dog is very loyal to those most important in their life. They are known to be very good leaders, despite their lack of communication skills. Compatible with the Rabbit and Tiger. Best to avoid the Dragon, Sheep, or Rooster.

Pig (2007, 2019)

The Pig is diligent and compassionate, staying relatively calm when faced with challenges. They will always be willing to give others a hand, although they will rarely seek help from others. While Pigs have great concentration, they are easily fooled. Compatible with the Tiger and Sheep. Best to avoid the Snake or Monkey.

Senioritis: Febuary

By: Anica Sherry

In about a month, it will have been a year since the world shut down. A year since everyone’s lives were uprooted, everything was put on pause for a short time, and life as we knew it came to an end. That’s hardly believable, but two weeks before this tragic anniversary will be my 18th birthday, which, personally, is harder for me to accept than anything.

I was never someone who idealized a new year or a new birthday, but the time I spent being 17 and not yet exposed to the apocalyptic concept of a pandemic were two of the greatest weeks I had ever had. Early March was such a visceral part of my life that listening to the music I devoured in that time (namely Andy Shauf) feels like eating shave ice and fruit at Jane Lee’s (PD ‘21) cafe, dogpiling onto Ms. Stanphil’s couch during conservatory, and laughing with Cole Daniel (IM-J ‘21) at his reflection in my bathroom mirror because we had attempted to bleach his hair. Something must have shifted within me shortly after my birthday, because suddenly I felt so eager, on the edge of my seat and buzzing with life.

It’s hard not to feel like being 17 while quarantine drags on is like a ticking time bomb. To clarify, so much of my 17th was spent inside, with me holding out hope for the possibility of returning to normalcy before my year was up. For a couple of months I held the mindset that when “quarantine ends,” assuming it would be within a few months, I would be able to compensate for this lost time by pulling a Booksmart and living life to the fullest. Seventeen is the closest I’ll ever be to being an adult while still being allowed to feel like a child. Time is running out, and I’m reminded by my birthday inching closer and closer to me, as if it’s an expiration date for my youth and vitality.

I’ve gotten better at reminding myself that it’s not any sort of thing like that. Nothing will fundamentally change when I reach adulthood, at least not immediately. My priorities will remain the same and I will still have to complete the daily little tasks that I am obliged to do. Open laptop. Go to Dunkin’. Stare at laptop. Eat, drink. Close laptop. Play cello, if I’m feeling up for it.

And this is what my senior year consists of. There will likely not be much more. “Zoom school” has become so separate from the high school life that I know that it doesn’t feel like school. It hasn’t really felt like anything this whole time, other than an endless cycle through Google Classroom and a tasteful amount of Common Application visits. My idea of school ended March 2020.

Surprisingly, I’ve done a decent job accepting not having the senior year everyone had envisioned. The realist in me has been saying for months that we’re never getting back the school life we knew, and I’ve become comfortable accepting that. The problem, I think, is that I do subconsciously expect my life to pick up from where it left off. I mean, once vaccines are successfully distributed and we can return to the “normal” we speak of. I’m a little scared that I will expect to once again do things like sit in the sun on 10th Street or see acquaintances linger outside of their classrooms while on my way to class. Not to mention, gathering in that big, stone, DMS room for Symphony rehearsal.

The passage of time has always been one of my biggest enemies, but I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact that we’re turning 18 and we’re going to graduate, even if our perception of the end of high school has been somewhat warped. Right now it feels like life has pressed pause, and when it presses play, I’ll still be a kid who plays cello and tags along with the writers down to the basement of Symphony Hall before conservatory. It might not hit me that we’ve moved on from the “OCSA segment” of our lives until I’m on an entirely different campus, and that’s a defeat I’m not looking forward to facing.

Issue Four

February 2021

Read the PDF version of this issue HERE!!

Table of Contents

Zola Franchi, Elena Levin

Cas Kesig

Jennifer woo, Max mikkelsen, Mallory Mckenna

Max mikkelsen

lauren le

Mehra marzbani

james herde

Jennifer woo

Mia soumbasakis

isabel hahn

AJ Miyake

Erick ferrufino

Serapina chung

Emma Han, jamie lee

Anica Sherry

Keeping Black History Month Alive Online

By: Zola Franchi and Elena Levin