the Epic — Issue 2 Newsletter

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VOLUME 58, ISSUE 2 The student newspaper of Lynbrook High School WWEDNESDAY, NOV 9, 2022

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Dear Vikings,

We hope you all had a spooky Halloween! Seniors, congratulations on submitting early applications. Only two more months to go!

As we head into the final stretch of the semester, we would like to welcome you
to Issue 2: learn about Lynbrook’s first programming competition in News; uncover
the politicization of school boards in Opinion; explore stories of alumni in Features; delve into LGBTQ+ representation in the media in In-Depth and congratulate Lynbrook’s girls golf team for a successful season in Sports.

Did you know that we also have content exclusively online? Visit our website lhsepic.com for a review of Taylor Swift’s monumental album Midnights. If you’re feeling nostalgic about Homecoming, take a travel back in time through a behind the scenes video featuring class officers, leaders and participants on our Youtube.

We encourage you to submit Letters to the Editors, your opinions on any published stories this year such as our Staff Editorial reevaluating Lynbrook’s Homecoming culture or our In-Depth story about male body image. We’re excited to read your Guest Columns, first-person articles that focus on your perspective and experiences, and would love to celebrate our first Guest
Column, written by Minchae Kim on her experiences with cheerleading. Submission guidelines can be found at lhsepic.com/submissions and those chosen will be published on print and/or our website.

Thank you for your readership. Stay in touch for Issue 3!

Rock on,
Elizabeth Cheng & Amy Liu
Editors-in-Chief

NEWS

Students compete in Lynbrook’s first ProCo

by Larry Wang

Students frantically typed up code and prepared submissions in the waning minutes of Lynbrook’s first-ever programming competition. Lynbrook ProCo, hosted in collaboration between the Computer Science and Web Development clubs on Oct. 23, consisted of 15 teams competing for prizes collectively worth more than $150. Sophomores Eric Hsu, Jiahe Lu and Brian Xue won the competition, freshmen Brian Law and Matthew Xia came in second place and freshman Aaron Ma trailed close behind in third.

OTHER HEADLINES
FUHSD alumni introduce students to careers
Food for thought: politics with a side of pizza
“Gender in Classrooms” project takes effect
Funky Monkeys robotics team gears up with a new practice field

SPORTS

Behind the recent success of girls varsity golf

by Deeksha Raj

Concluding their season undefeated as No. 1 in the De Anza league, Lynbrook girl’s varsity golf is grateful for the fun and skilled team that they have built. Their consistent winning has raised their team spirit and led them to build unique team dynamics. Compared to their 8-2 winning record in the 2021-22 season, the team is very proud of their improvement.

OTHER HEADLINES
Student sections spark spirit
What it means to be a cheerleader
Meet new Viking athletic trainer Scott Leveau
Claire Chen, Lori Liu and Cyrus Wong shoot for their passions

FEATURES

Lynbrook Alumni: Jane Lee and Vishal Kalyanasundaram

by Vidushi Upadhyay

Curled up next to a dimly-lit laptop, Jane Lee uploads a new recipe to her Asian-fusion dessert blog, Cake Barn. An alumnus of Lynbrook, Lee spends her days working in tech and cultivates her passion for food at night. Her blog displays an assortment of sun-lit bakery items, from pandan jelly to sesame cream puffs, connecting communities one recipe at a time.

OTHER HEADLINES
Exploring cultural backgrounds through Indian classical dance
Lynbrook students take strides in stylish footwear
Getting a taste of local produce through farmers markets
Sophie Jaquish and Derek Li sing through highs and lows

OPINION

Creating a more supportive Homecoming

by Epic Staff

From skits and dances to backdrops and planter decorations, class officers, Homecoming leaders and participants spend months preparing for Lynbrook’s most extravagant event of the year. However, lack of involvement, communication and support across classes causes stress and a tendency to overwork among leads and avid participants. To foster a more supportive environment, the student body should consider participating more in various Homecoming activities, with more outward leadership recognition from ASB.

OTHER HEADLINES
The exploitative nature of biopics
My art and me
Exploring religious views on campus
Academic pursuit in a post-pandemic classroom
The importance of land acknowledgment for Lynbrook
Partisan politics’ latest casualty: School boards

IN-DEPTH

Flexing the issue: Male body image

by Jason Shan and Samiya Anwar

“When he’s skinny, scrawny and looks like he hasn’t eaten in days.” “When he looks like a Greek God statue.” Similar detrimental statements fill social media feeds, perpetuating an unhealthy ideal of what a male body should look like. Whether promising the physique of a bodybuilder through a specific workout regimen or romanticizing severely underweight statures, this stringent body culture can promote harmful dieting and exercise practices to impressionable teenage boys. A man’s “ideal body” has shifted dramatically throughout the past century. During the “Gilded Age” — late 1800s to the early 1900s — having a wider waist indicated a higher economic status, as a heavier weight was proof of one’s ability to afford an abundance of food. From the 1920s until the late 1950s, the “Golden Age” shifted the standard from being overweight to lean and athletic. This was a result of Hollywood actors often being required to be toned for their roles, heroizing muscular figures.

OTHER HEADLINES
The representation of the LGBTQ+ community in media
ELD program spells success for its students
The sexualization of Halloween costumes

WEB EXCLUSIVE

Jar of Secrets, Advice and Questions

by A shley Huang

the Epic staffer Ashley Huang sets up a station where Lynbrook students write and respond to secrets, advice-seeking problems and questions on slips and put them in jars.

OTHER HEADLINES
Midnights: Lost in a labyrinth of the pas t
Horror psychology: How to scare your audience
Lynbrook tradition: Night on the Quad is back

CONNECT WITH US!

Find our website here. For more updates, be sure to follow our Instagram (@lhs.epic) and subscribe for free to receive this monthly newsletter in your personal inbox.

Contact the Editors-in-Chief at enc.epic@gmail.com to submit any feedback.

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