Senior Edition: Published May 28th, 2021
“Everything’s always ending. But everything’s always beginning, too.”
~ Patrick Ness
Articles
Building Remodeling At Leigh
Li Yen Ho
Leigh has been in some state of remodeling for over ten years already and doesn’t seem like it will be finishing anytime soon. For example, the cafeteria, the PAC, the football field, the track, air conditioning, and boy baseball dugouts projects have all been recently completed a few years ago, bringing in needed change to the school.
Connecting With The Classics
Hear from club president Lynn Chang about her experiences founding and running this club at Leigh. She will be studying English at UC Berkeley in the fall.
The Odds Were Not In Favor Of The 2021 College Applicants
Natalie Bachman
The 2021 college application season made history as one of the most competitive. Acceptance rates plummeted as the number of applicants skyrocketed, something that can be traced back to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
College Application Advice
Skylar Long
The class of 2021 shares their advice and experiences regarding college applications.
Seniors’ Favorite Teachers And Classes
Dhruthi Mahesh
This year is special for the class of 2021 Seniors in many different ways. It is the first full year of distance learning or hybrid learning, and also the last year that they will be on campus before college. We asked Seniors in a survey to reflect back on the courses they’ve taken at Leigh High School, and choose their favorite classes which are displayed in the graph below.
Theater Club
Senior and Theater Club president Dale Tanner details her experiences with Leigh’s Thespian Society. She will be attending UC Berkeley as part of their Oakland Changemakers Program, and intends to major in their Theatre and Performance Studies program
COVID-19, Genetic Mutations, And 2nd Waves
Nikitha Srinivasan
In India, there are roughly 25,000,000 instances of Covid-19, with 290,000 deaths as a result of the virus. Only 3% of India’s population has got all of their vaccinations, whereas 9.2% have got at least one dose. Because India produces 60% of the world’s covid-19 vaccinations, having them struggle to be vaccinated is alarming. India has difficulty exporting vaccinations to foreign countries while still vaccinating its own residents.
From Our Future Longhorns
As part of our senior edition, we reached out to local middle schools and recruited some incoming Leigh students to contribute. Our team members worked alongside them to develop articles, and we’re proud to share their hard work with the Leigh community.
Being Transgender/Nonbianary
When I came out as trans on social media, random people were asking me questions. Most of them were transphobic or made me feel bad about myself, but there were a lot of people who were supportive. I had online friends, admins of queer accounts, and the Am I Gay quiz supporting me when I was questioning myself. I don’t think I knew I was genderfluid when I was a kid, and I think I’m still faking it because of that. The dysphoria is real, knowing when you find the right label is real, and I feel so much happier sometimes just thinking about not being female; but there’s still that worry that I just want to be special and I’m making something up because of that.
The Asian Racism That Is Considered “Normal”
Mina Ryu, Dana Ryu, Haley Lee
Upset, but not surprised. We feel this frustrating, infuriating feeling on a too-common basis. It’s in jokes, it’s in so-called compliments, it’s in questions, it’s in interviews, it’s in everyday statements, in everyday situations, in everyday life. Casual racism. It’s casual racism. Microaggressions, Microassaults, Microinsults, Microinvalidation. The kind of racism that is not “important” or “worthy” enough to be put on the news but what makes most of the Asian American daily experience. The subtle racism that makes us feel like foreigners in our own country and degrades our culture, our race, and our identity.
Fashion At The Cost Of Culture?
Sadie Scott
Almost everything trending in the fashion world these days can be brought back to culture. The baggy pants that you call ‘cool’ and ‘swag’? Those originated from African American streetwear in the 20th century. The sleek, silver nose rings that you saw in the window of Hot Topic? Those are derivatives of nose rings worn by both those in parts of South Africa and India. Now, things tied to culture don’t automatically become “off-limits” or taboo (so don’t go pulling out your nose ring yet). But if we are to respect culture yet still allow free will to dress up as we choose, where do we draw the line between cultural appropriation and appreciation?
The Future Of Robotics: Boston Dynamics And The Robotics Industry
Robotics is all about innovation and creativity. Whether it be fun like a toy car, or revolutionary like an automated arm, robots change our lives, but what does thirty years of innovation and advancements look like?
Asian Underrepresentation In Film
Alexis Tea
Growing up, I loved movies, and I still do. I especially loved rom-coms, with their lovable, quirky characters and lighthearted humor. But when watching these movies, I noticed one thing: there were hardly any Asian characters on screen, if any at all. And if there were, they were usually portrayed with harmful stereotypes or as side characters with little to no backstory. Don’t get me wrong, I still loved watching these movies. I just think I would’ve been able to connect with the character more and be inspired by them if they had looked like me.
From The Class Of 2021
The Eleight 