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Student Council Opens Its Doors
At student council meetings, attendees are given the opportunity to voice their thoughts on school issues and propose initiatives for change. Before this year, attendance was limited to selected representatives, chosen by teachers or from extracurricular classes like Speech and Debate. Now, any student can participate by...
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Cracks in the Walls
In an effort to bring students closer together, the school planned day-long workshops designed to strengthen the community from Sept. 3 to through 5 called Breaking Down...
Recent Articles
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Branham's Swastika Investigation
By Ariel Lee Feb 15, 2026 On Dec. 3, 2025, an Instagram photo of eight Branham High School students forming a Nazi swastika with their bodies on the school’s football field circulated the internet, prompting reports of a possible hate crime and an investigation by their school and district. This image, taken on the same day it was posted, included a caption quoting Nazi leader Adof Hitler’s Reichstag speech in German, which supported the extermination of Jews. A
21 hours ago3 min read
Valley Fair to Valley Fear
By Mahika Khosla Feb 14, 2026 Isabella Zhu Art On Nov. 28, 2025 at around 5p.m., a 17-year-old pulled out a firearm in Westfield Valley Fair shopping mall and shot at the chest of a man wearing a hat with the letter “m”—a symbol of the Sureno criminal street gang, and a rival to the teenager’s gang. As the shooting ensued, two women were injured and the entirety of the mall’s Black Friday crowd desperately evacuated. The charges for the suspect and his three acc
21 hours ago3 min read
Love in the Dark
By Liliana Chai Feb 14, 2026 When lights dim, neon takes over. Glowsticks flicker across the room while music echoes through the cafeteria, weaving together crowds of students in bright fluorescent tops and jeans from Leland and Pioneer High School. The Leland and Pioneer Mixer, a glow-in-the-dark themed dance bringing together students from both schools, will take place on Feb. 27 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Leland’s campus. Similar to Homecoming, foo —including
21 hours ago3 min read
Lisence to WASC
By Srihita Madiraju Feb 14, 2026 Dilara Varoglu Art Every few years, students and staff undergo an event that can shape the school’s future: WASC accreditation. For students, these visits may sound like just another administrative process, but these checks—from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)—are vital in maintaining the quality of education received. WASC is a regional accreditation organization that evaluates schools across the West Coast
21 hours ago3 min read
SJUSD Outside Food Policy
By Melvin Najarian Feb. 11, 2026 For years, potlucks and shared food have been a familiar part of student life at school. From club meetings to cultural celebrations, bringing food from home has allowed students to connect with one another and build a sense of community. However, San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD) recently enforced restrictions on outside food brought onto campus during the school day, limiting potlucks and other edibles brought as treats
2 hours ago3 min read
AI in Education
By Teresa Sun December 10, 2025 The academic environment is rapidly shifting as Artificial Intelligence (AI) moves from a theoretical concept to a powerful tool accessible to every student. While AI-driven systems have been evolving for decades, the current generation of Large Language Models has made personalized, on-demand academic assistance instantly accessible, enabling students to study smarter and more effectively, or perhaps for misuse. However, this rap
Dec 12, 20254 min read
Creative Writing Club
By Srihita Madiraju Feb. 11, 2026 With academic-quality writing being just a few clicks away for students due to the rise in artificial intelligence usage and expressing oneself in words being reduced to internet slang through technology, there has been a noticeable decline in writing skills and literacy. A study conducted in the International Journal of Information and Education Technology portrays how independent writing abilities and creativity of students i
2 hours ago3 min read
Cultivating Culture and Customs
By Sarah Perez December 10, 2025 Growing up Persian-American in the U.S., senior Tara Kashani-Brink celebrated Persian cultural traditions, was spoken to in a mixture of English and Persian and enjoyed Persian food—experiences that led her to feel passionate and proud between her two cultures. Kashani-Brink vividly remembers her mother’s book of Farsi poems; whenever her mother had a worry or unanswered question, she would read a poem to Kashani-Brink and foll
Dec 12, 20254 min read
Welcome First Amendment
By Dylan Xie Feb 15, 2026 Kira Yoshioka-Gutierrez Art When the European Union (EU) recently switched from adoption to enforcement of their new Digital Services Act (DSA) on Dec. 5, 2025, it marked one of the largest escalations over control, truth and speech on the internet. This is yet another intrusion from the EU on American social media, censoring what they consider disinformation and encroaching on First Amendment rights in the process. The new DSA act gran
21 hours ago2 min read
A Matter of Mindsets
By Brandon Koo ` Dec. 12, 2025 Emma Wang Art “Stay positive!” The screen flashes as the teacher monotonously reads off the Seven Mindsets slides. A student scrolls through TikTok under the table, and another races through his math homework. The Social and Emotional Learning Program, founded by author Daniel Goleman, created the Seven Mindsets curriculum and new Monday mental health activities to improve mental health and community, yet, for many students, it coll
Dec 12, 20254 min read
Ws in the Chat
The school alarm blares at the University of Akron in Ohio, signaling the start of the day. Hundreds of students rise from their slumber to prepare for class, but they do not pack their backpacks with traditional supplies such as pencils or textbooks; instead, they fill their backpacks with...
Nov 12, 20253 min read
"Happy Gilmore 2”
As an avid fan of Adam Sandler and an occasional golf player, on the day “Happy Gilmore 2” came out on Netflix, I sat down before my TV with legs kicked back...
Sep 28, 20252 min read
French Bans on PFAS
By Ayush Deshpande Feb. 11, 2026 Leona hung Art Every day, millions of people around the world use Teflon pans, waterproof clothing and makeup. Most of these items share a common ingredient: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—synthetic compounds that can remain inside living organisms’ bodies and the environment for years. Due to the harmful effects of PFAS, on Feb. 27, 2025, France passed a bill which, starting Jan. 1, would ban the sale, import and man
3 hours ago3 min read
Iran at a Breaking Point
By Melvin Najarian Feb. 11, 2026 Leona Hung Art For over four decades, Iran’s government has ruled through oppression and human rights abuses. Since December 2025, economic collapse and collective anger have spurred nationwide demonstrations, pushing Iranians to exercise open resistance. What began as protests over inflation in Tehran’s bazaars quickly turned into one of the most direct challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 2022 Women Life Freedom moveme
3 hours ago4 min read
Professional Sleep-Multitaskers
By Brandon Koo Feb. 11, 2026 Mingyue Xiao Art The frigatebird serenely glides across the open ocean, wings locked in place and eyes half-closed over waves that stretch for miles. A brief lapse of attention could result in a fatal plummet, yet the bird continues in a state of half-sleep and half-awareness. It rests yet remains just alert enough—for animals like the frigatebird, sleeping fully can be more dangerous than staying awake. Sleep is essential for near
2 hours ago3 min read
Mushrooms Insulating Rooms
By Lauren Law December 10, 2025 In Alaska, where homes battle the brutal cold with layers of imported Styrofoam, scientists are turning to mycelium, the living root network of mushrooms, to create a biodegradable and locally sourced insulation alternative that has been in development for nearly a decade. In Alaska, where homes battle brutal cold with layers of imported Styrofoam, scientists are turning to mycelium, a living root network of mushrooms, to create
Dec 12, 20254 min read
The Rise of Pickleball
By Lauren Law Feb. 11, 2026 Jane Hong Art Once a paddle-sport for retirees chasing low-impact fun on community courts, pickleball has stormed into the mainstream, captivating Gen Z and millennials with its fast-paced rallies and social buzz. The name “pickleball” is widely attributed to Pickles, the Pritchard family dog, known for chasing stray balls during early games. The sport originated in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, when Joel Pritchard, Bill
2 hours ago3 min read
Game, Set, Rematch
By Winston Chu Feb. 11, 2026 Jane Hong Art Under the glaring lights of the Houston Astrodome, 30,000 spectators in the crowd and over 90 million fans tuning in from their televisions eagerly watched female player Billie Jean King compete against male player Bobby Riggs in the first ever Battle of the Sexes. Nearly 50 years after the iconic moment when King threw her racket in the air after defeating Riggs in straight sets, the Battle of the Sexes has finally re
2 hours ago3 min read
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