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by Harivallabhi Ganapathy ('24) SBHS’s Chess Club, a new club that began this school year, was a bigger success than anyone could have imagined. Seniors Om Janamanchi, Ishaan Sinha and Aryan Kashyap, first pitched this idea last year and sent out a Google Form to the school, seeking interest. After an overwhelminging amount of responses, the club was set in place for this year. “My journey with chess started at the age of 10 playing with my dad and, since then, I have loved the game, and when I saw SBHS did not have a Chess Club, I knew I had to make it happen which pushed me for all four years to get this club approved at SBHS,” said Janamanchi. The club’s board includes Janamanchi as president, Kashyap, Sinha, and senior Arya Motukuru as vice presidents and many others. The club’s team, the Viking Chess Team, includes Sinha as captain who leads other players like seniors Vignesh Sarvanakumar and Frederick Rajakumar. In the club, they work through the season and all the competitions. Members of the club practice hard so they can bring home the gold! In terms of accomplishments, the team did amazingly well. The team placed first in the Capablanca Division at the beginning of February and was then named Top 8 Playoffs. From there, the team was awarded the 3rd Place League Championship, a big accomplishment for a club that started this year. Individually, Sinha placed 5th in Place Mid-Season Tourney and 3rd Place 1st-Board LCT. Regarding his placementSinha said, “For me, it just increases my love and passion for the game! For the team and club, it shows that we are a competitive team that can beat anyone on a given day. We’re here to win.” The club also held many events this year to gather more members for the upcoming school year and for fun, especially after a long school day! In December, the club had a Chess Tournament where it was set up as a bracket-style tournament, just like how it usually is for chess tournaments. In this type of tournament, each branch represents a head-to-head matchup between individuals or teams. The winners of each matchup move inward until only two remain at the root to play for the championship. The event was a huge success, with a turnout of 100+ students! The club also had guest speakers from the New Jersey State Chess Federation, President Pete Tamburro and Vice President Anand Mishre, and held a workshop. With the help of these two, the club is planning a grand end-of-year event May 18th, a Chessathon! Everyone and anyone from the South Brunswick community is invited including little kids to adults! There will be mini tournaments and puzzles for everyone to enjoy! The SBHS Chess Club has an exciting future in store of them so look forward to more events and updates from them! Join them next year for a fun-packed and chess filled year! Math teacher Mr. Stephen Trainor said, “I love being advisor of the Chess Club, I think we have had an outstanding year and really appreciate all the support we have received, but truly I do not think Chess Club would be as memorable without the students I work with. They really make me look forward to do this for years to come.”

By Saesha Bhat ('24 Co-Editor-in-Chief) After nine seasons full of numerous achievements and records broken under former coach, Mr. Jeffrey Johnson, the Viking Girls Basketball Team started their 2023-2024 season with a brand new Head Coach, Mr. Ryan Murphy. No one fully understood how the team would play out with Murphy’s arrival, but with the season over after three long months, it is safe to say that the team has nothing to worry about in the future. After leaving his job of eight years, Mr. Murphy was looking for a new opportunity, and the Lady Vikings, who are one of the more accomplished teams in SBHS, posed as a great chance to achieve something amazing. He has been a teacher since 2015, now an English teacher at North Brunswick High School, and was constantly surrounded by sports his entire life, whether it was as a team player or as a coach. He spent some time coaching the Woodbridge Middle School Lady Warriors and the John F. Kennedy Girls Varsity Team before ultimately landing in South Brunswick, where he described he had an “outstanding” season. “Obviously our win-loss record wasn't as great as recent years, but the growth from the beginning of the season to the end was tremendous. We played a very difficult schedule and tested ourselves every day. We had a few crazy buzzer-beaters, an awesome Senior Night game, and nearly went to the Sectional Finals. This season was definitely successful,” he said. Apart from the numerous achievements Murphy was grateful for– defeating Colonia, defeating Monroe twice, and having two game-winning buzzer-beaters– he took note of the more intimate moments that made the team even more enjoyable such as the daily practices, the friendship between the teammates, the long bus rides, and of course, the pregame bagels. He also understood that even the losses, especially the one against Middlesex in the GMC quarterfinals, as frustrating as they are, are necessary to learn and move forward as a team. As for the future, Coach Murphy is determined to continue the Lady Viking’s legacy by encouraging more prospective players and advancing higher than this season could reach, possibly even earning them a photo on the wall. “For the program as a whole, a goal of mine is to establish a yearly summer camp for the younger players in South Brunswick, Kendall Park, and Monmouth Junction to build stronger connections with our youth programs. For the returning players, I really want to get back to the GMC Quarterfinals and avenge this year's loss. I'd like to get back to the Sectional Semifinals and advance to the Finals. We have so much talent in this school and so much support in the community, and I'd like to see us succeed at an even higher level,” he said. Team achievements were not the end of this wonderful season for many players had personal accomplishments that ended their high school careers on a high note. Senior and Co-Captain Meher Vig reached one of the most coveted achievements for a high school basketball player: 1,000 high school career points. She was bestowed this honor at the team’s second Monroe game where balloons, banners, and photographers crowded the room to celebrate her personal win. “Reaching 1,000 career points this season has been an incredible journey that started from the day I stepped on the basketball court. It’s a dream I’ve had since I was a little girl, and I’m extremely fortunate to have amazing teammates, coaches, and parents who’ve supported me to make this possible,” Vig said. Apart from this, Meher had other celebrated achievements such as first in all-time steals, second in all-time games, fourth in all-time points in girls’ basketball, being named to the GMC All-Red Division team, and being selected to the overall All-GMC team. Senior and Co-Captain Leilani Pinder also joins Vig with numerous personal achievements as she joined the 500 career rebounds club at the game against Woodbridge, finishing fifth in all-time rebounds. Some other personal achievements include first in all-time assists, second in all-time steals, being named to the GMC All-Red Division team, and a buzzer-beater that won them the game against Hopewell Valley. Recently, Pinder committed to William Paterson University to continue her basketball career and become an even more accomplished athlete who makes SBHS proud. With four seniors leaving the team this season– Saesha Bhat, Trisha Reddy, Leilani Pinder, Meher Vig– other younger star players are given a chance to follow in their footsteps. Junior Alexis Lease-Springer, who has been a varsity player since freshman year, can make her junior year one for the books. She ends the season with 754 points and averages nine points per game, allowing her the possibility of joining the 1,000 career points club in her senior year. She also was named Second Team All-Red Division. Although injured at the end of the 2022-2023 season, she made herself a promising team player this season through her killer defense and “clutch” threes. Lease-Springer said, ”I am feeling very thrilled going into my senior year of basketball because I will be back even better now from my injury that happened a year ago. I know what I will do or accomplish for next season and hope to achieve most of my goals. I am hoping to accomplish getting my 1000 [career points] and winning a state championship with my team or GMC finals too.” Although moving forward without major players on the team, there is no doubt that the Lady Vikings will be able to achieve just as great accolades. With a fresh coach dedicated to making the program better and a team with prospective star players, the team’s future looks very optimistic. Congratulations to the team’s exceptional 2023-2024 season!

by Manahil Zulfiqar ('26) Interested in Biology or Medicine and want to experience being a doctor? The Biomedical Futures Club has got that covered with their project, Case X which is a group project that allows students to become doctors and diagnose real-life patients. This project is a hands-on experience, where students form groups and work together from November to May, each year. Throughout those months, they get a new patient and work to diagnose them. On each video or graphic organizer that a group submits, the more points they get! BioMed board member & sophomore Harshitha Vijayshankar said that Case X is good for students who plan to pursue a career in medicine. Case X revolves around medical diagnoses and conditions and how a patient can get diagnosed. Students can also just learn how doctors work with their patients and how they figure out diagnoses for different patients. “It gives them the opportunity to view different diagnoses, as well as see how conditions can present differently in individuals depending on their age, gender, and/or other factors,” said Vijayshankar. Students don’t see or “meet” a patient in person. They see a patient in a unique way online. Vijayshankar said “Students see videos of real-life patients through a platform called OnlineMedEd. They get information on past medical history, symptoms, medication use, and other relevant data necessary to make an accurate diagnosis.” OnlineMedEd is a global medical education platform where medical students can watch videos and lectures to help with exams and medical education. With the amount of information and resources it has, OnlineMedEd is a great source for students participating in Case X. As students gather points throughout their work in Case X, they can also win additional points at the end of the year at Case X night and win the whole Case X. BioMed club advisor Mrs. Courtney Kestner said, “By the end of the year teams have rankings based on their score.  They put their knowledge to the test at Case X Night where they compete with other teams to diagnose patients based on the information they learned through the year.  The winners receive a grand prize.” Case X is also beneficial for students who genuinely want to become involved in the club and apply for a board position. “Case X is a great opportunity for BioMed members who may be interested in a leadership position because it shows that they are genuinely interested in learning more about biology and medicine. It shows commitment to our club values including teamwork, discipline and creativity,” said Mrs. Kestner. All in all, BioMed’s Case X is an innovative way for future medical students to get the experience of being a doctor and to get involved in the club more. “The best thing about Case X is getting to see future doctors in action,” said Mrs. Kestner.

By: Om Bhaskar (‘27) Socialism is usually characterized as an economic system where production, distribution, and exchange of goods are regulated by the government, and the means of production owned by workers and the community themselves. According to an article by the Reason Foundation about self-described “democratic socialist” Bernie Sanders,“Sen. Sanders notes that many in the U.S. claim they would be willing to pay ‘a little more in taxes’ to receive the benefits of universal healthcare, free education, and greater income transfers.” So, under more mainstream definitions of socialism, taxes would rise, and institutions such as healthcare and higher education would be made “free” or “more affordable.” More money would be transferred from the rich to the poor, and the government would expand. Some private corporations and properties would be nationalized and replaced by government programs. This ideal of socialism has made the ideology much more popular than it was in previous years, specifically among younger generations, like Millennials and Gen Z. The idea of an extensive welfare system excites many, however, the difference between a free market, capitalist economy with an extensive welfare system and actual socialism is a line that shouldn’t really be crossed. While a utopian idea of what socialism can be may sound good to many, history has taught the world that attempts at creating a society which runs under these systems end up causing government repression, human rights abuses, and famines mainly because when people give economic freedoms to the government, it is hard to keep political freedoms. The economy is also known to suffer under socialist systems. A recent example of this would be Venezuela, a country which democratically elected a socialist leader named Hugo Chavez several times and had a democratic system in place, but eventually lost its free democracy and ended up being ruled by a socialist dictator after the country’s economic stability collapsed. Nicolas Maduro, the current socialist president of Venezuela has been accused of human rights abuses and rigging elections, a modern, terrible show of the failure of socialism to protect the rights of citizens. Another explanation for younger people’s sympathies with socialism could be the fact that they just don’t understand what actual socialism entails. In an interview with social studies teacher Dr.Justin Negraval, he described two “definitions” of socialism in the modern day, one where “there is government confiscation (over the means of production)”, and the other definition, which is more characterized by expansion of government and welfare. “For example, the New Deal was one of the largest creation and expansion of government authority (In the United States)”. The New Deal was a response to the Great Depression which expanded government and welfare, while also keeping people employed. This, however, isn’t actual socialism. One last explanation for younger people being more socialist-friendly could also be because they simply are unaware of the terrors that have been caused by socialist regimes. For example, according to a survey done by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC), only 36% of Americans know that the Communist Party of China has killed more people than the Nazi party in Germany. Supporting this data, when freshman Balaram Srikant was asked which ideology he believed has killed the most people in recent history, he said, “probably the Nazis.” When told the correct answer to this question which many get wrong, and asked for his reaction to the true answer, Srikant said, “My reaction is surprised, I thought the Nazis killed more people because of the wide and known influence of the Holocaust and Hitler, unlike the actions done by the Chinese Communist Party.” All this goes to show how education of the tragedies that took place under socialism aren’t taught adequately in schools or in media, and how that creates a distorted view of history. Furthermore, the differences between capitalist countries with large social nets and socialist countries themselves has also not adequately been explained in media, and many self-proclaimed socialist politicians in the United States wrongfully call European Social Democracies, like Denmark or Norway, socialist, when in reality they are free-market economies. When asked if Scandinavian countries could be classified as socialist, Dr. Negraval said, “Generally, no. There are certain countries that have many more social programs”. This is a more “socialized” way of living to be sure, however, this isn’t actual socialism. Even the Prime Minister of Denmark said, “Denmark is not a socialist nation, it has a "market economy," in response to politicians like Bernie Sanders saying Scandinavian countries were socialist. This lack of widespread knowledge of socialism when compared to older times might be explained by the fall of the USA’s once biggest rival, the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was a socialist dictatorship which collapsed in 1991, and rivaled the United States as the only other world superpower of the time. The Soviets partly fell due to their economic system. When asked why the Soviet Union collapsed, Dr. Negraval said, “The economic system was part of it, but more was the corruption and mismanagement.” Average Americans were scared of the Soviet Union and socialism due to many different factors, one of which being the knowledge of how bad living standards were in socialist countries. Feelings like this were especially prevalent in the 1950’s during the Red Scare, which was a period of “hysteria over the perceived threat posed by Communists and Socialists in the U.S. during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States,” according to an article by History.com. The Soviet Union’s eventual collapse ended the largely prevalent phobia of communism and socialism in the United States, proven by the fact that older generations, which lived through the existence of the Soviet Union and most other socialist countries, have a much higher amount of fear and negative connotations of what socialism is when compared to younger people. Asked what comes to mind when thinking of socialism, Srikant said, “It’s basically when the power is shared between a group of people so it creates a more even society. The Soviet Union was a really good example of this.” When told about the deep political instability in the Soviet Union, Srikant said, “I think that’s logical, it has a very bad legacy and people often compare it with other terrible societies.” Furthermore, according to the same VOC survey, approximately 31% of Gen Z and 35% of Millenials believe capitalism should be slowly phased out in favor of socialism, while the number is only 18% in Baby Boomers and 16% in the Silent Generation. Millennials only began being born in 1981, the last decade of the Soviet Union’s existence, which proves the correlation between the Soviet Union’s existence training the reputation of socialism, and how the lack of said country left socialism to be looked at as more and more favorably. This let the idea that socialism is more even, and power is shared more equally gain more roots in the public, whether it be through popular media, frustration with some of the issues with capitalism, or just naivety to what they actually are, since the United States hasn’t really suffered from socialistic policies like other countries have. Furthermore, according to an article by The Heritage Foundation, after adopting socialistic policies in the United Kingdom, Israel, and India, all three countries “abandoned socialism and turned toward capitalism and the free market. The resulting prosperity in Israel, India, and the U.K. vindicated free marketers who had predicted that socialism would inevitably fail to deliver the goods.” India’s Gross Domestic Product before the reduction of expanded government and more socialist policies under a system known as “License Raj” was a measly $270 Billion Dollars. Once the economy was liberalized and these policies were abolished, the Indian GDP grew to over $3.3 Trillion in the span of 30 years, and the people of India are much better off as their GDP per capita grew from $304 to $2,389 per year. All of this information paints a dim picture of the policies that are to come in the USA’s future. If capitalism is continuously looked down upon while socialism is embraced by the younger generations, who will eventually take a majority of political power in the United States as other generations age, a transition to some form of socialism could become a legitimate idea if enough support was there among the branches of government and the people. The ramifications of that would be disastrous for the economy, and strain the already rapidly growing debt. If historical issues with socialism are ignored by politicians, the United States would just suffer the same fates as these countries, some of which do not even exist anymore. Time and time again, socialism has failed to lift countries up, and instead caused mass suffering and brutal famines. It is important to learn from history and to realize socialism needs to stay dead for years to come.

by Viren Abroal( '27) On April 17, 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) voted to strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents many of the major film and television studios in the United States. It is evident that the motive behind 97.85% of the Writers’ Guild voting to strike ties back to the controversial issue of Artificial Intelligence. A.I., though rapidly accelerating in quality, is a relatively new concept for many Americans. While there are many conflicting opinions regarding the morals of A.I., the most active discourse recently has taken place in the U.S. film industry. When information began to circulate that major Hollywood executives had been discussing the creation of film and television screenplays using artificial intelligence, reactions among the general public were mixed. However, when studios started suggesting the usage of WGA screenplays by producers t o train their hypothetical artificial screenwriters, it became clear how the Writers’ Guild would be affected. With the knowledge that screenwriting jobs would soon be at risk, an overwhelming majority of the Writers’ Guild of America voted to enact what would become a 148-day-long strike. Many of the 11,500 unionized screenwriters reasoned their refusal to comply with AMPTP’s suggestions with the unjust morals they saw within their plans. “I think that from the perspective of a writer, we just want to make sure that we’re all on the same page — that AI is going to be used as a tool for everyone, not as a replacement,” WGA writer Mr. Damon Lindelof said, in an interview with Deadline Hollywood. But writers were not the only victims of the major Hollywood studios’ A.I. proposals. “...companies will tell background performers, 'If you don't give us the consent we demand, we won't hire you and we'll replace you with someone else,'" SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Mr. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland told Reuters. The introduction to the possibility of replacing the likeness of actors using artificial intelligence may have been enticing to the studio executives who were known to have been discussing the topic, but many actors, including a large number of well-known established actors, found these plans to be somewhat dystopian. As a result, the 160,000 unionized actors in SAG-AFTRA decided to join the Writers’ Guild and strike against AMPTP. During some rallies, many actors directly named the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Mr. Robert Iger. “We’ve got a message for Mr. Iger: I know, sir, that you look at things through a different lens. We don’t expect you to understand who we are. But we ask you to hear us, and beyond that listen to us when we tell you we will not be having our jobs taken away and given to robots. We will not have you take away our right to work and earn a decent living,” declared SAG-AFTRA unionized actor and star of AMC’s Breaking Bad Mr. Bryan Cranston, speaking at the “Rock the City for a Fair Contract” rally. Before these strikes, both actors and screenwriters had very similar struggles, especially surrounding the rise in popularity of online subscription streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. The revenue generated from the millions of accounts on each of these platforms had no path to the writers of the media or the actors on screen, and the money would instead funnel back into the company itself. Additionally, the artificial intelligence controversy heavily affected both of these industries. However, the most influential similarity between the groups was the effect that their strikes were to have on the industry. For months, the production of all narrative television and films were put on hold, pushing back release dates of popular movies and delaying the production of many popular shows watched by students at SBHS. Talk shows, especially those involving celebrity actors promoting their own media, also paused production since the shows required written jokes, and many actors were unable to promote their media upon its release as a condition of the SAG-AFTRA strike. This strike affected many more than just producers. The pause in production resulted in around two million Americans finding themselves out of work after being mainly employed in the film industry. For many weeks, the strike raged on and rallies continued. Both WGA and SAG-AFTRA members acknowledged the other group’s strike and supported their decisions, given that the unions were in similar positions. Many members of the AMPTP stayed silent during this time, and those who spoke out brought about lots of concern. During the strikes, an anonymous studio executive was recorded insisting that AMPTP was to allow the strike to continue until the unionized writers and actors lost their homes during the drought of work. On Sunday, September 24, 2023, the Writers’ Guild made a tentative agreement with AMPTP, allowing the strike to end three days later. The writers reached a deal that allowed for a higher pay, additional pay from the revenue of streaming services, and close to complete restriction in terms of artificial intelligence influenced work and the use of W.G.A. screenplays to train artificial intelligence. These guidelines gave SAG-AFTRA representatives a clear path to reach an agreement with AMPTP, which occurred on Wednesday, October 8, 2023. The actors’ strike ended on Friday, November 10, 2023. Their strike was 118 days long, which is recorded as the longest SAG-AFTRA strike in history. W.G.A.’s strike was recorded to be 148 days long, exceeding that of SAG-AFTRA by 30 days. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood had a major influence, inspiring some Walt Disney animators as well as Marvel Studios visual effects artists to unionize and protest for a lighter workload, a criticism often noted about the studios. However, the influence of these strikes exceeded that of other smaller-scale protests in the film industry. It was an essential moment in the industry for film producers as well as those associated with AMPTP to be uncovered plotting an A.I.-generated film industry future, not because it was outlandish, but because it had a sliver of possibility. Artificial intelligence has been improving at a significantly fast rate in recent years, and some are already falling victim to the misinformation that is spread by the resource. Although it sounds futuristic to be able to recreate one’s likeness without having them there at all, it is possible that artificial intelligence could make AMPTP’s dream possible in the future. However, many esteemed filmmakers and others in the industry have expressed concerns surrounding the loss of artistic value when it comes to completely A.I.-generated content. The conflict that sparked these strikes was beyond fueled by a loss of jobs, more so being pushed by the fight for real, human art rather than a lifeless content machine. AMPTP took months to even consider reaching an agreement, instead deciding to wait out the days until artificial intelligence would have the capabilities to create the media that would regenerate the companies’ money, restoring what was lost in the strikes. However, these plans were discussed very early, and artificial intelligence was overestimated by many members of the AMPTP. Many companies associated with AMPTP lost a significant amount of money while waiting for the strikes to end. The producers’ artificial-intelligence-fueled vision could have been a reality had it not been for the strikes.

by Hiranmayi Ganapathy ('24) The members of TemptAsian, the Asian performing arts group at South Brunswick High School, are getting ready for their upcoming show on February 23. Usually, the event consists of mainly South/North Indian music and caters different types of Indian food such as Samosas and drinks like Mango Lassi. “This is my second year as the Asian Cultural Club Advisor. We had TemptAsian as one of our events.” said advisor Ms. Grishma Patel. This year will be even more exciting because they added a Vietnamese section. Members think it’s a good idea for TemptAsian to include songs from additional cultures because hopefully more people will come out to the show. They say that different cultures will bring more excitement and curiosity which will attract many people coming to watch the show. TemptAsian’s South Indian team also performed at the Winter Pep Rally. They performed Tamil songs, including “Marana Mass” and “Vaada Thambi.” Many thought TemptAsian’s performance at the Winter Pep Rally was amazing as the students were so passionate about the dances. “I’m really excited to perform for the show this year. I love both my teams, they’re really talented and the choreography is super creative and interesting,” said senior Anjana Kalisanath. This shows that the TemptAsian members are looking forward to performing as much as the audience is looking forward to watching them. TemptAsian has different genres such as South Indian, Bollywood, Garba, Marathi, Vietnamese, etc. The performers are working hard to get ready for the actual show. They have a Carnatic Section which showcases instruments such as the Veena and Tabla. They also have dance, music,  and a storyline to go along with the theme. They will sell tickets closer to the date of the show. Many people have plans to go to TemptAsian this year and are looking forward to it. Since seniors left last year, many new people have joined the team. This means that people can see their friends who are part of TemptAsian and cheer for them. Some of the performances also ask the audience where they are from and expand a little bit on their culture.

by Om Bhaskar ('27) The United States has given billions of dollars to Ukraine in aid, a majority of which is military aid. In the beginning of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, many in the west rallied in support of Ukraine. A lot of people believed the USA had the money and arms to give, and that Ukraine was a righteous democratic nation fighting against an authoritarian regime in Russia – a country hellbent on crushing the idea of an independent Ukrainian state. However, as the war rages on for its second year, an end isn’t seen in sight, despite the billions of dollars that have been sent over to the country. Many in the west have begun to question the need to aid Ukraine, and some have simply forgotten about the conflict in the first place. Support for Ukraine has dropped significantly since 2022. According to a collection of  Gallup polls, “Forty-one percent of Americans overall say the U.S. is doing too much, which has risen from 24% in August 2022 and 29% in June 2023. Thirty-three percent, down from 43% in June, say the U.S. is doing the right amount, while 25% believe the U.S. isn’t doing enough.” This increase of Americans believing funding Ukraine is more and more unnecessary and the government is doing too much for it shows how the American psyche on the war has changed from a war that was necessary to fund to one that is simply not very important anymore. This can be attributed to many factors, whether it be because significant time has passed since the invasion started, or that people have shifted their attention to other conflicts such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza. Countries like Slovakia and the Netherlands have also elected leaders who are actually against sending arms to Ukraine, which added to the increasing western apathy to Ukraine. Major presidential candidates like Donald Trump have also expressed their disdain to the idea of sending more arms to Ukraine, instead favoring a peace deal that could entail Ukraine making some concessions to Russia. A social studies teacher and co-chair of the Social Studies Department at South Brunswick High School Dr. Justin Negraval said, “The America-First, Isolationist policy has become the Republican Mantra,” showing how approximately half of the American Government is going back on its original “commitments” to Ukraine. Ukraine’s war is being supported less and less even by countries nearby to Ukraine, like aforementioned Slovakia, and Hungary, because of a multitude of reasons. Firstly, Ukraine’s failure to mount a counteroffensive during the summer of 2023 make this war seem like it will just be dragged on for a much longer time. When asked about the counteroffensive, and what it means for the war, Dr. Negraval said, “I just think it drags on.” Furthermore, he explained how, “It doesn’t bode well for Ukraine wanting to wrap things up quickly.” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky expressed a massive amount of confidence in his plan to reach the coast in his counteroffensive against Russian forces in Zaporizhia, yet lost even though he had copious western backing. Another issue with Ukraine’s war in the heads of the general public is that many in the west have observed the huge costs. The billions of dollars western nations have given to Ukraine doesn’t just come out of nowhere, and this has caused large amounts of discontent among many citizens of the biggest helpers of Ukraine, such as the USA. The country already has a debt of over $34 trillion, and this number has been increasing for some time now. This means funding of Ukraine could continue to be cut more and more in order to keep people happy. Finally, the initial outrage of the invasion was fueled by many different factors, one of which being the initial Russian goal for the invasion: to completely dismantle Ukraine and keep it in its sphere of influence. However, as Russian losses mount, the goals of the invasion have turned from this to annexing four provinces which Russia already controls the majority of, provinces which Russia held “referendums” in to see if the people there wished to be integrated. While the UN condemned the referenda as illegal, the point still stands that the war’s goals have shifted and so, outrage over a peace not in favor of Ukraine would be much less than it would be when the invasion initially began. According to an article by The Guardian, Putin said during a virtual meeting that Russia was open to peace talks with Ukraine; however, he claimed Zelensky’s refusal to have any talks with Putin was the sole reason no progress had been made. This could mean western leaders may begin to pressure Ukraine into signing a peace deal with Russia once public support for Ukraine drops enough, which would most likely cause Ukraine to lose some territory Russia already occupies, but the country itself not being dismantled. Dr. Negraval believed the question to be asked was, “How much are you willing to cede to an authoritarian government?” This must be the question many, not just in Ukrainian leadership but Western leadership in general, must be thinking. As this war rages on and more blood is shed and money spent for mere kilometers of territory, western leaders may begin wavering on support for Ukraine. If this happens, the terrible war which has taken so much may finally come to an end, but end with no real winner.

by Harivallabhi Ganapathy ('24) There are many clubs at SBHS, ranging from business clubs to cooking clubs and more. One of the most popular clubs at the school is FBLA. FBLA stands for Future Business Leaders of America and is known as a business club. It is a nationwide Career Technical Student Organization (CTSO) that prepares students of various ages to become community business leaders. This is done by career preparation and many leadership experiences. With these leadership experiences and other experiences, they could learn skills such as networking, public speaking, and self-improvement on other topics They compete at the highest levels and bring home the highest prizes at the pride of SB FBLA. But besides the competition and career opportunities the club offers, they also dabble in community service. Senior and FBLA webmaster, Areeb Mahmood said, “At South Brunswick FBLA, we get people motivated to put in the work to reach really big goals!,” . A community service act that FBLA is participating in right now is called Paws for a Cause (PFAC). Junior and Co-President, Kunaal Purohit said,“I was inspired to start Paws for a Cause by a trip to India I made in 2022. Seeing the condition homeless animals were forced to deal with was difficult to watch, and I knew I wanted to make a difference,” . It aims to collect materials like food, litter and more that animal shelters and veterinarian offices need for their rescues/patients. One organization that FBLA has been helping is the Save Homeless Animals organization. They are a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal shelter that is “dedicated to protecting the health and welfare of homeless companion animals in the greater Princeton area and beyond.” According to PETA, many animal shelters, because of space limitations, put homeless animals down if they are ill, aggressive, or unclaimed. The FBLA chapter at SBHS chose this organization because of its commitment and dedication to homeless animals. FBLA has been donating to this organization and has collected over 50 items that help improve the lives of the displaced pets. Some of the items include towels, dog and cat food, puppy pads, and kitty litter. The SB FBLA chapter wishes to continue Paws For A Cause and expand it even further. With these efforts, they wish for PFAC to place at the State Leadership Conference, which is where FBLA chapters all over the state gather to compete. Besides that, FBLA wishes to expand their community service even more, making their future even brighter. FBLA Co-advisor and math teacher, Mrs. Ellie Nichols said, “In our SB FBLA chapter, Mr. Maitland and I have been absolutely blown away by the initiative that our students have taken.  The work I have seen these students put in, and the reach they have, is unbelievably impressive.  Our students are truly the Future Business Leaders of America, and Mr. Maitland and I are so lucky to have a small part in their story.” .

by Harshitha Vijayshankar ('26) With the rise of social media, many teenagers have taken to platforms like Instagram to spread awareness about important subjects. These include mental health, cancer, and domestic violence. SBHS students Junior Sreeja Addanki and Junior Gabrielle Chambers recently started a virtual non-profit organization called Empower Her(EH), dedicated to spreading awareness about issues revolving around gender inequality and ensuring women’s voices can be heard. Chambers said, “Empower Her empowers the women of tomorrow.” Empower Her’s target demographic consists of individuals of all ages and genders. Although their content is geared towards younger females, Addanki and Chambers ensure it is accessible to older women and males, too. Addanki said, “Men should have a voice in feminism; it will keep them informed and aware.” Empower Her closes the generational gap by “using the stories of older women to inspire young girls and boys alike,” according to Chambers. EH’s content is a source of drive, hope, and motivation. Addanki and Chambers, Empower Her’s founders, act as co-presidents. They have been talking about the concept of feminism for a long time, as both individuals are passionate about closing gender inequality gaps and ensuring women have the same opportunities as their male counterparts. This passion stems primarily from their personal experiences, as well as those of women they look up to. Addanki is mainly focused on writing and researching, while Chambers is the creative force; she creates Canva templates and reaches out to other influencers, such as Alzheimer’s Awareness and Embrace Equilibrium. In the future, they would like to travel to women’s shelters and establish GoFundMe after conducting interviews. Chambers said, “We [also] want to donate period products to women in impoverished countries.” They currently do not have any means or reason to fundraise, but if they ever generated profit, they would send it to women in need, thus staying true to their central mission. Addanki and Chambers started Empower Her to make an impact on their community. In the future, they would like to make Empower Her a real organization as opposed to a primarily virtual one. Empower Her certainly has the potential to create a lasting impact on society. Their content on Instagram and TikTok reaches a wide range of audiences. They have a variety of segments that they use to engage people, including Women in Politics and Interviews with their peers.

by Sarina Patel and Ashleigh Smith ('25) Taylor Swift has taken the world by storm in recent months by entering a new relationship with the Kansas Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce, but some believe their relationship has progressed too far, too fast. Others think that Kelce could be the Endgame Lover for Swift after her constant struggle with lovers in the past. Rumors of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship began at the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears game on September 24, 2023, when Taylor was seen in the box, cheering for Kelce. They then left the game together, and the press started to go wild with everything the pair did. The video of the duo leaving the game went viral, and press pictures of the two holding hands spread like wildfire. Senior Isabel Mitchell said, “I think they’re a really cute couple! It’s a refreshing change for her from her usual musical, actor, boyfriends and they seem really happy together! I don’t get why people are hating… She is finally in a happy, healthy relationship and I think it deserves to be appreciated.” Throughout the game, people began to notice that the cameramen were showing more of Swift and less of the actual game. Often, when the players would score, the camera would pan up to Swift in the box instead of the players celebrating with their teammates. Junior Emily Werner said, “I don’t like Taylor Swift that much, so that game annoyed me. I wish they would’ve just let them play the game.” People began to get annoyed about the press coverage after a Swift fan page posted a picture of Swift at the game and a caption with the phrase “ketchup and seemingly ranch” in it. From here, different brands went crazy. Heinz used this to promote their “Kranch” as “ketchup and seemingly ranch,” McDonald’s had “seemingly ranch” on their menu. Even the Empire State Building was colored red and white for the colors of the condiments! Junior Ron Piniero Goncalves said, “I love Taylor Swift. I’ve been a Swiftie for years, but I feel like everyone is going too crazy with her and Travis. I wish we would just focus on her music and not every relationship she’s in.” Some fans believe that the seemingly power duo’s relationship has progressed rapidly, going from Travis being a Swiftie, to Swift wearing his jersey, next to his mother in the box of his next game. People began to speculate that the duo continued this charade after seeing how well the press and fans reacted to them. Taylor Swift is a known Mastermind with her clues and secret puzzles that her fans have to crack for information about new music. But did she mastermind her way into one of the biggest press relationships of the year?

by Harivallabhi Ganapathy ('24) When senior Akanksha Rajagopal opened her DMs on her Instagram crocheting page she couldn’t believe what she saw. She had received a plethora of messages thanking her for posting the crocheted Spiderman tutorial. When she checked her profile, she saw that the Spiderman tutorial had millions of views.  All this support because of one reel on a small project like that? Her journey to get here was a hard one but one that was rewarding. Rajagopal started ‘Akanksha Crochets’ on Instagram back in October of 2022. Her account grew immensely in the past year and is now sitting at 34,000 followers, and growing by the day. She started crocheting in 2021, but it was only meant to be a one-time project. Eventually, though, it turned into something more. “I found it to be a good stress reliever and great for my mental health, so I ended up continuing!” said Rajagopal. After experiencing this comforting feeling from crocheting, along with support from her family and friends, Rajagopal began her business. When she first started though, she didn’t put much effort into it and only posted a few times a week, and listed only a few items on her storefront. Later though, she got the motivation to push forward to create more products that were unique and customizable, ones that represented her. As Rajagopal put in more effort during the summer, her account took off. “It felt amazing that so many were interested in my work. I never really expected it, so it was a pleasant surprise, and of course, it felt really rewarding to see results from my hard work,” said Rajagopal when asked to reflect on her journey. Although the journey has been amazing and rewarding as Rajagopal describes it, there have been struggles along the way. As she is a full-time high school student, she had a difficult time managing her business and schoolwork. Not only that, her college applications, since she is a senior, had also backtracked her business a bit. Including that, she compared herself to other creators a lot as the majority of them had a bigger following and created more pieces than she did. But as the true businesswoman Rajagopal is, she learned from this. She said, “I’ve learned much from doing this and formed many good habits. Some of these include finishing schoolwork as soon as I get home so that I’ll have time to crochet and pack orders later on in the day.  I’ve also learned not to let this discourage me because everyone’s in a different place in life. I like to think about how this is many of their full-time jobs, while I’m still in school and have other responsibilities. So I don’t let myself feel pressured to create more!” The support from her friends is also something that she would’ve never expected but she is so grateful for it. Rajagopal’s online friends, the ones she made throughout her journey, have also been equally supportive and great to share experiences and ideas with. Her family has also been very encouraging, especially her mom. “Someone who has supported me throughout this journey is my mother, who helped me from when I first started by buying me my first crochet hook and a skein of yarn. She continues to support me every day and serves as someone I look up to. I’m especially grateful to her for always sending me ideas for new projects whenever she sees anything crochet-related,” explained Rajagopal. The South Brunswick community and her online community have been ever-encouraging. Rajagopal’s online community never fails to give her supportive messages too, as she gets encouraging words from people she’s never met before. The South Brunswick Public Library has also started a crocheting club for people of all ages and so far, it has been going great! In the future, Rajagopal would love to take her business further by designing new products catered more towards her followers. She recently started tutorials and vlogs on her Youtube page which have more detailed tutorials. She would also love to collaborate with other small businesses either in the area or even internationally so they could work together to create newer and unique products like she recently did with Indivisual, a phone case company. As a final message to her followers, Rajagopal exclaimed excitedly, “They can look forward to more crochet tutorials, in the form of videos & written patterns and instructional crochet club meetings. I would also like them to know that I’ll be releasing new products soon!”

by Sophie Torres ('27) After a long day for the South Brunswick Viking Marching Band—one that was followed by a grand celebration—they won a first-place victory at the Ludwig-Musser Classic Competition in Metlife Stadium. The band gave a phenomenal performance on October 7 at 10:45 PM. It would have been assumed that they would be struggling with exhaustion due to the freezing weather that night, but instead, it was quite the opposite. A mixture of adrenaline and determination to perform one of the best shows of the season gave the band a purposeful energy. There were many remarkable bands that day, but in the end, it came down to two: South Brunswick High School and their long-time rival, North Penn High School. Finally, the South Brunswick High School Marching Band heard the winning score being called on the stadium’s loudspeaker: “And in first place, with 81.60 points, that is 81.6 points… South Brunswick High School Marching Band!” Finally, as the night was starting to seep into the early morning of Sunday, October 8, the South Brunswick Viking Marching Band triumphed with the “Best Color Guard” trophy, “Best Visual” trophy, and First Place trophy over their heads. The South Brunswick Viking Marching Band (SBVMB) has prepared their show—Purification—since June. The SBVMB is led by their directors, Mr. TJ Brungard and Mr. Joshua Oldham, next to the drum majors, seniors Ved Lakshminarayanan, Brian Colquist, and Ashwina Agarwal. The theme of the band’s show is to symbolize the marvelous wonders of the earth’s oceans, and the underlying dangers of pollution if people continue to destroy it. The “Best Color Guard” trophy especially was held in very high regard by the SBHS band.  SBVMB’s color guard director Ms. Lorin Acure describes how the color guard’s role on the field contributes to the performance: “The color guard has worked really, really hard, and they came out and had a fantastic show! What was really, really special about MetLife for the color guard is that was when they started to put a performance factor into their choreography. I saw the heads come up, the shoulders go back, the chests open up, and that really puts a little something special into their performance,” she said. On another note, the “Best Visual” trophy was awarded by USBands as a way to congratulate the beauty of the props which were hand-painted to depict the ocean. The Ludwig-Musser Classic is a competition for skilled, accomplished, and experienced high school marching bands, and it is easy to say that the SBHS Marching Band qualifies for all of these. This is not the first time the band has accomplished an important achievement. From 2013 up till last year, 2022, the band has remained the first-place champion of the New Jersey State Championships. From 2013 to 2016, they have also won second place in the US Bands National Championship. During 2014, the marching band was invited to the Super Bowl XLVIII Pregame and Halftime to assist on the field, and this year the band was invited to perform for the halftime show of the first ever Black Friday NFL game, Jets vs. Dolphins. Freshman flutist, Siri Tarigopula, spoke of her reaction to the first-place victory. She said, “I felt so happy! There was this warmness inside of me, and I couldn’t describe the feeling because you wouldn’t know if you weren’t there. It was awesome! You know, we weren’t expecting first place. We went in there expecting last place, but we got first place, which was really shocking to a lot of us, and so many of us cried.” On the other side of the marching band spectrum, senior drum major and bass clarinetist, Ashwina Agarwal, also emphasized her emotions as she and the other drum majors were handed the trophy. She said, “It was crazy! I was literally crying. It was the first win of the SBVMB at a recognized level in such a long time… I stayed kind of professional, but I was literally losing it. When we got back to the whole band… we were so proud… I was crying, I was just so proud of everyone. I’m glad the way the season turned out.” Senior baritone saxophonist, Chase Yetter, explained his honest thoughts on how the band improved and changed versus last year. He believed it was important to think highly of the future of SBVMB, and many other senior marching band musicians shared the same opinion. Yetter commented on the victory, saying, “After last year’s loss where we placed fifth out of five, it was a good way to come back in this season and prove that we were not the band last year. Some people left that needed to go, some people joined that made it greater… I like the direction the band is going. I can only see it getting better from here.” The results of that night proved themselves. South Brunswick had known the value of timely commitment and pride in their music, but now it had been established in their work. The South Brunswick Viking Marching Band came home, satisfied with their work.