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By Saesha Bhat (‘24) COVID-19 has been one of the catalysts for a more technology-based world as more and more people turned to their screens for work, school, and entertainment. Now more than ever, technology has been the foundation for education through platforms like Google Classroom and Zoom and continues to make life easier for teachers and students. However, it lacks the interpersonal connection found in schools that help students learn and comprehend information. Also, loss of authenticity and the risk of cheating is very high when there are ways to search for answers on the internet. Insert ChatGPT, an AI chatbot created by OpenAI that not only can come up with answers about random topics but can write them reasonably well. ChatGPT takes data and makes predictions on how to create responses to user inputs, creating answers with a wide range of vocabulary and accurate information. This is not new to major tech companies such as Google but to have it for the public to utilize is somewhat revolutionary. Students are using the chatbot to their advantage by having it generate full essays and solve their math homework. It can also be used by teachers to analyze students’ work, find incorrectness, and give feedback quickly. Schools are viewing this as cheating on the students’ part and a loss for the teaching community as it strips teachers of their jobs. Why even teach if there is a machine that can do it in a couple of seconds for free? Now, districts are deciding to ban such platforms under their buildings as it poses a threat to students’ education. But does it? English teacher Mr. Peter Honig shared that he recognizes the potentially destructive effects of Chat GPT, but knows how accepted platforms like these are by students. “I think it's a temptation for students, and I can see students, especially if you are racing for a deadline or something, to say ‘Ah, I guess I'll just use it.’ So I do think it could be used poorly. The clear misuse of it is to create a piece of writing that you will pass off as your own, and I think that is destructive. But I think students already have temptations like that. Sparknotes proposes a similar temptation…Any type of shortcut, any type of being able to copy and paste from Wikipedia, is a temptation for students,” he said. People are using AI technology every day and are not even realizing it. Some of these many platforms include Grammarly, Google Drive Grammar and Spelling Check, and even autocorrect on phones. There are even AI chatbots for math and science-related topics such as Mathway and Photomath. As a teacher, advancements like these can be concerning. The world is becoming more technology-based day by day with jobs being replaced by robots and screens. Millions of jobs are taken away because technology can do it more efficiently. However, Mr. Honig is not worried about the future of his job since he knows teaching will never go out of style. Grading is the most time-consuming part of his job but is the most reflective of his students. Although it would be great to have such technology grading and analyzing essays for him in seconds, it would harm his way of teaching since he would not know what his students are struggling with. New York City Public Schools decided to ban Chat GPT in January after observing its early effects on students’ work and motivation; South Brunswick is doing something similar but it's different per district. Mr. Honig explained, “They did block it on our wifi but if you're on your phone, on your cellular data, you can get it. And that's an interesting issue because if you're blocking it, you're only hurting the people who don't have phones or cellular data… In the high school, I know we’re building a committee of faculty members to sort of examine and share resources…like finders and trackers.” He adds that the district has had previous discussions about the worries of members. Although they acknowledge the problem it poses for children who are tempted to cheat, they do not want people to view this as a panic point. It should rather be considered an opportunity to rethink assignments, instruction, and motivation to school every day. In early January, 22-year-old Princeton student Edward Tian created an app that can recognize text written by Chat GPT. Teachers can use this app and uncover AI-generated pieces of work in just a short amount of time. This is one of many detectors accessible to the public. But this brings up the question: Is there any other use for Chat GPT? “I think I see it being beneficial in regular classroom instruction and writing instruction…for example having Chat GPT write essays and having students make it better like revision practice…And ask questions to make it more precise and exciting. I almost see it as a musical instrument. You can play it to get results, and even though you didn't technically compose the results, you've elicited those results and I see a value in that as well,” Honig shared. Chat GPT will continue to be a controversial topic in education but it does not have to be only seen as a danger to education in general. Honig’s example of it being a “musical instrument” perfectly describes its valuable asset for children growing up in such a technological time. We can use these advancements to create pieces of work and keep on developing it to push the chatbot to its limits. Progress is a result of seeing difficulties and trying to simplify them. It is no different than self-driving cars and delivery drones. We must view advancements as a way to uplift society, not bring it down, to reap the benefits it has to offer.

By Saesha Bhat (‘24) One scientific fact that the majority of people know is that we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Oxygen is known as the gas we need to live, grow, and reproduce. It serves as the needed material to keep our bodies functioning and our cells continuously working to keep us alive. However, what importance does carbon dioxide do to our bodies, specifically our minds? Junior Victor Peng showed the same curiosity when he published research on CO2 levels with his dad, in and around his house and the negative impact these levels can have on cognitive abilities. His research explains the scientific reasoning as to why high levels of carbon dioxide can decrease work efficiency and cause other negative effects on our health. As a chemistry lover, this experiment was exciting and surprising from beginning to end for Peng. He said, “Our houses have a lot of carbon monoxide detectors, but there is nothing for carbon dioxide. You can tell if air is stale but you can’t really measure it. I decided to buy a carbon dioxide detector from Amazon.” And this was the beginning of a surprising discovery, one that inspired Peng to release research out into the world. Peng’s research illustrates previous observations made by scientists that have shown carbon dioxide to inhibit clear thinking and productivity. A 2020 study conducted by IOPScience observed the effects of CO2 concentrations in rooms, particularly when sleeping. They found that tightly sealed rooms lead to insufficient filtration of fresh air, resulting in a buildup of CO2 which can contribute to fatigue, drowsiness, and a lack of concentration. Although this has major implications on sleep, this can affect energy spent in the daytime for work. High school indirectly forces teens to stay inside due to the workload from higher classes such as APs. In addition to students, workers can feel these effects like digital artists and coders who spend all day on the computer in the same workspace. Junior year for Peng presents even more work given SAT preparation on top of regular homework and tests. Due to this, Peng found his room environment to negatively impact his thinking and breathing, urging him and his dad to test the CO2 levels. “When I first started testing, I was honestly surprised at the high concentrations of CO2 present, so I decided to test some more in case the meter wasn't accurate. As it turns out, it was accurate, and I was just being stubborn trying to keep people from entering my room.…it immediately went to 2000 ppm because I kept my room closed,” he said. The global average concentration of carbon dioxide is 420 ppm, so this discovery set off alarms in Peng’s head, ushering him to open the windows, doors, and anything else that would filter the bad out for fresh air. He also went to test the air around his area such as his backyard, west and east of Route 130, the sides of Indian Fields Elementary School, and east of I-95. They all demonstrated normal amounts for his area, showing the problem to be within the room. A room with a higher concentration than the global average concentration reinforced the ideas scientists have been pressing all along. Carbon dioxide in unbearable amounts can lead to health issues that the average person does not take into consideration. With carbon dioxide levels being 50% higher in less than 200 years, people must take steps to reduce such levels in their homes to welcome clear thinking and lasting health. Peng explains, “Carbon dioxide itself is a real issue at this point because not only is it slowing down how we think, but it also is contributing a lot to global warming, which is a really huge problem that we all have to deal with sooner or later. It will destroy us. If [people] don’t believe in global warming, they can at least believe that carbon dioxide is bad in high concentrations.” Is this revolutionary to discover? No, Peng explains, because this is information scientists have observed and tested for years ever since the Industrial Revolution. However, he doesn’t see this information to be insignificant as the general public is very unaware that small actions such as closing windows and doors for long periods can have drastic effects on their health. Since South Brunswick is a suburban town, the CO2 readings are much lower compared to cities like New York City, making opening the windows to let air in a safer option. Peng recommends all to invest in a carbon dioxide meter to monitor CO2 levels in highly congregated areas. Even if one does not want to or can not invest in one, it is still important to open windows and doors to let fresh air flow through. As well, a fan running helps circulate air better. Higher stories should also be a priority as CO2 is heavier than air and will sink to the lowest level. These steps, although seemingly small and unimportant, can have lasting impacts that help you feel better physically and mentally.

By Eliza Khan (‘26) As students come and go, SBHS supports clubs not only for their student interests but for developing future career paths. However, most students are drawn towards clubs that are well-known, leaving many underrated ones to go unheard of. Future Educators Association (FEA) is one of those clubs and is for students interested in pursuing a career in education. FEA offers the opportunity to develop teaching skills, explore the field of education, be a part of community service, and much more. President of FEA senior Nidhi Gandhi shared her experience from being a part of the club for three years. “I [love] this club because we made it our goal to be a part of the community by organizing events for children in the SB school district and working with non-profit organizations in New Jersey. As someone looking to go into the field of education, being a part of a club where I could practice my teaching skills and work with children helped me tremendously in figuring out whether teaching was something I was interested in,” she said. FEA holds service projects, activities such as Saturday Morning Mania, storytimes, Staff Tea, and guest speaker events. This year, their events are strictly based on cooking, art, music, and science. For their three-time event, Saturday Morning Mania, they first begin planning recipes for the children to make, which is not only a fun activity for them but will also educate them on the importance of good nutrition. This took place on November 19, 2022. Their second event for this Morning Mania is based on art and music. They plan on teaching them different types of music and how to make instruments. This is scheduled for February 25, 2023. The third and last event they hold revolves around their science aspects. The club plans on creating hands-on experiments for children to simply enjoy and engage in. It will take place on April 29, 2023. The advisor for FEA Mrs. Meryl Orlando shared the reason behind her 15-year career of teaching. She said, “I became the advisor of this club because I love my job and working with children. Anything that I can do to support students, who also love working with children, is a valuable use of my time.” In addition to helping her own students, the club takes on a year-long project helping other non-profit organizations including Homefront, Color-A-Smile, and Brunswick Acres. From their most recent project with Homefront, they helped donate care packages. These packages included homemade blankets, books, and stuffed animals. Their project with Color-A-Smile, an organization that donates goods to children, included making artwork for children's hospitals and gifting them to young patients. The Brunswick Acres project involved creating mini-gardens for students to become educated about healthy food options and how to properly take care of the environment. FEA encourages their club to come together as peers and work towards their goals. They provide lots of opportunities for participation hours and for new experiences. FEA is the perfect club for anyone interested in the field of education or interested in learning more about teaching and handling students. Not to mention how friendly and respectful they are to new club members. FEA deserves to be recognized, so if interested, students should try joining them! “We are a "small but mighty” club at SBHS,” states the club advisor.

By Tanisha Mitra ('26) The Pirandello Players welcomed their audience back to SBHS in January for their production of the musical Alice in Wonderland. This year’s show followed the performance of The Addams Family and 12 Angry Jurors, both from the 2021-22 school year which captured the eyes of all audience members. This year’s show revolves around a nine-year-old girl, who is on a journey to get back home in time for her birthday after she mistakenly falls in a rabbit hole. The rabbit hole leads to a magical land where she encounters a world full of imaginative and peculiar creatures. While they may seem to be difficult characters to perform, the cast of SBHS presents them with their own spin. Senior Samantha Schneider, who played the lead role of Alice, talked about her transformation into the role. During her time as Alice, she brought an energetic interpretation to the whimsical character, furthering the plot. She said, “I just thought of my little cousins and how innocent and happy they are, and I always took everything lightly.” This classic story has been recreated by many entertainers including Disney, but the cast and crew in SBHS decided to put their own spin on the children’s favorite. Co-director, Mr. Aldo Aranzulla stated, “We did not want it to be anything close to the Disney adaptation. We told everybody, ‘Don’t present your character like the animated Disney movie.’ [We] instead encouraged the cast to be their own characters.” Moving on to the show day, many agree that it could not have gone any better. Walking in to the event, the auditorium as well as the entire area surrounding it was filled with anticipation both from the performers and audience. The club had also organized a table where families and friends of the cast and crew could prepare a gift bag with a message congratulating them after the show. Just outside the auditorium, a table with everybody’s favorite snacks was offered to enjoy before the show or during intermission. The set design for the production was a reflection of the numerous hours and dedication spent on it. Wonderland was brought to life through intricate costumes, imaginative props, and a series of backdrops that transported the audience from one scene to the next. Behind this, was creative director Ms. Rebeca Bufis, stage manager senior Avani Singh, and many others. Singh has worked closely with the three directors, Mrs. Jillian Trader, Mr. Aranzulla, and Ms. Bufis since she entered the high school four years ago. She said, “I am very honored and blessed to be working with such a great group of people. Even though doing a play and a musical is very stressful, they take away some of it by being a strong tight-knit community.” It is safe to say, when the cast and crew puts on an energetic show, the audience bounces off the same energy. According to Aranzulla, “One of the best nights [to perform] was Friday night because everybody was laughing at almost every joke. The audience was good at interacting with the cast on stage. I could tell that everybody on stage was just having a good time.” The SBHS production of Alice in Wonderland showcased the talent and creativity of the students involved. In this show, the audience was taken on a journey through a magical world filled with wonder and excitement.

By Adam Khan (‘23) A long-time tradition in the SBHS’s Muslim Student Association is the weekly Friday Jummah prayers held in the library. For this school year, like the ones before it, the Friday prayers have begun, with gatherings of students coming from their lunches and classes together to fulfill their Jummah. For those unfamiliar with Jummah, every Friday, Muslims gather at the local mosque or a designated prayer area where a religious sermon, also known in Arabic as a “Khutba”, is given followed by a congregational prayer. Unlike previous years, the MSA has started two Jummahs in the library instead of one, for convenience and time. The first Jummah prayer starts at 11:45 during B lunch and concludes at 12:05. The second Jummah prayer starts at 12:30 during C lunch and ends at 12:50. On half days, Jummah prayers are not held. In terms of setting up the Jummah Prayers, principal Mr. Peter Varela said, “Our librarians have met with me to discuss logistics, especially when we receive requests to utilize space. The librarians also met with the representatives from the MSA to discuss a game plan. After the first or second Friday, seeing the number of students that came down to the library to pray, I believe they met again to figure out a system that included scanning in, bringing passes, and more.” All students are required to bring a lunch pass with them and maintain the library rules. As a side note for Muslims attending, they must be in a state of Wudhu, or ablution, in order to pray. The ablution is performed by washing the hands to the wrist, rinsing the mouth out while allowing water to wash in the inside of the nose, washing the face and arms thrice, wiping the head front to back in a single motion, cleaning the inside and out the ears, and concluding by washing the feet to the ankles three times. This allows Muslims to enter a state of physical and ritual purity which allows them to pray as well as to touch and handle a written Arabic copy of the Qur’an. Jummah coordinator senior Esmael Elgendy said, “Students should be respectful and follow the guidelines, which includes being respectful to the staff like teachers and hall monitors. Always have permission first before attending.” Senior Shimaz Munshi said, “I attend Jummah because it is one of my obligations as a Muslim. It’s the one special day of the week for me when I get to listen to the lectures given and learn more about Islam. It’s also a time to reflect on God’s greatness.” On Fridays, Muslims are encouraged by Prophetic tradition to fully bathe, apply perfume, and clean their teeth. For Muslim men who have reached the age of puberty, Jummah is obligatory, hence the need to maintain the school’s Friday prayer. Elgendy said, “From a religious perspective, it’s basically a celebration for Muslims every Friday, where we all gather together to hear a speech related to the community, society, and how to improve and progress in these areas and more. It’s part of what builds unity for Muslims.” Jummah is not only an experience for Muslims but an opportunity for others to hear and learn the message of the religion. In ensuring the Friday prayers continue to happen, Mr. Varela said, “The school wants to support students in many ways, and when it comes to requests from the MSA or students who want to pray, as long as we have staff who can supervise a space we can make it happen. As far as helping to create a space that has supervision, we always appreciate the partnership that we have had with the MSA and other students of different faiths to arrange something like this.” One of SBHS’s highlights is its efforts in creating a diverse and tolerant environment. Elgendy said, “Not everyone has access to leave for the mosque during school. For other people who are non-Muslim, it’s good that they get some exposure from their peers. It builds a connection between people, as Muslims make up a fifth of the population.” Many times, the topics of Jummah sermons are based on what is relevant to the community while incorporating religion, such as informing and educating the listeners about monotheism, stories of the Prophets, Islamic jurisprudence or Creedence, goodness towards parents, family, and friends, attaining attributes of righteousness, forbearance, generosity, and more. Jummah sermons always have a wide variety of topics to discuss and are open for anyone to come and listen.

By Adam Khan (‘23) This is the fourth article in a series covering SBHS alumnus actress Ms. Karen Kahn. The previous articles discussed Ms. Kahn’s time in the film industry and her experience moving out West. In her recent career, Ms. Kahn starred as Coroner Wellman in the movie, Nash Bridges. Ms. Kahn said, “Don Johnson, he was a big actor, does a lot of movies, was big on Miami Vice, and then he did the show Nash Bridges. He just made a movie of it, it was a really popular show, and that was the last big thing I worked on.” A popular show Ms. Kahn appeared on was 13 Reasons Why, which follows teenager Clay Jensen, in his quest to uncover the story behind his classmate and crush, Hannah, and her decision to end her life. Ms. Kahn, who played secretary Miss Douglas, had this to say about what it was like working behind scenes, “Fantastic! The young kids were just amazing. They were very friendly, and over time they become a little family. All of the big names of those kids on the show, each one of them came up to me and would say, ‘Hey, you’re back that’s so great! Hey great to see you!’ That’s unusual, and I was really surprised. They’re just a group of great, talented young people. It was a very welcoming atmosphere.” Initially, when the show premiered, it was met with controversy and backlash over its graphic depiction of Hannah Baker’s suicide and this prompted the show to alter the scene. Ms. Kahn gave her thoughts on the controversy, “At first I thought what don’t people get? Stuff like this happens, and we should have conversations about it, so that people are aware, not just like a deer in the headlights, like, ‘Oo did you hear what happened?!’ When I went to high school in New Jersey, I remember- you know, how there was some big party somewhere, and the next day rumors were going around the school where a girl was drunk and a bunch of guys did a train on her and it was all over the school. I remember hearing it and thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this is horrible’ as far as the poor girl goes. Then guys’ names were coming up who were supposedly a part of it. So to me, hello people, what do you think? This stuff doesn’t happen? Let’s have a conversation. Let’s equip kids if they see something like this going on to be able to be sensitive to the victims and not just try to handle everything by themselves. That's what kids do. I didn’t understand the controversy at all.” In spite of this relatively recent controversy, over the years, Ms. Kahn gained a solid network that allowed her to play or be recommended for roles in films and shows. She said, “Usually my agent or sometimes a past client will contact me saying, ‘Hey, would you mind sending in an audition for this-’ or, ‘Hey can you shoot this? I think you’d be perfect’ because everything’s really changed since COVID. Before we used to go into a space and audition. Now, everyone self-tapes from their home.” During the rise and peak of the COVID epidemic, the film industry, like other businesses, was severely hurt. Actors, casting directors, and agents could no longer meet at the auditions, causing disappointment to Ms. Kahn and others. Ms. Kahn said, “Now when we have to go on the sets, we have to have a COVID test the day before, make sure you’re negative, and then you see people and it’s like ‘Oh my gosh I haven’t seen you in so long!’ Makeup artists, hair stylists, wardrobe people, these were my people.” After many years in the film industry, Ms. Kahn has decided to semi-retire in her career, taking more focus on enjoying life rather than seeking out roles, and instead giving young actors the opportunities to play roles she would have filled. As far as where fans can expect to see her in future years, Ms. Kahn responded humorously, “Reruns!” Ms. Kahn’s advice for young students who also aspire to be actors is, “ACT! Get involved with theater. Get involved with voice-over. Take lessons, the more you do it, the more you’ll learn. There is no one way. It's whatever works. There have been times when I didn’t know what to do, and I kind of just faked something and I had the director come to me and go, ‘That was great, do that again!’, and I go there thinking, I have no idea what I just did, just tried to make it work. But you learn through taking classes and the more you do it, the better you get. I would say get involved with theater first, theater is very different from film. Just start doing it. You will develop and learn, and have a great time. It's fun, it's really fun.” From a small start participating in the roles of school theater to now being a part of the film industry, Ms. Kahn worked her career up, and despite facing challenges, persevered and found a way to continue her dream. As students, SBHS offers aspiring actors the opportunity to participate in various activities to learn and gain experience, from electives such as Writing in Film and Media, Theater Arts to Public Speaking, or Advanced Video Production. All it takes is having the passion and initiative to make your own mark, just like Ms. Kahn.

Lujan Asturias (‘23) Before the Covid-19 lockdown in the 2019-2020 school year, there were annual prep rallies that students attended at the beginning and end of the school year. However, there has not been a single prep rally since the 2020 winter pep rally. A pep rally is a themed event that shows school spirit. It contains performances from several groups, and games that students in winter sports teams and staff participate in. This year, there are two planned pep rallies on January 27 and April 15. Both winter and spring pep rallies are different in terms of events that happen but they are both equally as entertaining. “The winter one, traditionally is the winter sports teams and than we will have the class counsels compete in like minute to win it games… ultimately students counsel ends up working, the kids kind of decide the theme of the week because it will be a spirit week too, and than we give out the spirit cup at the end. We have a special bell schedule. [For] the spring pep rally… winter guard performs and they start us because [their] props, they always start us off, in addition to that we have the asian culture club who dances close to, after temptasian, so we get some of the temptation dancers to perform, we also have Mr. SBHS” said Mrs. Morris, an activities advisor. In 2020, there was a pep rally that contained a student vs. teacher dodgeball game, a group of students that performed tik tok dances that were popular at the time, and other activities. This is a lively event that students before the pandemic experienced every year. However, now that the learning environment has changed, there have been no recent pep rallies. That is not the only event that the pandemic has affected. Covid has prevented proms and graduation ceremonies from happening in the past. A New York Times article written in 2020 says “...for students in the class of 2020, the Covid-19 crisis arrived just as they were receiving college acceptance letters, dreaming about new jobs, gearing up to leave high school behind– and making plans for prom, which, for most students, has been canceled” so it is safe to say that Covid is the reason for missed pep rallies. This year is the first year since 2020 that most of the traditional events take place. Even though there has not been a traditional pep rally in a couple of years, students have two rallies to look forward to this year. This possibly could mark the start of normality after the pandemic.

By: Rishita Nossam ('25) The Blacklight Dance is back! Post-COVID, the dance is ready to be put on without any restrictions, giving students an opportunity to socialize and enjoy themselves. The dance, a glow-in-the-dark event held by the Student Council, will take place on Friday, January 27. This event, which will occur on the same day as the winter pep rally, will go on from 6:00-9:00 p.m. in the Freshman Cafeteria. In order to register for this event, students can pick up packets from the alcove, the activities office, and the senior entrance. Packets to print can also be found on grade-level Google Classrooms. Students have the option to register alone or with a team of at least three people. These teams get a reduced entrance fee and compete in different competitions at the dance. There will be snacks for sale, and students are encouraged to dress up in neon colors to stand out against the black lights. A DJ will be playing music, which allows students to become further immersed in the party environment. Games and awards will take place, and the night will give students an additional opportunity to de-stress before they enter the weekend. 3 volunteer hours will be rewarded as well since the proceeds from this event will be going back to a grief support charity called Imagine. The dance was last officially held three years ago when all of this year’s graduating seniors were only freshmen. With COVID and the introduction of infinite protocols and restrictions, the dance was unable to be held last year. Even many seniors are not familiar with the event at all, and that raises the question of exactly how many people will be attending the dance this year. Student Council advisor Mrs. Harlee Olsen said, “My biggest hope is that we get a large turnout. Our goal aside from being able to donate money to the charity is for kids to have fun. We want kids to come out and have a good time, [we’ve] hired a new DJ this year… We have prizes, and all sorts of [things] going on that night, which I hope will [bring] more kids in. We want kids to have a good time, that is our end goal.” Imagine is a support center dedicated to children and families as they go through the process of grieving for a loved one. They are “currently serving over 285 participants from 55 towns in [their] center every two weeks,” and are able to provide families with comfort and a shoulder to lean on during difficult times. This organization offers an outlet for not only South Brunswick students, but also many other families located throughout New Jersey that may need help and guidance. Mrs. Olsen went on to say, “It is no secret that our district has experienced [a large amount] of loss over the last few years. The way it has impacted both staff and students has really brought to [all] of our attention how important it is to learn about not necessarily how to grieve, but how important that process is… This is such an amazing resource to have within our state, but also for our community.” The Student Council is continuously working to make sure this dance is executed in the best way possible, advertising and working together to take different roles in the event-planning process. This dance clearly means very much to the Council, as they are hoping that all of their hard work and effort towards raising awareness about the dance will pay off on January 27. The goal for the dance is to be able to raise funds for Imagine in a way that is extremely fun for all grades. Senior and Student Council treasurer Anisha Senapati said, “It’s been great, honestly. We’ve all split up the roles pretty well and we’ve done a pretty good job in promoting it, especially. [It’s] just getting more and more people to know what’s happening and [seeing] that our packets are getting taken day by day. [It’s] been fantastic.” Make sure to go support this school fundraiser and spread the word to friends and peers! The dance should be a fun night to wind down and close off the school week, and the competitions for awards will be exciting for students regardless of whether they are performing or just watching from the sidelines. Why miss out on supporting an important, needed cause while socializing with friends?

By Saesha Bhat (‘24) Wintertime at South Brunswick High School is always exciting as many sports events take place during this season. The girls' basketball team has just begun their winter season, having their first game and win of the season away on Dec 15, against Monroe, hoping to have an undefeated season. Apart from their games, one of their events this season was the Foul Shot Marathon which occurred on December 29. The Foul Shot Marathon was a fun and productive way of raising money for different causes. Players from the varsity and junior varsity teams shot 100 free throws that are sponsored by different donors across the community. These donations were as little as one dollar per shot the sponsor pays for. Although donating is great, knowing that the donation is rightfully used is important. The team recognized this and kept track of all money given and shots scored to earn this money honestly. The head coach of the varsity girl’s basketball team Mr. Jeff Johnson shared some reasons as to why they fundraised this money. “Beyond it being something that would help the girls’ basketball program because we are going to use it to buy equipment as well as some other things we are doing throughout the season, we are going to donate 10% of the gross to charity, most likely St. Judes or the Children’s Aid Society,” he said. What do the players think? Junior and varsity basketball player Trisha Reddy gave her thoughts on the importance of this event for herself and others. “We have not done a fundraiser like this in recent years, so I like that we are bringing it back. I think that this event is a fun way to help our team meet our goals and also give to a charity that means a lot to us,” she said. All players arrived at the school on Thursday morning at 8 AM, ready to shoot their 100 shots for the day. Boxes of donuts were welcoming players as they entered the gym as a way of thanking them for contributing their time to this fundraiser. They were scattered all around the gymnasium at every basket, taking turns to hit the 100 as quickly as possible. The room was filled with hype songs and throwbacks from artists like Rihanna and Shakira. Parents were invited to watch the children from afar and take part in the counting of shots made to assist the players shooting. The district is known for holding events to fundraise money for many different causes. The 4th annual Suicide Awareness Walk occurred back in September in collaboration with Rutgers School Based Youth Services. In October, SBHS held the 2nd annual Ray Fantel Cornhole Tournament to raise money for a fellow student who needed handicap equipment. The school continuously has club and team sales of merchandise and food such as boba tea, shirts, active merch, and bake sales. With the effects of COVID-19, many of these fundraisers had been put on hold, rescheduled, or canceled. Now that life is returning to normal slowly, people are hoping to continue holding these fundraisers in the town to promote awareness.

by Hiranmayi and Harivallabhi Ganapathy (‘24) *SPOILERS AHEAD* The long-awaited sequel is finally in theaters! Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrived on November 11, four years after the release of the first movie, Black Panther. The film itself was announced at 2019’s D23 Expo and was intended to release in May 2022. Due to the unfortunate circumstances of Chadwick Boseman, (Black Panther) passing away because of Colon Cancer on August 28, 2020, and Letitia Wright’s, Shuri, set injury, the film’s release date was moved to November 11. Kevin Fiege, the president of Marvel Studios, said that “Boseman’s character, King T’Challa (former Black Panther), would not be recast out of respect for Boseman’s outstanding work.” The opening scene was an emotional one as it shows the realistic perspective of T’Challa’s undisclosed illness and how he dies. Since T’Challa, the king of Wakanda, dies, his mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), ascends the throne. “I loved how it began, and I think it was a great tribute to Chadwick Boseman, especially how they mourned T'Challa,” said junior Soha Khan. As shown in Black Panther and Infinity War, King T’Challa reveals Wakanda’s identity as a country that has access to the most powerful metal in the world, vibranium. Vibranium will help technology to advance and this puts Wakanda at risk since most countries are greedy for vibranium. The U.S., which had already tried to search for vibranium and succeeded, lost two of its scientists in the process for unknown reasons. Now they have also set their targets on Wakanda for the killings of their scientists. Queen Ramonda and Shuri are determined to prove this wrong, so the queen sends Shuri and General Okoye (Danai Gurria) on a mission to find the scientist that helped the two scientists from the U.S. build the device that tracked vibranium. While on this mission, Shuri and scientist Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), who is an MIT student, get abducted by mysterious blue creatures. Later, they soon realize that they are Atanleans, and the leader, Namor (Tenoch Heurta), wants to ally with Wakanda since they both hold vibranium in their cities and use it against the world. Shuri rejects this and soon gets rescued by Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) who was sent by her mother which angers Namor. Namor vows to come back for vengeance, which he does by drowning the entire city of Wakanda and killing someone very precious to Shuri. After this major loss, Shuri is determined to prove Namor and the world wrong, so she decides to become the Black Panther by taking the Heart-Shaped Herb. The city of Wakanda and the Atanleans then go to war, fighting each other for the glory of each other’s leaders. The movie ends with Namor and Shuri coming to equal terms and ending the fight. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect at first because I didn’t know how they were going to continue the movie even if the Black Panther is dead. As I was watching the movie, I thoroughly enjoyed it because I liked how his sister became the new black panther and they carried his legacy on,” said junior Varshiini Ramesh. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever did not disappoint when it came to African culture and even Indian culture. This soundtrack itself had many songs that paid tribute to African music and were beautiful to listen to. The movie also mentioned a Hindu God, Hanuman, who the Jabari Tribe (a tribe within Wakanda) worshiped. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set in Wakanda, a (fictional) country in South Africa. The characters in Wakanda speak Xhosa, a real language spoken by 8.2 million people in the world. Another tribute was the funeral for King T’Challa where they sang and danced wearing white and colorful clothes. For example, in places like Ghana and South India, specifically Tamil Nadu, they also sing and dance at funerals because it is part of their culture, and wear white or colorful clothes as a celebration of the life of the person who passed. When asked about returning to the set in an interview with Yahoo!, Nyong’o said, “Excitement isn't the word. I feel like I'm in a very pensive and meditative state when it comes to Black Panther 2. In honor of Boseman, Marvel included many tributes to the former Black Panther and star in Wakanda Forever. For example, the Marvel intro is usually a preview of all of the Marvel movies throughout the years, but in Wakanda Forever, it was a montage of Chadwick Boseman and all of his appearances in all of the Marvel movies. At the end of the movie, when Shuri is contemplating her decision to kill Namor or not, there is a flashback of T’Challa and all of his scenes with Shuri in both of the movies which served as a tribute to Boseman. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ryan Coogler, the director of the movie, said that the movie and the cast honored him “just by showing up and respecting each other and going deep with each one of our tasks.” Overall, many fans enjoyed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as they did Black Panther. Both movies equally deserved the fame they got.

By Adam Khan ('23) This is the third article in a series covering SBHS alumnus actress Ms. Karen Kahn. The previous articles discussed Ms. Kahn’s time in the film industry and her experience moving out West. In the San Francisco Bay area, Ms. Kahn found a comforting environment that helped her restart her acting career. Being in the film industry for over 40 years, Ms. Kahn recounted what occurs behind the scenes. She said, “What's interesting is that it's a team effort. Everybody is needed - the lighting, the makeup, the wardrobe, everything has to work. We all have to come together as a team to make this work. When I worked with high-profile stars, like big names, you know- I get starstruck, I’m like ‘wooo, wow, that's so-and-so,’ but when we’re working a scene together, we’re just actors, we’re just like ‘Okay, how do we get this to work’.” In the film industry, not everything is bound to be the way the actor wants it to be, and some scenes do not make it into the final production of the movie. For example, when Mrs. Kahn was acting in a scene with actor Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness, Ms. Kahn played a businesswoman who was featured in a scene with Smith. The director interrupted her and Will Smith, asking for a reshoot. Smith suggested that the dialogue would sound better sped up, and the results were satisfying to the cast. However, the scene was deemed unnecessary and it ended up being cut. Fortunately, Ms. Kahn did end up being in the end credits and receiving her residuals, compensation paid to actors for use of their performance in a theatrical motion picture (film) or television show. The most notable film that Ms. Kahn appeared in was John Carpenter’s Village of the Damned. Ms. Kahn said, “I played [the role of] Christopher Reeve’s wife in it. I originally auditioned as a reporter. I get cast as a reporter a lot. Through all these weird circumstances, the director’s (John Carpenter) wife, Sandy King Carpenter, was there helping to cast it. We were up here in the San Francisco area because they had a house there to shoot.” Mrs. Carpenter would later help Ms. Kahn receive the co-starring role as Dr. Alan Chaffee’s (played by Christopher Reeve) wife, Barbara Chaffee. While filming Village of the Damned, Ms. Kahn recalls her exciting time on and off the set. She said, “Because we were all from Hollywood, everyone was put in these bed and breakfast places to stay, so we were like this family-- all of us. It was just so much fun, and Mark Hamill (most famous for his role as Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker) is in it, Kirstie Alley (best known as Rebecca Howe from Cheers)-- and I’m still in touch with a lot of the people from that film, and that was back in 1994 when we shot it.” Ms. Kahn is known to play diverse roles in a number of different shows and films, ranging from a doctor to a news reporter, to a saleslady, and so on. Playing the role of Christopher Reeve’s wife was a significant mark in her career. Ms. Kahn said, “I'm Eurasian, and that's been a big plus for me because people look at me and go, ‘Well what is she? Is she Hispanic, or Asian? What is she? And that depends on how I wear my makeup. So I’m like the token ethnic, which has worked for me. I’d rather be me than all-American because there are so many all-Americans.” As far as developing the craft, Ms. Kahn’s strategy is simply seeing the role and making it real, putting herself in the shoes of the character. In the next article, we’ll cover part IV about the recent updates and information on Ms. Kahn’s career.

By Harshini Dinesh ('23) Many students at SBHS have met Teacher Assistants (TAs) in at least one of their many classes. Regardless of the class, one constant always remains: teacher assistant positions are given to undergraduate and graduate students who want to gain experience in teaching. Therefore, it is an anomaly to see high school senior Krisnajit Rajeshkhanna TA-ing for AP Statistics teacher Mrs. Lisa King. How did he become a TA? And why? Well, if you ask him, he’ll tell you that it started off as a joke. When asked about how he got the position, Rajeshkhanna answered: “I asked Mrs. King to read my NHS letter and when she read about how I tutor students outside of school, she suggested that I should TA for her as a joke. So, when Mrs. Alfieri came to do a math department inspection, I asked her if I could TA for Mrs. King and she told me to go for it.” His spontaneity and confidence helped him get his position, but his experience and skills helped him succeed. Throughout his high school career, Rajeshkhanna has completed many mathematics classes including Advanced Algebra II, AP Calculus AB, Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra, and AP Statistics. Currently, he is enrolled in Differential Equations and an independent study in Complex Analysis. While taking these math classes, he tutored his peers who were struggling in other math classes like Calc AB and Stat, so he gained significant experience in teaching others and became thorough with his own math skills. Now he is TA-ing for AP Statistics through an independent study program for credit. According to Mrs. King, Rajeshkhanna is the first student to be her TA, so this is a new experience for both of them, but Mrs. King believes Rajeshkhanna’s motivation, maturity, and friendliness make him a great TA and the perfect fit for the role. Mrs. King said, “Kris is extremely motivated and wants to work and learn. He does not necessarily want to be a teacher, but he enjoys helping people understand things, so I think that is a huge strength. He is super friendly and confident in himself, so, although it is challenging to get in front of 30 peers and teach them, he does it well.” Although Mrs. King is having a student TA for her for the first time, she has developed a plan to ensure that Rajeshkhanna can use his skills to efficiently help her students. “A few things that we have decided to do is have Kris compile free-response questions (FRQs) for each AP Statistic chapter and grade students’ FRQs. That is his ongoing project, and he periodically presents to the class as well. On Monday, he taught a 40-minute lesson with notes, slides, activity, and group work. He may start helping out in my Advanced Algebra 2 class as well.” Although Rajeshkhanna is a diligent and excellent TA, his ambition is not to become a teacher. On the contrary, he wants to become an electrical or computer science engineer who helps innovate new technologies… So why is he TA-ing? “I like teaching, so it is fun to be a TA for Mrs. King, and if I decide to TA in college, I could use the experience I gain here to speak and teach more fluently and confidently,” Rajeshkhanna said. Not only can TA-ing for a class help build an individual’s soft skills, but it can also be a great source of accomplishment. Aside from the regular instructor’s teaching, TAs use their skills to help students learn by using different teaching methods. Accordingly, when they see their student’s improvement in understanding and grades, TAs feel accomplished and are happy that they were able to create a change in the learning community. Moreover, students who are planning to become teachers find great value in TA-ing because it gives them the opportunity to find their own teaching style. Regarding how ambitious students can gain opportunities like him and succeed, Rajeshkhanna said, "For students who want to gain similar opportunities, I would say that it would be beneficial to be passionate about what you are doing and to develop a strong relationship with your teacher. In my case, I had Mrs. King for Algebra 2 and AP Statistics, so I was able to build a strong relationship with her and I am passionate about math.” For students who want to become the next student TAs, be passionate, push your limits, and confidently initiate conversations with those who can help you gain the opportunity. With the right determination, passion, and confidence, you can do anything. Whether you want to become a teacher or not, TA-ing can be an experience that improves your skills and helps make a difference in our community.