OPINION
5 FEATURE
Dear Diary: Homecoming balloon
Ultraprocessed Foods
THE VOL. 61, NO. 2
8 CENTERSPREAD
9-12 GRAPHICS
homecoming Week
20
guide to thrift stores
SMOKE SIGNAL MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL 41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539
revised FUSD Board Policy informs the use of AI in schools By Warren Su & Aarav Vashisht
"Large Language Models (LLMs) [models that power chatbots like ChatGPT] are not neutral … the last thing that we should be doing is ceding any kind of authority to them." — English Teacher Brian Rath
sneak peek into this month’s articles:
social media after Charlie Kirk
Staff Writers Following a surge in reported cases of academic dishonesty and an increase in AI use across the district, FUSD has adopted stricter academic integrity policies regarding the use of technology in classroom settings, explicitly prohibiting the submission of AI-generated work for assignments intended to be completed individually. Specifically, on June 25, the FUSD Board of Education approved a second reading of revised Board Policy 5131.9, which covers academic honesty concerns. The revision prohibits the use of technology solely for completing coursework and generating answers to mathematical, scientific, or analytical problems for students. This policy aligns with the California Department of Education’s (CDE) perspective on the responsible and ethical use of AI. According to the CDE’s website, the CDE is “committed … to educate [administrators and educators] about AI’s benefits and limitations,” in line with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond’s learning initiative.
“We’re too likely to try to replace … human mentorship with technological mentorship. And I don’t know that AI has earned that right.” — Science Teacher Karrie Ware
October 17, 2025
Some MSJ teachers have expressed skepticism about whether AI is a tool permitted for regular use. “Large Language Models (LLMs) [models that power chatbots like ChatGPT] are not neutral … the last thing that we should be doing is ceding any kind of authority to them,” English Teacher Brian Rath said. According to a 2025 analytical study conducted by OpenAI, faults arise when AI algorithms undergo pretraining, a process in which the algorithm learns through large amounts “Students need to learn how AI can help them learn better, but not take the place of their learning.” — Assistant Principal Beth Bonomo of data. Some errors, such as proper spelling or grammar, can be minimized through large datasets, but false, obscure facts can creep their way into the algorithm. Although engineers attempt to eliminate errors, AI models are still prone to making factual errors, especially when it comes to low-frequency facts that may be incorrect. By contrast, othera members of the MSJ community remain optimistic about AI. “I think some teachers are actually encouraging the use of AI and trying to ethically teach kids how to use it and maybe incorporate it somewhere into their syllabus. I know that’s way
forward-thinking, but colleges and universities are now doing that too, so that is my hope for our school,” Principal Amy Perez said. Chatbots can be especially useful for their ability to quickly generate vast swaths of information. For example, Junior Yekta Mousavi “use[s] it to gather ideas and brainstorm … [and] it’s also useful for teaching concepts my teachers don’t explain well.” For teachers like Science Teacher Karrie Ware, AI is a tool that can be beneficial, but it should not be used without caution. “I think human-to-human [interaction] is really important. That’s the other reason why I think we should be very judicious in rolling out AI [tools], because we’re too likely to try to replace … human mentorship with technological mentorship. And I don’t know that AI has earned that right,” Ware said. According to a 2015 study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, social interaction can significantly contribute to health and improve well-being. Despite AI’s increasing popularity and utility, many school officials argue that human connection is vital to one’s development, especially in the context of education. “AI is a tool that can help students, as long as it’s being used to assist in learning and not to ... supplant learning. Students need to learn how AI can help them learn better, but not take the place of their learning,” Assistant Principal Beth Bonomo said.
MSJ emerges as top CA public school in National Merit Scholarship semifinalists
Before Charlie Kirk was brutally assassinated on September 10–an event that shocked the country and was streamed live to millions–he was best known for his reactive, controversial social media takes. Kirk founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA), an advocacy organization pitched as nonpartisan that subsequently received substantial Republican donor support. See more on pg. 4
“CHARLIE KIRK SPEAKING WITH ATTENDEES AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY” BY GAGE SKIDMORE, LICENSED UNDER CC BY 2.0
Letters to the editor
Seniors Ashwin Vaidyanathan, Kevin Pham, and Anwesha Bhakta respond to the editorial, Hong Kong fair, and performative pandemic articles from last month’s issue of the Smoke Signal. See more on pg. 7
The summer i turned pretty review The TV adaptation of Jenny Han’s bestselling romance trilogy The Summer I Turned Pretty first arrived on Amazon Prime Video in June 2022. While the show promised a complex love triangle intertwined with the nostalgia of childhood summers, the 26-episode saga ultimately delivered something deeply poignant yet tender all the same. This summer, season three, the final installment in the series was released, resolving a story that has simultaneously enchanted, frustrated, and divided its audience. See more on pg. 17
PHOTO BY NETSCRIBES.COM LICENSED UNDER CC
By Veer Mahajan, Lucas Zhang & Matthew Zhang
Staff Writers
PHOTO BY AMAZON MGM STUDIOS AND WIIP
they become finalists. “It shows that you’re capable [of achieving academic prestige], which can boost your application,” Class of 2025 NMS Recipient Aghilan Nachiappan said. The 57 qualifiers from MSJ make up 47.5% of the 120 semifinalists across FUSD. From a broader perspective, this performance placed MSJ at the top in terms of public schools in the state and second across all CA schools, beaten only by the Harker School, a private college preparatory school in San Jose. This marks a great improvement since last year, which saw 36 semifinalists from MSJ. “I’m not surprised [seeing so many students qualify for] the National Merit Scholarship. The National Merit Scholarship is pretty significant for our school and represents a pretty big honor. Mission just has this reputation and this culture, where if you’re not doing the most that you can, then you are in 2024 nms semifinalists top 10 CA Public Schools some way behind,” Semifinalist Senior Roland Lee said. Semifinalists, who are determined by their performance on the test, number around 16,000 from a pool of 1.3 million test takers nationwide, meaning that only around 1% of students become semifinalists. The NMSC selects these qualifiers based on their PSAT/ NMSQT selection index, a score calculated out of 228 that puts double the weight on the Reading and Writing section relative to the Math section. In 2024, the CA cutoff was a selection index of 224 out of a maximum of 228, compared to 221 last year; the twelve
MSJ fielded 57 semifinalists from the Class of 2026 for the National Merit Scholarship (NMS), emerging as a top school in FUSD and CA. MSJ students qualified based on their results on the highly competitive 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), where fewer than 1% of the applicants around the entire country became semifinalists. That year was particularly competitive, reflected by sharp upticks in cutoff scores for many states — CA’s cutoff increased 4 points, for instance. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) has conducted the PSAT/NMSQT since 1955. Having so many qualifiers reflects the community’s high performance on a rigorous test, as well as the dedication students put in, earning them up to $2,500 when applying for colleges if
Online THIS MONTH
www.thesmokesignal.org
CONCERT REVIEW: LAUFEY On September 29, singer-songwriter Laufey performed at the Oakland Arena as part of her A Matter of Time Tour, a global set of concerts to showcase her third studio album. Read the full concert review on our website.
largest states shifted up 2.25 points in their cutoffs, the largest one-year change recorded. After taking the PSAT/NMSQT exam, students submit information, including essays, school endorsements, and other relevant test scores as part of their application for the scholarship. Usually, around 15,000 students become finalists after this round of selection. Around half of the finalists receive a scholarship, of which there are three forms: the $2500 National Merit Scholarships, corporate-sponsored scholarships, or college-sponsored scholarships. This scholarship can go towards college tuition and other educational expenses, easing the financial burdens a student may have. “[With the scholarship], I could attend colleges that are really expensive. It’ll also help me stand out, since getting the scholarships is a very prestigious award, so being
able to have that on my application will make me look like a good candidate for colleges,” Semifinalist Senior Sahir Gupta said. According to Gupta, Lee, and Nachiappan, the success of MSJ’s Class of 2026 in the 2024 PSAT/ NMSQT not only emphasizes the academic excellence of MSJ but also reveals their dedication and hard work. “I’m proud of my students. It’s a great achievement, and they work hard, and they deserve it. They have better work habits, [and] they apply themselves more than students in the past would do,” Math Teacher Ümit Sahin said. Having almost half of the semifinalists from FUSD coming from MSJ is a milestone that sets high standards for future classes. “I don’t think that it’s about intelligence. It’s more about study habits being more hardworking,” Principal Amy Perez said.
Distribution of total US Test takers & semifinalists
ALBUM REVIEW: LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL
Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, attempts to explore her identity within celebrity culture yet struggles to reconcile its conceptual framework with its execution. Read the full concert review on our website.
For more coverage, visit www.thesmokesignal.org