8 CENTERSPREAD 10-11 GRAPHICS
5 FEATURE
OPINION
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mirabelli v. bonta
MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL
VOL. 61, NO. 7
41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539 41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539
sneak peek into this month’s articles:
Gov. newsom visits fremont library Applause rippled through the air as Governor Gavin Newsom took the stage at Fremont Main Library, lauding libraries and librarians in the electrifying speech that followed. Newsom’s address came as part of the broader “Stewards of our Stories” event held at the Fremont Main Library on February 27 from 10-1 p.m.. See more on pg. 2
GRAPHICS BY STAFF WRITER AARAV VASHISHT
Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. album review Euphoric, adrenaline-pumping music marks Harry Styles’ return to the music scene with new album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. After a four-year leave from the industry, Styles finally appeased his long-awaiting fans with new music on March 6. What really inspired Styles to make new music was the comfort he found on the dance floor. See more on pg. 12
PHOTO BY HSTYLES.CO.UK
msj boys basketball
Local responses to BART’s funding crisis and potential service cuts By Felicity He, Varun Madhavan, Kelly Shi & Lucas Zhang
Staff Writers Amid the dwindling daily rush of BART morning commutes, community organizers assembled at Warm Springs BART station on March 4 and 7, gathering signatures for a ballot measure that will keep the station open amid BART budget shortfalls. Since the pandemic, BART has experienced a sharp decline in ridership and revenue, relying instead on emergency funding from the state and federal government, ultimately leading to sweeping budget cuts of, at minimum, 65%. The ballot measure, known as the Connect Bay Area Act, would prevent such budget cuts to BART, AC Transit, and other transportation systems. If the measure does not qualify through local petitioning, BART will terminate services at 10 stations as part of its plan to discontinue services within the next year if alternative sources of funding are not identified, including the Warm Springs BART station. BART’s ridership has been struggling since the pandemic, a change that correlates with an increase in people working from home. The number of passengers riding the system’s trains has decreased by 62%, consequently causing BART’s fare revenue to be down. Before the pandemic, most of BART’s funding came from operating revenue, with 66% of the system’s money coming from fares in 2019. Declining ridership has hit the agency hard; BART is now relying on federal emer-
The 2026 Boys Basketball season saw MSJ shatter not only school but also district records. Find out how the Warriors dominated MVALs, NCS, and CIF to become Division 4 champions, bringing together the entire MSJ community with their remarkable feat. See more on pg. 15
PHOTO BY STAFF WRITER WARREN SU
petitors at NHSMUN engaged in global conflicts and resolution-drafting through five high-stakes committee sessions. With guest speakers like By Scarlett Huang & Michael Qin Former Secretary of State Web Editor & Staff Writer Mike Pompeo and Former Senator Mitt Romney, Students packed the lobby of the New York NHSMUN’s opening cereHilton Midtown in crisp Western attire suits — mony started the conference with a call to disome confidently, while others nervously clutched plomacy. Across the next four days, MSJ MUN’s their position papers and suitcases — as excited “It felt absolutely wonderful. Winning someconversations in languages from more than 70 thing for yourself is always good, but winning different countries echoed across the room. For something for a school that you represent is the first time in three years, MSJ Model United even better.” — Shaurya Verma, 12 Nations (MUN) competed in the National High School Model United Nations (NHSMUN) conference in New York City (NYC) on March 14 delegates explored the world of foreign geo18–21, joining more than 5,000 students at the politics, crafting resolutions on global issues like US’s most prestigious MUN conference. Tasked civic access, sustainable development, and enviwith representing both historical figures, mod- ronmental protection. Between committee sesern politicians, and sovereign nations alike, com- sions, the group found time to roam the freezing
MSJ MUN Earns Top Placements at NHSMUN
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ARIRANG ALBUM REVIEW Released after a four-year hiatus on March 20, BTS’ new album ARIRANG symbolizes reflection of cultural roots and unity as the band reunites with its long awaited global fanbase. Read more on our website.
gency assistance from 2020 that will run out in 2026. Once the system cannot continue relying on these emergency funds, it will face massive budget cuts and reductions in hours and extent of operation. Though ridership has steadily increased in recent years, it is still far from having risen back to pre-pandemic levels. The sustained budget deficit continues to require emergency funding from the local, state, and federal levels to stay afloat — money that has run low after being given en masse during the pandemic.
RAILWAY SYSTEM COSTS PER HOUR: BART’S EFFICIENT COSTS
DATA FROM BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT(BART)
In February, the BART Board of Directors voted on a “doomsday plan,” outlining a series of budget cuts if the system is unable to secure additional funding. This would happen in a series of three phases that cut service and increase fares to improve BART’s financial outlook. The first phase, starting in Jan. 2027, will significantly reduce hours of operation across the system. It will end night service trains and close 10 stations, including Warm Springs Station. The second phase is set to take place in July 2027, and in addition to raising fares by 50%, it will close up to five more stations. Furthermore, BART will lay off up to 1200 police and maintenance staff. If needed, BART will shut down its operations entirely. Residents who rely on BART expressed disappointment at the cuts. “I really couldn’t imagine [the potential closures] … I’ve only driven to [San Francisco] three times because it’s terrible … the traffic is just horrifying … you streets of New York, tasting authentic NYC bagels, gazing at the towering buildings on Wall Street, and traversing across the Brooklyn Bridge. The final committee sessions descended into a sprint of delegates moving working papers into passed resolutions. Amid the frenzy, MSJ’s double delegations of Junior Keisha Rajanish and Senior Shaurya Verma, representing Cyprus in the Convention on Migratory Species, and Secretary Junior Cham Yu and Co-President Senior Alice Zhao, representing Saudi Arabia in the UN Human Settlements Programme, achieved the Award of Merit in their respective committees, which is awarded only to the top three delegations in each committee. In front of a blue backdrop of the NHSMUN logo, the closing ceremony commenced on the final day. Amid deafening ovation from the crowd, Zhao and her committee partner Yu stepped onto the stage to give their plenary speech — a short speech given by one representative of a
AZTECA NEW YEAR VIDEO COVERAGE
In a diverse celebration of indigenous culture, Calpulli Tonalehqueh hosted San Jose’s annual Azteca Mexica New Year, featuring performances and displays from tribes all across the Bay Area. Watch the full video on our website.
April 2, 2026
will not be able to pick up your kids on time,” MSJ parent and 21-year BART commuter Jenny Xiong said. BART closures will have effects that ripple out into housing and road traffic. According to a July 2024 report on the agency’s role in the region, Bay Area drivers would travel a total of 1.2 million more miles on the road without BART’s service, which would increase highway congestion and traffic delays. As part of the effort to increase ridership, BART has been developing housing units as part of a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) project near the Warm Springs BART Station. “The area’s TOD master plan has resulted in approximately 4,000 new housing units and additional industrial development proposals in the pipeline … This TOD project will bring additional ridership once it is complete,” Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said in a letter sent to the BART Board of Directors. Salwan brought up the TOD in an argument to keep the station open, saying that “[BART’s] strategy fails to acknowledge the significant benefit the location and public asset brings to the Bay Area economy.” To address a looming fiscal crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Connect Bay Area Act, a bill that would fund BART, AC Transit, and other Bay Area public transit systems to prevent drastic service cuts across those systems effective starting from the 2027 fiscal year. The bill puts a regional transit funding measure on the 2026 ballot, which is required to first be qualified by 200,000 signatures through petitioning. If passed, the measure would set a sales tax hike in affected counties, including Alameda, to provide additional transit funding, which would benefit users of BART and other systems by preventing cuts to those services’ operation. “If transit service does get cut this way, we won’t be able to get to school or get to work or see our friends and family. We as students rely on transit, especially because a lot of us aren’t able to drive or a lot of us can’t afford to drive, especially with recent high gas prices,” — Public Transit Advocate Noor Rizvi Fremont residents’ efforts to petition for and support the Connect Bay Area Act and prevent the system’s doomsday plan from being a necessary action will benefit BART passengers and the city as a whole in the long run, according to Salwan’s letter. PHOTO BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PADMA BALAJI
MSJ MUN members celeb
rate success at NHSMUN.
committee to describe the conference — not just as Saudi Arabia, but MSJ MUN as a whole. “It was a moment where I felt connected to not only our delegation but also our school,” Rajanish said. Ultimately, the collective efforts of the MSJ delegation resulted in the second-highest form of team recognition: the Delegation Award of Excellence. Amid tears “It felt absolutely wonderful,” Verma said. “Winning something for yourself is always good, but winning something for a school that you represent is even better.”
PHOTO BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ALICE ZHAO
For more coverage, visit www.thesmokesignal.org