The Smoke Signal

This is for MSJ’s Senior Class of 2013 ONLY. Click here or the image above to access the online form.…

By: Vivian Jair
 
 
MSJ: The Musical (MSJTM) is an ongoing musical film project created and directed by Alumnus Doug Wilson. The main team includes Seniors Leena Yin, Lucy Shen, Allan Ko, and Junior Daniel Do, as well as several other alumni.  Set in a darker future version of MSJ, the musical magnifies and explores our school’s stereotypical pursuit of academic success. Within the film, the main characters Jeffrey and Rachel must work together to fight the Syndicate, an organization that sinisterly controls MSJ academics.
Live auditions for MSJTM were held on February 21 and 26-28 and involved both…

By: Vivian Jair
MSJ Key Club will be holding its 6th Annual Charity Badminton Tournament (CBT) on March 3, 2013 at the Bay Badminton Center in Milpitas. The tournament will be directed by Seniors William Cheung and Derrick Long, and Certified Badminton Umpire Kevin Banh.
The tournament will be held according to Badminton World Federation (BWF) and USA Badminton (USAB) rules. Matches will be determined by the best two out of three games. Within the tournament, there are three different flights of difficulty: B (advanced), C (intermediate), and D (recreational). Players also choose from the three different events of women’s…

By: Jaynelle Gao
 
During lunch on February 19-22 in the bell tower quad , English Teacher John Boegman will be hosting a Temple Run 2 Tournament to raise money for his Relay for Life team benefiting the American Cancer Society (ACS). Participants bring their own device to play each day, as well as a $1 donation to be eligible to compete for prizes like gift cards to Starbucks or Jamba Juice. All proceeds will be donated to the ACS through MSJ’s Relay for Life, an event in May that is run and organized by students.
 
There are three…

By Nihar Parikh
On May 18, 2012, Facebook Inc. raised $16 billion in the largest public offering by a technology company, but has then seen a 28% drop in its stock price over the course of its first two weeks of trading, also one of the largest drops in recent IPO (initial public offering) history.

The turn of events seems almost ironic considering the hype and buildup surrounding Facebook in the weeks prior to the IPO. Facebook’s dominant share of internet traffic, its 800 million active users, and its wealth of personal information made investors, large and small, confident that…

The Smoke Signal received more submissions than we were able to accommodate in our print issue. Below are additional graphic opinions submitted by MSJ students. We hope you enjoy!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 …

By: Hannah Shih
You only get one body, so take care of it the best you can! Protect your skin from the harsh UV rays of summer with these effective and highly recommended products!
Sunscreens:
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 55: $7.04 at Target
This is a water resistant sunscreen lotion that has topped dermatologists’ lists for years. If you hate the oiliness and thickness of traditional sunscreen, this product is for you due to its noncomedogenic and mattifying formula.
Aveeno Continuous Protection Active Sunblock Spray SPF 30: $8.97 at Walmart
Despite how absorbent the Neutrogena sunblock is, spray…

Krisis: Looking at all the headlines, it seems the campaign trail has shifted from the GOP race for the nominee to the general election. Once again, the Democrats and Republicans will be dueling for the presidential seat this November in the 2012 election.
Gopportunity: Though the GOP has had a rough time selecting a clear nominee, it seems Romney has fared the best and will be the nominee for the election. Most of the other candidates have already dropped out of the race, including Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann, and Rick Santorum. Even though Ron Paul is still in…

By: Supriya Yelimeli
 
From the producer of Bridesmaids comes another romantic comedy, The Five Year Engagement, this time following the lives of an engaged couple, to be married in five years. Tom (Jason Segel) is a successful sous-chef inSan Francisco. One year after meeting his girlfriend, Violet (Emily Blunt), he proposes to her. The two are blissfully engaged until Violet gets accepted to a medical fellowship inMichigan. Tom decides the wedding can wait and the two move toMichigan, not realizing how much of a change it’s really going to be. The two adjust in different ways, Tom deciding to…

By: Anjali Kanthilal
MSJ Sophomore, Krishna Bharathala is competing in this year’s Teen Tournament on Jeopardy. Jeopardy is a television quiz show that runs for about 30 minutes every night. The Smoke Signal interviewed Bharathala, one of the 15 out of 20,000 competitors chosen. 
Bharathala has always watched Jeopardy and wanted to be a part of the show. When he learned that the TV show was holding online tryouts, he decided to try out just for fun. The next thing he knew, he had passed and gotten accepted for a live audition in LA.
Bharathala explains that he was nervous,…