Davisson’s love for the guitar began in preschool when he had a teacher who played the instrument during circle time. “He would strum the guitar, and all the preschoolers would sit in a circle and sing,” Davisson said. “Because I looked up to him, I thought the guitar was pretty cool.” Since then, Davisson has worked under a private guitar teacher, whom he credits as an inspiration, for the past 13 years. 

For Davisson, the guitar allows for endless creativity and experimentation in sound. Unlike the piano, which produces a static tone when a key is pressed, the guitar offers a wide range of tonal possibilities. “There’s so much that you can vary to create different noises,” he said. “The contact point between your finger and the string can be altered infinitely, so you can constantly create new and interesting sounds. I think it makes it a super interesting instrument that you never get tired of.”

However, Davisson’s musical pursuits are not limited to classical guitar. He also arranges pop music for the guitar as well. “You can play a whole lot more than just classical music,” Davisson said. “You can really do just about everything, from country to metal.”

Davisson’s passion for music extends beyond his personal pursuits, as he also volunteers at the Menlo Park Veterans Affairs hospital. Every Friday, he teaches veterans how to play Metallica on the guitar, an experience he finds rewarding and believes can help connect people and heal emotional wounds. “Caring for our veterans is a privilege,” he said. “ I’m grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in their lives through music.” 

Davisson and his sister made use of their additional free time during the COVID-19 pandemic by working on their first album, “La Vida Breve” (Life is short). While the pandemic posed some challenges to the album’s production, Davisson noted that the biggest challenge was ironically the time it took to complete. “It just took a long time,” he said. “It took longer than it should have, just because of the delays COVID-19 caused.” Despite the challenges, Davisson and his sister were able to release the album, featuring a range of classical guitar pieces, with works by Sérgio Assad, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Astor Piazzolla.

Davisson believes that pursuing music or another creative passion is always beneficial later in life, even if one does not become a professional at it. “Because even if you don’t become a professional at whatever it is you’re doing, you’ll always have that something on the side,” Davisson said. “It’ll give you creative insight into whatever you choose to pursue later in life.”

Looking ahead, Davisson plans on continuing to play the guitar and taking lessons in college. He is also considering pursuing a master’s degree in music theory. According to Davisson, even if he chooses not to study music at university, music will always be a part of who he is.  “Music has the power to connect people and evoke emotions in a way that words alone cannot,” he said. “I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to share my passion for music with others and to continue learning and growing as a musician.”

Censorship, often wielded as a weapon to manipulate reality and influence public opinion, is a dangerous practice that distorts truth. Rather than confronting the underlying issues of systemic racism and prejudice that pervade our society, censorship merely provides a superficial fix, hiding problems instead of facing them head-on. Within an academic setting, it’s crucial to foster an environment where open discourse and exploration of these sensitive topics can occur, even if they challenge the status quo. This kind of discussion is vital to students’ intellectual growth, and censorship threatens this freedom, stifling critical thinking and analysis.

For example, when students are studying a historical event and are censored from reading certain words or expressions, they may be limited to grasp the full complexities of the event and the motivations behind it. This can result in a one-dimensional, incomplete understanding of race. This lack of understanding can perpetuate negative stereotypes, and negatively impact students’ ability to critically analyze and engage with the material. This can lead to students accepting oversimplified or biased interpretations of events and perpetuating harmful stereotypes in their own lives and communities.

Counterintuitively, censorship of racial slurs can, in fact, exacerbate the very  prejudiced sentiments the policy is trying to eradicate. By removing these words from literature read in class, students won’t have a chance to grasp the historical and social significance in which they were employed. For instance, if students read a text delving into the Civil Rights Movement but are not allowed to examine the usage of racial slurs during that era, they will remain uninformed of the full extent of discrimination and bigotry African Americans endured. This fosters an atmosphere of ignorance and misinterpretation, which could impede advancement in combating racism and prejudice.

While certain terms have been employed as instruments of bigotry and white supremacy, it’s vital to remember that language, like society, undergoes constant evolution. To accurately judge the intention of an author who employs such words, individuals must contemplate the historical background in which it was used and the aim behind its usage. Take, for instance, the scenario where a writer employs racial satire in a mocking manner, aiming to expose and dismantle the racist connotations that the term embodies. If the censorship of such language prevails in educational institutions, learners may be deprived of the chance to participate in thought-provoking discussions and analyses of these sensitive topics.

It is important that we engage in open discourse, delve into the subject, and examine these issues in detail. This discourse is the only way to comprehend and tackle the current problems society faces. By exposing students to these provocative words and allowing them to reflect on their usage, they can become better informed and active members of society.

For Johnson, student success is heavily determined by students’ willingness to review and practice material outside of school. “For decades, people have done well taking notes and reading textbooks,” he said. “The best method is just to read the textbook and take notes.”

The YouTube channel Jocz Productions by Daniel Jocz is an additional resource that students can turn to accompany the textbook readings. In senior Shinmu Jiang’s experience, using Jocz has proven to work for him. “When I get stuck on a topic or feel shaky about it, I will take a trip to the YouTube Channel Jocz Productions,” Jiang said. “Jocz helps me break down and give a quick summary of what I read.”

Johnson suggests handwriting  notecards to review key topics. “Besides the textbook, flashcards can be another tool for studying,” he said. “However, make sure you make the cards yourself.”

For reading quizzes and large tests, reviewing is often paramount to success. For assessments, Jiang recommends taking another trip to Jocz Productions as a quick refresher. Another tool Jiang recommends is Quizlet, allowing him to both learn and test himself at the same time.

When the May deadline approaches, Johnson suggests some preparatory materials for the test. “Aside from studying the textbook, you should get a test preparation book,” he said. Due to their heightened demand during AP practice season, Johnson strongly suggests purchasing preparatory books as soon as possible to maximize the chance of getting a book before they go out of stock.

Finally, for the official May test, Jiang has one important tip. “You should relax; the test is usually much easier than you think, ” he said. “I honestly think the earlier test time and the writing itself was worse than the test.”

In the 50-minute individual round, each student on the “Gunn Black” team answers 10 short-answer questions covering mainly algebra, geometry and combinatorics. Math Circle President and “Gunn Black” team member Alan Lee recounts his experience during the individual round. “During the test, I consistently doubted whether my score was good enough because based on past results my projected score would not be [high] enough to place,” he says. “However, I think just focusing on the problems helped a lot”.

After the individual round is a 50-minute team round. In the team round, all students on the “Gunn Black” team collaborate to collectively solve 10 short-answer questions. As suggested by the name, good team chemistry is vital to succeeding in this section of the tournament. “Our team knew each other very well and were not afraid of trying to point out alternative methods or mistakes,” Lee said. “This helped us [get] things done without any negative feelings.” 

Teammate Alex Gu agrees with this sentiment. “We knew each other well enough that we could prioritize our time more effectively and [feel] motivated to do our best,” Gu said. 

The final round is known as the Guts round. In the Guts round, each team receives a set of three questions from the question desk and has to solve all three questions before proceeding. Unlike the team or individual rounds, questions in the Guts round are graded live. The live scoring made the team much more motivated to try harder and stay ahead of the other teams, says Lee.

“Gunn Black” team member Andrew Peng recounts the hard work that allowed them to place first, starting from the consistent individual practice that would allow him to optimize his efficiency during the competition. 

While not all students are as inclined to study math, Gu has this piece of advice: “Don’t be afraid to try out high school competitions as there are numerous clubs on campus devoted to helping guide you through them, whether it’s humanities, arts or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).”

However, not everything works perfectly the first time. Chung recounts one of her team’s challenges organizing the club. “Originally, we were gonna have one day and have it be an extended lunch,” Chung said. “But eventually, we found out that that wasn’t really possible so we decided to stretch it out over two days, Thursday and Friday.”

All this hard work pays off in the end, with both club executives and the student body enjoying the event. President of the Physics and Star Wars clubs Yu-Ting Chang believes that the club fair is an exemplary marketing opportunity. “The existence of club fairs is something I’m grateful for, as they are an essential method for clubs to publicize and find more students,” he said.

Freshman Ayush Agarwal enjoyed his first club fair. “[The club fair] is a great way for students to find communities where people share common interests and feel they belong,” he said.

Even if you don’t think you would like the clubs, Chung still recommends that you go come out anyway. “Things like club fairs really promote activities, events, and a lot of opportunities for people to meet new groups and make new friends and just discover new hobbies and interests that they never really considered before,” she said.