Co-Editor-in-Chief, Silicon Valley Chapter
- Nepal Appoints First Female Prime Minister After Days of Deadly Protests
Author: Vrinda Iyengar This past week, years of poor economic conditions for young people in Nepal culminated in an almost 4-day long protest, led mostly by the Gen-Z population of Nepal, taking the entire country by storm. The immediate cause of the protests was a “social media ban” imposed on September 4th, 2025, which banned… Read more: Nepal Appoints First Female Prime Minister After Days of Deadly Protests - Interview with an SSP ’25 admit– How to get into a top Summer Program
Author: Vrinda Iyengar As this school year settles in, high school students in the Bay area, namely high school juniors are beginning to decide on which summer programs they will and won’t be applying to. To take some pressure off of our readers, we sat down with a student who was admitted to the Summer… Read more: Interview with an SSP ’25 admit– How to get into a top Summer Program - The Bay Area in Photos- Legion of HonorAuthor/Photographer: Vrinda Iyengar From Rodin’s sculptures to Monet’s paintings, the Legion of Honor, located in our very own San Francisco is a great spot for art lovers, history enthusiasts and everyone else! The 22 pictures in this article represent a very small insight into the amazing art that can be viewed when visiting this museum.
- Silicon Valley Pride 50th Anniversary
Author: V. Iyengar, Silicon Valley Chapter This Labor Day weekend, San Jose’s Caesar Chavez Park was transformed into a hub of celebration and inclusion as Silicon Valley Pride marked its 50th anniversary. The celebrations extend over two days. On Saturday evening, the night festival took place, which had Snow tha Product, Mexican-American Grammy-award nominated rapper… Read more: Silicon Valley Pride 50th Anniversary - A Brief History of Protest Music in the Bay Area
Author: V. Iyengar, Silicon Valley Chapter The history of the Bay Area has always had strong ties to protest movements. Most well-known of these include the 1960s free-speech and anti-war protests, the Black Power movement of the Civil Rights Era, AIDS activism in the 1980s, and more. One of the most effective and widespread mediums… Read more: A Brief History of Protest Music in the Bay Area - UCSF x UCD Cancer Study in Cats Yields Promising Results
Author: V. Iyengar, Silicon Valley Chapter A collaborative study between scientists at the University of California, San Francisco and the University of California, Davis, saw the completion of its first clinical trial, and the results are promising. This study tests the efficacy of a new drug targeting one of the most aggressive cancers in cats… Read more: UCSF x UCD Cancer Study in Cats Yields Promising Results - The Bay Area in Photos: Downtown Campbell
Author/Photographer: V. Iyengar, Silicon Valley Chapter According to its Instagram (@downtowncampbellca), Downtown Campbell is a “small downtown that’s big in character,” a phrase which couldn’t be more true. Downtown Campbell is rich in flavorful restaurants and vibrant meeting spots, as well as historical landmarks. Some of these landmarks include the Campbell Water Tower, which represents… Read more: The Bay Area in Photos: Downtown Campbell - How to get your Driver’s License while under 18 (in California): A Complete Guide
Author; V. Iyengar, Silicon Valley Chapter Ages 15.5-17.5 While in this age group, you are considered a minor and must go through the provisional licensing process. Step 1: Complete the Driver’s Education Requirement You must complete a DMV-approved driver’s education course (online, in-person, or at school), which will teach you information like the rules of… Read more: How to get your Driver’s License while under 18 (in California): A Complete Guide - AI Translation Technology in Police Body-cams
V.Iyengar, Editor-in-Chief📍 Silicon Valley, USA Police officer bodycams of the City of Campbell will now be equipped with Artificial Intelligence that translates conversations in real time during traffic stops. The Campbell police department, the first police department in the South Bay to implement this technology, welcomes the integration of this technology into their daily jobs,… Read more: AI Translation Technology in Police Body-cams - The Return of the Gilroy Garlic Festival
V. Iyengar, Editor-in-Chief📍 Silicon Valley, USA Get giddy garlic groupies, for the Gilroy Garlic Festival has Returned! This past weekend, July 25th-27th, marked the first in-person Gilroy Garlic festival in 6 years and the first festival in 3 years. The Gilroy Garlic Festival is an annual food festival held in Gilroy, CA, and includes every… Read more: The Return of the Gilroy Garlic Festival - What is Radiology?
What is Radiology? V. Iyengar, Editor-in-Chief📍 Silicon Valley, USA Radiology is a medical specialty that uses images produced by radiant energy to diagnose and treat diseases. Radiant energy is used in technologies like X-rays, Computed tomography (CT), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Nuclear medicine, Positron emission tomography (PET) and Ultrasound. There a several types of radiologists.… Read more: What is Radiology? - White House Signal Messages Leaked
Author: V.Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-Chief Earlier this week, the Atlantic published an article titled “The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans.” This article sent shockwaves throughout the country due to the fact that Jeffrey Goldberg,Editor-in-Chief of the Atlantic and the journalist who leaked this story, was a person without clearance to have access to… Read more: White House Signal Messages Leaked - AR Goggles for Firefighters
Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief As fires ravage Southern California, local firefighters in Menlo Park are training with augmented reality (AR) googles that could potentially make it easier for them to save lives. When firefighters enter a burning building, they face danger, not only from the fire, but also from the smoke produced by that fire,… Read more: AR Goggles for Firefighters - What is Starlink?
Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief In January 2015, SpaceX announced its plans for Starlink for the first time to the public. Since then, it has launched 6912 satellites into orbit as of January 2025, 6874 of which are working, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer who tracks the Starlink constellation on his website. How does it… Read more: What is Starlink? - 2024 California Ballot Propositions – Part 2
Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief Read Part 1 to learn more about California Ballot Propositions 2 through 5. Prop 6 Removes the provision that allows involuntary servitude by incarcerated prisoners in the state constitution. What a YES on this Proposition means: Currently, the California state constitution bans slavery in all cases except when used as punishment… Read more: 2024 California Ballot Propositions – Part 2 - 2024 California Ballot Propositions – Part 1Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief In this article we’ll summarize the content of the ballot propositions that all California voters will be able to decide on in this year’s election. Prop 2 Authorizes the state government to borrow $10 billion to be used to repair/upgrade existing facilities at K-12 public schools and community colleges, and/or for… Read more: 2024 California Ballot Propositions – Part 1
- How the California State Government is Structured
Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief Like the federal government, each state’s government is comprised of an Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branch. The Executive Branch Analogous to the president of the country, the Governor of a state is the chief executive of the state and is responsible for enforcing state laws, signing/vetoing state legislation, and appointing heads… Read more: How the California State Government is Structured - The Future of AI Regulation: SB 1047
Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief On August 28th, 2024, the California state assembly passed a landmark AI regulation bill, SB1047, which will now be sent to the Governor’s desk, where he has until September 30th of this year to sign it. What is SB1047? SB1047 was proposed earlier this year by CA state senator Scott Wiener… Read more: The Future of AI Regulation: SB 1047 - Latin-American Independence Day Celebrations
Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief Credit: The San Francisco Peninsula This past Sunday, September 15, 2024 marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. In lieu of this special day, a number of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations were held across the Bay Area. The festivals/parades were not only celebrations of hispanic culture and Mexican Independence from Spain,… Read more: Latin-American Independence Day Celebrations - Golden Gate Bridge Protestors
Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief 📍San Francisco, CA Image Credit: ABC News On August 12th, 2024, anti-war protestors were charged with felony and misdemeanor charges by the San Francisco District Attorney. At 7:30 AM on April 15th of this year, a group of protestors stopped their cars on the Golden Gate Bridge, blocking all southbound lanes… Read more: Golden Gate Bridge Protestors - The First Capital City of California
Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief 📍Sacramento, CA Today, Sacramento is well known to residents of California as our state’s official capital city, being the location of the Governor’s Mansion, the Capitol Building, and the epicenter of California’s politics. However, for the first 4 years of California’s time as a U.S. state, this was not the case. … Read more: The First Capital City of California - Lynn Conway Passes Away at 86
Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief 📍Palo Alto, CA Cover image from the University of Michigan This past June saw the passing of one of Silicon Valley’s most influential tech pioneers, Lynn Conway, a computer architect active during the 1960s-70s, who left behind a legacy of remarkable intellect and and inspiring bravery. Image from Wikipedia Conway… Read more: Lynn Conway Passes Away at 86 - San José Jazz Summer Festival
Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief 📍Downtown San José, CA Image Credit: San Jose Jazz The San Jose Jazz Summer Festival, known as one of the country’s best jazz festivals, kicked off and came to a close this past weekend, drawing in audiences from all throughout California. The San Jose Jazz Summer Festival is run by… Read more: San José Jazz Summer Festival - Researchers are creating a 3D map of Alcatraz + A Brief History of the Island
Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief 📍San Francisco, CA The United States gained possession of Alcatraz, along with the rest of California in 1848, following the Mexican-American War, and since then, the island has accrued a rich, and deep history. History of Alcatraz In 1850, President Millard Fillmore ordered that Alcatraz be set aside as a… Read more: Researchers are creating a 3D map of Alcatraz + A Brief History of the Island - The Future of HIV Prevention: Gilead’s Lenacapavir
Author: V.Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief đź“ŤFoster City, CA Intro On December 22, 2022, the FDA approved Lenacapavir— or as it’s known by its brand name, Sunlenca®— a twice-yearly injection meant to prevent HIV infection in adults, declaring that the drug is safe and effective for its intended use. Almost exactly one-and-a-half years later, on June 20th… Read more: The Future of HIV Prevention: Gilead’s Lenacapavir - Waymo Opens to AllÂ
Author: V.Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief đź“ŤSan Francisco, CA When it was first founded in 2009, the Google Self-Driving Car Project, began with the sole purpose of making fully-autonomous vehicles more viable in order to make roads safer and more efficient for civilians. Almost 15 years and over one billion dollars later, that “project” has spun out… Read more: Waymo Opens to AllÂ
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