C Magazine Vol. 10 Edition 3

MARCH 2022

Pg.12 A Bridge Between Worlds

C MAGAZINE March 2022 • Volume 10 Edition 3

Dear readers, We’re excited to publish C Magazine’s third issue of the school year as the weather warms and the promise of spring draws closer. We hope you enjoy yourself, whether you’re grabbing a picnic blanket and your copy of C Mag and relaxing on the quad or glancing through the pages while eating leftover Valentine’s chocolates.

In our cover package, Evie Coulsen, Ella Rosenblum and Jasmine Tabrizi trace the history and science behind psychedelics in the Bay Area from the way psychedelics have spurred social movements to the psychedelic influence apparent on Haight Street in SF in “A Bridge Between Worlds” on page 12.

The cover image, designed by Kellyn Scheel, represents psychedelic culture, bridging connections between the past and present, art and science, reality and an altered state of consciousness. Simultaneously, it explores connections between San Francisco’s psychedelic-filled Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, which carries on the spirit of the Psychedelic Movement of the late 1960s and the scientific research on psychedelics being done in Silicon Valley.

In “All You Need is Love” written by McKenna Rausch and Milena Rodriguez, located on page 19, Paly students and teachers speak about the five different love languages and how they come into play in relationships, and share which love languages they most resonate with.

“Beauty of Aging” on page 22 tackles the unrealistic beauty standard for women of all ages. Writers Anna Markesky,

Eunchae Hong and Emma Turnbull dive into society’s emphasis on looking younger and the double standard for women. It features portraits of multiple generations of women, taken by the talented Brooke Glasson.

If photography catches your eye, head over to our art section to check out this issue’s featured artist: junior and amateur photographer Dora Pang. Pang focuses on film photographs, poetry and has recently started creating short films. Read more about her journey as an artist on page 30 in “Featured Artist: Dora Pang” written by Audrey Guo and Wendy Li. As Black History Month comes to a close, C Mag recognizes the vast influence that Black musicians have had on the music industry in “Black Music: Amplifying America”, written by Kaila Chun and Isaac Hillesland, which can be found on page 42. Scan the Spotify code on the page for a playlist of several prominent Black musicians mentioned in the story.

If you’ve checked out the playlist and you’re still looking for new music, flip to page 46 and take our quiz to find out which underground musician you should listen to next that we bet your friends have never heard of.

We hope you enjoy this newest dose of Palo Alto’s art, culture and music however you may indulge in it best; we’re extremely proud of this issue and can’t wait for you to dive in.

Happy reading!

Sophia Baginskis, Emma Joing, Julia Ragno and Marilyn Yin Editors-in-Chief

Web EXCLUSIVES Find these stories and more at cmagazine.org

Perspective: The Broken Glass Closet

By Mathew Signorello-Katz

2 • cmagazine.org

Perspective: Self Checkout

Pumpkins and Paperweights

By Julie Huang

By Brooke Threlkeld

thanks TO OUR

SPONSORS Alice Hadaya Amy Yang Bonnie Joing Brandi Walters Brian Steele Chris Hsiang Christine Hmelar Chris Markesky Cynthia Costell Dave Wolter Debbie & Pat Ellisen Don and Liz Darby Elaine Cao Eugenie Van Wynen Gloria Tapson Hannah Cho Harry and Harriet Oda Hsun Kao Hsun Liu Isabelle Hau Janet Ellisen Jeff Willwerth Jenifer and Steve Turnbull Jeongyoung Kim Jieun Shin Jill Randall Jim Yang Joanie Haney Joyce Rausch Julie Baskind Karen Townsend Karen Wolter

staff

Kate and Todd Glasson Kristina Klausen Lan Liang Laura Prentiss Lee Rosenblum Limin Qian Liz Brooks Liza Baskind Marty and Joan Ragno Mary Lynn Fitton Maura McGinnity Max Rosenblum Michele Gay Nancy Warner Olivia Paula Hau Robert & Diane Threlkeld Rui Li Stan Turnbull Sung Hyun Hwang Sunmi Seol Suyan Ling and Xiaobiao Huang The Coulson Family The Novack Family The Oda Family The Rodriguez Family The Rosso Tabrizi Family The Stanleys The Tzeng Family William Hadaya Yon Sung Ziwa Ahmed

Editors-in-Chief

Creative Director

Sophia Baginskis, Emma Joing, Julia Ragno, Marilyn Yin

Brooke Glasson

Managing Editors

Creative Adviser

Eunice Cho, Rachel Ellisen, Sami Lee, Emma Turnbull

Jack Haney

Online Editor-in-Chief

Art Director

Reya Hadaya

Kellyn Scheel

Digital Design Editor

Business Managers

Audrey Guo

Aidan Do, Natalie Hmelar

Social Media Manager

Adviser

Ella Rosenblum

Brian Wilson

Staff Writers Kaila Chun, Evie Coulson, Olivia Hau, Isaac Hillesland, Eunchae Hong, Julie Huang, Wendy Li, Anna Markesky, Caitlyn Oda, Jeremy Peng, McKenna Rausch, Milena Rodriguez, Mathew Signorello-Katz, Willow Steele, Jasmine Tabrizi, Brooke Threlkeld, Kylie Tzeng, Casey Walters Cover

Table of Contents

Kellyn Scheel

Dora Pang

Illustrators Christy Du, Reese Ford, Eunchae Hong, Reed Jadinsky, Kellyn Scheel

Advertising The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts, providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience.

For more information about advertising with C Magazine, please contact business managers Aidan Do and Natalie Hmelar at businesscmagazine@ gmail.com.

Printing & Distribution C Magazine is printed 5 times a year in October, January, February, April and June by aPrintis in Pleasanton, CA. C Magazine is distributed on campus and mailed to sponsors by Palo Alto High School. All C Magazine stories are available on cmagazine.org.

Letters to the Editors The C Magazine staff welcomes letters to the editors but reserve the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Send all letters to eicscmagazine@gmail.com or to 50 Embarcadero Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94301.

Publication Policy C Magazine, an arts and culture magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Magazine Journalism class, is a designated open forum for student expression and discussion of issues of concern to its readership. C Magazine is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost.

ARTS • 3

“

Being able to share your vision and what you see and what you interpret…it’s a beautiful thing.”

Dora Pang, Junior Featured Artist pg. 30

Table of contents 4 • cmagazine.org

culture The Power of Type

6

Jewel of the Sierras

10

A Bridge Between Worlds

12

Psychedelics Word Search

18

All You Need Is Love

19

Beauty of Aging

22

Materialism: At What Cost?

28

arts Featured Artist: Dora Pang

30

Stolen Art, Stolen Stories

34

A Community Within

36

Music Finding Your Tune

39

Black Music: Amplifying America

42

You’ve Probably Never Heard of Them...

46

ARTS • 5

What message are you

trying to convey?

THE POWER OF TYPE. Typography is much more than the appearance of different fonts.

Various typefaces are constantly being displayed all around us–from billboards to research papers–and the power that type holds in order to convey messages is quite apparent to the eye. This creates meaning in our everyday world and can also be applied to fashion.

modeled & styled by 6 • cmagazine.org

bella NGUYEN

SERIF

classic • formal • elegant

Photos and design by BROOKE GLASSON CULTURE • 7

sans-serif modern • clean • minimal

8 • cmagazine.org

SLAB SERIF confident • solid • natural

CULTURE• 9

JEWEL of the SIERRAS Tahoe remains one of the pristine skiing destinations for Silicon Valley

R

ising over the mountains that surround the lake, the sun melts the ice from the night before and shines on the soft, white snow; the beautiful landscape is almost otherworldly. Each winter, Silicon Valley residents flock to Lake Tahoe—ski season has begun.

Tahoe has been a haven for many for decades and has attracted Palo Altans due to its year-round accommodations. In the winter, skiing and enjoying the snow are the main attractions.

Since his childhood, junior Will Rowell and his family have visited Tahoe every winter to take advantage of the great snow. “It’s an escape from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley,” Rowell said.

Palo Alto residents can often be found at one of the 15 ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area; Northstar, Palisades, Heavenly and Kirkwood, to name a few.

“In a three hour and fifteen-minute drive to Kirkwood, I got world-class skiing on a normal Monday,” PALY alumnus and avid skier Charles Mitz said. Another thing that attracts so many Palo Altans is the consistency of the resorts. “Across all the resorts, you’re going to get good skiing,” senior Sebastian Bonnard said. “Tahoe is such a vast domain.”

Palo Alto residents are drawn to Tahoe not just for the spectacular skiing experience but also for the people. “Skiing is exponentially more fun with friends,” Bonnard said.

“It’s as much a sport as it is a social activity.”

There are two kinds of ski resorts in Tahoe: larger, more popular resorts packed with shops, hotels and luxury accommodations, and the resorts centered on skiing only.

“You can [just] ski, where you go ski and just that, or you can also go ski, then drink hot chocolate and whatnot,” Mitz said.

Silicon Valley families are also drawn to Tahoe as an escape from the competitive and toxic culture in the Bay Area. “It’s a great place to be, away from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley,” Rowell said. “It’s fantastic yearround, but in the winter, it’s unbeatable.”

Conversely, the mass amounts of Palo Alto families who visit can often result in Tahoe becoming an extension of the Bay Area.

As a lifetime skier of Palisades—formerly known as Squaw Valley—Mitz isn’t surprised when he notices many people clearly from the Bay Area. “Big resorts like North Star and Palisades pretty much have the same culture to Silicon Valley,” Mitz said. “The people you will see there usually aren’t from Tahoe; they are from Silicon Valley.”

Sophomore Meredith Glasson has spent every winter since she could recall driving northeast to Lake Tahoe and enjoying her time skiing the snow alongside her family.

Glasson and her family even decided to move to Tahoe during the pandem-

“Skiing is the perfect mix of exercise, fun, freedom and adventure.”

Meredith Glasson, 10

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Text and design by JACK HANEY and NATALIE HMELAR • Art by KELLYN SCHEEL ic, where she spent every day on the slopes and spent the remaining warmer months swimming in the lake.

Glasson, alongside many Bay Area families, enjoys Tahoe because of the more laid-back lifestyle. Whenever Glasson has a free weekend, she enjoys getting out of Palo Alto because of the escape from reality it provides her.

“Going to Tahoe and skiing is something that bonds my family, creating new memories,” Glasson said. “Skiing is the perfect mix of exercise, fun, freedom and adventure.”

Palisades, a resort embedded in Olympic Valley, northwest of Tahoe City, has been a highly popular ski destination for numerous years because of its vast terrain and wide selection of ski runs for skiers of all levels.

One particular chairlift that many skiers and snowboarders, like Glasson, wait seconds for is named Siberia.

An added bonus of riding the lift and skiing the run is the unforgettable view of the lake when you get to the top.

“Siberia has a steep bowl, and it always gets my adrenaline rushing, which is what I love most,” Glasson said.

Hardcore skiers, like Glasson, occasionally find themselves branching out of California to explore new terrain and larger resorts with more snow than Tahoe. Glasson recounts her experience visiting Alta Utah, where the resort’s strict policy prevents snowboarders from entering. “[The resort policy] was amazing since it is strictly only skiers allowed, and Tahoe does not have something like that,” Glasson said.

As for senior William Dike, the escape that Lake Tahoe provides him and his family is unbeatable. ”It gives me the opportunity to ski and have a blast away from Palo Alto,” Dike said. Being that the

commute is only about four hours from Palo Alto to Tahoe, it never feels like too much of a hassle to head up, even if it’s for the day.

“It is easy and convenient to go up [to Tahoe] with little planning, and it’s fun being spontaneous,” Dike said. On average, Dike skis at least 25 days per year at Alpine Meadows, a connecting resort that borders Palisades. “[I prefer] hard blues because I prefer speed over steepness… Alpine has lots of fun groomers,” Dike said. (Groomers are runs that are paved every night for a smoother and easier ride down the mountain).

No matter what draws Palo Altans to Tahoe, there is always adventure awaiting for them in the mountains. “I have been going up almost every weekend,” Dike said.

“It’s starting to become my second home, and summer is right around the corner.”

“Skiing is exponentially more fun with friends.”

Sebastian Bonnard, 12

CULTURE • 11

A BRIDGE BETWEEN WORLDS

A look into the past, present and future of psychedelic culture and research in the Bay Area

Text and design by EVIE COULSON, ELLA ROSENBLUM and JASMINE TABRIZI • Art by KELLYN SCHEEL

12 • cmagazine.org

W

alking down the steep, winding streets of downtown San Francisco, the city blocks bring a unique sense of character, each reminiscent of a time period significant to the city’s history.

The kitschy, colorful Victorian “painted ladies” on the corner of Steiner and Hayes street are remnants of the 1850s gold rush. The gothic Haas-Lilienthal House on Franklin Street represents the distinct architecture of Queen Anne’s reign and the city’s resilience, withstanding the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fire.

Turning onto yet another historic block, apartment buildings become rainbow-colored, and psychedelic rock posters for the Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd stick onto store windows. Thrift stores with fashion from the 1920s flapper era to the neon patterns of the 80s are found on the corners of every street. This is the corner of Haight and Ashbury.

Palo Altans who visit this area of San Francisco experience the feeling of walking into a time capsule. Untouched by the modern tech jungle of Silicon Valley, Haight-Ashbury remains characterized by the lasting impacts of the 1960s hippie social movement, known as the ‘Summer of Love.’

Sunshine Powers is the current owner of one of the last artisan stores from the 1960s left on Haight Street: Love on Haight.

The store still specializes in psychedelic rock posters and tie-dye apparel. Powers describes it as a remnant of Haight-Ashbury’s rich history of love and art.

“Love on Haight is the part of San Francisco that I want to share with people, whether that’s the rainbow psychedelic part, the love part, waving to people or making people feel welcome…and being able to be who you want to be,” Powers said.

From a lifetime of living in Haight-Ashbury and a decade of working at Love on Haight, Powers has a unique perspective on what the psychedelic art movement is and what it means.

“For me, the idea of the psychedelic movement is to create color and to be aware of not just [what’s in front of us], but to really be aware of…everything that’s going on,” Powers said.“I think that we don’t actually know any of that—it is all a mystery.”

A principal effect of psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, psychedelic mushrooms or DMT, is the ability to see the

world in a different way. According to Haight Street Art Center curator Nicholas Meriwether, this effect allowed artists to experiment.

“Those artists might say psychedelics helped them see beyond rules that had governed how art students and artists had been taught to look at art,” Meriwether said. “And art is always about breaking borders and breaking rules.”

Seeing things differently influences more than just the art style. Counterculture movements, social and political movements that go against dominant opinions of society, have historically had ties to many different progressive social movements such as the New Left Movement and LGBTQ+ rights.

“Psychedelics’ abilities to help people see beyond conventional rules and frames of reference made it perhaps a little easier to imagine a world in which racism and sexism and homophobia were less a part of how we deal with each other,” Meriwether said. The culture of Haight Street has historically included progressive ideologies and movements, and residents have confidence it will continue to do so in the future.

“You look at the gay rights [movement], the civil rights [movement]; all that came from that time period or around that time period, and unfortunately, we’re facing a lot of the same issues today,” Powers said. “But I think it’s hitting different parts of the country. I always say that ‘Haight is the embryo of change’, and what we are doing here is what’s going to happen in other parts of the country 50 years from now.”

Powers’ store is an example of the progressive change built into Haight Street culture, as they are involved in many social causes in their community.

“We’ve helped get over 400 homeless youth off of the street, and we have just announced the launch of our women’s prisoner reentry tie-dye program [where] we’re gonna take two to three women a year who are coming out of prison and teach them how to tie-dye and teach them the business of it,” Powers said.

CULTURE • 13

Despite the appearance of a cultural chasm between the tech-filled Bay Area and the psychedelic art culture in San Francisco, the two are more closely connected than one might expect. There is an ongoing effort to find a middle ground between completely disparaging the use of psychedelics and overpromoting them. Some of the work being done to find the answer to this question is being conducted right here in Palo Alto.

Ph.D. student and member of Palo Alto University’s Graduate Student Association for Psychedelic Studies, Rachel Barry, has concerns about the resurgence of psychedelic sensationalism. This is when issues are presented in a certain way with the intent of catching people’s attention, like that which arose during the original psychedelic movement in the 1960s and ‘70s.

Barry believes that feelings of psychedelic exceptionalism, where psychedelics are treated as if they have no flaws, spread by people who deeply supported the use of these substances, had the adverse effect of increasing the concerns of those who didn’t support psychedelics.

“People worry that [researchers] are only focused on the good aspects of [psychedelics], and are very worried about these things being stigmatized or seen in a negative light because they already are,” Barry said. Recently, there has been a re-emergence in the study of psychedelics. Barry believes researchers have been making up for lost time and learning more about psychedelics after decades of dry periods in research, when the use of these drugs were vastly stigmatized.

According to Barry, through research, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that psychedelics have potential in the medical field, aiding individuals with conditions including PTSD, endof-life anxiety, depression and addiction. “I definitely think that within the next couple years, we will see it as a treatment option,” Barry said.

At the same time, Barry also acknowledges that currently, a lot is left unknown about the consequences of taking psychedelics. Depending on the situation, there are a variety of problems that could arise, ranging from substance abuse to psychosis.

“There still is concern about consequences for different vulnerable populations,” Barry said. “We’re not quite sure exactly who could take a substance and it could trigger a psychotic episode, things like that.”

For now, it’s clear that more information is needed in order to form a complete view of psychedelics and understand the full weight of the effects they can have on people. “They have their place and they can be beneficial,” Barry said. “At the same time, it is important to not fall into psychedelic exceptionalism.”

However, according to Barry, within the current climate of the ongoing War on Drugs, researchers who aim to learn more about psychedelics have faced incessant challenges at every turn and are finding it difficult to develop a more in-depth understanding of these elusive substances.

“I do worry that if we legalize everything before adequate research is done and information about harm reduction is not available, we could see problems arise that will take us right back down the route of criminalization,” Barry said. “But un-

14 • cmagazine.org

“

We’re starting to see the value [of psychedelics], and that’s one thing that science can really help do, is to help illuminate… the potential value of substances so that decisions can be made based on facts and data.”

Wes Hale, MAPS Senior Training Program Manager

CULTURE • 15

“

If we can naturally give people that psychedelic high of an ethereal enlightenment, that would be [amazing]. If people could naturally just feel that way, it would be great, and I just think that history has that ability.”

Sunshine Powers, Owner of Love on Haight

16 • cmagazine.org

fortunately, it’s difficult to get that research out there and get stuff done while it has this criminal status.”

When the War on Drugs began in the United States in the 1970s, fear was incited into people on the basis of how little was known about the effects of altering one’s consciousness through the use of illegal substances.

Wes Hale, Senior Training Program Manager at the San Jose based Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), believes that society is changing and adapting, allowing for advances in the field of psychedelic studies.

“We’re entering into what some people call a renaissance, being able to research these substances after a dark age of prohibition,” Hale said. As this era progresses, Hale, among others, is working to explore each and every avenue in which psychedelics might prove to be advantageous for use in medicine in order to better understand how psychedelics should fit into our society.

“We’re starting to see the value [of psychedelics], and that’s one thing that science can really help do, is to help illuminate… the potential value of substances so that decisions can be made based on facts and data,” Hale said.

The use of psychedelics in the context of creativity led to them having a strong association with the artistic movement taking place at the same time during the Summer of Love. “It seems like there’s this progression of creativity, free-thinking, abstractism…that [seemed] to manifest along the same time that psychedelics [did],” Hale said.

Just as the use of psychedelics in late 1960s Haight Ashbury was a large part of its culture, there was also progress in the treatment of substance addiction. Powers cites Dr. David E. Smith as a hero in the field of drug addiction during this time period. “[Smith] is the founder of the Haight Street Free Clinic, the leading researcher on addiction and created most of the methadone programs that are around today,” Powers said. “When I think of the Summer of Love, Dr. Davis is someone who inspires me and his work in the community with addiction and trying to solve this problem.” Powers feels that with education on the history of Haight Street, younger people will be able to experience the feelings of the culture without even using the drugs.

“If we can naturally give people that psychedelic high of an ethereal enlightenment, that would be [amazing],” Powers said.

“If people could naturally just feel that way, it would be great, and I just think that history has that ability.”

Psychedelics are a class of drugs that are yet to be fully understood. So, as their role in today’s world evolves, it is important to remember their impact on the past. The social, political, and scientific changes impacted by the use of psychedelics can be seen in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

Powers has no doubts that the psychedelic movement, with all that it was and all that it became, was meant to be born in San Francisco. “I have been to many cities around the world, and there is nothing like San Francisco,” Powers said. “There is this magic that you can tune into and this beat that just pulses on its own.”

CULTURE • 17

Design by SAMANTHA LEE and BROOKE THRELKELD • Art by KELLYN SCHEEL

Searching THROUGH

San FranciscO

INSTRUCTIONS: Find and circle the listed words below. The words are in all directions: up-down, leftright or diagonal, as well as forwards or backwards.

Psychedelics San Francisco Haight Research Ashbury

Counterculture Consciousness Medicine Underground Comix Painted Ladies

Exceptionalism Peace Led Zeppelin Silicon Valley Janis Joplin

Love Need Is

All You

Quality Time

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Acts of

Words

of

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Explo r how th ing love la e five nguag es manif est thems elves relatio in our nship s ARTS • 19

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ords of affirmation: the verbal ac- hormone.’ “Just [receiving] a hug activates knowledgments of affection. Acts my parasympathetic nervous system which of service: the act of doing some- helps the body function overall,” Barclay thing thoughtful for someone else without said. expecting something in return. Receiving/ Senior Arthur Garzon prefers receiving giving gifts: gifting something special, from words of affirmation, especially in the form a cup of coffee to a diamond necklace. of encouragement, appreciation or empaQuality time: giving your undivided time thy. To show he cares for someone, he likes and attention to someone. Physical touch: to encourage them and show gratitude verthe hug or hand squeeze that makes you feel bally. safe. “[Words of affirmation] are the most These many gestures of love correlate to universal form of admiration and respect,” five distinct “languages” in which individu- Garzon said. als communicate their feelings for one anFor senior Samantha Yamashita, all other. Most have a preferred love language languages have importhat gives them a greater sense of love and tance in satisfaction in a relationship. Although they were originally created to help people in romantic relationships understand ebody m o s each other better, these h e it love w ss and you’r love languages apply to ] n i g the multitude of relation“[Bein like is selfle rson over e ships we have in our everyat you that p h t t u p day lives. to lf.” willing In romantic relationyourse ships, physical touch is frequently viewed as the most conventional way to express your love. Sophomore Miya sustaining Joshi believes you can receive a healthy relationship. this type of love in any type of She finds it exciting when someone relationship. shares her preference for quality time, but “I really like [to receive] physical touch, recognizes the importance of accepting othwhether that’s with my friends, family or ro- ers’ favored love languages. mantically,” Joshi said.

“It’s important to be responsive to other For junior Evie Barclay, physical touch is people’s primary languages when building also important. In fact, there is even a sci- any sort of relationship, even if their style entific benefit that Barclay learned from her of expression is different from yours,” Yaexperiences as a dancer. mashita said.

“Pressure from a hug is known to actiSimilarly, junior Will Rowell believes no vate the vagus nerve, which helps the body singular love language defines his relationmove from a high-cortisol or stress mode ships. “I feel like I can resonate with all types into a more relaxed and calm state,” Bar- of love languages,” Rowell said. “I think we clay said. “At a dance summer program, we all use them in different situations, but the did this by lying on our backs, crossing our type of love that I use the most would be arms over our chests and deep breathing for quality time.” a few minutes.”

Even though quality time may be his faThis connects to how Barclay places im- vored love language to give, Rowell prefers a portance on physical touch within any re- different language to receive because it feels lationship she has, resulting in her feeling more powerful and meaningful than others. more relaxed.

“Words of affirmation [show that someHugs release oxytocin, aka the ‘love one loves me]; those are harder to give than

owell, Will R

20 • cmagazine.org

11

Text and design by MCKENNA RAUSCH and MILENA RODRIGUEZ • ART by KELLYN SCHEEL gifts because you have to know how you feel before you say [anything],” Rowell said.

Having effective communication in a relationship means that no matter your love language, love can easily be displayed and acknowledged. A parent who loves their child shows their love differently than how they might show love to a friend, but that doesn’t mean the love is any less meaningful.

“An easy way for me to show love to [my parents] is to do the dishes when it’s not my turn, or taking on an extra task so that they have less on their hands,” Barclay said.

With her friends, Barclay doesn’t see the same opportunities she has with her parents to receive affection. She prefers to receive words of affirmation and physical touch from her friends, which provide her with the different types of love needed in her life.

“My parents cannot give me the type of emotional satisfaction that a friend or a partner can,” Barclay said. “I think that as human beings we all need love from many different areas in life.”

This idea of having love from different areas in your life connects to the various sorts of love. With love among your family, there is a mutual understanding that you love each other unconditionally, but falling in love with someone may shift who you prioritize.

“The difference is that you’re in love with them, rather than you love them,” Rowell said. “[Being in] love with somebody that you like is selfless and you’re willing to put that person over yourself.”

“With family, I think it’s similar to a friendship; [it’s] more of a care and respect relationship,” Rowell said. “But once you get into a romantic love I think that’s where it splits off from the type of love that you share with [your family and friendships].”

Garzon echoes this sentiment of the similarities between a friendship and the relationship between a family. Both relationships involve companionate love, which centers on loving the good of a person by showing them trust and loyalty, rather than romantic feelings. “Friends are basically family members you choose,” Garzon said.

“There isn’t much of a discrepancy between how I express love to them and family members.”

But no matter who

pressions of love. “While my love languages are words of affirmation and physical touch, those are not necessary [for me] to see that someone loves me,” Barclay said.

“The way that I pick up on that tends to come more from body language and tone, tiny behaviors that aren’t always obvious.”

Love does not have to be expressed in a single way to be the most profound. Knowing the language of the other person in a relationship may sometimes indicate that you are aware of their concerns as well.

“You can usually tell what [their love language] is and adapt to what they like; whether it’s acts of service or words of affirmation, do what “Friend works best for them,” s are ba sica family m Joshi said. embers lly Joshi finds that physiyou choose. cal touch is her preferred ” love language because it provides a tangible display of love. “Physical touch is how I like to be loved,” Joshi you are showsaid. “My friends show me ing love to, knowing that you they love me through physical are willing to take risks shows that you care touch [by] hugging and sweet enough to put them first. “[I show others little gestures.” love] through words of affirmation and loyNo matter what your love language may alty,” Rowell said. “I think that loyalty [is be or what someone else’s may be, unconextremely important] when it can come at ditional love holds the same importance for a cost to yourself.” everyone. “I feel like love is deeply rooted,” Respect is vital in relationships. Com- Rowell said. “[There is an] understanding mitment to the other person and respect that you will always support that person no for their needs and goals are the founda- matter what.” tions of lasting relationships. “What really matters in any personal relationship is the overall mutual respect and how that respect grows and expresses itself into deeper feelWant to find ings of companionship,” Garzon said. out your love Similar to Rowell’s belief that no one language? Take language is better than the others, Barclay feels that she can appreciate multiple exthis quiz from

LOVE

Ar thur G

arzon, 12

languages languages languages

creator Gary Chapman:

CULTURE • 21

Pictured: Vida Bertrand, 80

22 • cmagazine.org

BEAUTY OF AGING Upending the narrative on aging for women

A

ds for products like wrinkle cream and botox can easily be found when scrolling through social media or flipping through a magazine. Every product that markets “looking younger” constantly enforces an unrealistic beauty standard for women of all ages.

Today’s society is obsessed with perfection when it comes to physical appearance; youth is prized, while normal signs of aging are shamed.

Sophomore Anna Shimazaki often notices the way that aging is shamed, especially as a teenager who sees these products on social media. “It feels like everybody’s trying to fix aging—like it’s a burden,” Shimazaki said.

While both men and women are criticized for the changes in physical appearance that come with aging, society puts significantly greater demands on women to maintain a youthful appearance.

Guidance secretary Pamela Garcia, the 42-year-old mother of sophomore Bee Montes, has observed how discrimination based on age differs between men and

women. “When men age, it’s promoted and it’s okay,” Garcia said. “But when women age, it’s not okay because they have had to age gracefully with minimal wrinkles and minimal gray hair.”

Women often face discrimination based on age in a way that men do not, especially in the workforce. As women get older, they are often valued less, while men are considered more experienced.

Ariane Bertrand, the 48-year–old mother of senior Sophie Pardehpoosh, sees clear differences in treatment of older men versus older women in the workforce. “[When] they talk about the glass ceiling, it’s also about age,” Bertrand said. “An older man who’s been working for 50 years [is seen as] wise, whereas when it’s a woman, it’s ‘they’re not up to speed on things’ and all sorts of prejudices against an older woman.”

Not only are women more often discriminated against because of their age, they are also more often marketed products that encourage erasing signs of aging.

“With the [anti-aging] products, you

can see the tug and pull where it’s geared more towards women versus men,” Bertrand said.

The presence of products such as plastic surgery or “anti-aging” skincare items perpetuates the idea that aging is a negative process.

“If these products are saying to make yourself look younger and equating [youth] to beauty, it can be damaging,” Pardehpoosh said. “Older can be beautiful.”

Although these products can build confidence and be a form of self-care, many believe that the changing of one’s appearance is too heavily emphasized—the excessive amount of products that erase aging can discourage self-acceptance.

“It’s more of a sense on how to take care of yourself versus altering what you look like to be something else,” Garcia said. “Society has botox and [other ways of] changing your appearance, but that isn’t embracing who you actually are.”

Another factor that alters our image of beauty, especially in relation to aging, is the

CULTURE • 23

“IF YOU EMBRACE AGING, THEN YOU’RE A SHINING LIGHT.” Pamela Garcia, 42

lack of age representation in the media.

Due to the fact that we are not often shown women with real signs of aging, like wrinkles or gray hair, we begin to view beauty solely as looking young.

“If I’m scrolling through any sort of social media and I see models, they’re usually very young,” Pardehpoosh said. “They don’t have any of these signs of aging. That adds to our perception of what beauty is— that beauty is looking younger, having skin without wrinkles and dyeing [your] hair so it’s not gray.”

Limited representation creates an image of the beauty standard that many feel pressured to achieve. Growing up, Eimi Okano, an Asian American woman and 84-yearold grandmother of sophomore Anna Shimazaki, was shown that the beauty stan-

24 • cmagazine.org

dard was youthful white women.

“The focus seems to be on keeping one’s youth,” Okano said. “During my young years, everybody wanted to look like the movie star of the day—Marilyn Monroe at that time. Who can compare with Marilyn Monroe, especially as an Asian American, when the focus is on white women?”

Despite society’s unrealistic standards, Okano learned that she did not have to change in order to love herself. “I came to realize early on [that] I am who I am, and being unhappy with that is not a state of being that I wish to be in,” Okano said.

Because of the pressure to maintain a youthful appearance, most young people dread aging because of the changes in their physical appearance. However, many find that it is an enriching experience and an

opportunity to learn to love yourself and all your signs of aging. Many older generations find that looking back, their lives have only improved as they aged.

“You learn contentment when [looking] at the gifts of each age,” Ariane Bertrand said. “Things are much happier now than I was when I was 20—[one] benefit of the process is that you don’t care as much about what other people think.”

Many, like Ariane Bertrand’s mother and Sophie Pardehpoosh’s grandmother, 80-year-old Vida Bertrand, believe that actions and development as a person define someone, rather than age. “Your purpose of life is to grow and develop…and bring good things to others,” Vida Bertrand said. “[With] all these things that you can do, your life has a really strong meaning and it

Pictured: Pamela Garcia with her daughter, Bee Montes

doesn’t matter if you are 50 or 70.”

Although more women are starting to embrace their beauty and self-love, there is still much progress to be made to change society’s perception of age, starting with greater representation of older women in the media. “[For] models that we see in commercials on Instagram or in our newspapers, [we should have] a wider range of people,” Pardehpoosh said. “Whether it’s race, size or age because that’s something that people don’t really talk about.”

Despite greater representation in recent years, many people, like sophomore Bee Montes, still believe that efforts to show aging in a positive light can be improved more.

“They have a lot more older women in

magazines and in the media now, which is nice to see, but it needs to be better,” Montes said.

More specifically, seeing this representation would show people that aging is a part of everyone’s life and that it should be normalized.

“If more people see people who have actually aged in the media, it would be a lot healthier for [both] younger people and older people,” Shimazaki said.

Seeing others who appreciate and embrace the process of aging shifts the perspective of aging to a positive light and encourages embracing the physical changes of aging.

“It’s really important to highlight men and women who have accepted their age as

what is normal for them,” Okano said.

The process of aging is beautiful and important to embrace. “If you embrace it, then you’re a shining light,” Garcia said.

“The beauty of it all is [that] it’s actually always been with you—just let it radiate.”

By acknowledging the beauty and normalcy of aging, we can overcome the stigma that our society has around it.

“Aging is a process that you should embrace because it’s helping you grow into the next step of whoever you are going to be,” Garcia said. “So I take every wrinkle, I take every gray hair and I just go with it like, ‘okay, I look a little different, but I love myself.’”

CULTURE • 25

“YOUR LIFE HAS A REALLY STRONG MEANING AND IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU ARE 50 OR 70.”

Vida Bertrand, 80

Text and design by EUNCHAE HONG, ANNA MARKESKY and EMMA TURNBULL Photos by BROOKE GLASSON and EUNCHAE HONG • Art by REESE FORD

26 • cmagazine.org

Pictured: Vida Bertrand with her daughter, Ariane Bertrand, and granddaughter, Sophie Pardehpoosh

CULTURE • 27

MATERIALI$M: AT WHAT CO$T? Produce. Promote. Consume. Repeat.

F

rom billboards to Instagram posts to the morning news, the phrase “Sponsored by” is inescapable. Now more than ever, scrolling through social media has gone from entertainment and interpersonal connection to a marketing strategy.

People’s impressionable attention can be swayed to promote corporate goods and services, contributing to an increasingly materialistic society.

The attention economy The ubiquity yet subtlety of modern advertising sways the public’s desires towards corporate benefit, according to economics teacher Grant Blackburn.

“When I was [younger], I used to think I was impervious to idle advertising and that it didn’t affect me,” Blackburn said. “Because advertisements have gotten so sophisticated, it was hard for me to realize that I was Grant Blackburn being persuaded.”

Advertising’s ability to economics teacher embed its messages into people’s daily lives is part of its persuasive power, which prompts people to consider a product or service marketed as beneficial.

“Advertising works best when it’s not forced upon people, when it gets you to say ‘yes’ to yourself,” Blackburn said.

The purpose of advertising is to promote and sell commercial goods and services. However, with the influx of advertising opportunities in the digital age, the product that is now being sold is people’s attention, a concept known as the Attention Economy.

“The Attention Economy is simply trying to commodify attention as a way to make money,” Blackburn said. “It understands that our attention is limited and finds ways of dealing with that.”

“We now look at products as the salvation for our lives and livelihoods more than ever before.”

28 • cmagazine.org

Social media has played a critical role in the evolution of marketing strategies.

By selling users’ data to third-party businesses, social media platforms craft algorithms that target each user with a precise, individualized collection of advertisements.

“It’s a lot easier for [companies] to have all of the control,” Blackburn said. “They have all of our data. They have all of the resources.”

Producing, selling and buying products builds a foundation for America’s economic system, especially in the technology-oriented Silicon Valley environment.

“We now look at products as the salvation for our lives and livelihoods more than ever before,” Blackburn said.

“The lifeblood of capitalism is getting us to buy [stuff].”

Slippery slope Having been inundated with advertisements on social media, junior Evie Barclay has learned to purchase products with intention. Barclay said she has realized that longterm fulfillment and satisfaction do not stem from the excess consumption of material objects.

“It’s always exciting to buy something new and get that refreshing feeling of having something shiny, but it is a slippery slope,” Barclay said. “When that shine fades, I just want another new item.”

Text and design by REYA HADAYA and OLIVIA HAU Art by KELLYN SCHEEL According to the American Psychological Association (APA), many people gravitate towards materialistic values in the form of compulsive shopping and overconsumption to appease their anxiety, insecurities and lack of fulfillment.

“The whole human experience reflects our need to fill a gap,” Barclay said. “I think shopping is just one means of doing so.”

Many corporations base their marketing strategies on people’s inclination towards materialistic values. As social media has become a crucial marketing platform, brands have shifted their focus towards influencer-based advertisements to promote their products. “[Influencers’] social media is like a store window,” Barclay said. “What they choose to put out is what they want people to see.”

According to a Forbes article, “The Importance Of Influencer Marketing In The ‘New Normal’ Digital Sphere” (2021), consumers often perceive influencer marketing content as more authentic and relatable because they trust peer recommendations. “[Influencers] narrow their niche so that people who like that niche will follow them, and they’ll have an audience of like-minded people,” Barclay said.

While influencer marketing is an appealing way for brands to make money, Barclay has learned to be more conscious of advertising’s influence on her spending habits.

“I don’t find that those ads enormously impact me because I’m very aware of their intention, and I try to analyze why I’m buying,” Barclay said.

The psychological conveyer belt Psychology teacher Chris Farina said that push and pull factors can contribute to people’s appeal to materialistic lifestyles. Push factors are internal impulses such as anxious habits that inform your decisions, and pull factors are external influences such as corporate agendas that sway your behavioral patterns.

“You might have your own desire to purchase things because

they’re tangible, they’re really concrete and they can give you a sense of immediate gratification,” Farina said. “[Corporations] are going to push their advertisements to suggest that they would provide you with some degree of benefit, enjoyment or happiness. [People] are on this conveyor belt where they constantly chase after new objects.”

Rosy retrospection is a psychological phenomenon in which people tend to perceive the past more positively than the present.

For this reason, Farina explained that experiences can be a source of long-lasting contentment as opposed to the immediate gratification Christopher Farina received from material possessions. psychology teacher “[Researchers] usually find that people who prioritize purchasing stuff versus purchasing experiences have a lower sense of well-being, mental health or self-reported happiness compared to the group that prioritizes spending their time and money on experiences,” Farina said.

Beyond rosy retrospection, Farina said that human connection is often an essential component of positive, memorable experiences and a significant contributor to people’s happiness.

“We know that one of the single greatest things that contributes to an individual’s well being is their relationships with other people,” Farina said. “Having something that promotes relationships is often going to bring you a greater degree of happiness than something that’s just focused on your own individual consumption,” Farina said.

The happiness that stems from purchasing a new prodEvie Barclay uct is fleeting. Farina said he recommends finding a deepjunior er source to one’s fulfillment, a sense of meaning beyond materialistic values.

“You should figure out the things that really matter to you,” Farina said. “Spend your time and effort picking the best version of those things.”

“[People] are on this conveyer belt where they constantly chase after new objects.”

“The whole human experience reflects our need to fill a gap. I think shopping is just one means of doing so.”

CULTURE • 29

Dora Featured Artist

Pang expresses her life through photography, film and poetry

Pang 30 • cmagazine.org

I

t was the summer before seventh grade when junior Dora Pang discovered her dad’s DSLR camera in their guest bedroom. Out of boredom, curiosity or a combination of both, she took it out and started snapping pictures of herself in the mirror.

“It sounds really stupid,” Pang said, laughing. “And it was, but it was fun.”

For Pang, who describes herself as a creative person, this moment kindled a love for photography that she would pursue throughout her high school career. Her interests in video production, poetry and painting would also emerge as a result.

“Being able to do anything where I am creatively in control is fun, whether it be just painting on the weekend or making a short film with a lot of planning,” Pang said.

After her mirror selfie stint, Pang started experimenting with shutter speed, moving the camera around in the dark to get light trails to appear.

She was drawn to Instagram photographer Brandon Woelfel’s bokeh-dotted portraits of social media celebrities when she was in middle school. Soon, Pang began photographing her friends in their backyards or staging photo shoots with a projector.

“That’s how I got into portrait photography for two years, up until my

Pang’s portrait photos of her friend.

“At Half Moon”

ARTS • 31

freshman year,” Pang said. “I really enjoyed taking photos of my friends and asked my friends to model in my photos [as] I gradually got better.”

Pang has since graduated from using her dad’s DSLR to shooting with a Nikon FM, a 35 millimeter camera from her grandfather, or her Lubitel 166. After she shoots, she sends her film to Mike’s Camera in Menlo Park or The DarkRoom in San Clemente for development.

Gradually, Pang started experimenting with short films as both mediums involve using the camera, which she has always enjoyed. “I don’t know how I switched to video, but I think it was just natural,” Pang said. “As I started watching more movies, I began appreciating taking videos compared to photos.”

Pang saw “La La Land” at a time when she had been enchanted with the spirit of Los Angeles. The film’s quintes-

sentially L.A. romance made it her favorite movie to date, though many others have inspired her as well.

“I had a Criterion subscription—think HBO or Turner Classic Movies,” Pang said.

The Criterion Collection is a home-video distribution com-

32 • cmagazine.org

pany focused on preserving A-list classic and contemporary films. “I wanted to pay for only one month, so I put a bunch of movies into my list that I wanted to watch,” Pang said. “And then I would watch like, three a day.”

Pang would keep track of

Text and design by AUDREY GUO and WENDY LI • Photos courtesy of DORA PANG

From Pang’s film, “Projections.”

each title on her phone’s notes app or in said. She cut and folded the paper into IMDB while she watched. She paid close “mini-sets” resembling a small kitchen or attention to the way each movie was shot— blooming flower, for example, then anithe beautiful visuals in the French murder mated over them with stop motion. Scenes drama “Breathless” (1960), for example, where Pang digitally animated the orange made it one of her favorites. posed a greater challenge. “I had never “But then [the subscription] renewed… done animations before that point,” she so I did that for two months!” Pang said, said. “So it was cool figuring that out. It laughing. “I was looking at the list [on my was really hard, but it was fun.” phone] and I was like, ‘I can’t remember Though it only started as a hobby, Pang watching half of these movies.’” sees herself working in the film industry in Filmmakers aren’t Pang’s only influenc- the future. But Pang has also started writes. Recently, she has admired artists like ing poetry, which she likes to keep more to abstract painter Faye Wei Wei, folk musi- herself. “I think a lot of the time, films and cians Joni Mitchell and Joanna Newsom, photos are less personal because it is somephotographer Vivian one acting or you are Maier and perforportraying something mance artist Marina “I really like telling stories. in a fictional setting,” Abramović.

Being able to share your she said.

“A lot of my ideas But being an invision and what you see just come to me, trospective person, and what you interpret… Pang’s poetry centers sometimes at night, laying in bed,” Pang more on her own it’s a beautiful thing.” said. “I write them thoughts, feelings and on my phone…then experiences. maybe I’ll go back to them someday, like “I went on a walk—I think it was in No‘Oh, I like this idea.’ I’ll create a mood- vember,” Pang said. “I was taking in [the board for it, I’ll create a shotlist.” Pang’s atmosphere]…it was fall, so [the trees] moodboards help her establish an aesthetic were really beautiful.” for each film while her shotlists keep track When she got home, Pang felt like she of how events in her story flow. had to write about the experience. She Beyond the planning stage, Pang’s film- turned the thoughts and autumn scene that ing process changes based on the story she engulfed her during her walk into words. is telling. Her latest film, “Orange Was the Be it photography, film or poetry, Pang Color of Blue,” follows an orange as it rolls tries to capture in her artwork the everyday off a kitchen shelf, through a house and sights and feelings of her life for others to ends up in the garden. Pang challenged reflect on and, she hopes, relate to. Whethherself to use different mediums for each er positive or negative, she loves seeing the scene, including a book excerpt, digital an- reactions people have to her artwork. imation, real flowers and her favorite: cut “I really like telling stories,” Pang said. paper.

“Being able to share your vision and what “I got a pack of different patterned pa- you see and what you interpret…it’s a pers [with] gold designs on them,” Pang beautiful thing.”

Pang used patterned paper and animation in her latest film, “Orange Was the Color of Blue.” See the full film on cmagazine.org.

ARTS • 33

W

S

tepping into a museum, surrounded by an array of art from different time periods and cultures, you might wonder about the unique backstory of each piece of art. However, the backstories on the museum plaques may not be wholly accurate. The art may have a convoluted path from creation to exhibition.

Unfortunately, a historical perspective reveals a long list of instances when works of art were taken from their culture of origin without consent and misrepresented, causing the art to lose its original meaning.

Kylie Harrison, a research coordinator at Kresnicka Research & Insights (KR&I) who majored in history and government at Claremont McKenna College, is well aware of the longstanding issue of art being taken from entire groups of people and displayed in museums or galleries elsewhere. “[Colonizing] countries went into other nations around the world, whether in Asia or in Africa or in Latin America,” Harrison said. “And during [the era of imperialism], the government permitted their countrymen to engage in the looting of those nations for different types of art.”

Sue La Fetra, the PALY AP Art History teacher, notes the immorality of these actions. “It’s essentially stealing,” La Fetra said. “It’s a complete disregard for other people’s cultures. ” Colonizing countries often pilfer art from places they imperialize. “The British Museum is a collection of art that they have taken from around the world,” La Fetra said.

“There are examples from all over; they have the moai from the South Pacific and the Frieze from the Parthenon.

Greece asks for [the Frieze] back every year.”

There are certain justifications used to defend such theft. “The [British] said it’s better off here [in the British Museum] because we will preserve it, and Greece has an unstable government, and it might not be as preserved as well,” La Fetra said.

The misrepresentation of art “Greece built a museum to hold the Frieze, and obscures the cultures that they still refuse to give it back. That’s just outrageous.” created it Large-scale art theft is also a matter of societal power imbalance. “Minority groups–the people without power–are most vulnerable to having their art stolen,” La Fetra said.

Going deeper into the heart of the issue, La Fetra explains how this disregard for minority groups and their input is justified by museums that refuse to acknowledge the hurt caused by keeping stolen artifacts. “You can find in the British Museum a story behind every artifact,” La Fetra

Stolen

art,

STOLEN STORIES

34 • cmagazine.org

Text and design by JULIE HUANG, CAITLYN ODA and CASEY WALTERS • Art by CHRISTY DU

said. “This is how they justify themselves, that people from culture or because it has already been in the possession around the world will come to see it and are educated on of the colonizing country for a substantial period of time. its significance.”

However, Harrison believes this is no excuse.

For example, during the late 1800s, Britain would in“There’s a responsibility to find [the origin of the art] vade other countries and take their art. At the British Mu- and demonstrate it,” Harrison said. seum, there is an exhibit showcasing the moai, two stone Knowing the origin of a piece of art provides context statues originally belonging to Easter Island. The Easter and brings a more holistic understanding of the art. “By Island governor has begged the British Museum to return obscuring the identity of the artists, you’re also obthe moai due to the symbolic meaning of the statues and scuring some of the meaning of the piece,” Harritheir importance to the culture. son said.

Although the stealing and misrepresentation Understanding other cultures is of art can not be undone, Harrison believes acoften achieved by observing and tions can and should be taken to help ease understanding their art. the relationship between the colonizers “[Learning about art from “It’s essentially stealing. It’s a other cultures] does and the cultures whose art have complete disregard been stolen. serve a purpose, a very Museums should important purpose for for other people’s cultures.” now act with the future making people appreciate Sue La Fetra in mind, not the past. and acknowledge differenc“You can’t undo history,” es in beauty that transcends AP Art History teacher Harrison said. “You can’t cultural boundaries,” Harrison change history, but you can said. return some of [the art] back.”

People behind the scenes get Museum curators, including those here in the to decide what is shown in museums, affecting how Bay Area, are taking steps to address the issue of stolen people in a community view certain cultures and ethart, but there is still more that can be done. “I think there nicities. need to be conversations–and there already are conversa“Making our museums…more inclusive and acknowltions happening,” La Fetra said. “There’s the De Young in edging the fact that history has been written by the victors San Francisco that just recently gave back Aztec artwork and history has been written by the dominant culture and to Mexico. Not all of it, but a lot of it.” [recognizing] that informs what we get to see…it’s starting Another example of remedying the misrepresentation to happen but progress still needs to be made,” Harrison of art in modern-day is through decolonizing initiatives, said. such as in the Museum of Us in San Diego. In the past, Art conveys cultural value; it has the ability to inform the museum had acquired indigenous people’s belongings people’s understandings of society and the people around that were taken during the Apache Wars. To represent the them. “It’s important for people to see cultures outside of belongings correctly and acknowledge that the museum their own,” Harrison said. was built on indigenous people’s grounds, Micah Parzen, When the art world grows and changes its representathe director of the Museum of Us at San Diego, decided tion of cultures, the rest of the world follows suit. “I think to begin decolonizing the museum through holding con- the world has gotten better at recognizing that no culture is versations with indigenous people. better or worse than others,” La Fetra said. “We still have “It’s a long history [but] it’s the right thing to do,” a long way to go.”

Parzen said. The Museum of Us is working on an initiaMuseums are an important resource to represent martive to decolonize their museum with a collection of indig- ginalized cultures if done through an accurate lens. “It’s enous peoples’ belongings after discovering that thousands the responsibility of museums to include perspectives that of items were misrepresenting indigenous peoples. are different and from different artists,” Harrison said.

Often, it is unclear where art originated from, either “And they should do that while also making sure that because it was stolen more than once from more than one they’re not perpetuating issues they’re hoping to fight.”

ARTS • 35

MUNITY COM

Text and design by AIDAN DO, EUNCHAE HONG and MATHEW SIGNORELLO-KATZ • Art by EUNCHAE HONG • Photos by EUNCHAE HONG

the

WITHIN

The Teen Arts Council works to build a community where teens can explore their artistic interests

I

t’s 6:30 pm on a Wednesday evening. Upon entering the Teen Arts Council’s weekly meetings, unfamiliar faces are rushed with an enthusiastic greeting from the council’s many members, immediately sparking close-knit connections that enhance the high-school experience.

Teen Arts Council (TAC), a group run by Palo Alto teens, strives to provide high schoolers with a welcoming and open space to express their artistic creativity through various forms of art: music, comedy, visual art, poetry, film and fashion. In the midst of challenges posed by Covid-19, TAC maintains its interactive environment to engage with PAUSD students.

For Co-Presidents Pheobe Berghout and Nila Nag, the opportunity to lead TAC has been a source of excitement and a way to bring teens together to engage in enriching cultural experiences, rotating every week between the Mitchell Park Teen Space and the Palo Alto Children’s Theater. From improv and open mic nights to clothing swaps and mural painting, TAC provides a lot for the Palo Alto community.

“In our themed events, open mics, comedy night and Pictur clothing swap, we try and extend our events ed be low E to a variety of interests and really rin Br ady (l eft) an span a bunch of differd Alis ha Be rnatz ent genres ki

of art,” Berghout said.

With these primary goals in mind, TAC aims to plan events that align with the community’s interests and values.

“Bringing [events] to our community is really fun, and it gives teens a really good opportunity to share their art in all different ways in a non-judgmental space [which is] exactly what we want to do,” Berghout said.

Throughout the planning process of their events, TAC strives to incorporate a large variety of artistic styles, so that events are more enjoyable and accessible to everyone.

“We want to really work with our audience and create a more positive experience for everybody,” Nag said. “We want all the planning and the creation to come from the people who are going to be experiencing the events.”

Despite TAC’s expertise in planning engaging activities for those around the community, TAC has had its fair share of obstacles.

One of the biggest struggles the members of TAC faced was the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to all their in-person events and meetings shutting down.

“Covid has changed really everything about how we operate as a council,” Nag said. “We had to totally rethink how we went about keeping people engaged while switching everything over to virtual.”

Similarly, to the rest of the members of

“It was really rewarding to see everything come to life and feel like I’ve been part of something.”

Phoebe Berghout, TAC co-president

(right

)

36 • cmagazine.org

TAC, co-publicity head, Rebecca Helft believes that Covid-19 has had a negative impact on what they do, but in the past year, they have bounced back and learned from it.

“We sort of lost a little bit of our audience in the past year, through no fault of anyone’s, it was just a hard year and it was a hard uphill battle, but now that we’re back, it’s getting a lot better,” Helft said.

While ways of adapting have worked for TAC and the people who attended their events, some of the virtual events lacked the engagement and overall energy they were planning for the in-person events.

“We had this large festival called Buoyancy that was supposed to be held at Mitchell Park in summer of 2020,” Berghout said.

“Because of the pandemic, we had to cancel the festival, which was super disappointing because months of planning…we had a virtual substitute, but it really wasn’t the same.”

One of their biggest priorities in the past year has been producing events that are Covid-19 safe, while still maintaining the experience of their events prior to the pandemic.

“Just staying on top of what is and is not safe and trying to be better, while still, doing what is important to us [even with the pandemic],” Helft said.

During the process of tackling the challenges they faced due to the pandemic, TAC was able to learn valuable lessons in problem solving and teamwork.

“It’s a council, everybody is important,” Helft said. “I think we had a lot of we had a lot more success [this year] than we thought we would, so I think that was really great.”

While the pandemic has been a challenge for TAC, the members have not forgotten the importance of what they always aim to do.

Pi

cture d abo “It ve Ph oebe was really Bergh out (l eft) a rewarding to see everynd M iles G ardne thing come to life and feel like I’ve r (rig ht) been part of something,” Berghout said. “[It’s a] sense of community that you cannot probably find in a lot of other activities.”

Through the hard work and effort put into every one of their events, the members of the council are always amazed by what they are able to create together.

“You’re surprised by what you can accomplish in meetings with fellow members,” Berghout said. “I’m always shocked with how many people come to the events…we get 50 people at our events, sometimes 90, and it’s like, ‘whoa!’”

For many of the people who attended these meetings, like senior Jane Gwin-Kerr, it gives them an opportunity to voice their ideas and give back to the community.

“I really like attending the events and meetings because I…have an impact in the community,” Gwin-Kerr said. “It’s good to have a space for teens to get together in a very positive space.”

In addition to new people feeling welcomed into an environment, people who have been a part of TAC for a long time, also feel that they are a part of a community. “My favorite thing about the meetings in the events is that they’re so social, and…I’m also meeting new friends and meeting people who have really similar interests in mind…so it’s just a great community-building experience for me,” Berghout said.

In contrast to many of the activities available to teens in Palo

“Our goal is not to necessarily make you the best, you don’t have to practice and you don’t have to do all these things. It’s just to have fun with your friends and it’s to have fun for free, which I think is really valuable.”

Rebecca Helft, TAC co-publicity head

Renee Vetter (left), Ameer Ali (center) and Erin Brady (right) perform their comedy routine during a Teen Arts Council event on February 4.

ARTS ARTS •• 37 37

Kyle Vetter dons a cowboy hat while performing on the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre Castle Stage during a Teen Arts Council event.

Alto, TAC prides themselves on creating a safe and relaxing space for teens to explore their personal interests with creative freedom.

“Our goal is not to necessarily make you the best, you don’t have to practice and you don’t have to do all these things,” Helft said. “It’s just to have fun with your friends and it’s to have fun for free, which I think is really valuable.”

At the end of the day, TAC hopes that through the community that they have created within the council, they have been able to give back to the Palo Alto community at large.

“I would like to imagine that people go to these events, especially the more social events, and get to meet people and talk to people, all these things that helps foster a better community at large and more friendships,” Helft said.

Building off their recent accomplishments, TAC has planned many engaging and entertaining events for the rest of the semester—including an Open Mic on March 12 at the Mitchell Park Teen Center, the Luminescence Short Film Festival on May 7 and a Summer Takeoff Music and Arts Festival at the beginning of June. Even though this group of teens has faced recent challenges, they have managed to overcome them and continue to do what they do best: engaging their community through memorable events.

Jack Champlin gestures expressively to the Teen Arts Council audience during the February 4 Comedy Hoedown event

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Your Tune Music has always played a special role in bringing families closer together

MUSIC ARTS • 39

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here is never a dull or quiet moment in the De Feo For those who love music, their love for music stemmed from household. Speakers are always on, playing music from a young age, and in some cases, even before they were born. an array of popular artists: older artists and bands like Sophomore Hannah Huang remembers classical music being AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and the B-52s, to newer artists like Lil part of her life ever since the start of time. “When I was in my Uzi Vert and Blue Face. mom’s womb, she would teach piano every day, so [even then, I “There’s always music playing in our house,” senior Domi- was listening] to classical music,” Hannah Huang said. “I think nic De Feo said. For Dominic and his family, music has always that’s stuck with me since I play the violin now.” been something that has brought them together.

Similarly, classical music has served as a way of joining mul“We don’t really argue about the type of music we listen to, tiple generations within a family. Junior Rebecca Helft recalls which allows us to connect, despite times where she would go to the our differences, and evolve our muballet with her grandparents. “I “Whenever [my family] goes sic tastes,” Dominic De Feo said. was exposed to [classical] music Music creates a light-hearted atsomewhere in the car and I play from [my grandparents] and garmosphere in the De Feo household. nered my love for ballet and the While the family appreciates and my music, [my parents] start hat- fine performing arts from them,” respects each other’s music tastes, ing on it and tell me to change Rebecca Helft said. there are small moments filled with Music in a home has evolved it.” light teasing too good to pass up. into a simple means of preserv“They call some of the 80s ing family memories. Sophomore heavy metal bands I like my silly Anna Van Riesen and her family little bands,” Dominic’s father, Jon typically enjoy listening to their De Feo said. music separate from each other.

For some families, however, this is not the case. There is a Nevertheless, there are a few moments that stand out and create clear distinction between music to listen to with family and mu- small pockets of joy for the Van Riesen family. sic to listen to with friends or by yourself. “Whenever [my famVan Riesen has an older brother named Josh who was diagily] goes somewhere in the car and I play my music, [my par- nosed with autism and loves sweet melodies with strong beats ents] start hating on it and tell me to change it,” junior Ayush from children’s songs. Listening to Josh’s music as a family is one Singh said. of the many ways the family bonds with each other. “The lyrics Whether or not music taste is shared between family mem- have kind of become a shared family joke or memory,” Anna bers, students and families share an appreciation of music and Van Riesen said. its diversity.

Not all families enjoy listening to music together. In the

Ayush Singh

Text and design by WILLOW STEELE and KYLIE TZENG • Art by REED JADZINSKY 40 • cmagazine.org

Huang household, the newer sounds of modern rap, pop and age, getting the best of all worlds. This broad exposure aided in indie music are enjoyed by both Hannah and her brother Jer- the development of their current musical interests. emy, but their parents do not share their love for these genres.

“I think our [family’s] love for music and the fact that it is “They think [our music] is loud and our tastes in music are on in the house all the time as opposed to the TV has definitely trash,” Jeremy Huang said. influenced, if not their love for music, definitely their interest in Likewise, when Rebecca’s dad, Ryan Helft, was in the fourth music,” Jon De Feo said. grade, he had his first exposure to hard rock: a friend of his On the opposing side, besides listening to Josh’s music, the gifted him Led Zeppelin’s fourth album on an audio cassette Van Riesen household tends to keep to themselves in regards tape and another gave him an audio cassette tape of one of the to music.

Hooligans’ albums. “I loved it imEach member of the family mediately,” Rebeccas’s father said. has found their own way through “Music is music and it doesn’t “My mother hated it immediately.” the music world creating a diverse This experience growing up matter if the lyrics are harsh or spectrum of musical tastes within caused Ryan’s music taste to be the family. whatever. If something hits you heavily influenced by friends and “Our family is a lot more [of external factors, but it also allowed and touches you and your soul an] ‘experience our own music him to gain a new understanding with our own headphones’ kind of by all means, listen to it.” of music. “I think my dad really family,” Anna’s mom, Susan Van learned to be open minded about Riesen said. “I kind of wish that one’s music tastes,” Rebecca Helft were not true.” said.

Of course, there are many ways He may not appreciate musical for families to include music into theater as much as his daughter, but he will enjoy the music their life. One option is to give each family member the flexalongside her. He is always glad to be in her presence, and he ibility to develop their own musical tastes and explore the vast loves seeing Rebecca develop her own musical tastes, just as he array of music available. Another option is to make sure that evdid when she was her age. eryone is at ease at whatever level of musical discovery they are Echoing Ryan’s sentiment, Jon has never suppressed his chil- at. This is essential for a positive family relationship with music. dren’s musical journeys. In fact, he has always encouraged it.

“Music is music and it doesn’t matter if the lyrics are harsh or With diverse music constantly on shuffle, the De Feo kids were whatever,” Jon De Feo said. “If something hits you and touches exposed to multiple genres of the musical world at such a young you and your soul by all means, listen to it.”

Jon De Feo

ARTS •• 41 41 MUSIC

Text and design by KAILA CHUN and ISAAC HILLESLAND • Art by RENNY ARGAST

Black Music: Amplifying America The impact of Black American musicians and their music on the music industry

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he African American influence on American music is profound; it has shaped American music in every genre,” retired PALY teacher Letitia Burton said. “Even bluegrass and country western music has been shaped by the African influence.”

Burton retired from PALY in 2020 but still considers herself an educator. She uses her background as an educator, personal experience as a musician and general knowledge of American history to help unpack the influence of Black musicians and music.

Many Black musicians throughout history have been underrepresented, despite their tremendous impact on the music industry.

The emergence of African American culture in the United States as a result of slavery and mistreatment has heavily shaped the creation of modern music.

The term “Black Music” is used to describe the genres that have been heavily impacted by African American musicians.

From R&B, jazz,

soul, blues, jazz-rock fusion, hip-hop and folk music, Black musicians have played a prominent role in the creation and evolution of modern-day music. “[Black music] has been really influential and it has had a big impact on the music that we hear now,” senior Maia Johnsson said.

“I think that without Black music from a while ago, we wouldn’t be anywhere [near] where we are right now.”

Black artists throughout American history have shaped the music industry with revolutionary and unique genres.

“African American [musicians] have made so many impacts on history, and I definitely believe our influence on music will never be forgotten,” junior O’Maria Sephers said.

After slavery came the creation of blues, a genre of music inspired by traditional African American folk music. Early blues artist Lead Belly was famous for his innovation in folk-blues.

“He introduced playing a 12 string guitar into mainstream [music], which was kind of uncommon, at least in Black music up until this point,” junior Reed Schulman said.

Other blues artists such as Elizabeth Cotten and Mississippi John Hurt were famous for their contribution to the genre as well as their talent as solo musicians.

“They’re both really talented because they are able to play a guitar where they both have a melody and an accompaniment going at the same time,” junior Phela Durosinmi said.

This method and technique of playing the guitar guided many musicians. Cotten is known for creating a new style of playing the guitar for left-handed musicians by flipping a right-handed guitar to play it properly with her left hand.

“She played it left-handed, which was just unseen at the time, and now lots of people do that,” Schulman said. “It’s kind of a moment in history where something completely original is now a

“I think that without Black music from a while ago, we wouldn’t be anywhere [near] where we are right now.”

Maia Johnsson, senior

ELIZABETH COTTEN 42 • cmagazine.org

form of a standard way of playing.”

Jazz, another classic American genre created in the late 19th century, boasts a rich history and influence from Black musicians.

“A lot of [jazz] came from the South and New Orleans,” Durosinmi said. “And it was almost all African American.”

Jazz was created as a blend of blues and ragtime, an example of merging of African and European music which included syncopated rhythms.

“I like that jazz can take many forms,” Durosinmi said. “It’s very fluid and finds its way into many forms of music.”

Some notable Black jazz figures include: Scott Joplin, who brought attention to ragtime, Grant Green, known for blending styles, Louis Armstrong, who moved the focus of music to solo performances and Don Shirley, who mixed jazz with a classical influence. These are just a few of many who shaped the music industry.

“Grant Green plays a lot of covers and has refined a very clean and distinct tone,” Durosinmi said. “He is able to put new spins on other people’s music while leaving his mark on them.”

Another notable jazz figure is Ella Fitzgerald, who is sometimes called “The First Lady of Song.”

“When I listen to Ella Fitzgerald she has such a pure sound and she has an incredible range,” Burton said. “She can [sound] light as a feather but she can also be really deep and soulful.”

The pillars of Black music have spread to many other genres.

Rock and roll was created by Black musicians such as Chuck Berry, another example of the clash between European instrumentals and the African American R&B, short for rhythm and blues, music tradition which managed to create an innovative new genre which spread wide and was adored by fans Black and White.

Rock and roll musicians include Little Richard, who was famous for his glorious performances and piano skills, and later Jimi Hendrix who was one of the most impactful guitar players of all time. “[Hendrix] led the way into exploring the endless possibilities of the guitar,” Schulman said. “He formed a new sound that’s replicated today but probably will never be made again successfully.”

Starting in the 1940s, new genres such as R&B emerged. Artists Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles led the rise of this new genre that is still very popular today.

By the end of the 20th century, rap music started to become popular, with well-known hits such as 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” and Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” coming out in the early 2000s.

“I went to college in the late ‘90s and early 2000’s,” PALY band teacher Gregory Miller said. “The influences of individuals like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice T and Ice Cube from the late ‘80s and ‘90s paved the way for artists like Nelly and Jay Z.” Rap music has continued to change throughout the years as new musicians bring new ideas and innovations.

“I think it’s really fun to see how [rap has] evolved through the words they use, the tone and the speed at which they are rapping,” Johnsson said.

Living as a Black musician in America post-reconstruction offered its struggles.

Lead Belly, an inmate in the deep south, often sang about the issues which plagued his day.

“He talked about racism and prison and also politics,” Schulman said.

Black music is often shaped by the experience of Black Americans, whose lives and experiences are reflected through song.

“I feel like every song, whatever genre, you know, gospel, R&B, blues, jazz, all of it is really a story,” Sephers said.

Black musicians have used their voices to bring important issues to light. For those who have managed to gain credit and success for their artistic endeavors, their lyrics reach a large audience and can have meaningful impacts.

“A lot of Black music really tries to embrace culture and bring out what [the artists] are thinking of and who they are,” Johnsson said.

“And I think that’s really fun to listen to because I get to feel like I’m seeing a bit into this musician’s life and seeing what they are interested in.”

“There have been Black musicians who have had massive influence over the young population and across racial divides that haven’t received much credit, if any.”

Reed Schulman, junior

MILES DAVIS MUSIC • 43

An example of a song that sheds light on prevalent issues is ‘Alright’ by Kendrick Lamar which references promises given to enslaved people that were never received, as well as talking about police targeting the Black community.

For many Black musicians in history, music has been a medium through which they could gain independence and success, despite the racism of their times as well as allowing them the ability to express their culture and struggles.

“I think music is actually one of the mediums where [Black musicians are] most accurate and most the equally represented,” Durosinmi said.

However, there is still work to be done to increase representation for Black musicians in some genres, such as classical music, where credit for Black musicians is severely lacking.

“In the world of classical music, we still have a very long way to go, as is illustrated by the lack of diversity in published lists of recommended music published for band and orchestras out there available to teachers,” Miller said.

The largest distributor of music recommended for orchestras and bands in the United States, JWPepper, carries a very small number of compositions written by Black musicians.

“This list includes only 1.3% of historically underrepresented composers,” Miller said. “This is why I work so hard to find music

sourced by composers from a wide variety of diverse backgrounds that are more representative of our community here in Palo Alto.”

Schulman agrees that not all Black musicians are given the amount of recognition and coverage that they deserve.

“There have been Black musicians who have had massive influence over the young population and across racial divides that haven’t received much credit, if any,” Schulman said.

An example of this is Chuck Berry, who was put in as a co-writer for something he wrote by himself, leading him to receive less credit for his own song.

Though not always given the proper credit, Black musicians have been immensely impactful to the music industry in the past and present day.

“I would just think that without the influence of African Americans and American music, [music] wouldn’t be what it is now,” Burton said.

Black music and musicians have impacted the entirety of the music industry. Most, if not all, musical genres owe credit to Black musicians.

“We’ll always see undertones and the influence of historical Black music like blues, soul, funk, gospel, jazz,” Schulman said.

“And it’s [historical Black music that] paved the way for the modernization of Black music which has become, thankfully, more and more mainstream.”

“I feel like every song, whatever genre, you know, gospel, R&B, blues, jazz, all of it is really a story.”

O’Maria Sephers, junior

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Peter Cat Recording Co. The melodious vocals and unique instrumentals of this New Delhi-based quintet create an appealing, artistic and multifaceted sound. They successfully blend snippets of traditional Indian music and Western music to create their own distinct style. Descriptions of their sound range from ballroom waltz, to space disco to gypsy jazz to psychedelic cabaret.

Each song is a surprise even within the album. Peter Cat Recording Co. fan, junior Yasmin Friedrichowitz describes her favorite aspects of their music. “My favorite thing about their music is how their singer’s bounce sounds so classic and smooth but they are able to incorporate aspects of modern music,” Friedrichowitz said. “They know how to make old jazz and old music more interesting by adding their own flare to it.” Photo courtesy of Sanchi Kalani.

46 • cmagazine.org

Watchhouse

Since 2009, married couple Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz have been performing as folk duet Watchhouse (previously Mandolin Orange). Their music is inspired by their experiences on the road and traveling, a way of life that helps them to appreciate their time at home and the important people in their lives even more. They advise their fans to embrace every moment and make precious memories by incorporating their background into their songs and lyrics.

Photo courtesy of Jimmy Rhine.

WILLIS

Formed in Florence, Alabama, the five members of WILLIS have achieved success far beyond their hometown. The indie rock band formed in 2016 after meeting in school. Their music includes touches from many genres including surfer rock and alternative blues, ultimately creating an incredibly enjoyable and authentic sound. Their most successful single “I think I Like When It Rains” on their sophomore EP ‘Locals 2’ has over four million Spotify streams. Photo courtesy of Calvin Tigre.

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Born in Lagos, Nigeria, TOBi moved to Ottawa, Canada as a child where he began his musical career by penning poetry and song-writing.

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Alternative pop artist Hunter Moreau uses music to push herself outside of her comfort zone and be vulnerable, and her music urges listeners to do the same. The singer-songwriter traces her love of music to growing up in the tiny coastal town of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, where she was born and raised. Stevie Nicks, Harry Styles, and Frank Ocean are among Moreau’s musical influences. Her first song, “Drive In,” was released in November 2019 and incorporates alluring, vivid lyrics as well as a clear sense of passion. Moreau composed it after undergoing extensive surgery at the age of 16. “Sleepyhead” and “Hazy’ are two additional singles she’s released since then. Photo courtesy of Hunter Moreau.

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KeiyaA is an R&B artist who released her debut album, Forever Ya Girl, in 2020. KeiyaA takes her inspiration from various soul, jazz and alternative rock artists such as SWV and Nirvana. Similar to the music of those she is influenced by, KeiyaA’s released work all share a common thread in their powerful, raw lyrics. Her songs address various issues including race and identity.

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ARTS •• 47 MUSIC 47

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