Freestyle Academy 2021 Junior Documentary Articles Vol 2
Freestyle Academy proudly presents
2021 Documentary Articles Junior students were challenged with:
“How do you creatively and truthfully portray a significant person, group, place, idea, or issue in the community?” For the Junior Documentary Project, students portray an intriguing person, group, place, idea, or issue, gathering primary and secondary research sources to develop a distinct perspective about their subject’s significance in the community and/or world. The research-based paper from English serves as the copy for the magazine articles in this publication. This unit emphasizes narrative-style journalism. Students in Digital Media learned to use Adobe InDesign for article layout, Adobe Photoshop of image editing, and Adobe Illustrator for graphic design to produce these articles. Each student in Digital Media also produced a documentary website. Film students additionally produced a Documentary Film. Animation students additionally produced an Animated Documentary. Design students additionally produced a Documentary Book. All documentary productions can be viewed through https://freestyleacademy.rocks/documentaries
Contributing Authors 2 | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | freestyleacademy.rocks
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Leanna Chun 4 | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | freestyleacademy.rocks
A Leaderís Journey Through Key Club A peak into the life of a high school leader
J
By Leanna Chun
anuary 24, 2020. After months of back-and-forth emails and non-stop anxiousness, the grand plan had finally come to fruition. She scrambled around the high school campus getting donation boxes ready, folding the flyers, and having T-Shirts passed out to the performers and volunteers. For the first tim e, all of the performing arts, including orchestra, band, Dance Spectrum, choir, and theatre, all gathered in the gym for a special performance known as the Benefit Concert, to raise money for the Pediatric Trauma Program. Families and friends
from all around the area noisily crowded the entrance of the gym before the doors were finally opened at 7 pm. The concert was a huge success— raising over $4,200 for the Pediatric Trauma Program with only donations, and uniting two of her passions: music and Key Club. As Madeline Cheng, or as her friends call her, Maddie, stepped on top of the bleachers, a wave of relief and achievement swept her body as she gave a final speech before the memorable night came to an end.
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Maddie Cheng, is a Junior at Mountain View High School and a dedicated member of Key Club. Key Club is the largest student-led community service organization, spanning over 38 countries with around 270,000 members. This term, she is the newly elected Lieutenant Governor of her home division, and her main task is to lead 10 Key Clubs from schools throughout the Bay Area. Additionally, she will represent the division on a larger level, the district level, and provide news and updates to each club. The district Maddie is a part of is the California-Nevada-Hawaii District, which encompasses every Key Clubs from the three states. Her work for this upcoming term is crucial in ensuring all clubs in her division stay active, organized, and updated. Maddie vividly remembers the day she first joined Key Club when she was only a Freshman. Her school hosts Club Rush
each year, an opportunity for each club to attract new members for the upcoming school year. She distinctly remembers Key Club standing out to her, but not because she was particularly excited about a community service club. She said, “They showed up, all decked out in purple... and they had a bunch of what we call spirit s ticks...but I knew them to be these giant sticks with penguins in them”. Without much thought, Maddie just signed up for the club, only knowing it was a community service club and apparently that they liked the color purple. “I had no idea what Key Club didn’t know anything. But as soon as I went to the first meeting, I knew that this was something that I could definitely roll with, with all their opportunities and again all their spirit that I saw from the very first day”.
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After only one school year of being a member of the club, Maddie decided to run for president. “I ran for President of my home club, and somehow got it! I can’t believe people didn’t vote ‘no confidence’ in this random freshman, but I was very grateful for that”. Shockingly the membership level of her home club rose of by over 50% at the end of her first term. This was one factor that contributed to earning her home club a Diamond Distinguished award, of which there were only 11 given within the entire California-Nevada-Hawaii District during the 19-20 term. Nearing the end of her sophomore year, she decided to not only run for President of her home club again, but also for the Service Projects Coordinator position on the Division Leadership Team. Applying for the Division Leadership Team would be a step up since the division encompasses 10 schools, not just her home school. Consistent with the talented, capable leader she is, she received both positions.
Now currently I hold the esteemed Lieutenant Governor position of the division which I am very very honored to say. Itís like... ever since I was a President I was always thinking, you know thatíd be so cool. I would love to be able to serve on a division/district levelî.
At the end of her Junior year, Maddie ran for the highly esteemed but intimidating Lieutenant Governor position of the division. If elected, she would instruct 10 Key Clubs near her home school and represent each club on a larger district level. “It’s definitely a huge commitment. I think it just felt like for the most part to me a natural step coming from a member, and then becoming a club officer, and being a division officer. It’s just I really enjoy serving on this division level”. On January 23, 2021, Maddie was elected as the Lieutenant Governor.
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As the newly elected Lieutenant Governor, Maddie eagerly awaits this upcoming term, as service projects will shift to being in-person, rather than over Zoom. In her election speech, she noted some of her goals. One of the benefits of volunteering is that it provides an easy way to make new friends by bonding over a shared activity together. Inspired by the friendly intimacy of another close division, Maddie hopes to break down the walls and foster a more casual environment. Although, after this term ends and everyone in the class of twenty two graduates, Maddie doesn’t plan to leave all of her experiences behind her. She stated, “I’d like to take all that and be able to translate it to some of the things I want to do in the future such as work in arts leadership, and I’m really really grateful for Key Club for giving me these experiences”. She plans to utilize the leadership and organizational skills that Key Club helped her develop for her future in and beyond college.
However, for now, Maddie will focus all of her attention on her work in Key Club to ensure this term is a memorable one for her as well as the entire division. As Covid-19 restrictions loosen and more events are held in person, one thing Maddie really looks forward to is to participate in another round of Special Games, an event where volunteers and disabled persons of all ages gather for friendly competitions and lively training opportunities. Maddie recalls this event as her fondest service event because of the eye-opening experience she had with a boy who swam up to her requesting his time for laps in the pool. He screamed for joy when she told him, as it must’ve been a personal best. “It’s truly such an incomparable experience getting to work directly with the people you’re trying to help”. She continued, “Maybe it’s selfish, but I love getting to share these experiences, to know that I’m a part of them, and knowing that this organization, or Key Club, can do that for so many people”.
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About The Author
L
eanna Chun is a Junior at Mountain View High School and a student at Freestyle Academy. She has lived in California her whole life with her mom, dad, younger brother, and pet chickens. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, hanging out with friends, and watching Youtube. freestyleacademy.rocks | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | 9
Letitia Popescu 10 | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | freestyleacademy.rocks
Mountain of Knowledge
A profile featuring the mountaineering adventures and advice of Catalin Popescu.
Mont Dolent from Argentiere Glacier.
Finding a breath of life at the peak of a mountain is rare, but amidst the spines of rocks and walls of
ice, a vigorous climber works up. Blade of sunlight reflects off the chilled coats of snow, illuminating the head of our hero like a halo. His helmet had fallen off earlier, but he knew chasing after it would’ve cost him a price he was not willing to pay. When he pushed further, he lost his crampon - spikes that’d be attached to a boot for better grip. That’s when he, Catalin Popescu, realized it was time to stop and make a very cautious and slippery descent. Regardless of how beautiful the Grand Combin is, he knew his life was much more valuable. Popescu, my dad, is a role model for how people should approach challenging hobbies. Although he may appear fairly average, with his rock band T-Shirts and thinning, grey hair, my dad has a library of stories and knowledge of the peaks he climbs. A very notable feature of his is how kind his eyes look. Locations he visited included the Alps, Sierra Nevadas, Trinity Alps, North of Carson Pass, Sonora Pass, and many more. He’s happy to share the valuable lessons he learned, as well as the cautions one would have to avoid. Although he isn’t accompanied by his family, he always comes home with pictures to show everyone.
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Motive My dad has been hiking since he was ten with his father in Romania. During these hikes, he recalls the several mountain huts that he’d stay at. My grandfather and dad went for a week, three to four hours a day. He continued to pursue hiking. The first trip he took without his parents was when he was 18. My dad recalls “I was packing too much”, referencing the mistake beginners often make. He then strived to hike as often as possible every year. With trial and error, he learned tricks to be safer and more efficient. His interest in the outdoors and exploration branched out to mountaineering - expeditions in mountains that require more preparation and experience.
Is it just "Thrill Seeking"?
Most would consider a laborious hobby like this to be too intimidating or overwhelming, but to my dad, it’s an opportunity to have a clear mind and seek joy. “It blanks”, my dad said about his thoughts while hiking. “It's like meditation, you blank your mind more or less.” Susan Houge Mackenzie writes in her article, “Beyond thrill-seeking: exploring multiple motives for adventure participation”, about the researched motives those who participate in extreme sport have. “All participants also reported that thrill-seeking was not their sole or central motive”, Mackenzie summarizes. “The range of adventure motives identified included: goal achievement (e.g., winning competitions); risk-taking and thrill-seeking (e.g., excitement, adrenaline); social motivation (e.g., interaction with friends, teaching students); pushing personal boundaries and overcoming fear; travel/lifestyle; relaxation/ lowered arousal; connecting with nature; and pleasurable kinaesthetic sensations from moving in water or air” (Mackenzie). Seeking adrenaline isn’t always the goal of explorers. My dad finds satisfaction in participating with the outdoors and letting his mind wander alongside him.
Aig. d'Argentiere, photo taken by Catalin Popescu.
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Obstacles
On his mountaineering expeditions, he emphasizes the importance of recognizing the different types of challenges. “One is the obvious physical challenge, keep going when you're tired, or just fighting the fatigue”, he describes. “There's the technical challenge, with sometimes it's technically hard to climb some things, finding the route, and actually that's the third challenge - finding your route. And management, in general managing your climb and your exit. You always make a decision. You might have a place at home, but once you're there, things might be different, like the weather. Or the climb is harder than you expected, or you lose the route, the route is somehow difficult”. A key step to becoming a better mountaineer and more capable in hobbies is to recognize the challenges that will come. In an article by Gavin Bate, he reflects on information and requirements a beginner would need to know for mountaineering. He points out “You need to make sound judgements about safety and self-preservation, where decision making is tested with potentially major consequences” (Bate). That advice aligns with the tips my dad gave. My dad is familiar with the obstacles he faced on mountaineering, such as ice overhangs caused by blowing winds, also known as “cornice”. If you don’t know where the rock ends below this ice and happen to step on a cornice, expect to be pummeling down. My dad also gave warnings of the crevices one can find in glaciers. He showed me pictures he took of the glaciers he saw, one being ice at the bottom of two hills with a max of cracks. Falling in one of these crevices can be fatal. In Stewart Green’s article, “Statistics for Climbing Accidents, Injuries, and Fatalities”, it summarizes data collected at Boulder, California, regarding the number of injuries at the National
Mont Blanc fom the normal route, photo taken by Catalin Popescu.
Park. Stewart Green is a senior rock climbing guide and was an author for over 20 books regarding hiking and works at Front Range Climbing Co. A notable detail from the article is “RMRG rescued 2,198 mountain and wilderness victims in Boulder County'', and when you read the article, it’s easy to realize that a lot of these injuries were caused by inexperienced or careless climbers. When the article describes preventative measures, a key idea is brought up: “Prior knowledge”. The stories my dad brings to the table can be crucial for those who aspire to explore and climb mountains. So what do you do with this knowledge? You need to know how to apply it on the trail. “You don't want to go under, so you want to go over it,” my dad told me, making sure I saw the labyrinth of cracks. “These are crevices. You don't want to fall in those, okay? So you have to go on them. The hardest part is where it curves in between the rock. Just a river of ice, flows down”.
A cornice at Gran Paradiso Park on Mont Dolent, photo taken by Catalin Popescu.
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ExperiEnce
His experience especially came into play when he went hiking on Aiguille de Chambeyron with a friend. Hearing shouting, they hiked for thirty minutes before finding a man at the base of a cliff. A golden retriever accompanied the hiker who’d gone off trail. My dad recalled that it was evident the fall was nasty, given he could see the tibia bone of the hiker. Swiftly, a makeshift solution was done where they used a sandal. Given they were in a desolated area and off course, my father hiked with his friend for three hours to go to the nearest hut through the rugged peaks. They were able to notify the French rescue team for these peaks, and after an exchange with the Italian guardians of the mountain, the man (and dog) were rescued. My dad mentioned how important it was to have a guide or friend with you on these trips. If my dad and his friend hadn’t found the man, there would’ve been a grim outcome. Sticking to the trail is also a critical advice for any hiker or mountaineer to follow.
"Know your limits, don't be afraid to say no"
Sometimes, you will find yourself alone with your thoughts on the mountain, but there are other people who share that interest. People need to be willing to share what they know with others and lend a hand. Through story telling and explaining, my dad helped me understand just how valuable the lessons he knows are. He is a pillar of wisdom and continuously supports myself and others with what he knows. He is a mountain of knowledge.
Share the Stories What comes next?
After hearing about the tribulations one can face on these mountaineering hikes, my dad opens up about how on these trips, he does enjoy having small company. He’s quick to answer the ideal number for a group to be 4 maximum, including himself. He further elaborates “More is too much, too many. From experience. There are too many people, too many requirements. If somebody can not go, the whole group can not go, or if somebody feels like they're having a bad day, the whole group will have a bad day”. I felt encouraged to promise to my dad that I would go with him over the summer on hikes. Usually timid, I could see he was touched by the comment. I sincerely look up to his perseverance and wisdom. Mountaineering isn’t a hobby for everyone, but the principles and ideas that come with it can apply to anyone. He shared hopes of mountaineering in South America, New Zealand, more of Europe, Caucasus. When asked if he had any remaining advice, my dad shared “Know your limits, don't be afraid to say no, and to return. Don't sort of just ‘Oh! I have to do this, I have to do this’. It's not today, it's not today, and that's it. Know yourself, know your limits. Know your level. And that's it.”
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Letitia
Popescu Letitia Popescu is a junior at Los Altos High School and an Animation student at Freestyle Academy. She’s passionate about the art and history of animation, as well as her family and friends. One of her favorite places is the Chicago Field Museum because she enjoys learning about wildlife. She takes inspiration from nature for her illustrations and posts her animations on her YouTube channel, LettuceBettuce.
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Meri Sanders 16 | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | freestyleacademy.rocks
The Adaptable Artist
Mural artist Morgan Bricca takes on a pandemic
Bricca painting in Downtown Los Altos
By Meri Sanders
Unhappy with how little of her creativity was being expressed in her job, Morgan Bricca decided to quit and begin taking art classes again to have an escape from the technology-focused Silicon Valley. Her limiting and dull tech job led Bricca to realize her passion for art, but in a new light. Her Artist’s Way classes motivated her to do all sorts of projects like mosaics in her bathroom and eventually brought her to the idea of painting a mural in her house.
Once she started the project, she couldn’t stop: “I just lost track of time, and I felt like now that was fun, and then, of course, I go back to work on Monday and I was like, I wonder if I could just spend more time making… so that was my goal” (Bricca). Of course, she still needed to see if she could make a living out of it. So, she made a deal with herself: “I want to do this for four years and then I’ll judge my work” (Bricca). Throughout those four years, Bricca developed her career as a mural artist local to the Bay Area, at first mainly by word of mouth, and at that point, she knew this is what she was meant to do. Since then she has further developed her career with projects all over the world even with the newly presented obstacle, a global pandemic. Now Bricca has the ability to be limitless with her creativity as she is a fulltime mural artist. Over the years she has developed a portfolio of over 500 murals, both public and residential, all over the world. She is completely self-employed and is driven by her autonomous and adventurous lifestyle: “I really like autonomy and adventure so if I had to have a movie title it would be something like, ‘Morgan: Autonomy and Adventure.’ So autonomy to me is showing up when I want, picking the jobs I want, and so the opportunity there is getting to design a life that I enjoy and to me, that’s the biggest opportunity. The second opportunity is the adventure part and that every job takes me somewhere new” (Bricca). With her spontaneous and eventful career comes challenges too, but nothing that she can’t overcome. freestyleacademy.rocks | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | 17
Bricca standing in front of one of her murals
Bricca continues to find new ways to grow her community and further develop her career even in a global pandemic. Bricca’s career has led her to unforgettable opportunities: “Every project is in a different neighborhood or a different country it’s like go to Portugal, go to China, next month I’m going to North Dakota and it’s like, I never would’ve chosen to go to North Dakota but I love that I’m going to go check out the Badlands of North Dakota and adventure makes me happy.” But some of those exciting experiences had to be put on hold once the world shut down. For lots of small businesses and self-employed artists, this was a really rough time; luckily, Bricca only had to pass up a few opportunities. “I’d say there were a couple projects, around four or five that were canceled, I mean all my projects are fun so it’s like aw that’s too bad but there’s always more” (Bricca). Bricca’s positive mindset led her to come to a new realization with her career, that slowing down was a good thing. Before the pandemic, she had been very business-driven and was constantly jumping from project to project. Once she was forced to go at a different pace, she realized how beneficial it was for both herself and her artwork. “I feel that actually slowing down allows some energy and creativity to catch up and I feel like it allows my art to be better… so I plan to slow down in my creative process because I find it more enjoyable and I have more enthusiasm for it” (Bricca). Taking a step back from her physically rigorous job helped her to understand that it’s okay to 18 | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | freestyleacademy.rocks
not rush into a new project right after the last. Deciding what she wants to share with the world through her art doesn’t mean she has to sacrifice every last minute to work. She loves getting to make each mural about the experience, not just the painting. “I have a big project in San Jose that’s going to be super fun, and I’m excited to work with the community and go to their barbeques with the unfolding of it and hire locals to help me paint it… I’ve been doing it so long that I just know how to unpack it in a really delightful way” (Bricca). With her newly freed-up schedule without hustling from project to project, Bricca had the ability to slow down and work on two things, in particular, her book and podcast. The purpose of both projects is to create a community of unique artists like herself. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I feel like there are people who want to find this middle path of being able to make a living and at the same time make work that is meaningful to them and that they love. I’m not only a commercial artist and I’m not only a do what you love artist, I’m making money doing art and I’m also picking jobs that I love and are meaningful to me,” says Bricca. Her book, The Mural Artist’s Handbook, was a project in the back of Bricca’s mind for a while and the pandemic gave her the time to write it. All 135 pages consist of several chapters that highlight her process, projects, and how she has managed to turn her life into her dream. Her podcast was a project that she had started before the pandemic but got back into at the start of 2021. When conducting an episode, Bricca chooses like-minded artists to sit down with her and explore the art of making murals. Technology has enabled her to connect with an even larger audience. Bricca states, “I feel like I’m finding more of my tribe now, and because of that and it’s so gratifying.” Bricca constantly has new adventures lined up for her to continue beautifying the world, but her big hope for the future is to help other artists like her start their own businesses. “I would feel very successful if I helped other people because I’m so blessed by the work I do so if I could just inspire people not even how I do it but as a data point that this can be done” (Bricca).
“I have to steal from Maya Angelou because she’s my favorite poet: ‘Liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.’ That’s how I define success.” (Image above) Bricca painting one of her murals
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Paula’s Paints
ke Y
Master r piece u o
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Order a unique, fresh can of paint from Paula’s Paints today! www.paulaspaints.com 20 | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | freestyleacademy.rocks
Meri Sanders is a current junior at Los Altos High School as well as a student at Freestyle Academy! Some of her hobbies include drawing, reading, and spending time with her friends and family. She is extremely passionate about anything design and film/TV related and hopes to work as a production designer in her future. She also is very proud of her magazine that she co-founded with Medha (left) and Serena (right), Savvy Zine. You can check it out at savvyzine.wordpress.com!
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Mia Bassett 22 | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | freestyleacademy.rocks
The Loss and Recovery of Skylark Ranch The effects of the CZU Lightning Complex Fire Magic is always in the air at Camp Skylark Ranch. As the camp ranger drove up the winding Whitehouse Canyon Road that previously transported young girls to a whimsical world of summertime adventures, not even the fires could stop the sign of a phoenix rising from the ashes. Amidst the overwhelming sight of black charred plants and white ash covering the forest floor, Eliz Adem, the camp director of Skylark Ranch, spotted a singular deer prance through the blackened brush. She breathed a sigh of relief knowing not all life was lost in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Skylark Ranch as she prepared herself to see the remains of the camp that had been her summer home for the past fifteen years.
By Mia Bassett
grounds hot and quickly, doing its damage in a matter of hours. Within one day, tents, cabins, BIFFYs (Bathroom In The Forest For You), high ropes course obstacles, and many other areas of camp that had served generations were lost. With increasing deadly fire seasons like that of 2020 becoming more common, staff and alumni have been left with one question: what happens next?
The Fire
Camp Skylark Ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains accounted for 280 of the 86,509 acres burned from the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in August 2020. Firefighters and foresters described the fire as coming through the camp-
White House Canyon Road in May 2021, 10 months after the CZU lighting complex fire
Residents of White House Canyon Road,
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Girl Scouts included, must decide whether it is worth it to rebuild their properties in an area that is very high risk for more wildfires like the CZU Lightning Complex. Residents of Sonoma who lost their homes in the Tubbs fire of 2017 made a similar decision to rebuild in the same location as the fire, despite acknowledging that a fire would be likely to come again. “Hundreds of Sonoma residents have opted to stay put, both financially and emotionally tied to their land,” wrote NPR climate change journalist Lauren Sommer. This emotional attachment to the land and the memories it holds had provided hope for many Skylark Ranch alumni.
her time at Skylark Ranch. One moment stands out in particular for Vickery, the time when she and her friends performed a song on the guitar for the closing campfire, an event that takes place the night before all the campers return home. “I just saw a picture perfect moment where we were all in a little arc around the campfire. Everybody was glowing from the fire and we were all singing our song and it was beautiful. I got emotional honestly,” described Vickery. Alternatively, camp alumni found comfort by reaching out to each other and rekindling their connections. An alumni Facebook group titled “Skylark Ranch is in My Heart” saw a large increase in posts following the news of the fires, as people began flooding the group with memories from their time at camp. “People were sharing stories, they were sharing memories, they were sharing camp songs, they were sharing their camper t-shirt, their staff t-shirt, their staff tie, their staff tie pins. And it was really fun,” recounted Adem.
Sign leading campers to Skylark Ranch pre-fire
Reflection Eleanor Vickery, a member of the counselor-in-training program at Skylark, along with other campers, spent the months following the fires looking back on her favorite memories of
Facebook group “Skylark Ranch is in My Heart”
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The entrance to Skylark Ranch pre-fire (GS NorCal)
Recovery
This reconnection demonstrated the beauty of Girl Scouts staff were first able to visit the damSkylark Ranch: it has impacted the life of every age about a month after the fires reached Skysingle camper and staff member that has attendlark. The landscape was almost unrecognizable, ed camp, from the 1950s to today. even to someone who had been attending camp nearly her whole life. “It did not feel like the History place I remembered it Camp Skyto be. When I actually lark Ranch opened in physically got to the 1956, originally as a site, it felt like someGirl Scouts of Santa thing from a horror Clara County Camp. movie,” Adem described. The ground was coatSince then, the camp has served Northern Calied in white ash, and the tall trees that made up fornia girls from 3rd-12th grade, offering sumthe thick forest were now merely burnt trunks. mer programs including horseback riding, surfing, high ropes courses, hiking, and many other adventures. 2019 was the last year that Skylark operated under normal conditions because all Girl Scouts NorCal camps were forced to move into an online format for the summer of 2020. While this was disappointing to many campers who were unable to spend their last summer before the fire physically at camp, Adem described the situation as lucky because there were no campers or horses living at the camp when the fire arrived. “If we had been running camp, it would have been a day at camp. So I also kept thinking, ‘Wow, I’m very grateful that I did not Remains of beds following the fire (GS NorCal) have to evacuate 250 people,’” she shared.
“It felt like something from a horror movie.”
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Adem, along with Girl Scouts NorCal CEO Marina Park, assessed the forest’s health following the fires with a forester. “He really talked to us a lot about waiting and giving the forest time to recover before we start coming in and using this as a camp again, because it’s not safe,” explained Park. Although the end goal of Girl Scouts is to bring campers back to Skylark Ranch, Park and Adem described how that process will take many years and patience from the Girl Scout community while they ensure the forest can recover safely.
go rebuild and be part of the recovery process.” As for Skylark Ranch campers, they will have the opportunity to attend camp at one of the other Girl Scouts NorCal camp sites this summer: Camp Sugar Pine, Camp Bothin, or Camp
“[We need to wait and give] the forest time to recover before we start using this as a camp again because it’s not safe.” Hidden Falls. As Vickery described, “No matter what, I’m going to go to camp for as long as I possibly can. So whatever that holds surrounding COVID or fires, I’ll be there.” Adem will direct Girl Scouts NorCal’s virtual camp program this summer, and is optimistic for the future of Camp Skylark Ranch. “I’m just looking forward to seeing what comes next, even though I know there will be many things that come, come, come before we are finally in the clear.”
Park observes the beginning of tree regrowth (GS NorCal)
The Future of Skylark In the meantime, Adem sees this period of time as an opportunity to teach young Girl Scouts about forest recovery. “We very much so want the rebuild of Skylark, whatever that means, to be part of the experience of our campers,” described Adem. As the Skylark Ranch community grieves their loss, rebuilding the camp may provide an opportunity for alumni to reunite and connect in person. Adem continued, “A dream would be to have some sort of Girl Scout Conservation Corps where we can
Horse arena at Skylark Ranch in September 2020 and April 2021
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About The Author
A lifelong Skylark Ranch camper, Mia Bassett is currently a junior at Mountain View High School and Freestyle Academy. Outside of Freestyle, she participates in ASB, Mock Trial, TedX MVHS, and varsity swimming. Outside of school she loves to volunteer with Girl Scouts and is a CIT at Girl Scout Camp during the summer. She loves spending time in nature, writing, and travelling. Mia hopes that one day she can return to Skylark Ranch and spread camp magic as a counselor for its first summer back open!
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Miumi Shipon is Pushing Boundaries with Antifragile Zine
By Nadia Pai 2021 28 | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | freestyleacademy.rocks
Miumi Shipon is Pushing Boundaries with Antifragile Zine “I t all started when I had just gotten out of a really abusive relationship and I had hoped to kind of take back this sort of self-identity that had been taken away, or lost, and it was essentially just started as an idea for an artist collective,” recalls Miumi Shipon, a sixteen year old
Japanese-American artist living in Berkeley. She sits in her bedroom, walls cov-
ered in original paintings, drawings, and prints of feminist and riot grrrl imagery. Shipon is the founder of Antifragile Zine, a print and online space for poetry, draw-
ings, music, and art in general. The zine
has been active for about a year; in that time, it has released two issues full of
impactful art from various artists, and has also gained a large following and
staff. Antifragile has additionally set itself apart from similar zines and publica-
tions by only publishing work produced by women and nonbinary people of color.
Antifragile Zine is a magazine for visual and written submissions, founded by Miumi Shipon and Macey Keung.
Miumi started Antifragile Zine in the
summer of 2020, right in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea came to her
after getting out of an abusive relationship; as part of her recovery, she aimed to
take back her voice and identity that she felt had been stripped by her abuser. In
doing so, she decided to extend the opportunity to others like her. Shipon began
by posting some of her ideas to her personal Instagram account, where several people responded positively. In particular, one of her followers and a schoolmate,
Macey Keung, was very excited about the
idea of an art-zine-slash-artist-collective. Miumi recounts her first online interac-
tions with Macey, laughing as she says,
“she had just gotten out of the shower and she was in her bath towel, and just like, DMing me completely, like, just soaked,
and she asked me, like, ‘can you get on a Zoom call right now?’ because she was
super excited about it and I was like, ‘can you give me an hour or so?’” The two im-
mediately hit it off, and also made a great team -- Macey was the editor-in-chief of
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their school yearbook and had plenty of
experiences that are not common-
art and design direction up to Miumi. “It
This is incredibly important — more
experience with management, leaving the
was a super spontaneous thing,” says Mi-
umi. “We had never really worked together before and it was all kind of just chance.” From the very beginning, Keung and Shipon had a strong sense of the mission, values, and goals for the zine. In their first Zoom
meeting, the two created a document filled with ideas, and Shipon wrote a manifes-
to, which served as the basis of the zine. Antifragile is not only a showcase for
ly shown in the mainstream media. so than most realize. In a world centered on whiteness and white stories, the representation of minorities
in the media has become increas-
ingly significant. The way groups of people are portrayed in books, television shows, and other forms of
entertainment tend to shape how one views those people in real life.
art, but was created as a safe space for art-
For example, the Perception Insti-
color. “It is a place where people can fully
search on identity, states that “Black
side of a box, and they can tell their stories
portrayed negatively in both news
of making anybody else feel comfortable.
Many media images of black men are
be unapologetically angry or upset, or cel-
positive depictions are often limited
The zine is dedicated to pushing boundar-
tion: Culture and Perception). In turn,
providing what mainstream media does
of Black men, and leads to percep-
that its submissions and staff applications
has real-world implications, like po-
people of color. In doing this, the maga-
shines a spotlight on Black voices
ists and creatives, particularly creatives of
tute, a group dedicated to mind re-
be themselves without having to be put in-
men and boys are systematically
kind of unfiltered without any pretense
and
It’s like an area where you’re allowed to
linked to criminality or poverty, and
ebrate unapologetic joy,” explains Shipon.
to sports and music” (Representa-
ies, unfiltered storytelling, and generally
this greatly reduces the capabilities
not. Antifragile is especially unique in
tions of violence and crime, which
are open only to women and nonbinary
lice brutality. Antifragile, however,
zine’s work features the perspectives and
and uplifts them. This is likely one of
entertainment
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programming.
M
Miumi and Macey sharing a cake
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the reasons they’ve gained such a large
In the year since founding the zine, Miumi
Institute, a 2016 diversity report con-
lot, from getting a member of their staff
following -- according to the Arab Film ducted by UCLA’s Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies found that
“increasingly diverse audiences prefer diverse film and television content”
(What Exactly is Media Representation Anyway?). Gen Z has been found to be
one of the most diverse generations in history, and this incredibly variegated
audience wants to see themselves rep-
resented. Though film and television has begun to make changes, stories are
still very much centered around white and male perspectives, and the indus-
try has a long way to go. Antifragile, though, has stuck by their mission, and
has gained much support in doing so.
(along with Macey), has accomplished a
hired at a large company, to designing and releasing Antifragile merchandise, but what lies ahead? In the future, Shipon
hopes to organize meet-ups at different
venues in the Bay Area. She envisions an event where artists can showcase and sell
their works, and where musicians and po-
ets can perform. “We really do also want this to be not just an abstract concept,
but a tangible place for people to share their work and to possibly gain opportu-
nities,” says Shipon. And that’s not all -currently Miumi and her team are hard at work on issue three of the zine, the theme
of which is “spoiled milk.” The issue will explore themes of shame, internalization, the feelings of cleanliness and being
dirty, and growth. Ultimately, Miumi and
Macey’s goal is to make Antifragile “as big as possible.” The magazine and on-
“Increasingly diverse audiences prefer diverse film and television content.”
line space provides a place that creatives
and people of color can feel truly safe and be authentically themselves. Miumi
aims to spread that space as far and wide as she possibly can, and to uplift artists
and marginalized people using the zine.
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About the Author Nadia Pai is a student at Freestyle Academy. She enjoys drawing, espcially drawing people in her style. Other interests include listening to music, spending time with her three dogs, and eating chocolate!
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Quinn Anderson 34 | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | freestyleacademy.rocks
FLASHES
A Camera Tracking Lightning and a Glimpse of the Man Behind It By Quinn Anderson
"He will work tirelessly for the benefit of the people around him, whether they are complete strangers or close family."
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Denver, Colorado. Mark Anderson is sitting in a
Himalayan Indian restaurant with his coworker and friend Gary Heyman during a work trip. As the waiter sets the menus on the table, the two are informed that each dish can be ordered to a certain level of spiciness, a heat scale from 1-10. Heyman nobly selects a dish, requesting a respectable level 6. Anderson, knowing his own limits, orders a meek 3. The food is served, and the friends begin to eat. But soon enough, Anderson finds himself struggling. “It was so spicy, he started breaking out in sweat,” Heyman recalls, laughing. “He thought the food was very good, and he was so concerned about offending the people… that he took it and he spread it around his plate... He cares about people enough to not want to do something intentionally to hurt their feelings. That's just a simple stupid thing, Anderson at the GOES-R launch in Florida you know? But it gives you an idea that the way he looks at the world is with kindness.” Anderson was a stark outlier in his family when he moved to California to pursue Aerospace Engineering. From the so-called “deep roots” To Heyman, Anderson is more than an ex- suburbs of Minnesota, he left a comfortable, coworker. He worked alongside and then familiar setting to pursue an entirely under him for years at aerospace company contrasting world. Although his main focus Lockheed Martin, and what would usually be was landing himself a job at the state’s own a stiff acquaintance between an employee and branch of aerospace company Lockheed Martin, manager blossomed into a lifelong friendship. he was more than happy to end up in a techThe same vigor and care that was relinquished centered, fast moving place. “It was the pulse towards a single employee at a restaurant and the vibe of this area in particular, within is matched every day at his job, according Silicon Valley,” he reflected. “When I moved to to Heyman. At work, he is a “go-to person,” California, [my family] would tease me, because someone who helps out above and beyond his California is a more liberal type of state… I was managerial position in the company. My dad just really excited to come to a different area.” is no stereotypical portrayal of an engineer. Although he’s often quiet and very logical in his thinking, he outwardly carries the reputation Anderson became infatuated with space as he of someone who is funny, personable, and grew up, citing inspirations such as astronomer outgoing. At home, he is an affectionate father Carl Sagan, who narrated the space-centered and a caring husband. Anderson’s ability to be series Cosmos in 1980. (Wikipedia) The first both gentle and assertive are what allows him ever Star Wars movie, released when he was 10 success in his field and strong relationships years old in 1977, sparked passion in his heart. with the people he loves. He will work tirelessly “It might seem silly now,” he commented; “[but] for the benefit of the people around him, whether believe it or not, that probably had a big impact.” they are complete strangers or close family. A couple years later, his time in high school
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nurtured a love for working with his hands. He had access to classes centering in plastics, wood, and metals, as well as aviation and automotive electives. Together, a passion for space and a love for physical work blossomed into an aerospace career. “I had considered being in an astronomy field but decided against it because I like to build things too much,” Anderson noted. After finishing his undergraduate at University of Minnesota, he moved to California to study at Stanford. 3 months after graduating, through the connections of friends and a long interview process, he landed a job at Lockheed Martin in 1990. Six years later, he met my mom, and by September of 1997 they were wed. They settled down in Menlo Park, buying a house and having my sister and I. Once at Lockheed, Anderson spent the next 30 years working on various projects, with his most recent being a lightning tracking camera launched on space satellite GOES-17
The GOES-R satellite being transported via truck
in 2018. GOES, or Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, are a series of weather satellites that help millions of people track the weather and stay out of harm’s way. (NOAA) His specific project is called GLM, or the Geostationary Lightning Mapper, which is a camera that records lightning strikes in real time. It provides a 24/7 database that is used by meteorologists across the country to alert people about thunderstorms and tornadoes days or
Anderson in the clean room
hours before they strike. Other natural disasters, including flash flooding and tropical cyclones, can also be accounted for just by tracking lightning patterns. (GLM) “Ultimately, it's a set of data that anyone can access,” Anderson says. Information from a number of satellites, including his team’s GOES 16 and 17, can be found on this Colorado State website. Anderson himself started working as an engineer, but has been promoted to a manager and now runs a team of 40 in Lockheed’s aerospace division. I’ve spent most of my life with a rudimentary idea of who my dad is. His life and person have always felt a bit abstract to me, the most obvious example of this being my hazy understanding of his job. For someone who couldn’t tell you for the life of them what exactly it was he created, I spent a lot of my elementary school years bragging about how he was an actual rocket scientist. I grew up spending half my time in a classroom, namely whichever one my mom was teaching in during any given year. I’ve been fully immersed in her life—I’ve spent time with all her friends and helped her out in her classroom; I know her favorite Bruce Springsteen song and I’ve read her old journals. My dad is simply a different person. Growing up has proved this, because as good as a parent he’s always been to me, it’s clear being around young children is not his forte. Therefore, the most recent years of my life have begun to reveal to me someone who shows themselves most through their actions rather than their words.
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but by giving them help and talking them through unfortunate situations. He does not back down from taking on a burden if it means the comfort or ease of someone he cares for.
Anderson and Claire on a plane to Boston
My sister Claire is 3 years older than me and a freshman in college. She left home for the first time in January, starting at Boston University across the country in Massachusetts. She was delighted to get into one of her top schools, but the process was anything but simple. She had no declared major, which made choosing one college out of thousands of specialized schools seem almost impossible. My dad helped her through the entire way. While many of her friends worked with advisors hired by their parents, she and my dad scoured online resources and books hundreds of pages long, watching lectures, reading websites, sending emails, scheduling tours. It was meticulous, painstaking work, and a completely new process for my father. When asked about finding a college, he told me, “I knew that for... an Aerospace Engineering degree there was only a select number of schools that were close by... So I was pretty limited with what choices I had.” Choosing U of M for him was obvious- it had his major and he could be relatively close to home. He had no preparation or experience in picking one of thousands of schools, but he learned all he could about it just for Claire’s benefit. Towards the end when things got rough and Claire was beginning to worry she wouldn’t get into any of her top schools, he was there for her emotionally, comforting her and staying optimistic. My dad expresses care to the people he loves not by telling them so directly,
My dad’s job at Lockheed is an incredibly important part of his life; it is something he is invested in deeply and enjoys working hard at. Despite his zeal, however, it can be an overwhelming and exhausting experience for himself and his colleagues. “GLM was the hardest program I've ever worked on,” Heyman explains. “And it's not because of the people, it's not because of the technical challenges… We lost like two years of schedule because of some component problems.” When working on GOES-17, things went south– power distribution electronics failed during testing. The components were from out of state, provided by a company on the east coast, and it was a brutal setback. “There's a lot of explaining to do to your congresspeople,” Anderson detailed, describing how NASA was forced to testify in court and request more money for the program. They received the grant, but were forced to keep on launch schedule despite the failure. The California division found themselves traveling back and forth to Denver, Colorado to collaborate with other engineers. “We got pretty good at cancelling and remaking our flights,” my dad recalled, laughing. Ultimately, the team was able to finish in time, but it took constant strain on workers. Looking back on the experience, Heyman emphasized the impact of Anderson’s efforts. Anderson was a manager at the time, overseeing 40 people, and constantly in and out of meetings. However, his skill as an engineer persisted, and he continued to put it to work. “He knew that if he didn't help it would cause people a lot of stress and I think he was willing to take that strain on himself.” (Heyman) Despite being as busy as everyone else, Anderson continued to go beyond his position for the wellbeing of his colleagues. He holds a clear value for the people he works with, proved through his exuberant work calls that often dissolve into jokes and laughter. He cares deeply for his team, and shows them the same kind of affection demonstrated to his family: assistance in
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About the Author Anderson and his wife on vacation
anything they need and a drive to help complete their work to relieve some of their tension. Anderson plans to stay at Lockheed until he retires in a decade or two. His team is still working on the GOES satellite series, with the next instrument, GOES-T, scheduled to take flight in December of 2021. In terms of the future of astronomy, Anderson explained: “[It will] grow beyond now just launching a robotic thing to launching people, going back to the moon and developing the kind of infrastructure that's gonna be needed to maintain instead of going once.” He noted that such a future, including the desire to find more inhabitable planets, is past his time and perhaps is a couple generations away. On the side, Anderson is busy with his parental duties, helping to guide Claire through adult life and myself through the college process. The rest of my life will be spent following in his footsteps. I may not choose a career like his, or end up living in the same place, but I hope to carry with me his ability to express a sort of silent compassion that is shown through helping others and enduring the worst for them.
Quinn Anderson is a junior and an Animation student at MVHS’ Freestyle Academy. She enjoys digital art, spending time with her friends, and doing puzzles.
Heyman has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon either. “Even though I'm retired, I'm gonna be your dad's friend until he can't stand me,” he said, laughing. “Which I hope is never.” freestyleacademy.rocks | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | 39
Stella Barretto 40 | Freestyle Academy Spring 2021 Vol 2 | freestyleacademy.rocks
Friendship and Growth: Not Up for Debate by Stella Barretto
Aman (left) and Kaavya (right)
A drumbeat of quickened heartbeats and a chorus of nervous chatter fill the hallways as students in ill-fitting suits crowd the campus. Fueled by coffee and competition, the students give practice speeches to walls and frantically rustle through papers as they prepare to face off in front of judges in a competition they’ve spent weeks preparing for.
While many students sacrifice time with friends for research and public speaking skills, two students found friendship within the competitive environment of Speech and Debate. Speech and Debate partners Aman Shah and Kaavya Butaney, juniors at Los Altos High School, are showing the MVLA community how a Speech and Debate partnership is an opportunity for personal growth and friendship.
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Tournament
Partners by Chance
December 2019, day 2 of the Santa Clara University Tournament: Kaavya had woken up feeling sick. “Uncomfortably sick”, she noted. An hour before they were due to compete, Kaavya found herself broken down in a bathroom stall, her meager breakfast flushed down the toilet beside her. Outside the bathroom, dress shoes rapidly clacked in the halls and panicked voices bled together as students spoke at a pace unintelligible to non-debaters. Tears met the tile floor as Kaavya hunched in the stall, her friends on the other side of the door urging her to just go home. “Just go home Kaavya.” Kaavya had emerged from the bathroom and was met with her partner, Aman. “I’ll take care of it, go home,” he pushed. Whether it was stubbornness or unshakeable dedication, Kaavya would not go home. “Admittedly, I didn’t have much faith in him,” added Kaavya. “And I decided, no, I’m was gonna be fine. But he was willing to Mav for me. Even though I wasn’t properly sick, I was only like mildly sick.” (‘Mav’ refers to ‘Maverick’, a single debater in a two-person event) Touched by Aman’s willingness to face the tournament alone, the pair pushed through the tournament together––Kaavya on an empty stomach.
Before becoming partners, Aman and Kaavya had vastly different introductions to debate. Aman had started his debate career in sixth grade, intrigued by the research component as well as the prospect of arguing. He eventually quit in seventh grade. “It was just really lonely –– and there wasn’t much of a team format”. Kaavya was lured into debate by peer pressure and a Speech and Debate propaganda poster. In the end, they both found themselves drawn to Public Forum Debate, a form of debate “designed to enable debaters to discuss current events in an accessible, conversational format”. This form of debate has a partner format in which the two speakers alternate speeches––this allows for students to work together as partners, as they are given a month to prepare before competing. Kaavya and Aman became partners entirely by chance. How they became partners is Kaavya’s self-acclaimed “favorite story to tell about Aman because it’s very embarrassing.” Aman was originally meant to be partners with one of his friends, but was abandoned by this friend three hours before their first debate practice––leaving him partnerless. Consequently, Kaavya was also in the market for a debate partner. Having limited options, they became partners.
“I don’t know if it’s coincidence or not, but we ended up being really good friends and really good balances for each other… [and] I think my experience with debate would be very different without [Aman] because he and I are very much like an old married couple,”
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“I was his rebound,” “I’m not sure why I agreed to be partners with him, but I don’t regret it”, added Kaavya. “We both had no idea how public forum worked, so we kind of just learned together how to work with each other”. Over the course of the next three years, they would go from reluctant partners to the closest of friends and experienced debaters.
The Journey For many students, Speech and Debate is a journey of finding one’s voice and developing the skills and courage necessary to speak in front of judges. On top of this, students find the skills they develop in debate helpful in anything from applying to college to applying to jobs. Some students can go from not being able to muster the courage to asking for ketchup to being “the kid up at the whiteboard; the kid leading discussions; and the kid standing up for [their] beliefs”. For Kaavya and Aman, their partnership allowed them to learn and grow together. “Being debate partners with someone is very different to being friends with them because you’re not just friends with them. You have to rely on them to do their work, you have to rely on them to be there for you––not just like friends in a friendship way––but in a very argumentative, evidence-based way. And you need to have that communication and that understanding” explained Kaavya. When asked her opinion on negative traits that Aman brings to the partnership, she easily rattled off qualities that aren’t reflected in an average friendship. Despite this, Kaavya and Aman balance each other out through unconditional support and sometimes brutalhonesty.
“It’s a very yin and yang relationship because one of us will always compensate for the other in a certain way” The Work In Kaavya’s room, walls decked with posters and shelves lined with books, lives an inconspicuous bag. Upon a glance, the bag is mundane and unintriguing, looking like any other bag. What is inside the bag appears just as boring (or even more boring) than the dull exterior: countless papers crammed with handwriting unintelligible to the untrained eye. What this sack of papers and smudged graphite represents is months of work and preparation. Nights before tournaments pass by quickly with four-hour video calls discussing last-minute preparations.
“Kaavya and I in terms of our personal prep are pretty split,” expressed Aman. “But in terms of preparation that we do for the whole team as a group, Kaavya puts in a lot more effort.” In Speech and Debate, preparation for tournaments is not only done between partners but is also collaborated on by the whole club. “There’ll always be some people who do more: some people doing less––me doing more,” explained Kaavya annoyedly. While Kaavya and Aman are both occasionally irritated by every little thing each of them does, they are always able to take a step back and be supportive of each other. “The thing about Aman is that Aman and I can not talk for two weeks, and then just be completely fine afterward”.
Kaavya and Aman at a debate tournament
Next Steps Aman and Kaavya have one final year together as debate partners––but it’s undebatable that their friendship will last outside of Speech and Debate. Through being debate partners, the pair has not only grown individually but has also cultivated a friendship that withstands the frustration and occasional yelling that comes with being Speech and Debate partners. “I have experience doing a debate format without a partner… and having a partner is always helpful, because like when I’m stuck on how to respond to something, Kaavya’s my second brain” expressed Aman.
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Members of the MVLA Speech and Debate Club
“I think what you should know about debate is that it’s a community––and that it’s not just a bunch of nerds that are coming in and doing this activity… There are so many different options for you, whether it’s speech or debate. And you can have a lot of fun, even if you don’t really like the writing or research part. As long as you are willing to put in the time, there’s a lot of different opportunities and experiences you can find”
“...And [Aman] is the upcoming Speech and Debate president, so it would be tragic that he wouldn’t be the president because I think he’s going to do a great job.” As president, Aman hopes to preserve an integral part of Speech and Debate––the community. “I’m trying to introduce more team bonding activities, as well as trying to get more bonding between events. So it’s not just like all of the Public Forum kids hanging out together, but it’s people who do different types of debate hanging out with each other.” Outside of their partnership, Aman and Kaavya continue to form and strengthen bonds with other partnerships and members of the MVLA Speech and Debate community while preserving their role as the token “old married couple”. As future president of Speech and Debate, Aman will always have Kaavya’s unwavering support and unsolicited advice.
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About the Author A friend of Kaavya and Aman, Stella Barretto is currently a junior at Los Altos High School and a Film student at Freestyle Academy. While she is not a member of Speech and Debate herself, she participates in Mock Trial, plays guitar, and has a variety of discarded hobbies. She is inspired by her friends and family and hopes to use the skills she’s learned in Freestyle to discover new ways to express herself creatively.
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https://freestyleacademy.rocks
