The Talon | Issue 3 | November 14, 2017 The Talon

Los Altos High School, Los Altos, CA ■ NOVEMBER 14, 2017 ■ Volume XXXIII, Issue 3

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lahstalon.org

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

FACILITIES

Los Altos is slated to undergo renovations and add buildings to accommodate student growth. News, 2

WASC reaccreditation This year, the school is beginning its WASC reaccreditation process, forming focus groups in order to determine goals for a school action plan. News, 4

Message over method Staff writer Zooey Nguyen shares her thoughts on criticism of protesting, pushing instead for focusing on injustices faced by the protesters. Opinions, 6

Recruitment in sports In-Depth editor Javin Pombra writes about the negative impact of privileged sports on the recruitment process. Opinions, 7

Questbridge finalists Read about the unique stories of Los Altos’ three Questbridge National College Match finalists.

Features, 12

“Stranger Things” review Staff writer Cathy Wang discusses the successes and downfalls of season two of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”

Arts & Culture, 13

Cultural upbringing

An in-depth look at the global community fostered at Los Altos. Arts & Culture, 14

Los Altos’ niche sports Read about the many athletes at Los Altos who compete in unconventional sports outside of school.

Sports, 20

UPCOMING EVENTS November 15

Camp Diversity Begins November 23

Thanksgiving Day November 26

Festival of Lights November 29

Red Cross Blood Drive December 1

Winter Jazz Concerts December 4

Mental Health Awareness Week Begins December 8

Holiday Fair

News Editorial Opinions

2 5 6

Features 8, 12 In-Depth 10 Arts & Culture 13 Sports 17

Boys water polo finishes historic season

COURTESY AMY JOHNSON

The Eagles lost to Bellarmine in the CCS Open Division quarterfinals after a remarkable season as the undefeated league champions of the De Anza Division of SCVAL. MAYU ALTEN Staff Writer

The varsity boys water polo team lost to Bellarmine on Saturday, November 4, in the CCS Open Division quarterfinals, with a final score of 2-11. The game put an end to a historic season.

The Eagles took the title this year as the undefeated league champions of the De Anza Division of SCVAL and ended with a record of 17-0. With their overall record of 24-2, Los Altos earned the seventh seed out of eight in this year’s newly introduced CCS Open Division, which pulls the top eight teams from both Divisions 1 and 2. The majority of the teams competing were private schools, with Los Altos being one of only two public

schools to qualify.

But this year, with the graduation of “[The game against Bellarmine] last year’s seniors, the level of skill really just represents how far we've throughout the league evened out. come in four years,” The title of league co-captain senior Eric champions was up Warmoth said. “Freshfor grabs, and Los man year, I could never We did so well this Altos managed to have imagined that year because the step up and claim Los Altos would be in team was the hardit, beating Gunn in the Open Division of the championship est-working team CCS, let alone playing game with a final Bellarmine, a team that I’ve coached score of 5-3. that has been domi- since I’ve been here “It was the first nant, winning CCS Di- at Los Altos. game against Gunn vision 1 for many years. that we realized — head coach Seth Tasman We haven't had any we could be the competition like that top team in the this year.” league,” Eric said. “Gunn has been For the past few years, Gunn High so dominant for the past four years.

School has dominated the league. After beating Gunn, in one of the last

Sorting out the flaws of a garbage system NATHAN GODDERIS IAN TSENG Senior Writer Staff Writer

At a pickup in the beginning of October, Recology’s garbage trucks refused to collect the waste at Los Altos because students’ poor sorting had contaminated the compost with recyclables.

“The compost has to be pure — it cannot be more than 10 percent contaminated,” Green Team Co-President senior Sarah Chang said. “Beyond that, it will just be thrown into the trash.”

When Recology, a company that is committed to green recycling and composting, doesn’t pick up Los Altos’ waste, everything ends up in a landfill.

This allows food to break down and release methane into the atmosphere, creating greenhouse gas effects stronger than carbon dioxide. Normally, Recology transports recyclables to the Shoreway Environmental Center and compost to a commercial compost facility to be converted to soil.

Despite last month’s incident and similar ones, Los Altos is labeled as a “Santa Clara County Green-Certified”

FRANCESCA FALLOW

Los Altos’ garbage is picked up by Recology, a waste disposal company committed to green recycling and composting. The school’s sorting system has faced difficulties due to improper sorting of garbage. high school for meeting environmentally conscious standards. The Green Team promotes an eco-friendly campus and spreads awareness about sorting garbage correctly through hosting awareness events and creating infor-

mational videos. The Green Team also aims to address problems such as the worn-down labels on existing waste bins.

“Garbage”

continues on page 3

games of the first round of league play, it was very apparent that we could be league champions.”

To Head Coach Seth Tasman, what sets this year’s team apart from previous years is the fact that the group of boys were so selfless and self-motivated. Tasman has not changed his coaching style from the past years and credits the boys’ want for improvement as the reason for the success of the team.

“Historic”

continues on page 19

What’s up with girls water polo? Check out The Talon’s coverage of their CCS Championship run at lahstalon.org

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The Talon November 14, 2017

Get daily Los Altos updates and read the news archives at lahstalon.org/category/news

Facilities plan aims to accommodate student growth Two-story Student Services building, classroom structure and auxiliary gym enlargement planned EMMA VAN GEUNS JUSTIN YU ASHLEY CAI Arts & Culture Editor Senior Writer Graphic Artist

As part of the MVLA School District’s Facilities Master Plan’s most recent draft, Los Altos’ attendance building, small gym, and the 600 wing and the nearby portables will be replaced and expanded. From approval to finishing construction, the entire process will take approximately two years.

The MVLA School Board started discussing the Facilities Master Plan last year after conducting a demographic study of the two high schools. The study projects that enrollment in the district will increase rapidly in the coming years to 4,576 total students at Los Altos and MVHS in the 2021-2022 school year, more than either campus can accommodate. The district aims to match this growth with the addition and renovation of buildings on both campuses, and will vote to finalize the plan on Monday, December 4.

Designed by architectural firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects

(QKA), the latest draft of the Los Altos part of the plan has three main components: 1. A two-story classroom building will replace the 600 wing and nearby portables. This will create more space for engineering programs such as Robotics and Design and Prototyping.

2. A two-story Student Union and administration building will replace the two administrative office buildings. The building will house all current administrative and counseling offices, provide student workspaces, and create a new College and Career Center and Wellness Center.

3. Expansions of the small gym and library and small improvements to the cafeteria and the school entrance will provide new spaces for campus activities.

Along with these changes, the draft plans provide maintenance for facility repairs throughout the school.

The plan proposes to provide more places for students to work, with the new Student Union providing a collaborative workspace with tables and WiFi access.

“I think today, students are look-

A multi-purpose space, which could be used for gymnastics, lectures or testing, will be added to the small gym.

ing for much more of a collaborative land space.” meeting space,” Superintendent Jeff After presenting the school Harding said. “Universities almost board with $210 million and $250 all have them; we're million drafts that looking at adding cut down on costs that as well. The liand decreased the brary is really crowd- We’re in a situasize of the Student ed and you can't eat tion here where Union on Monday, there. And student November 6, QKA enrollment is going to accommodate is currently draftto grow, so we sort of the growth on the ing a $268 milwant an alternative footprint we have, lion plan with less space [in the student we’re going to compromises, per services building].” the school board’s have to build more Since Los Altos request. will not gain acre- densely than we’ve The main differage, additional con- been building. ence between the struction projects three versions is the — Superintendent will require archiStudent Union comJeff Harding tects to squeeze in ponent of the Stumore building space dent Services buildand utilize space more efficiently. ing: the $210 million version would “We're in a situation here where remove it entirely, the $250 million to accommodate the growth on version would reduce its size by 20 the footprint we have, we're go- percent and the $268 million vering to have to build more densely sion would keep all of it. Regardless than we've been building,” Hard- of the school board’s decision to ing said. “You're going to see two- keep or remove the Student Union, story construction, buildings a the counseling, student services little more tightly packed than you and the College and Career Center would see otherwise, more square will still be consolidated into one feet of building per square foot of building with administration.

To generate revenue for the project, the school board will ask the public for money through a bond, requesting to put the bond on the ballot in February 2018 for a public vote in June. Consultants conducted a study that tested public approval for two bond amounts of $198 million and $268 million and found that the public supported both measures, with approval ratings at 67 and 72 percent, respectively. The ratings are enough to pass over the 55 percent approval needed.

While the school board looks to approve the plan in three weeks, the Facilities Master Plan is still a work in progress.

“We're expected to take action in a few weeks, so we're still in the fine-tuning phase,” Harding said.

“There's such complexity and the dollar figure is so significant, so we want to make sure we get this right with community input.”

To read The Talon’s opinion about the plan, flip to Editorial, page 5.

A two-story classroom building will replace the 600 wing and nearby portables. This will create more space for engineering programs such as Robotics and Design and Prototyping.

A two-story Student Union and administration building will replace the two administrative office buildings.

The building will house all current administrative and counseling offices, provide student workspaces and create a new College and Career Center and Wellness Center.

These graphics are adapted from preliminary drafts by architectural firm Quattrochi Kwok Architects and are subject to change, as the plan will be finalized on Monday, December 4..

The Talon November 14. 2017

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School plans inaugural three-day Intersession

Start of second semester to feature block period workshops, teacher-planned lectures EMMA KWAN MAYU ALTEN Senior Writer Staff Writer

January Intersession, a threeday program where students will attend multiple assemblies about life skills, will start when students return from Holiday Recess on Wednesday, January 3.

Every grade level is assigned a different schedule, with each day split up into three 90-minute blocks, similar to a Wednesday. All students will attend three types of blocks: Student Choice, Class Conversations and Scheduling and Grade Specific.

1. Student Choice block: Students will choose to attend two Student Choice Sessions, which give teachers the chance to teach specialized classes that stem from passions they have outside of school. Some teachers also hope to use their classes as introductions to courses that may be offered at Los Altos in the future.

Physics teacher Stephen Hine proposed a 3D Printing and Modeling session to introduce students to his new equipment.

“I’d walk them through some basic modeling techniques and have them create [their own models],” Hine said.

English teacher Carrie Abel hopes to teach a beginner’s yoga class as she is getting her yoga trainer credentials this year. The class would promote a possible yoga class Abel proposed as an alternative to P.E., similar to Jazz Dance.

2. Class Conversations and Scheduling blocks: Faculty will discuss course scheduling with students for their upcoming school year. Freshmen will have two blocks of Class Conversations while all other grades with have three blocks. Administrators cited the opportunity to help students choose classes wisely as a primary reason for

Garbage CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

But the Green Team is also hindered by the lack of proper labeling on non-colored bins, which keeps students from correctly disposing their waste. More importantly, the lack of sorting or labeling forces custodians to guess as to whether each bag has more compost or recycling. To do this, custodians resort to weighing and examining similar-looking trash bags from each type of bin to make educated guesses as to which dumpster to place them in. The components of the trash bags are so similar due to sorting issues that custodians are often forced to combine the two.

“It’s not perfect because compost and recycling are mixed up all the time,” custodian Martin Acosta said. “In the recycle bins something like 15 to 20 percent of it is compost. So we have no choice but to throw it into the recycling bin.”

Meanwhile, AP Environmental Science teacher and Green Team adviser Greg Stoehr has decided to

the creation of Intersession. After Class Conversations, students will attend a scheduling block to sign up for courses with their counselors so that administrators can finish master schedules earlier in the year. “[It] lets students schedule for their classes by being much more informed about classes beforehand,” Assistant Principal Suzanne Woolfolk said. “That's a big portion of it. And it makes those days really important.”

3. Grade Specific blocks: The remaining blocks will vary depending on a student’s grade, with each class attending specific lectures and workshops:

about the Bystander Presentation.

■■ CWI/Health: Semester-long courses CWI and Health will be given normal instructional time.

Juniors: ■■ College/Career Workshop: Same as above.

■■ Bystander Presentation: Same as above.

■■ CHAC/Counselor Workshop: Same as above.

Seniors: ■■ College/Career Workshop: Same as above.

■■ Bystander Presentation: Same as above.

■■ English Projects/Presentations: Seniors will work on their English projects by looking at past samples or discussing with teachers.

■■ Civics/Econ: Semester-long courses Civics and Econ will be given normal instructional time.

■■ Off-Campus Research: Seniors will have the opportunity to do off-campus research for three blocks.

Some teachers are concerned about the logistical viability of the program, as scheduling details have not been finalized.

“I thought about how [Intersession is] going to change the

calendar schedule, [because] we have this semester lined out and [we need] to figure out how to reshuff le all of that,” Abel said.

“While I really like the idea, the logistics make me nervous.”

Though tackling logistics is a necessary element to planning Intersession, Woolfolk is excited for Intersession and the effects it will have on students.

“Intersession is about personal growth and community bonding,” Woolfolk said. “But another big part of it is four-year planning and helping students make well-informed choices for scheduling.”

Freshmen: ■■ Challenge Day: Freshmen will participate in three blocks of an all-day community bonding series of activities where they’ll address difficult topics to create an open environment where they feel comfortable.

■■ Jumpstart Mentorship: A program started by Student Community Leaders (SCL), Jumpstart Mentorship aims to help freshmen assimilate to high school better and give them resources through a peer.

■■ Affirmative Consent: Author and sexual assault expert Anea Bogue will give the presentation she gave last year, talking about yes means yes consent and how to prevent sexual assault.

Sophomores: ■■ College/Career Workshop: Students will be introduced to how the college and job-seeking processes work and resources they can access on campus.

■■ Bystander Presentation: Bogue will give a continuation of her “Affirmative Consent” presentation for students to learn about being part of healthy supportive social groups and engaging in healthy behavior.

■■ CHAC/Counselor Workshop: Students will be split into discussion groups led by therapists to talk

invest in improving student compost by purchasing an educational composter. This composter will be pushed around the campus on wheels, demonstrating how food scraps are eventually converted into useful soil. “[We will] put food scraps into one side, and the other side will be composting while you fill it up,” Stoehr said. “We’ll have two going at the same time, so students can see the compost process while they’re actually throwing in their peels.”

Even with all these efforts to improve the garbage system, there is still a lack of guidance and education for the student body, leading them to make poor choices when throwing away trash.

“We’re hoping to do more education-like videos, and letting people know how to throw away their trash,” Green Team CoPresident junior Anya Gupta said, “But a lot of it just comes down to people being lazy and using whatever trash can is closest to them, so changing that mindset can be hard sometimes.”

While the Green Team and administration pursue their efforts to improve the garbage system, the student body can also contribute by properly sorting their waste

ANNE SCHILL

Students will attend a three-day Intersession at the beginning of next semester, going to nine 90-minute blocks based on what grade they’re in.

using the twin-bin system in the quad. As a result, the custodians will have an easier time differentiating between their bags, and the administration would be a step closer to spreading the system out

across campus.

“Since the federal government is not doing its part to reduce CO2 and other harmful emissions, we have to make sure we are doing all we can at the local level,” PTSA

Go Green Sustainability Committee Founder Sybil Cramer said.

“I know that Los Altos students want to do the right thing — especially when they know their actions make a difference.”

KYLIE AKIYAMA

Junior Nathan MacLeod throws away his lunch in the green compost bin in the quad. Due to sorting issues, compost was contaminated to the point that Recology, the company Los Altos partners with for trash, refused to pick it up.

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The Talon November 14, 2017

School begins feedback process for six-year goals way, Assistant Principal Galen Rosenberg said, and is slightly Senior Writers ahead of schedule in comparison to the past. Los Altos started with Los Altos this school year began student surveys last spring and a process to be accredited for the will continue with parent surveys next six years by the Western As- next spring. Over the course of sociation of Schools and Colleges this school year, Los Altos will use (WASC). Schools can only issue focus and home groups to collect valid diplomas with regular accred- feedback from students, parents itation, which requires schools to and teachers.

The surveys provided anonydevelop and meet a set of academic mous polls for students to answer and cultural standards.

Currently, Los Altos is collect- questions about how comforting and analyzing data to create able they felt around their teacha self-study concerning aspects ers and peers and how much of of the school, involving both the their stress was caused by school. academic environment and cul- Faculty also had to take a survey with similar questure of Los Altos. As tions regarding if a part of this process, they felt respected the school also crein the Los Altos ates an action plan, I hope that stucommunity and which will guide its dents and parents if they were supimprovements over understand that plied with sufthe next six years. ficient learning WASC will then this is politics in materials. send a visiting com- the good sense of Home groups, mittee composed the word. If there’s which draw from of teachers, board something you student and parmembers and adent populations, ministrators from believe is really and focus groups, other districts to important, get out evaluate whether and advocate for it. which consist of staff members the self-study ac— Assistant Principal and on-campus curately reflects Galen Rosenberg student groups, the school. The allow the adminself-study will then be sent to WASC, who will ulti- istration to collect input that mately determine the school’s effectively represents student, parent and staff populations. accreditation.

The process provides a way for All teachers will participate in a the school to assess how it has focus group on assessment, orimproved after the last six-year ganization, curriculum, instruccycle and how it can improve for tion or culture.

“I hope that students and the next cycle. The administration encourages students, parents parents understand that this is and teachers to voice any thoughts politics in the good sense of the word,” Rosenberg said. “It’s a they have to better the school.

The process is already under- group of people in a democratic

PRIYA DIXIT MADISON WOO

process deciding what to do. If you have a concern, or an area of interest or a goal that you want us to move toward, you need to communicate that to people in leadership positions. That’s Mr. Miyahara, me, Ms. Satterwhite or a focus group leader. If there’s something you believe is really important, get out and advocate for it.”

After the data collection process, the Leadership Team will convene with the administration to determine the overarching goals for Los Altos’ Action Plan, an outline that describes what Los Altos hopes to achieve in the coming years.

The Action Plan, which Los Altos drafts every six years alongside the self-study, involves goals that concern academic performance and school culture. One of the goals for the 2012-2017 cycle was to align classes in departments and between grades.

“There may be some new [goals] and some things will change,” WASC coordinator and social studies teacher Derek Miyahara said. “One of the goals about student wellness came out of the last Action Plan, [and] I would imagine there’s going to be a focus on student wellness in the next six years.”

By next spring, the school will have a set of main goals and will discuss a new proposal to address any issues that arise from feedback.

Los Altos encourages students to be involved in the process by voicing any ideas or feedback they have through the annual survey and home groups. If parents and students have any thoughts in regards to improving Los Altos, the administration recommends they speak to teachers with leadership positions.

ASHLEY CAI

Students and teachers took surveys last spring about their perspectives on school culture and academics. The school will use past and future results of surveys to create an action plan for the future WASC cycle and the re-accreditation process.

Residents push for teen space at Hillview Community Center DANIELA GLOSTER DAPHNE IH Staff Writers

With the Hillview Community Center scheduled for renovation

by December 2020, residents are pushing the City of Los Altos to add a new teen center to the Hillview building plan. The town’s existing facilities and downtown stores accommodate young children, adults and seniors, but aren’t enough to satisfy the teen popula-

tion, residents said.

The Underground, Los Altos’ current teen space at Shoup Park, is an unattractive, decades-old venue that isn’t frequented much due to its secluded location, Vice Mayor Jean Mordo said. Resident Nancy Bremeau, who has a 14-year-old son, spoke about the issue at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, October 24, and called on council members to do more for teens. “[Teens] who are old enough to

drive go to Mountain View or Palo Alto [while] the younger ones go to Safeway,” Bremeau said. “The Underground is a little-used, dank, musty, rundown basement which is only open a few hours a week.

We need to stop pretending that we have a teen center at all [and] provide a modern, centrally located space for our youth [near] the library and downtown.”

Mordo expressed support for the proposal at the meeting, saying that it would move the teen

HASSIB RANGEEN

Los Altos City Council is planning on renovating the Hillview Community Center, shown above. Residents have been pushing for a teen space, arguing that teens don’t have an area to congregate in Los Altos and that the city should accommodate every age group’s needs.

center to a more convenient and accessible location near the high school. In doing so, he hopes that the community center will not only increase teen activity but also encourage other age groups to interact the youth. “[The Underground is] a very unattractive space, and [because] you have to cross Foothill it’s not very popular,” Mordo said. “The whole idea of the community center is we want to make it multigenerational. We want seniors, we want young kids, we want teens, we want everybody there. We don’t want [just] one group.”

The city has been pursuing renovations to Hillview for almost 20 years. The first plan that was presented in the 1990s fell through, as did a $150-million project in 2008 and a $90-million proposal in 2014. The city finally approved the fourth proposal in April and set a budget of $25 million for a 20,000 square foot space that will include a “multi-generational” game room.

At the Friday, September 29, joint study session with the Hillview Project Task Force, the budget was raised by $7.7 million for more building quality improvements and refurbishing. But now that the city has dipped further into their funds, a teen center would be unfeasible, since an additional $2 million or $3 million dollars would be needed to add it to the renovations, Mordo said.

The money would have to be acquired separately either through fundraisers or from private donors.

Despite the financial challenges,

Bremeau argues that a multi-purpose recreational center would not be enough and that teens deserve to have a space strictly for themselves. Hillview currently has a designated senior area, but nothing has been set aside for teens.

“This is nothing more than paying lip service to the need,” Bremeau said. “How about we show our youth we value them by giving them an indoor-outdoor lounge space equal to the seniors? Let them make it their own with bean bag chairs and other things that make it comfortable and inviting.”

Still, not everyone supports the proposal. Junior Grace Lilygren, who is also a commissioner on the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee, agrees with the plan for a “multi-generational” game room, but says that the addition of a teens-only space would prevent intermingling between different age groups.

“Having a teen center defeats the purpose of a community center,” Grace said. “It's supposed to be a space where everyone [can] convene, not a space where you're supposed to be segregated into different areas.”

City Council will finalize its decision on the teen center addition at its meeting on Tuesday, December 12, where Mordo hopes that local teens will come to voice their opinions. “[When we] finalize this, [we hope] that you guys show up and speak for yourselves,” Mordo said.

“It might be the pressure we need to move in the right direction.”

The Talon November 14, 2017

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Please send letters to the editor to editorial@lahstalon.org LOS ALTOS HIGH SCHOOL

Don’t sacrifice the campus for cash When finalizing the Facilities Master Plan, the MVLA School Board can’t cut details at the expense of students’ campus experience.

201 Almond Ave., Los Altos, CA November 14, 2017 Volume XXXIII, Issue 3 Editor-In-Chief Alex Wong Managing Editors Akhil Jakatdar (Print) Miranda Li (Print) Avi Varghese (Web) News Editor Danny Vesurai Opinions Editor Maddie Chu Features Editor Yalda Khodadad In-Depth Editor Javin Pombra Arts & Culture Editor Emma Van Geuns Sports Editor Alex Luna Media Editor Anne Schill Copy/Content Editors Anisha Desai, Savita Govind, Yolanda Spura Business Managers Francesca Fallow, Julia Santos Senior Writers Priya Dixit, Nathan Godderis, Brian Huebner, Emma Kwan, Rachel Lu, Emily Meza-Perez, Julia Santos, Madison Woo, Justin Yu Staff Writers Mayu Alten, Isabella Borkovic, Evelin Diego, Kristen Fan, Daniela Gloster, Noelle Hanson, Daphne Ih, Jocelyn Maeyama, Zooey Nguyen, Ethan Ruyack, Mia Scher, Ian Tseng, Cathy Wang

makes cuts to quality, the campus modernization they hope to create may prove to be an expensive maintenance projects. If we need more money, the school board shouldn’t hesitate to ask for it.

The MVLA School Board has Right now, these facilities are worked on the Facilities Master in need of attention. The small Plan for over a year now, and the gym feels aged. The cafeteria, a proposed draft looks promising. hub of social interaction at many The modernization of Los Altos’ schools, feels bare and underuticampus is necessary: our facilities lized. Compared to schools like are overcrowded and dated.

Palo Alto and Cupertino High, In this context, the school Los Altos’ campus needs work. board’s decision to push for the More, MVLA has an opporfull inclusion of the student tunity this year to find enough union and more money to fund classroom space even a $295 milin the recent lion plan. Surboard meeting The school board veys of Los Altos on Monday, No- shouldn’t settle for a voters show that vember 6, is to resident approval be commended. lesser campus beincreases when But in searching cause of cost. the proposal is for ways to reduce moved from $198 costs, the school board isn’t just million to $268 million, from 67 considering major cuts to build- to 72 percent of those polled. The ings like the Student Services cen- survey summary states, “...voters ter — they’re also looking to cut are not sensitive to the amount of costs for smaller details of those the bond.” buildings. If the school board As discussed at the Tuesday, To read more on the Facilities Master Plan, see News, page 2

November 7, PTSA meeting, the athletics facility improvements. school board is not strapped for Students deserve the best learncash by any means. MVLA has a ing environment, not just an high bond rating adequate one, and can reach for and our city has more money. Los shown it’s willing Altos’ taxes lev- If the school board to provide that. ied for facilities chooses to incur the Yes, it’s unbonds are lower reasonable to than most cities additional cost, they’ll expect threein the Bay Area. end up with a highstory structures With that given, quality, long-lasting or to replace all the school board campus. wings with twoshouldn’t settle story buildings. for a lesser camIt might be difpus because of cost. ficult to ask for significantly Think back to the renovation of more than what’s already been the Los Altos science buildings in proposed. But the architects 2000. As a result of facilities bond have outlined a host of changes cuts, the science buildings have the school board can reasonsuffered from “very significant ably take. If the school board limitations and problems” due to chooses to incur the additional quality of workmanship issues, cost, they’ll end up with a highAssistant Principal Galen Rosen- quality, long-lasting campus. berg said.

The school board has done an So: Don’t downsize the stu- excellent job charting the prodent union. Ensure cuts in costs cess. The proposed draft is excitfor efficiency currently in the ing and thoughtful. We urge the draft don’t become cuts in qual- school board to unreservedly take ity. Don’t slack on facility repairs this opportunity for change on its or maintenance. Don’t slack on meeting on Monday, December 4.

Photographers Kylie Akiyama, Katrina Arsky, Emily Aronovitz, Francesca Fallow, Kristen Fan, Rachel Lu, Hassib Rangeen, Sean Scott, Max Weirauch Graphic Artists Ashley Cai, Carissa Lee, Jasmine Shen, Max Weirauch Videographers Bobak Afshari, Nicholas Borda, Noah Tesfaye, Arjin Unlu Adviser Michael Moul

POLICIES Los Altos High School’s Compositional Journalism class is solely responsible for The Talon, which is published eight times a year. The Talon also updates its website, www.lahstalon.org, with full-time coverage.

The Editorial Board sets the policies of The Talon and crafts its editorials and thumbs. Its members are Akhil Jakatdar, Alex Luna, Miranda Li, Javin Pombra, Anne Schill, Yolanda Spura, Avi Varghese and Danny Vesurai.

ADVERTISE & SUBSCRIBE Send advertisement and subscription inquiries to Francesca Fallow and Julia Santos at business@lahstalon.org.

TALON SUPPORTERS Honorary Pulitzers

THUMBS UP to administration for creating Intersession to promote campus unity and life skills Following winter break, Los Altos will offer three days of Intersession, in which students participate in nonacademic courses in three 90-minute blocks per day. Ranging from yoga to advice on course selection to sexual assault awareness, Intersession blocks will provide welcome respite from academic stress and will also promote personal growth, community bonding and four-year planning, among other goals.

THUMBS DOWN to administration for canceling Tutorial Administration canceled Tutorial on Tuesday, November 7 due to students leaving the campus during the period. But tutorial should intend to promote student well-being — students who feel their well-being would benefit more from a break from academics should have the right to do so without consequence.

Jacqueline Denkabe, Vaishali Dixit, The Fallow Family, Kendall Goto, Jean Wong

Silver Supporters Natalie Arsky, The Carrie Family, Vaishali Dixit, Dragoli Family, Shawna Hui, Cleo Kiros, Leigh Anne Miller, Sepideh Mostashiri, Uma Panda, Jasmeen Pombra, Susan Stark and Jerry Scher, Irene Shih, Deirdre Crommie and Randall Stafford, Ruxandra Tico, Jelle Van Geuns

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The Talon November 14, 2017

Read more opinions articles at lahstalon.org/category/opinions

Message over method: The value of disruptive protest ZOOEY NGUYEN Staff Writer

I didn't know many details about Charlottesville a few days after Richard Spencer marched his white supremacists through University of Virginia. The topic inevitably bubbled up in conversation with my friends and was met with the customary responses to conflicts these days: "how tragic," "what a shame," "of course it happened." It was also met with, "Well, the counter-protesters shouldn't be violent either."

A passionate debate ensued, pitting me against the person who had uttered the line. Why, I asked, should we prioritize criticizing people who fight injustice rather than the people

whose ideology spurs genocide? Because nonviolence gets results, he said. Because you have to be nice to the people in power in order to gain power. Because Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi.

Despite all our arguing over whether punches and pepper spray were justifiable when used against fascists, the car that killed a woman was driven by one. My friend and I had automatically assumed that the counter-protesters were to blame for violence, as if we needed some sort of equivalence between them and the alt-right — people with good intentions probably have a flip side, right?

Here’s the problem: we focus more than we need to on the supposed moral impurity of leftist protesters in immediately equating them to the alt-right. Assuming it's possible for protesters to "sink to the other side’s level" misses the fact that it’s

impossible to reproduce the violence of white supremacy on the level of a protest. It goes beyond anti-Semitic chants and cars driving into crowds.

It’s woven into the fabric of our society, self-reproducing in poverty, prison labor and run-ins with the police.

It’s comprised of injustices we tend to overlook until a Neo-Nazi speaks out and we’re finally upset.

We often discuss today’s prejudices in terms of microaggressions and problematic interactions, as if we’ve fixed most discrimination and only need to worry about what’s internalized. But though material conditions may have improved for minoritized people in the U.S., discrimination still exists on institutional levels in ways largely invisible to us. Telling people how they should emotionally respond to injustice to maximize their moral credibility ignores the oppressive conditions that make vio-

ANNE SCHILL

lent protests appear to many like the criticized him for causing unrest.

In other words, being confrontaonly option for change.

Protests aren’t intrinsically violent, tional is necessary to force a dialogue but they are disruptive. They force on a certain issue. Sometimes, it a recognition of the issues at hand, means violence will break out among even if only for a moment. When groups. It’s troubling and should be students here staged a walkout after avoided, but we need to look at the the presidential election, they were issues being protested, too. Spendcriticized for having an “ineffective” ing all our time criticizing protesters protest. However, the purpose of the because they aren’t perfect paragons of morality means we rally didn’t need to be overlook the societal about creating immeinjustice they’re actudiate legislative change ally protesting. or unseating Trump. Protests aren’t Activism which is It displayed students’ intrinsically about expressing love collective distaste with violent, but they in the face of hate the state of politics. are disruptive. and destruction proProtests point out that vides much-needed the status quo in which They force a recpositivity in today’s we take comfort is not ognition of the political climate. But okay. Not yet. issues at hand, if solely referenced as Even historical nar- even if only for a a preferable alternaratives of nonviolent tive to direct action, action tend to play into moment. it becomes co-opted the assumption that minoritized people should express as a way to celebrate the good that their opinions non-confrontationally exists in the status quo without fighting against injustice. Just like in order to appeal to those in power.

Martin Luther King Jr. is often the white moderates King critiused as the prime example of this cized, we would celebrate the fact kind of action, but his legacy is that we have a dream and balk often sanitized. He was consid- from a plan to get there.

The political polarization that we ered one of the most dangerous activists of his time by the FBI, often lament today is driven more famously anti-Vietnam, anti-cap- by a lack of discussion between conitalist and pro-civil disobedience flicting ideologies than the fact that — far from the agreeable political ideological conflict itself exists. Prosaint he’s seen as today. Each dem- testers certainly shouldn’t seek to be onstration was meant to “create a violent, but avoiding it doesn’t mean situation so crisis-packed that it we have to be less passionate about will inevitably open the door to rejecting injustice. Rather than shy negotiation,” as expressed in his away from confrontation, we should “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to a embrace political conflict as a way to group of white clergymen that had bring about discourse and change.

Black on black crime: Black men and dark-skinned women pathetic and troublesome is that for the most part, the black woman’s biggest hater is the black man.

TINO TUGWETE Senior Writer I’m not the first nor will I be the last to say that. There are good black men who love and support When I was in the fifth grade, black women of all kinds but at the one black boy in my grade the same time, some loud black (there may have been a few, but men are the biggest discouragers regardless) without any provoca- of black women, particularly those tion said to a group of other kids, with darker skin.

The rapper, Kodak Black, ranted “I wouldn’t date Tino. She’s ugly.” on Instagram about Granted, he thought his preference for I didn’t hear him. “lighter-skinned” Lil Punk… Tino women over “darkdoesn’t want to date But not liking an skinned” women. In you, of all people, ei- entire group of Kodak said ther. How dare you people based on essence that he doesn’t want to say that in front of all “deal with a dark skin these non-black kids? skin tone is racwoman” and that, “We What he said didn't ist (in this case too gutter. Black peohurt my feelings per it is evidence of ple, my complexion, se. It angered me be- deeper issues we too gutter. Light cause he was saying skin women, they’re subconsciously that it with self-identity more sensitive. [Dark was okay to see me, a and internalskin women], they too black woman, as unat- ized racism) and tough.” tractive due to the col- deeper than just If you’ve ever seen or of my skin because a sexual “prefer- Kodak Black you even he, a black man, know he’s black in was willing to call that ence.” complexion, not just out publicly. culture. For Kodak, Growing up as usually the only black girl, I dark-skinned women are aggreswasn’t uncomfortable in my sive and light-skinned women skin. I knew this would be my are an easy-to-manipulate “prefexperience and I had no room to erence.” Kodak was ignorant to share his offensive and ill-advised be insecure.

However, what I find absolutely opinions publicly. But as extreme

and shocking as his comments were, it’s even more upsetting that there are many black men who share his sentiments.

How much have my people internalized the hatred and venom of the white man (I use this phrase to refer to the imperialistic, colonizing, slave-owning, racist white man) that when they look at their own women they find them unattractive, “too gutter,” and “ugly?”

But let me pause. Not too long ago this very skin was taken, bound, shipped across oceans, whipped, marked, branded, dehumanized, and over time it has been taken again. Over 12 million people suffered deeply through slavery. The black woman who you

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call “too gutter” has supported you through the suffering of your brothers and sisters at the hands of police brutality and political abuse, and now you want to cower away from your blackness?

You are better than that, my Black Man. Many would argue that at the end of the day, preference is preference.

But not liking an entire group of people based on skin tone is racist (in this case it is evidence of deeper issues with self-identity and internalized racism) and deeper than just a sexual “preference.”

I don’t know where Kodak grew up or who surrounded him, but I can promise he was privy to all the messages media sends us about

ANNE SCHILL

beauty. The runway, print ads and product commercials have catered toward the idea that success, beauty and value in society have for the most part always been white.

I can’t completely blame black men like Kodak for their skewed opinions of themselves and by extension dark-skinned black women. But I also can’t excuse them because they should and do know better. I will not stand by, a mere victim, or be another crutch for the black man to reject himself, his people and his story.

I see the same mentality blossoming in some of the black boys at our school. It’s an unspoken understanding that many have accepted. Again, this is not about all black boys or men of color. We are too mature not to understand that I am talking to a specific, but large enough group to address.

I challenge any black boy (or man of color generally) reading this to truly think about what it means when they say they don’t find black or dark-skinned women attractive. To me, this is the black-on-black crime we should be talking about. This hate among ourselves makes it easier to be divided and buried under a culture that has shown that it isn't afraid to oppress or exploit us.

Don’t feed the flames of hate, people of color.

If you would like to write about your stance on an issue that’s affecting students at our school, email Opinions Editor Maddie Chu at opinions@lahstalon.org with a summary of your idea.

The Talon November 14, 2017

Miranda Writes

Finding my worth in a perpetually white Hollywood CATHY WANG Staff Writer

By Miranda Li

Carpal Tunnel When I was 14, I took seven hours of art class every weekend: two on Friday, three on Saturday, two on Sunday.

For hours on end, I perched upon a rickety stool in a grimy, windowless studio, amidst a sea of Chinese peers, beneath the glare of the unsympathetic object of our terror and worship, Mr. Fang. And as the sleeves of my favorite Aeropostale jacket turned metallic with graphite, I lost myself in the repetition of one pencil stroke after the other, HB for 2B for 4H for HB again.

I spent four months drawing and redrawing a sphere in pencil. My line pressure was uneven, the middle tones didn’t blend well, redo it (cong hua yi bian), Mr. Fang frowned, this isn’t good enough.

At the time, art meant meticulous attention to technical precision, and while creativity could not be taught, it could be criticized to no end through the lenses of composition, subject matter and use of light. When I left Mr. Fang’s studio for good, I took away an unnecessary prowess in cross-hatching, a caustic hatred of hexagonal prisms and unrealistically high standards. Art had to be perfect. I had to be perfect.

Lately, I’ve been drawing a lot. Still life, ironically. I stay up late on school nights to sketch tchotchkes I’ve gathered from the display case in our living room: a wooden horse, a pear-shaped light bulb and a painted vase.

My drawings suck. My hatching has somehow regressed since 2012, but there’s something about the repetition of one pencil stroke after the other, HB for 2B for 4H for HB again, that’s soothing. It’s soothing, even if my art sucks, because I’m okay with my art sucking.

That’s not the point; that’s not what art’s about.

Art is about the late nights spent developing carpal tunnel and thoroughly enjoying it. It’s about the wooden horse that looks more like an angry dolphin, the naked elf with an unintentional bobblehead. Though Mr. Fang mutilated my emotional sanity, he taught me work ethic and attention to detail and all of the anxiety that comes with the extremities of either. He taught me, by counterexample, that art doesn’t need to be perfect — my favorite drawings were often the butt of his most caustic insults. Art isn’t perfect. I’m not perfect. But it’s okay, because that’s not the point.

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I grew up without a role model to reflect my features back at me. On the list of eligible candidates, I had my mom and Lucy Liu. But I soon came to find that both her and my mother’s high cheekbones and delicate freckles were no match to my freckle-free, rounded face. Over the years, without the kind of representation that showed me I was not an anomaly, I believed that my skin to images of a special case, a rarity. didn’t fit quite right. Maybe if my We are forgotten in a national skin was paler, my eyes bigger or my conversation, abandoned in the hair lighter, I would belong. After fight for equality, reduced to secdecades, it seems Hollywood hasn’t ondary players. managed to figure out that AsianFor years I felt an inexplicable Americans exist. non-belonging, sepaFor Asian-Amerirated from my peers, cans, representation a piece from the To all the young in Hollywood has wrong puzzle. I grew always been scarce. Asian-Americans up as a young ChiWe get to be help- with only Lucy Liu nese-American girl ful aides to the white and your mom to in Kansas’ 4 percent hero. Our tokenized Asian population. look up to, know intelligence or our As one of five Asian seemingly automatic your worth, know kids in my grade, my ability to be a highly- that your story is peers never let me trained fighter re- worth telling. forget that I was a rarduces us to tropes. ity. From kindergarThe women are ten, I was tied to the hopelessly exoticized as mysterious image of that smart Asian girl as my seductresses or damsels in distress classmates took joy in pulling their and the actresses that even manage eyes every which way. They would to be cast must always have a certain ask if I ate dog, if the Vietnamese look — pale skin, regal facial struc- girl or Filipino boy were my siblings ture, angled eyes — that ties them and where I was from after my initial

ASHLEY CAI

response of Canada. I was made to feel like an outsider in a place I had lived for 11 years.

More, I never saw faces like mine on screen, and I grew to be embarrassed of the features that set me apart from others. Ostracized, I never experienced the normalcy of who I was — I only ever saw those same tropes. When would I ever see a story about a young Chinese-American girl just growing up? My appearance wasn’t normal, my parents’ accents weren’t normal, the food I brought to school wasn’t normal, I wasn’t normal. For years I longed for a nose that wasn’t flat and hair that wasn’t dark and eyes that weren’t angled and a name like Amber.

There wasn’t a moment when I looked into the mirror and declared that I was proud of my race. It took growing up and recognizing the sheltered conservative bubble of Overland Park, Kansas that I had lived in for so long. I discovered a

community of activism and continued to explore and form my beliefs and opinions and one day I realized that I had become someone unapologetic about who she is. If I hadn’t searched for these things, I know I would have never become the person I am today. I would never have found the films few and far between that hold complex Asian characters and the fact that I had to put in so much work to simply find them continues to baffle me.

Really, my move to Los Altos, a place so wildly different than Kansas, was the final nail in my “ashamed of my race” coffin. Surrounding me were so many strong, intelligent, complex Asian men and women. For once, my upbringing and my appearance weren’t something to be ogled at. The representation I needed all my life was hidden in a tumultuous and terrifying move to a place I never knew existed.

We need to fight for the kind of representation that shows us in all of our facets, in all of our nuances.

We aren’t the nerds, the emasculated men, the stoic fighters or the helpless princesses. We deserve to be heard and seen and wanted.

To all the young Asian-Americans with only Lucy Liu and your mom to look up to, know your worth, know that your story is worth telling. Demand for your voice to be heard and make the kind of representation that we’ve longed for for so long. And to the Constance Wu’s, the Jackie Chan’s, the Ki Hong Lee’s, the John Cho’s and of course the Lucy Liu’s, thank you for all that you have done.

Recruitment: How some sports propagate privilege JAVIN POMBRA In-Depth Editor

The average fencing kit costs hundreds of dollars. Shells, boats used for rowing, cost upward of ten thousand dollars. Horseback riding lessons at nearby country clubs and barns can be just as extravagant.

Privileged sports, indeed, require money for entry. While anyone, especially those who are more welloff, can excel at soccer or basketball with paid training, these games are still accessible. Not everyone can afford to lease or buy a horse or foil or even boat.

Yet still, high-end colleges across the U.S. look to give scholarships and recruitment opportunities for their fencing teams and rowing crews. Well-endowed schools, in an effort to lessen the power of privilege, accept more diverse applicants and factor circumstance into admissions, yet falter when it comes to sports. Recruitment can be beneficial, but only when it is used as a tool to lessen privilege, not continue it.

When it comes to influence on admissions, sports are far less indicative of future success than other aspects of the application process.

If college is meant to prepare us to be productive members of society, then essays and extracurriculars often mean the most.

Yes, some recruited athletes will go on to play professionally, but that only encompasses a select few. The National Collegiate Athletic Association states that less than 2 percent of its athletes go on to be professionals.

Even those who go onto the professional track don’t compete for long.

For instance, the average age of the dicator of future career or vocational current top 10 male tennis players choice and, to many elite colleges, is 27.4 years and women are even don’t provide a large source of funding, then they shouldn’t be a factor younger, at 25.1 years. in admissions. Elite Many athletes colleges already generate revenue have a privilege for their schools When it comes to problem from facthrough fundtors such as legacy. ing received from influence on admisRecruiting for fencgames. However, sions, sports are far ing or rowing just privileged sports less indicative of future exacerbates the isdon’t garner as success than other sue. It isn’t that all much funding as recruiting is bad, more well-known aspects of the applicait’s that admissions sports such as tion process. for sports should be football or soccer.

Other than large-scale events, fewer used as a tool to lessen privilege.

Recruiting for soccer or football spectators come to watch fencing or rowing matches, and by extension, allows those disadvantaged by our these provide less funds for schools. current education system to have a Many schools with large networks chance. Exhibiting talent in these of alumni such as Yale or Princeton sports means that, regardless of one’s do not have to rely on these funds ability to access SAT-prep classes or highly-coveted internships, one can regardless of popularity.

If privileged sports aren’t a large in- still have a shot at top colleges.

With Ivies often recruiting for “odd” or “unique” sports, using recruitment as a tool to lessen privilege is especially important. Unique sports are often labeled this way as a result of the fact that not many people can access them. It’s harmful to restrict those who don’t have the economic capability to access these activities from reaping benefits during the admissions process.

It’s not that privileged sports are inherently bad. For those who can afford to row or horseback ride, go for it. By participating in fencing, I can certainly say fencing is enjoyable, but that’s what privileged sports should be for: enjoyment, not advancement.

As sports start to provide access to benefits — scholarships, admissions, financial aid — it’s important to equalize the playing field, quite literally. Sports can have the capability, especially during the college process, to help those behind get ahead.

JASMINE SHEN

8

The Talon November 14, 2017

Read more features articles at lahstalon.org/category/features/

Meet Bandalou Baby’s Director of Operations ALEX LUNA Sports Editor

When he’s not running cross country and participating in ASB, you might catch sophomore Alex Siesel wearing a shirt with a baby panda on it and the company name “Bandalou Baby” written on the back. Alex’s devotion to the company, which he helped create with his mom, is fueled by his passion for applying STEM and problem solving to the real world.

“I helped with the creation of Bandalou Baby and the concept,” Alex said. “It's not, like, Euler's Theorem or anything. It's just creating equations that model what we plan will happen.”

When Alex’s mom Lucia Siesel asked him for advice for an idea for a potential start up company, he helped her develop “Bandalou Baby,” a website and retail store that specifically works with selling baby products. The store aims to connect and band together parents who want similar products so they can get discounts on certain items. His mom highly values her son's contributions to the start up.

“Alex [has] touched nearly every aspect of the company, from processing and placing orders, to filing sales tax, financial modeling, logistics with FedEx, merchandising, bringing up and opening the store, picking the store location, customer deliveries, etc.,” Lucia Siesel wrote in an email interview. “He worked closely with our engineers and helped develop our

KYLIE AKIYAMA

Sophomore Alex Siesel works on the finances for his mom’s startup company, Bandalou Baby. Since its launch, Alex has taken on the role of Director of Operations. financial models with our CFO and Advisor. He also wrote the algorithms for the engine that calculates the amount of discounts based on 10 factors, including the size of the group, brand, price, shipping zip, etc. He worked late into the evenings after school and nearly every weekend.”

When it launched, Alex was assigned the role of checking over the finances as the Director of Operations. This job entails a list of responsibilities: creating equations, setting up spreadsheets, calculating net products, figuring out shipping ranges or costs and other types of financial work.

While he usually works from his computer, occasionally he’ll go to the actual store in Palo Alto.

“If something looks wrong with our taxes or our sales tax, I’ll just look over the equations and make sure everything is correct,” Alex said. “Sometimes I’ll have to create those sheets to send to manufacturers. Sometimes I’ll go to the actual retail store and work there, check in products [and] make sure that everything is setup properly.”

This job, Alex said, has helped him become more confident. He has learned skills in retail, economics and making spreadsheets.

Working with the company has

also taught him how to manage ing for his success. his time efficiently. Alex values “I'm most proud of his resilience the fact that his parents have put and ability to be resourceful,” Luso much trust in him with this cia Siesel said. “Things haven't alimportant job. ways come easy to Alex, and he's “I'll get emails [from my had his fair share of challenges mom] and it’ll [say] ‘Hey Alex and disappointments, but he's can you check this equation learned to take things in stride, before I send it out?’ or ‘Hey to self-advocate and most imporcan you help me come up with tantly, to learn how to bounce back this equation so I when things can send it to this don't always go retail?’” Alex said. as planned. If “Or [even] just Alex has learned to there's a way, ‘Hey we got a ton of take things in stride, Alex is deterorders, this prod- to self-advocate and mined to find it, uct [has] been reand he does it most importantly, to ally popular in the with kindness… store, make sure learn how to bounce He’s learned we have enough back when things some of his restock.’” sourcefulness don’t always go as Alex hopes his exfrom working planned. periences with the on Bandalou.

— Alex’s mom Lucia Siesel company will help Start-ups are him achieve larger, inherently diflong-term goals. ficult and you have to learn to be “[My goal] is to become a doctor, scrappy every day, all day.” particularly a surgeon,” Alex said.

Working on finances for a “I think I would be a really good company is something that doctor because I feel like I can most high schoolers probably connect with people. It makes me wouldn’t imagine themselves feel good when I am able to help doing until much later in life, people, and I think being a doctor but Alex gets a thrill out of it unis one of the best ways you can help like anything else. people because you comfort them, “I don’t view it as work, I view it you make them feel better, you get as fun.” Alex said. “It's like a puzto use your knowledge so you stay zle. You have a problem you have intellectually active, but you also to solve, [and to do it], you have retain that personable aspect.” to go through steps, you have to Alex’s mom is also proud of brainstorm, talk about it, [and] what he has done to help her for when you finally come to a soluthe company, and cites his resil- tion, it's like knowing your work iency and knack for problem solv- has a purpose.”

Fishy business with the Hofmann brothers MIA SCHER Staff Writer

At 4 a.m. on a summer day in Los Altos, you can see dark houses and hear crickets. But if you drive up to the Hofmann household, you would be able to see three brothers, senior Hayden, sophomore Baylor and freshman Grady Hofmann, packing their fishing rods, hats and lunches in their car as they head out for Santa Cruz to fish for the next 12 hours out in the ocean.

These three brothers have fished since before they could remember.

In June 2016, they decided to take their fishing skills and turn it into a company: Point Fish Co. For the last year and a half, the brothers have been developing Point Fish Co. to catch and sell fish to local customers on Facebook and to wholesalers for farmers markets.

While the company was started because of the boys’ love for fishing, it was also an opportunity for the brothers to get closer as they got older and busier. When Hayden got his driver's license, the company truly came to life, as they no longer relied on their parents to decide whether or not they could fish each day. “[Point Fish Co.] started because now I get paid for something I would do for free,” Grady said. “Fishing is expensive… and now we’re making a little money on the side which is great.”

In spring of 2012, Grady suffered from viral-induced aplastic anemia, a severe life-threatening illness that

causes the bone marrow to stop working. This rare illness caused the entire family to be in a state of distress as Grady received a bone marrow transplant and spent over a year in isolation. He was unable to attend school, play sports, and fish during for one year. The Hofmann brothers have a very unique bond but Grady’s recovery pulled the boys even closer together. In order to pass the time while Grady was recovering in isolation, the boys would talk about starting a fishing business. “[Fishing] was just like a way for us to escape all the madness… It was something that was a shared passion together, something we all love to do together,” Baylor said. “When we get older, and we're all busy with our own stuff, we can always come back and do something that we love together.”

“They were always really close as brothers,” father Rusty Hofmann said.

“I quite frankly didn't think it was humanly possible they could get closer, as their father, and then when this happened, they did. They had gone through a really tough time for a long time and just wanted to spend more time together.”

The boys have spent two summers now fishing almost every day. While many students are on vacation, at a camp or working during the summer, the Hofmann brothers are going miles out in the Pacific Ocean to sell.

“A major reason we started the company is that the fresh fish [sold at grocery stores] is at least two or three weeks old, and the [oldest] we have

COURTESY BRADY HOFMANN

From left to right: senior Hayden, sophomore Brady and freshman Grady smile in front of their fishing haul.

The brothers started their fishing company Point Fish Co. in 2016, and have been able to bond over their work in the business. ever sold is three days,” Hayden said.

“It is perfectly iced, and a lot of times we filet it right in front of them. Our prices are like the same prices as Safeway, we sell tuna for probably $25, $3$8 less than Draeger's.”

The income the company brings in is put into a separate bank account for the boys. Recently, they have considered donating partial amounts of their income to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, where Grady was treated. In December,

they plan to purchase, wrap and deliver legos to children in the Bass Center who are in isolation, recovering from bone marrow transplants.

They are unsure about whether or not this company will continue in years to come.

“Once Hayden goes to college I think he is out of the business and it will just be Grady and me,” Baylor said. “Then once I leave I don't think we’ll have the business. This is not going to go for more than five years.”

To their father, the business has been a great learning experience for the boys and made their brotherly bond stronger than before.

“A lot of people think I'm crazy to let my three boys go 25 miles out into the ocean every day and fish, but I think it has been a great experience for them,” Rusty Hofmann said. “It's brought them confidence and really helped them mature as adults and grow up, because they have a lot of responsibility when out there on the ocean.”

The Talon November 14, 2017

9

The eco-friendly scene at University of Idaho This article is part of a series of features on unique colleges. Look out for the next issue to read about another school you may not have heard of.

EVELIN DIEGO

in order to achieve their certification. For example, if a student wanted to achieve bronze cerThe University of Idaho has a tification for their dorm room, program Los Altos’ Green Team they would have to complete would be envious of: the Green actions such as printing double Certification program. The pro- sided copies in order to save gram works to create a sustain- paper, shower for 10 minutes or able environment through small less and recycle. steps in students’ day-to-day The Sustainlives, and reability Center’s wards them for leadership conmaintaining a The Green Certificasists of a progreen footprint. gram manager One of the tion program strives and seven other many activi- to reduce the envistudents, who all ties funded by ronmental impacts receive training UI’s Sustainabil- of certain spaces from the center’s ity Center, the director and adacross campus Green Certificavisory board. The tion program, through educating student-funded strives to reduce students and staff on organization has the environmen- the influence of their a mission of cretal impacts of ating and develcarbon footprint. certain spaces oping a healthy across campus and educational such as offices, classrooms and living environment both on camdorms through educating stu- pus and beyond by promoting dents and staff on the inf luence an environmentally-friendly lifeof their carbon footprint. style. The university has a goal Depending on what level of of reaching carbon neutrality, a Green Certification students process by which an organizaand staff want to attain (bronze, tion limits the amount of carbon silver, gold or platinum), they dioxide it produces, by 2030. take a survey that gives them In addition to the Green Cerspecific actions they must take tification program, students and Staff Writer

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS USER ERIC KJAEMPERUD

The University of Idaho, pictured above, is the first university west of the Mississippi to have a student-led Sustainability Center. Through its eco-friendly programs, the school aims to educate students and staff on the environmental impacts of their actions. staff are also able to join EcoAmbassadors, an environmental leadership program funded by the Sustainability Center. A subcategory called Greek EcoAmbassadors is specifically for students at UI who are members of a fraternity or sorority and are interested in reducing their environmental footprint.

By becoming an Eco-Ambassador, students commit to being role models for their peers and challenge them to adopt sustainable practices in their day

to day lives through promoting Green Certification.

In addition to UI being environmentally conscious, it is also affordable for certain West Coast students because of the WUE program (Western Undergraduate Exchange). WUE allows California residents to apply to a selective amount of universities as if they were residents of that state. For the University of Idaho, a Californian student would be paying $7,488 tuition instead of the $23,812

out-of-state tuition.

The University of Idaho shows through their various studentrun, student-funded programs that they are well aware of the environmental impact that every student is capable of making.

Saving the planet may seem like an incredible feat, but the Sustainability Center claims that, “While it might seem impossible to address this global issue, we are dedicated to addressing climate change where we can — in our home state of Idaho.”

Composing a future with Michael Wang NATHAN GODDERIS Senior Writer

Senior Michael Wang has chosen to pursue a career path not often taken in Silicon Valley: music.

This year, Michael was accepted as a drummer into the San Francisco Jazz High School All-Stars program, one of the most prestigious and selective music programs in the Bay Area. With 20 to 25 of the best teen jazz musicians in the Bay Area, Michael gets to travel throughout the country to compete at music competitions.

Michael has played in out-ofschool bands like the Stanford Miles Ahead Big Band and the Stanford University Jazz Orchestra. More than getting into the San Francisco All-Stars program,

Michael was also chosen to be part of its Elite Combo. Along with performance, the octet focuses on writing original compositions, and it is led by renown saxophonist and composer Dann Zinn.

With all the talent that Michael has built through drumming, senior year pushed him to make a difficult decision: should he let go of drums and focus on academics, or should he follow his passion?

“The last six months, it definitely has been hard because everyone around me is going into [computer science] or engineering or an English major, all things that we’ve been learning in school for the last 12 years,” Michael said. “But on the other hand, I’ve had a secondary interest that’s always been an extracurricular thing, but now it’s

turning into my main thing.”

“Having no role models in front of me has definitely been scary.

I’m going out there and doing something that no one else in the school has done, and so it’s a little bit scary.’”

Although music started as a hobby in elementary school, Michael developed a passion for it through playing a variety of instruments as he grew older, like the piano, rock guitar, viola and drums. He started playing viola in elementary school and transitioned to being the lead singer and guitarist in his own rock band in middle school.

“People enjoy things that they're just good at, and that’s probably one of the main reasons that I stuck with [music] and branched out to new in-

MAX WEIRAUCH

This year, senior Michael Wang was accepted into San Francisco Jazz High School’s All-Stars program, a prestigious music group that competes across the nation at music competitions. After experimenting with many instruments, Michael started drumming, and plans to continue his passion past high school.

struments,” Michael said. “Every new the backbone of a band, keeping piece of music that I heard, every in- the time and melody of the song strument that I learned how to play in place for the other instruments. just made me more “I like music in excited to keep gogeneral, listening, ing. [My passion] playing, writing, kind of fed itself a People think of the dancing,” Michael little bit.” said. “The drums arts as being an Though Mijust happen to easy way out, but I chael developed be the way I can a wide range of almost see it like a best contribute to skills in the music challenge, it’s hard a group of musidepartment, he to make money, cians not because narrowed his foI particularly like but I’m going to be cus to the instruit the most.” ment he knew happy doing what Michael has conI’m doing. best: the drums. nections to other “The jazz band jazz musicians — senior Michael Wang needed a drumthroughout the Bay mer and I was reArea, who he often ally into a drumming, it was kind meets up with to play with. He of like a phase that I was going owes a lot of his ability to one of his through,” Michael said. “I got into teachers, Akira Tana and Los Altos drumming and when I got into alumnus, Mikailo Kasha ‘15, both of playing jazz… jazz drumming be- whom have helped him make concame what I did.” nections to the jazz community.

Michael credits his develop“A lot of people don’t have the ment and hours of practice on the drive, motivation comes and goes, drum kit to a dedicated focus that but he really wants to do this,” Kagrew with his maturity. The big- sha said. “I think a lot of people gest factors to his improvement in that age group don’t really care have come from three things: lis- about jazz… He’s definitely got tening to music, practicing on his that drive which is unique, and own and playing with others. that’s what’s necessary to make it.”

“I try and practice the drum set Though slightly apprehensive, for an hour every single day, even Michael is excited to take on jazz as if it’s super hard,” Michael said. “I a career. He embraces the challenge didn’t really start doing that until a of pursuing his dreams in a field year ago, and it’s definitely escalat- known to be harder to make money. ed my playing. I think it just came “People think of the arts as bewith maturity of being able to sit at ing an easy way out and if that’s the drum kit for that long and stay what you're going to do in colfocused, because it’s not something lege, you're not gonna make a that I used to be able to do until .” whole lot of money,” Michael To Michael, playing the drums is said. “But I almost see it like not about the music he plays as an a challenge, it’s hard to make individual, but the role he plays in money, but I’m going to be happy the band. Drums are often seen as doing what I’m doing.”

The Talon November 14, 2017

QuestBridGe

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MADDIE CHU Opinions Editor

In the following interviews, edited for clarity, The Talon features three Questbridge National College Match Finalists and their experiences. Questbridge’s National College Match allows students from low-income families to gain a full scholarship from a choice of 39 different colleges. The process begins with the students ranking their top 12 colleges, and potentially getting matched with a college. According to the Questbridge website, 5,759 students were selected out of 15,606 applicants this year as National College Match Finalists.

Edwin Christhuraj I’m talking about my experiences with origami and how that plays into my career choice. Origami has a lot of application in satellites, solar rays and other technology. In my college match application, I talked about the James Webb Space Telescope, which is upcoming technology for observing the universe. I talked about the first experience I had with discovering that and the effect that it had on me.

My mom suffered domestic violence and that broke our family apart. She didn’t have very much money to support our family of three at the time, my mom, me and my sister. I was just happy that that story could come to fruition.

I knew that this was one of the best opportunities I could possibly have for applying to college. I needed a program like Questbridge.

Jennifer Miranda When I first learned about Questbridge, I thought it was meant for me. It was so easy to not go forward with the app, but I feel like I would’ve regretted it so much.

I had someone tell me that I shouldn’t do Questbridge because she had other students that had applied for Questbridge with the same background as I did that didn’t get it, so she didn’t see why I would get it.

So the day I was going to go to those teachers and tell them I’m not going to do Questbridge anymore, Ms. Arriada was like, “No, what are you doing? Keep going, you can do it.” So that really motivated me, and it totally paid off.

The biggest thing I took out of this was that you can’t let someone bring you down if it’s something that you believe that is out there for you. It’s about not letting other people tell you what to do and standing up for yourself.

Krizia Araracap Submitting my app made me feel very vulnerable, just because I was sharing a part of myself that I usually never shared with anyone before. I feel like in my whole four years here nobody really knew who I was. Nobody would be able to tell just looking at me what kind of struggles that I had to face growing up.

Putting yourself out there as low income is really hard, so I feel like my opinion going into it was, “I’m just going to put myself out there and if they accept me then I’ll go for it.”

Being accepted made me feel like I actually did have a good chance of going to college.

Be honest, fully put yourself out there on your application because Questbridge and colleges will look for that and they’ll really appreciate what you can bring.

Student Governm

10 The Talon Publication Date 10

MIRANDA LI, PRINT MANAGING EDITOR | PRIYA DIXIT, RACHEL LU, MADISON WOO, SENIOR WRITERS | DANIELA GLOSTER, NOELLE HANSON, DAPHNE IH, ZOOEY NGUYEN, STAFF WRITERS | CARISSA LEE, GRAPHIC ARTIST

Reform and RepresentATION: how asb Contends with its two differen

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n some ways, there aren’t The endpoint of one of these is to check if thesetwo are acmany differences between the “big issues” can go a long way in tually in-line. This can occur white marble halls of Washington moving Los Altos into a new type through polling, although Zach D.C. and the blue-carpeted home- of culture. ASB is a reflection of first encourages ASB members to base of Los Altos ASB’s room 408. not only the demographics, but keep in mind the multiple perBoth, led by a President, repre- also the school culture as a whole. spectives of the school. sent the values of the people they The activities hosted, the sub“One of the biggest things ASB serve. Both are actors of change, committees created and even the can do a better job of is [making in the bills written and the school names given to certain activities sure everyone’s voices are heard],” policies altered. mirror what the school prioritizes. Zach said. “It’s extremely hard to Sometimes, the roles of repreA lot of the time, these changes can make the class a direct reflection of senting and of leading a community be clean-cut and non-controversial. how our student body is composed, stand independent of each other. “[Los Altos] has a very distinct, and [maybe] it’s more outreach durBut the issue rests in the conflict be- ‘Silicon Valley-esque’ culture, and ing the application process. In class tween these purposes: what should I think it’s great that our school is though, I encourage people go out ASB do when the school body it so high achieving,” ASB President and ask and so we do try and keep reflects disagrees senior Zach Murphy in mind multiple perspectives.” with its changes? Since we are trying to said. “But at the same But, in a scenario where the peoBefore poli- serve all students voices, time, students can ple ASB reflects comes in conflict cies are created, it goes down to finding get too achievement- with what they believe is right, difchoosing the stu- the line where we please oriented. It’s going to ferences in approach form. dents in ASB is the majority and yet still take a lot more than For Divya, ASB ultimately must the starting point are not be defined by a few events to get rid lead the way for change. of representation. certain traditions. of stress, but I do hope “We would still go with the pol“ASB is diverse that ASB can create icy [we wanted],” Divya said. “If — ASB President senior [to] provide an inclusive events that you look at something like trans Zach Murphy array of perspecexcite the student rights, even if a lot of people vote tives on schoolbody or just give them against it, we still believe rights wide issues and decisions,” ASB Vice a chance to relax.” come [first]. It will always be down President senior Hannah Phelps By hosting a Wellness Week, Los to what we think is best for the said. “The role of ASB in the school Altos ASB does more than help stu- school because not everyone has is to promote inclusivity, and we host dents physically de-stress. As leaders the information we do.” numerous large-scale events such of the campus, they signal that Los On the other hand, ASB member as Diversity Week as well as smaller Altos as a whole is moving past a cul- senior Charlie Tsunoda finds that scale activities such as the lunch ac- ture of competition to a culture that most often ASB works “purely for tivities that are open to everyone.” understands the need to take a break. student interest,” and thus would To sophomore class president But similar to America’s govern- take the majority opinion.

Divya Jakatdar, diversity doesn’t ment, controversy cannot be avoidFor others, though, controveronly come from race, gender and ed. Eventually the role of reflecting sies that are split down the middle sexual orientation, it also comes a campus built on years of tradition warrant case-by-case decisions. in terms of school community — comes in conflict with a new change, “With a [close split in opinion] in terms of “friend groups” and the no matter how minor. by the stu“sports you play.”

Take the case of Homecomdent body Utilizing that diversity of ing this year: ASB looked to ASB has a great burden: specifically, opinions, ASB gets to work on change traditions of Home- The actions ASB takes I think it planning the activities for the coming completely by making now, like those taken would take year. Each class starts with an the entire court ungendered, by Congress, will affect larger disoverview, which consists of but not the top two seniors generations in Los Altos cussion to completing tasks such as pur- themselves. Debate over to come. It’s no wonder figure out a chase orders and club whether ASB went far enough that each decision they response,” requests. From there, ensued. If the school disagreed make must require care- Zach said. long-term tasks in- with a policy ASB thought was ful thought.

“If this a cluding the current right, what should ASB do? proposal to food drive are picked Certainly, some ASB make a new up to complete. members believed that the program, I don't think ASB would O c c a s i o n a l l y , Homecoming decision was right, vote to make it happen since so though, this daily and some believed it promoted many people are against it. If it's routine is interrupt- greater inclusivity. preserving a program, then ASB ed. A “big issue” “If two girls were voted, that would might keep it and then look to surfaces, and a dis- be great [for feminism],” junior class change some aspects of it.” cussion ensues for president Katie Moussavian said.

With issues like this, Washington days in an effort “But if two boys were voted win- D.c. and room 408 seem increasingly to understand ners— we wanted to see the diversity similar, and one day, members of the entire class’ between boys and girls at our school.” the latter may become members of opinion.

But, others were not so sure. While the former. ASB has a great burden: Zach personally believed in keeping the actions ASB takes now, like those the two top seniors ungendered, he taken by Congress, will affect the felt that it was more important to de- generations in Los Altos to come. It’s fault to Los Altos opinion. no wonder that each decision they “Since we are trying to serve all stu- make must require careful thought. dents’ voices, it goes down to finding “We're the baby leaders that are the line where we please the major- going to be the leaders of the next ity and yet still are not be defined by generation so it’s important for us to certain traditions,” Zach said. get involved now,” ASB sophomore So, where is that line? Does it even Mahita Bobba said. “If you have an exist? ASB must make decisions on idea, we won't shut it down, so anynot only what to change, but how far thing goes. Sometimes we're brainthat change should go, with issues storming spirit ideas and sometimes ranging from altering homecoming we’re brainstorming how we can traditions to re-naming Powderpuff. change something that should be ASB’s first step is to make sure changed on campus. ASB is not just that all voices are heard: the [about] spirit days; we’re also making easiest solution to a dissonance executive decisions and between what the student body changing our camwants and what ASB wants pus now.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MIRANDA LI

ment ASB around the world

nt roles?

how does los altos compare to other schools?

The Talon November 14, 2017

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Yao Guang Secondary School, China At Yao Guang Secondary School, teachers are often strict and meticulous about student work due to the school system’s highly competitive environment. Yao Guang has no leadership group or activities, andmost kids aren’t interested in maintaining one because they’re too preoccupied with the immense amount of homework. Without a student government to bring kids together through group activities, Yao Guang students are encouraged to forgo social interactions with their peers for the sake of education. Spirit and games are sacrificed for academic success.

Seoul Foreign School, South Korea McMinnville High School, Oregon The McMinnville ASB class, which tries to unify the student body, fails to translate their school’s diversity in their own headquarters said McMinnville ASB member Emily Smith. With a small class of about 30 students, friend groups are seemingly clear as it is noticeable what cliques are within their ASB. By having this division in the class, they falter in standing by the organization’s motto “to unify the student body.” Moreover, in the past, while many students often wanted to help with events, ASB was reluctant to accept an outside perspective. The organization hopes to make a change to reflect their goal to promote inclusivity all throughout the school into their own classroom.

Gymnasium Hochrad, Germany Instead of holding individual elections, Gymnasium Hochrad in Hamburg allows students to campaign in groups of seven to become the school’s next student government. Individuals can vote for their favorite group based on the yearly plan of events that each group presents to the student body, but more often than not, the winning group is often inactive for most of the year. Diversity is a prominent issue since students often choose to run with their friends, and the goals that they set during the election either have a very limited impact or are left unfulfilled. As a result, most of the student body is uninterested in the efforts of the student government.

a brief history

asb in the us

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Similar to Los Altos, at Seoul Foreign School, students must go through an extensive application process that consists of a one minute video introduction and a three to five minute speech. Both components are presented to the class and are voted on by students. However, students must have high grades and a teacher’s approval before they can even hope to run. Past that, strict rules on what can be in the campaign videos and speeches exist to further put the campaigning process under administration control. For example, because the school is religious, lyrics and references to “Jesus Christ” are expressly prohibited. Once voted in, student council is meant to be the voice of the student body and plan student activities such as Homecoming, however, as a private, religious school, most decisions are made top-down through administrators.

tudents in the United States were not always given much independence. Before the introduction of public high schools, American colleges were small, strict and religious, limiting students’ freedom to choose activities or have an impact on school culture. The idea of a student government to reflect and lead a school had yet to be born. Traditionally, college institutions were unilaterally run by paid administrators who didn’t have the same perspective as those attending classes. But as college enrollment increased, so did the concept and popularity of student governance. As the country itself got more democratic, so did the education system. The concept of self-governance created a perfect teaching opportunity. It allowed students to personally participate in democracy and understand the structure of government on a more tactile level than ever before. Students quickly became interested in changing school policies and having a more prominent voice in administration. By the 1950’s, it was rare for colleges to not have a student government. As colleges adapted to this new way of thinking, high schools followed suit, leading to the current forms of student government. The way these governments are set up, however, vary distinctly and reflect the cultural values in and surrounding the school.

The Talon November 14, 2017

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Catch reviews of new movies, music and more, plus read the Arts & Culture archives at lahstalon.org/category/artsculture

The Upsides and “The Upside Down” sides CATHY WANG Staff Writer

‘Stranger Things 2’

Netflix: Released October 27, 2017 ★★★★☆ A little girl with a number for a name and a soft spot for Eggo waffles, Christmas lights and Dungeons & Dragons. These features only scratch the surface of the first season of Netflix’s smash hit, “Stranger Things.” Full of 80’s nostalgia and stellar performances from the then 11-and-12-year-old leads, “Stranger Things” quickly became one of 2016’s most popular shows. Could they successfully follow up a first season so widely acclaimed? I’m happy to report the Duffer Brothers have done it again. Here’s what they got right and what fell flat.

To recap, the first season followed the disappearance of a young boy, Will Byers, in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana and his gang’s search for him amid supernatural occurrences. After its initial release, I, like many, fell in love. Amongst a landscape of franchises and remakes, “Stranger Things” was a gift long overdue, a unique story told with nuance and love. In the second season, they have recaptured the same magic.

If you haven’t watched the second season, stop reading now. The rest of this will contain spoilers.

This new season picked up nearly a year after the events of the first, dealing with Will’s struggles to cope with the trauma he sustained in the Upside Down and the rest of the cast’s attempts to return to normalcy. However, things couldn’t remain quiet in

Hawkins and a new threat to the town emerged along with two new faces, siblings Max and Billy.

In its second season, “Stranger Things” could have easily stunted its spectacular potential, relying on the quirks that had first made it a success. Instead, it demonstrated a maturation in storytelling and themes, venturing deeper into horror elements and even touching on topics like PTSD through Will while still including aspects adored in the first season — 80’s nostalgia, the friendship between our young protagonists, Eggo waffles and all.

More, this season’s overall appearance was absolutely sublime, its every detail created with a care and love that made the experience of watching it all the more enjoyable. The staff behind the scenes built off the strong foundation set up in the first season, using color, costume and set to create an aesthetic unmistakabley “Stranger Things” — whether from the Upside Down’s mote filled air and stuffy yet somehow cool, dark blues and grays or the stifling warm tones of the Byers’ house.

The Duffer Brothers’ choice to introduce new character combinations gave the show a new freshness and offered the fantastic cast the opportunity to showcase their talent and develop their character. The most notable pairing for me, followed closely by Hopper and Eleven, was Dustin and Steve in their grand search for a mysterious creature found by Dustin. Their interactions demonstrated a kindness in Steve not fully explored in the first season and the absence of a male figure in Dustin’s life. In the case of Eleven and Hopper, her time living with him allowed for

IMDB

The four main charcter of the show “Stranger Things” crowd around a video game console. The second season of the show matched the success of the first, developing its characters and maintaining its 80’s charm. interesting new facets of Eleven to shine. We experienced a young girl simply longing for her friends who, despite the appearance of a father figure she so desperately needed, lashed out in petulant anger. In Hopper’s case, we see a man still mourning the loss of his biological daughter, finding her in Eleven, and becoming the angry father simply desperate to keep his little girl safe.

Finally, Noah Schnapp’s performance as Will Byers was astounding. In the first season we didn’t see much of him beyond a scared little boy isolated from his family and friends. Now, we get to see him dealing with his experience in the Upside Down. Delivered with a skill beyond his years, Schnapp spectacularly steps up to the plate,

nailing the complicated nuances being asked of him.

Season 2’s shakiest aspects were its loss of development for some characters. This is especially prevalent in Joyce, Will’s mother, and the new addition of Billy. He initially presented a compelling character, a human villain among fantastical monsters. However, the lack of explanation or backstory until the penultimate episode of the season simply made me lose interest in his story and stripped him of adequate development. The single scene that offered a window into his life was chilling and wonderfully acted but only scratched the surface of what could’ve been an important and complex story to tell. On that same topic, Joyce continues

to be pigeonholed into the same role of a worried mother. Winona Ryder has so much to offer as an actress and to see her forced to be a frail figure shrouded in cigarette smoke was simply disappointing.

After finishing “Stranger Things” far too quickly, I found that an unsettling amount of my brain continued to be occupied by thoughts of those tweens’ well-beings and that small town in Indiana. Its nostalgic aspects and fantastical elements could’ve easily swept the show off its feet and transformed it into a paper thin series. Instead the Duffer Brothers smartly secured “Stranger Things” in its characters and their relationships, whether familial, platonic or romantic, cementing it as a diamond in the rough. So here’s to a third season and many more.

The benefits of binge watching ISABELLA BORKOVIC Staff Writer

Before I sat down to write this, I watched four 40-minute episodes of “Stranger Things” back to back. I kept on clicking that tantalizing red “Next Episode” button over and over until almost three hours had passed and it was suddenly 8 o’clock.

I’m sure many of you have also experienced the hypnotic glow of your laptop that commands you to keep on watching for hours. This phenomenon of binge-watching has emerged from the popularity of streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu. According to Forbes, 36 percent of Netflix watchers binge-watch shows regularly.

More importantly, shows have changed to accommodate the new way viewers digest TV series. As the number of bingewatchers grows, writers focus more and more on storylines that span multiple episodes.

When it was only possible to watch television with cable, TV channels relied more

heavily on sitcoms and proce- ity for the viewer. For example, dural crime shows to attract many new Netflix originals have viewers. Without an overarch- very strong storylines that are ing timeline or carried throughplot, channels out each episode could play back — take “Stranger reruns of shows As the number of Things,” “Narcos,” without con- binge-watchers “The Crown,” fusing viewers. and “Making a Because of this, grows, writers focus Murderer.” “Narwriters had to more and more on cos” in particular fit a single story storylines that span has a very cominto each indi- multiple epsidoes. plex plot with vidual episode. a whopping 29 TV shows like main characters, “Full House,” and most view“The Big Bang Theory” and ev- ers probably wouldn’t be able ery Disney show ever all lacked to follow the storyline without an elaborate ongoing plot, rely- watching multiple episodes toing instead on individual epi- gether. With their audience able sodes to hook in their audience. to watch episodes in succession, With viewers able to access TV shows don’t have to sacrientire seasons at a time, sitcoms fice plot for rerun-friendliness, without storylines are giving way improving the overall quality of to shows that emphasize con- TV. tinuous plot. Out of the 60 or so Of course, like all streamoriginal series Netflix has, only ing services, higher quality about eight of them are sitcoms; shows come at a price — time in comparison, Fox has 116 sit- lost to the screen. With better coms out of 260 TV shows. and more connected plot lines, Streaming services make it eas- TV shows are becoming more ier for shows to have a cohesive binge-able. As each episode storyline without losing any clar- raises more questions than it an-

swers, viewers watch more and more episodes in succession to try to fulfill their desire to finish a show. And, as teenagers with little self-control and almost no patience, cliffhangers and plottwists often take precedence over homework and sleep.

For me, Netflix indulges my procrastination to the point where I’m stuck starting homework at 10 p.m. I’ve heard people compare the six or more hours they spent watching TV last weekend to the three hours they spent sleeping.

With streaming services and binge-watching on the

rise, teenagers’ TV addictions and sleep deprivation are also growing dramatically. As teenagers, we’re used to making sacrifices — giving up sleep for homework, missing social activities for sports. Time spent binge-watching just one more thing we have to sacrifice, and the higher-quality plot-driven TV shows we get in return just might be worth it.

ASHLEY CAI

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A R T S & C U LT U R E

The Talon November 14, 2017

The cultures that made us Students of Los Altos discuss cultural influences on their upbringing, and how that has played into their growth today.

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NEGAR BAGHERI Guest Writer

grew up in Heidelberg, Germany. Living there I was not surrounded by very many different cultures; unlike most people there, my parents were from Iran and I was Persian. At home we ate Persian foods like zereshk polo or kebab, celebrated Persian New year and spoke Farsi. I grew up feeling somewhat like a misfit — everyone in my class was mostly German. I was never very proud of my Persian culture, and I felt I needed to repress it.

But when I was 10-yearsold, my parents and I moved to Los Altos, California. Los Altos was very different from where I grew up. My class

LUIS MENDOZA IGNACIO

rowing up was different for me: I grew up in Mexico for a couple years before moving to the U.S. My parents moved because they wanted me to receive a better education and future. For me, the biggest struggle has been fitting into the American culture and my own culture.

My parents raised me with certain values, always telling me to be humble, remember that I come from Mexico and be thankful for the opportunities I get. Coming into the Los Altos AVID class made me realize that I shouldn’t be taking certain opportunities for granted, because not many opportunities come for my people. I have learned to work hard for the things I want, as being a minority brings challenges in the American culture. During my sophomore year, I volunteered at the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, showing the staff that I was worthy of something through my creativity, hard work and leadership. This led them to offer me a summer internship and opened my eyes to something beyond what I could have imagined. I developed a passion for business, and now wanted to know how companies work and grow.

My parents didn’t like it when I began to speak English to them because they thought I was forgetting my roots. Spanish is my native

don’t get judged as much for dressing a certain way or expressing their beliefs. Los Altos therefore was a very diverse community and I felt I could be myself without judgement living here.

Living here helped me embrace my Persian culture. At Los Altos High School I joined Iranian Student Union, and it’s been so great to be part of such an inclusive club that makes me feel extremely proud of my culture. We have get-togethers and potlucks in which many people of the club enjoy food together and share stories about what is going

LOS ALTOS, UNITED STATES

Guest Writer

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was extremely diverse and my elementary school, Santa Rita, had many celebrations for different types of cultures. One such celebration was Santa Rita’s International Day, where people would dress up in clothes from their culture and celebrate diversity. I loved how diverse America was — all of my friends celebrated different cultures and were very welcoming to other cultures. People especially in this area are able to express themselves in the way they dress or movements they believe in without judgement. I really liked this, and I feel like I found a lot of myself moving here. America is a very accepting culture, people

tongue, and my parents don’t really understand English. I had to tell them that learning a new language wouldn’t be so bad, because it would give me more chances to succeed in America. My parents started to understand that by speaking English in this country, I would be able to communicate with others and more opportunities would come.

After this realization, my parents are thankful that I am now bilingual because I can communicate with my own culture and others that speak English.

I knew the U.S. would change me, and I would have to find a way to fit into both cultures. When I was 10 years old, I began to realize that other cultures have different beliefs than I do, and that I must respect them. I was open to criticism of my culture, such as why we are religious. I was raised by Catholic parents, as most Mexicans are Catholic, and the choices we make are because of our belief in our religion. I have come to understand that sometimes I have to remain quiet and not share my beliefs because others might find them offensive. Throughout the years, I have tried my best to respect my culture and cultures around me.

My culture celebrates Dia de los Muertos. We believe that after death, your soul goes up to heaven and every year you

SOUTHERN MEXICO

come down to Earth and spend time with your family. Your family members are responsible for providing food you liked and praying for your soul.

Dia de los Muertos helps me remember that my loved ones are with me, watching me from heaven and waiting for me with open arms when I die.

My parents also told me to remember that family comes first.

We celebrates the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe every December 12, going to mass at 5 a.m. and singing “Las Mañanitas” to the Virgin. This is important to us because the Virgin of Guadalupe is an icon that represents

Mexico as a whole. She is important to me because she was the mother of Jesus and when Jesus died, he gave his mother to all of us. Whenever I feel down, happy, worried or I just want to say thanks, I pray to her with my parents. In this world I have two mothers, my biological mother and my spiritual mother.

Coming to the U.S., I have realized that there are many cultures around me and I am responsible for fitting in the American culture as well as my own culture. It has not been easy, but I continue to try and fit into both of the cultures I am now apart of.

in our lives. It’s really fun, and I’ve met many great people in these socials.

It was of course difficult to adapt to America’s culture at first — I was used to having bakeries around my house and castles and brick buildings. To this day I still miss a lot about Germany such as how we could drive to France or how there was a lot of snow during the winter time.

But had I never moved to the U.S., I don’t think I would have been so proud about my culture without Los Altos’ diversity assemblies and clubs such as Iranian Student Union.

A R T S & C U LT U R E

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YOLANDA SPURA Copy/Content Editor

new family moved next door a couple months ago, and, always hungry to meet new people in a neighborhood predominantly composed of retirees, my parents invited them over for dinner.

I thought we would have a lot in common: I’m half Chinese, and the parents, although both born in the U.S., are Korean and Chinese, with two daughters around the same age of my 7-year-old sister. But as we sat over our meal, I marveled over this family — they said “grace” before dinner, and their children, who went to bed at 7:30 p.m., dutifully ate everything on their plates.

I realized then that there was a distinction between their parenting philosophy and that of my Chinese-born mother and my German-born father, a distinction influenced by cultural differences.

But, I’ve also come to understand that this distinction isn’t a bad thing — in a place as culturally diverse as the Silicon Valley, it’s possible to embrace, and learn from, all styles of parenting.

My neighbors held one of their daughters back a grade because she hadn’t reached an adequate level of emotional maturity when compared to her peers, while my parents had my sister skip ahead a grade without a thought to the emotional and social consequences. At 7 years old, my sister goes to bed at 10 p.m. because she has German school, Chinese school, swimming, ballet and piano.

My parents were raised in cultures that valued academics and extracurriculars over self-discovery and self-esteem, that valued academic prowess over an ability to effectively communicate. The Chinese school system that my mom grew up in focused more on exercises drilling concepts into long-term memory than group projects developing social skills; my dad only did a handful of oral presentations before graduate school while I, raised in the U.S., was doing one every two weeks in sixth grade.

It’s not that my parents don’t care about my social or leader-

The Talon November 14, 2017

ship skills. But, in their eyes, I can learn these skills naturally through my extracurriculars and social interactions — they don’t need to be taught. Regardless of the traits or abilities they emphasize, many traditionally American parents I know are very involved, managing their children’s schedules and monitoring their social well-being. Chinese parents I know are typically similarly involved, with mothers often being stereotyped as “tiger moms” due to their involvement in their childrens’ academic performance. Unlike their American counterparts, they often leave the social sphere to their children due to a difference in cultural values.

The German culture is one that values independence — while academically demanding, many German parents leave their children to play, interact, commute alone to various activities — fostering a high level of social autonomy. For my parents, these German ideals collided with Chinese ideals, creating the idea that they don’t necessarily need to focus on promoting their children’s social skills. And while every child

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is different, their approach is one that worked for me.

My neighbor’s children may be raised in a very different manner than my sister and I are, but that’s not unusual.

Culture heavily influences parenting styles and values, and there’s no one universal parenting style. Typical French parents are known to be strict, but seek to cultivate patience and self-sufficiency within their children. In Japanese culture, children are taught self-restraint and sensitivity. Meanwhile, Indian parents are often very involved, valuing obedience and interdependence.

My parents’ emphasis on academics has not necessarily stunted my social development, just as my neighbor’s emphasis on social skills has not necessarily stunted their children’s academic development.

Culture plays a large role in a child’s development, but so does environment. And in an environment that’s as diverse as the one we’re currently living in, it’s possible for us to come together and learn from each others’ cultural perspectives.

SHENZHEN, CHINA

HEIDELBERG AND ULM, GERMANY

TEHRAN, IRAN

PUNJAB, INDIA ISHAAN PARMAR Guest Writer

G

rowing up, I figured that there were two types of parents in the world: my parents and everyone else’s. I wondered if my parents would ever act like other, white, Los Altos parents with roots in America and move us from our apartment into a big house, celebrating holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. As a child, I never realized that the reason my parents did not act like the parents from here was because they are not from here.

My parents got married in India, and moved to Toronto, Canada, in 1990. They moved to the Bay Area in 1999 after having my older brother, coming to Los Altos for the

highly rated schools.

Growing up with two immigrant parents, I was rarely handed anything. My parents instilled in me the value of money from an early age.

While many children got their first phones — inexplicably — during elementary school, I never got a cell phone until the end of eighth grade out of necessity. I won’t get a car until I can pay for it myself either. When I was younger, I would feel frustrated about how little money my parents would spend on what I wanted. I only recently realized that their only obligation is to provide me with what I need.

I now find it uncomfortable to ask my parents for money and expensive things, because I am aware of the work that goes into every single cent.

My parents have raised me with a sense of cultural awareness, a sense of how Indian people are seen in America. My

parents asked my brother to shave his beard before he went to an interview for a Nexus card, a pass that would let him go faster through security at an airport. They were worried that whoever interviewed him would not grant him the card because he is a large brown man with a scraggly beard.

The reality of racism is something that a lot of white parents and children do not have to deal with. The first time that my dad directly asked me if I’d experienced any racism at school was a strange moment, as if my dad was acknowledging that I could be treated differently for my skin color.

The racism I have seen is not apparent but rather hidden.

It has been being “randomly” screened at the airport multiple times. It is Apu on “The Simpsons” stereotyping Indian immigrants for decades. When immigrants come to this country, they brush off racism in or-

der to live here. Hassan Minhaj put it best in his stand-up special, “Homecoming King,” saying, “My dad’s from that generation where he feels like if you come to this country, you pay the American dream tax. You endure racism, and if it doesn’t cost you your life, pay it.” For immigrants, racism is the bullet to bite in order for better opportunities.

Growing up in Los Altos as the child of middle-class immigrants is a unique experience, to say the least. However, the lack of luxury that comes from not having generations of family in America is made up in the awareness of how far hard work can go. If my parents could come to this country on their own dime and get to the place where they are now, it shows me that I have the ability do something just as daring.

CARISSA LEE

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A R T S & C U LT U R E

The Talon November 14, 2017

Guest Column

Injustices in female hip-hop R

By Danny Vesurai

Learning to love loud music Rap didn’t play in the halls of my house from elementary to middle school. My dad decried it as loud, pointless and obnoxious, so I grew up instead with the Beatles’ harmonized “she loves you”s and 96.5’s calming soft rock and “K-O-I-T.” But now, I also listen to the satirical hypermasculine heavy metal German duo Zugezogen Maskulin, some Kendrick Lamar, a sprinkling of 2Pac, Kanye West and more.

Artists on my Spotify range from Elton John to XXXTentacion. I don’t know why I listen to German heavy metal and the Beatles in the same span of 10 minutes. Both just sound good to me now.

The first playlist I ever made was basically all pop. It’s 294 songs long and dubbed “Dumb,” but I stopped listening to it long ago.

As I matured and grew more independent, my music taste evolved. Using Spotify’s Discover Weekly, a 30-song playlist Spotify creates each week based on what you’ve been listening to, I gradually diversified and expanded my catalog of songs. The second playlist I ever made — an act meant to distinguish old, boring Danny from new, exciting Danny — is composed of most genres (yes, even country) thus called “Random.” It’s 750 songs long, and I listen and add to it everyday.

Of all the new genres I started listening to, rap captivated me most. It’s powerful and raw.

Rap makes me wish I could see sound. Rap is storytelling over a beat, and it could be argued that that’s what all of music is, but rap’s distinct emphasis on rhythm — the way it wants the words to punch you — made it different from the easygoing indie rock and folk I’d been listening to.

So I listened to more rap, but still more indie rock and folk as well. I shared my music with others and they shared theirs with mine, and I explored and experimented.

I have 44 playlists on Spotify now, each of varying length, each for a different purpose.

I’m still sharing, and exploring, and experimenting.

I hope that I never stop. I don’t know what else I’ll be listening to in five years, but I know I’ll return to rap, the Beatles and everything else in between. Sometimes I think about how when I grow old, I want to listen to the new Kanye. I don’t want to be a grandpa listening to Kanye, wondering what newfangled music all these kids are listening to. Maybe I’ll like it, maybe I won’t, but I’ve got to check it out.

emember way back in the day when you could shout, “WHO DAT, WHO DAT?” in the hallways, and someone would immediately respond with, “I-G-GY!” Now, if you randomly decide to bring up Iggy Azalea in a conversation, somebody might actually say, “Who dat?”

Iggy’s career peaked in 2014 when she topped the charts with her hit single “Fancy” and was featured on Ariana Grande’s “Problem.” Now it’s 2017, and what has Iggy been up to? Turns out, she has been actively pumping out new music all year. But her career seems to be maintaining its downward trajectory with chart-flopping singles “Switch” and “Mo Bounce.”

Neither song came within sniffing distance of the “Billboard Hot 100,” and Iggy herself tweeted out, “Mo Bounce isn't even charting. im def not concerned about money. just doing what i love and you can join in or not :-).”

It isn’t just Iggy, either. She is only one example of many female hip-hop artists whose mainstream careers are short-lived. So why is it that most emerging female rappers can’t seem to stay mainstream for more than one summer?

The most prominent issue seems to be the hip-hop industry itself, which seems to favor the many male artists within it. Women have to overcome a very real bias and stigma in hip-hop that makes other barriers all rappers face have a stronger relevance. They have to depend on men to approve and introduce them on ground level (because most of the people in places of power are men). They need to rack up branding and mer-

chandising deals to effectively ‘buy’ the right to their career. And, they need to have a certain aesthetic when it comes to their physical appearance.

Hip-hop is a central part of the American culture. You can see its influence from runway shows and fashion to politics and pop culture. Now, the industry generates 10 billion dollars a year, and rappers and artists are the faces of major ad campaigns, receiving credit for being mainstream.

Women in hip-hop have to not only compete with men and the history of the male-dominated street art, but also with the business world, lot of people see it as a big party. And another aspect of the rap game that when that party is up, what are you has increasingly become more im- going to do?” portant. Artists like Dr. Dre and When you think about male rapDrake have been able to make lucra- pers, they have much less branding tive careers representing different pressure. How many fragrances and brands. In the case of Dre, he was ad campaigns can you picture atable to create his own headphones tached to any of the current male because of the clout, influence and rappers in the industry? Sure, they power afforded to are attached to certain him by his career. The brands by choice, but only difference here it’s difficult for anyis that men have the Women in hip-hop one to be the face of a freedom to do this have to not only brand. For women, it’s much later in their compete with men a must. careers than women.

Iggy Azalea is an and the history One of the rare feexample of a female male success stories in of the male-domrapper’s career failthe hip-hop business inated street art, ing due to the rap world is Nicki Minaj, but also with the industry culture. and her business suc- business world.

She was cut off by cess is a major reason T.I., her mentor and for her continued relelabel owner (Grand vance. Nicki is the face Hustle Label), and because she of her own MAC lipsticks, has an hadn’t racked up enough revenue OPI nail polish, her own fra- and her brand was fairly new, she grance and a clothing brand. had no legs to stand on to defend She’s done many ad cam- her career in the face of backlash. paigns for major compaSimilarly, Azealia Banks is often in nies and fashion brands the media for saying inflammatory like H&M and Roberto things rather than being featured for Cavalli. She’s been able her music or career endeavours. She to do all this and craft a has no big businesses backing her up landscape and route that and supporting her career into the many female rappers can next level. Angel Haze has the same follow. It’s been one pri- issue with branding — although she mary reason for her longev- faces other challenges as an agender ity. She’s “bought” control over rapper, the conclusion is the same. her brand and career and does For women in hip-hop, these not rely on a domi- deals are necessary to gain the right nant label or to power over their own careers. men to be For a female to be successful in successful. the hip-hop industry, she has to She has the work twice as hard as a male. Males ability to negoti- do need to have merit and be skillful ate and has given at attracting attention. But because herself needed they are allowed more freedom, leverage in her they do not need to (in the same career. sense and as early on) get them“Everything I selves in a position of diversifying do, I do with busi- their income and realm of influence ness in my head,” as insurance against relying on othMinaj said in an ers to back them in the game. interview with Along with all the backstage “The Guardian.” hustling and tricky navigation of “If you’re not being a female rap artist, there’s savvy, this busi- a certain appearance that is reness will eat quired by the industry and to you alive. A an extent the fans of female WIKIMEDIA USER CHRISTOPHER MACSURAK

Lowki Codi

By Ashley Cai

teacher nooo

TINO TUGWETE IAN TSENG Senior Writer Staff Writer

MAX WEIRAUCH

hip-hop: light skin (or the appearance of it through editing) and surgically-obtained bodies that reach a voluptuous aesthetic. There seems to be a requirement for female rappers to oversexualize themselves in order to find success, and it’s a huge setback for many of their careers. Even Snoop Dogg once lamented that, “It’s more about what she look like than what she sound like.”

Female rappers like Azealia Banks and Angel Haze who have experienced varying degrees of success do not fit these standards as “skinny dark” black women.

There are obviously other reasons for their varying success, but it’s important to think about how male appearance doesn’t weigh anything in terms of their success, while females have to factor it into their careers.

If a female rapper is able to surpass these challenges, like Nicki Minaj, they have done a lot of heavy lifting and been in the right spot at the right time. This is a factor as to why there has to be one “Queen” in female hiphop, and the fans, or the industry itself, won’t let there be more than one on top. Anytime a female rapper starts to gain traction, she is compared to whoever is on top currently.

For the past seven years, roughly, that has been a Miss Nicki Minaj.

To read a more about queens in female rap, visit lahstalon.org/category/ artsculture

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Talon November 14, 2017

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Get daily updates on Eagle athletics and read the sports archives at lahstalon.org/category/sports

Boys basketball shoots into new season ISABELLA BORKOVIC Staff Writer

After placing fifth out of seven schools in the upper level of the De Anza League last year, varsity boys basketball hopes to improve their previous 4-8 record and land in the upper half of the league this year. Head coach Trevor Naas, now in his second year, believes that this year, the team’s

chemistry will help them reach their full potential.

With such a strong team bond, the team believes that they could potentially reach league championships or even CCS. Year-round training, team bonding events and a three-day summer basketball camp at UC Santa Barbara have all contributed to this strong team bond, which is crucial to success on

the courts and beyond.

“We got them together off of the basketball court.” Naas said. “[That’s when] you start to see some of their bond and connection develop and deepen a little bit. Anytime you get them together away from the basketball court it gets really good for their chemistry.”

With eight senior players — more than half the team — gone, this year’s seniors are stepping

MAX WEIRAUCH

Senior Matt Eberle dunks during basktball tryouts as his teammates look on. This year, the varsity boys basketball team hopes to improve their placement from 4-8 in leagues last year, and with their strong team bond possibly make it back to CCS.

up to take their place, and chem- He will enlist the help of a seristry will be crucial. The team vice called Hudl to pinpoint spewill have a strong core with years cific improvements players can of experience playing with each make to improve their play on other; five out of the six seniors the court. Hudl uses video foothave been on varsity since sopho- age to point out key moments more year. like turnovers and rebounds and “We've been playing a lot to- create a statistical breakdown of gether,” last year’s co-captain se- the game. nior Matt Eberle said. “The culmi“From a coaching stance it's nation of all our playing together a great teaching tool, because comes into this then it's not just year and now our voice all the we're ready to time saying this lead the team The culmination of all is what we need and win.” to do, but now Naas, for his our playing together we're able to part, has be- comes into this year see it and learn come more com- and now we’re ready to from it and then fortable with lead the team and win. go and address his players and it on the court,” — last year’s co-captain gained insight Naas said. senior Matt Eberle into improveThrough pushments the team ing for team can make this season. chemistry both on and off the “On the court, ball security court and focusing on improving would be number one,” Naas said. their defense, the team has high “Eliminating our turnovers is go- hopes of achieving their goals of ing to be a huge challenge for us raising their overall record from in our league... Last year, that was last year. a major issue for us. This year, I'm “We definitely think we'll imhoping that we're able to turn a prove from last year… and we'll corner with that in the way that we have a better record than last commit to preparing for it in prac- year,” Matt said. “We have such tice and the way we value the ball.” a senior core, and we all have To improve his team’s ball se- goals of CCS… that'll help us curity, Naas plans to implement come playoff time when we all new drills in practice and review just really want to get to that game footage with his players. championship game.”

A look back at football’s 35-0 win against Mountain View SEAN SCOTT Photographer

Every year, the varsity football team gears up to face cross-town rivals, the Mountain View Spartans. After a hard fought battle, the Eagles took home the win with a dominant performance on Saturday, October 28. The team continued their streak from last year’s win against Mountain View.

Junior Ben Parker breaks away from a Mountain View defender and During the second quarter, junior Rocky Hidalgo sprints past two defenders and scores gets a good start for Los Altos in the first quarter. a touchdown for the Eagles.

In the second quarter, junior Ben Parker is free to run as Eagles offensive linemen block In the third quarter, senior Vincent Colodny makes a catch in between two defenders and scores a touchdown for the Eagles. off the path from defenders.

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The Talon November 14, 2017

When bending leads to breaking: Injuries in gymnastics The Talon takes a look at various gymnasts have decided to quit the sport due to high level training and injuries.

JOCELYN MAEYAMA Staff Writer

Before the 2017 Gymnastics World Championships even began, three gymnasts pulled out of the competition due to injury.

USA’s Ragan Smith injured her ankle during warmups. Romania’s Larisa Iordache tore her Achilles tendon while warming up for the women’s qualifications. Japan’s Kohei Uchimura tore a ligament in his ankle during men’s qualifications.

These injuries are expected and universal in a high-impact sport like gymnastics. The physical and psychological effects of injuries cause many young gymnasts to stop training; it’s common to retire at the age of 12.

Senior Philip Carey and junior Peter Coe are two of many gymnasts who stopped training due to long-term injuries. Philip trained since age 2, while Peter began his gymnastics career at age 12, competing together at the highest level at their gym. Between the two of them, Philip and Peter won four of the six events at the Men’s Region 1 Championships and placed first and second respectively in all-around.

Despite their success, both stopped training this year due to back injuries arising from overuse.

Both have facet joint syndrome in their spines, which creates pain when they twist their backs; Philip also has a herniated disk in his lower back.

While Peter follows gymnastics and watches it often, his injury has prevented him from continuing to grow in a sport he loves.

“I got to a point where I couldn't push myself,” Peter said. “I really love gymnastics because you can keep pushing yourself to the breaking point, and I think I kind of hit the breaking point.”

While his coaches wanted him to train for three hours, six days a week, as he got older, Philip realized this put him at a high risk for developing overuse injuries. Instead, he began training four days a week and trained for three hours.

“If I could go back and do it again, I would have been a lot smarter about my training,” Philip said. “Gymnastics coaches can be very disciplinary and it's hard to say no to them. The big thing is standing up to them when it's too much because I think that's what most guys have trouble with.”

Through his training, Peter encountered two common coaching mentalities about injuries: pushing through the pain, or laying off the injury and working on other events. When his facet syndrome flared up, one of his coaches suggested he simply arch his back less when performing a skill. But this didn’t prevent the joints from being overworked, and he still had a long-term injury. Another coach suggested to practice other events to preserve his back, and he trained heavily in pommel horse,

TALON FILE PHOTO

Senior Lisa Deng extends into a layout in a dance piece at the Los Altos Dance Show last spring. She picked a new athletic activity after quitting gymnastics, similar to other ex-gymnasts.

TALON FILE PHOTO

Above: Junior Peter Coe performs a skill on pommel horse. Bottom left: Senior Philip Carey trains on the parallel bars. Both Peter and Philip decided to quit gymnastics due to long term injury. which led to developing forearm progress in such a fast-paced sport splints, similar to shin splints. where everyone improves rapidly, Continuing to train despite pain but you also bear the emotional also brings psychological reper- impact of the fear you felt.” cussions. Senior Tess Callan did Because Lisa’s injuries were not gymnastics from the age of 7 to severe enough for doctors to ad16. She developed stress fractures vise against continuing her trainin her back and then fractured ing, she took it into her own hands her foot. This into convince her parjury, combined with ents to let her quit. burnout, caused her She took a variety of to stop training. Due If I could go back approaches to conto the severity of vince her parents and do it again, I these injuries, Tess to let her quit, from could not train for would have been crying every time she about six months, a lot smarter had to go to practice and rebuilding her about my trainfor three weeks to strength took away ing. Gymnastics entering the search from the enjoyment terms “How to quit coaches can be of gymnastics. gymnastics,” “How “I wasn't enjoy- very disciplinary, to convince your paring myself anymore, and it’s hard to ents to let you quit and I didn't find that say no to them. gymnastics” and “I I wanted to go in and want to quit gym— senior Philip Carey practice,” Tess said. “I nastics” in her dad’s was in pain a lot while search history in the I was doing gymnastics, and I wasn’t hopes that he would see. Finally, where I wanted to be because I was they let her quit. out for such a long time.”

“It was six years ago but I still The psychological effects of in- remember being so relieved when juries caused senior Lisa Deng they allowed me to quit,” Lisa to stop training when she was 11. said. “It felt like a huge load of After spraining her ankles three stress and pressure and physical times and jamming her finger, her demands getting dumped off my injuries caused a mental block to shoulders, and it was a really good fearlessness. Suddenly, she saw time for me. I was already searchexactly what could go wrong while ing for what I could do after I quit performing a back handspring and gymnastics right after they gave trying to land perfectly on a four me the go to quit.” inch, three foot high beam every Both her coaches and her partime she practiced the skill. ents saw potential in her that “Gymnastics is a sport that re- made them reluctant to let her quires an insane amount of athlet- quit. But through her persistent icism and fearlessness,” Lisa said. communication, she was able to “So when you make a bad mistake convince her parents and stop — like having your foot slip off the training before she could sustain a beam or falling out of a tumbling major long-term injury. pass — that leads to a serious inCommunication between gymjury. Not only do you pause your nasts and coaches could help prevent overuse injuries in gymnastics to make sure gymnasts rest when needed. But Tess admits that talking to coaches can be nerve-wracking.

“You have to figure out how to know your body, but it's hard for a little girl to know when to say something rather than thinking, ‘Oh I'm just complaining,’” Tess said. “I think communication is a really big thing because I would have a really hard time talking to my coaches because they’re really intimidating as a little girl.”

The environment in which gymnasts train can also contribute to preventing injury. Los Altos gymnastics coach Sarah Wallace utilizes mats and pads to help her gymnasts stay safe.

“Mats and padding are a very important part of preventing injuries,” Wallace said. “Overuse injuries can be reduced by using mats and padding, so we will use mats TALON FILE PHOTO

at times when training so that the gymnasts can do more repetitions with less strain on the body.”

The regulations for mats in competitions can also cause more injury rather than prevent it, Peter said. World Class-level competitions only have four-inch mats (compared to the eight-inch mats gymnasts typically train on). Mats at gymnastics meets are eight inches as well, but they are often placed on hardwood floors which can still cause injury due to impact. To prevent injuries such as Smith, Iordache and Uchimura’s, these regulations could be altered to increase the safety of the gymnasts.

Despite the injuries they have sustained, Philip, Peter, Tess and Lisa have all chosen new physical activities to stay fit. Their gymnastics backgrounds provided them all with strength, flexibility and balance which have made them successful in their new sports, and they’ve also found the characteristics of gymnastics they grew to love in their new sports, with less risk.

This spring, Philip plans to do diving. This will be his first time seriously training in diving, and he looks forward to utilizing his gymnastics training in this new sport.

Peter found structured and more injury-free strength training in a sport he tried when he was younger: swimming.

“One of the things I learned from when my back was injured and I could only do core was that I really enjoy trying to push myself,” Peter said. “Swimming looked like a sport where you could really push yourself without fear of injury.”

Tess turned to cross country and track to keep in shape, helped by the foundation of strength gymnastics gave her.

“I liked running and I thought it'd be fun,” Tess said. “I wasn't looking for something that was extremely stressful where I would have to pick up the skills of another sport, and track is more fitness-based.”

Since she quit gymnastics six years ago, Lisa has found her perfect blend of athleticism and artistry in dance. While she found gymnastics often inhibited her artistic side, she was able to explore her artistry through dance.

“Dance is an art where I can both express my artistic side and my physical facility and utilize them together in a composition of physical and visual art,” Lisa said.

“Combining all these elements of visual art and also being able to move your body was something that was so unique to me, and I really enjoy expressing myself through these motions.”

The Talon November 14, 2017

19

Is marching band a sport: Abso-flute-ly or tone-tally not? disqualifies it from being considered difficult. I can’t even begin to argue that I could run for 10 The age-old question, one miles or withstand getting pumthat has been debated since the meled by a 200-pound man, but beginning of time: Is marching the unique challenges marching band a sport? Okay so that might band presents are just as difficult not be the actual age-old ques- to master. tion, but it’s one that plagues me More than the physical chalfairly often. lenge of near-constant moveAugust through November, the ment for almost 10 minutes, most common phrase that comes playing music simultaneously out of my mouth is, “I can’t [in- is what makes the activity chalsert fun activity], I have band.” I lenging. The act of marching is spend Monday, Tuesday and Fri- deceptively difficult. Many peoday nights, Wednesday mornings, ple feel that because the activity and all day Saturday consists entirely of at practice. Even “walking,” marchwhen I’m not at ing band is less of practice, the catchy Marching band is a sport and more of tunes and sounds of physically chalan event for older drumsticks smack- lenging perhaps women who have a ing together still passion for power swirl around in my in a different way walking. head. I dedicate all than football or However, walkmy time to an activ- cross country, ing and marching ity that most people but that in no are two completely don’t even consider different things. way disqualifies a sport.

Though at its core, Marching band is it from being conit is technically classified as a sport sidered difficult. walking, the level by the school disof precision retrict, and you can quired to turn it use it to get P.E. credits. But if you into marching, and to make it go up to a stranger in the hallway look uniform and clean, is exand ask if marching band is a hausting. Getting anywhere sport, they’ll laugh. While march- from 50 to 300 high schoolers to ing band fits the technical defini- move in perfect unison is not an tion of a sport, it doesn’t even easy feat, considering that most cross most people’s minds as one. high schoolers have trouble As a relatively in-shape (okay, de- staying single file while waiting batable) teenage girl, I regularly in the pizza line. The amount of leave marching band as a sweaty, air you have to use to get a full worn-out mess. Marching band is sound out of the instrument physically challenging, perhaps while still marching with propin a different way than football or er form is much harder than it cross country, but that in no way looks. You have to engage your

DANIELA GLOSTER Staff Writer

Historic CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

“We did so well this year because the team was the hardest-working team that I've coached since I've been here at Los Altos,” Tasman said.

Tasman increased the yardage the team swam at the beginning of practices before jumping straight into water polo drills. Their resulting ability to dominate teams with quick counterattacks allowed Los Altos to pull ahead of their rivals offensively and put games away at the start.

“Our swimming time and endurance was getting faster and faster throughout the season, where in the past, we conditioned

core and diaphragm, while still making sure that your arms and legs don’t look like one of those f loppy guys they have in front of car dealerships.

Without a doubt, however, the most deceptively tricky aspect is the uniforms. While soccer and baseball players wear uniforms designed to be as fitting for the sport as possible, marching band uniforms are almost exactly the opposite. The stiff, heavy uniforms used by bands when parades were the extent of the marching requirements are still used today, inhibiting movement and providing an added challenge. The mental aspect of memorizing anywhere from 70 to 100 specific locations you must be at at a specific time is extremely mentally taxing, in the same way that chess is considered to be a mental

sport by some.

In terms of competition, although bands don’t compete directly against each other like football does, there are very specific rules and rankings that bands are judged by. There are different levels for different band sizes, and different leagues to participate in.

Additionally, marching band exists at a high level outside of high school, through an organization called Drum Corps International, or DCI. DCI is an extremely intense league that 24 bands compete in, not including lower levels, where bands that participate don’t actually compete.

Many people say marching band isn’t a sport simply because of how easy it looks. Watching

something and actually doing it are two incredibly different things. I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen someone sprint past me and thought, Oh I could totally do that, and 10 minutes later, I’m wheezing on the ground after “sprinting” for two and a half seconds. It might not look like it, but moving consistently for the better part of 10 minutes while holding a heavy instrument and having perfect posture is very physically taxing.

Marching band is a sport that requires lots of practicing, merits you little recognition (albeit a lot of embarrassment when you wear the hat), but most of all, fuses mental, physical and artistic abilities to create something great.

ASHLEY CAI, COURTESY JOAN YEE

Results of a survey by PerformWell founder Gary Granata of 172 band members of the Avon High School Marching Band, from Reuters.

hard toward the start of the sea- a few games. Due to the changes in son and backed off,” Tasman said. the availability of the players and “But this year, we continued con- their strengths and weaknesses, ditioning all the way the starting line-up through and the kids was ever-changing. were working hard Tasman saw major every single day, and Our swimming improvement from that really helped us time and endurthe underclassmen, in second halves of ance was getting who proved themgames where other faster and faster selves worthy of teams started to get playing time. tired, but we kept throughout the “The four senior pushing through all season, where starters had their the way.” positions locked in in the past, we Their rigorous ex- conditioned hard for the entire seaercises improved son, [but] the other their swimming, but toward the start two starting spots competing at such of the season and were constantly roa high level inevita- backed off. tating based on who bly led to injuries. was performing — head coach Seth Tasman Sophomores Kyle best,” Tasman said.

Bistrain and Boris “I thought that the Palant along with senior Nathan sophomores and freshmen that Trudeau suffered shoulder injuries were in the rotation and earned that kept them from competing in their starting spot did a great job,

EMILY ARONOVITZ

Senior Kyle Sandell gets ready to shoot the ball in a game against Archbishop Mitty. In their second home game of the season, the team won with a final score of 18-5, setting the stage for their successful season.

COURTESY AMY JOHNSON

The varsity boys water polo team jumps into the pool together after their win at SCVAL. The team emerged undefeated as the league champions. and I saw no major difference in spot back, you need to improve. who I was starting in a game — ev- I think that everyone is fine with eryone held their own. And for all that decision that coach makes to these sophomores not have them start and freshmen to be if that means our competing at this team is going to be high varsity level Even if you lose that much better.” shows great promise your starting spot Next year, the for the future.” team’s current unto someone else, The opening of derclassmen will two starting posi- it’s not about ‘I have to fill the shoes tions fostered an lost my starting of key senior players environment of spot’ it’s about including four startfriendly competition ‘How can I make ers. This includes between teammates. co-captains Eric and this team better?’ senior Kyle Sandell, But what made the — sophomore Adam Eagles a strong team who contribute to Hollingworth was the fact that evmore than half of ery player put the the team’s statistics. team above all else, whether it be Though it will be a year to rebuild by scoring in a game or cheering a great team, the Eagles are optifrom the bench. mistic and look back at the season “The best thing about our team with pride. is that we play as a team,” sopho“We've been playing for so long more Adam Hollingworth said. together as a team that I think “Even if you lose your starting spot working hard in the off-season to someone else, it’s not about 'I during club and swim season, I lost my starting spot,' it's about think we can pull together a team ‘How can I make this team bet- that's definitely strong enough to ter?’ So if you want that starting make CCS [next year],” Adam said.

The Talon November 14, 2017

Emma Van Geuns, Arts & Culture Editor | Savita Govind, Copy/Content Editor | Jocelyn Maeyama, Staff Writer | Anne Schill, Graphic Artist

Fencing: A ‘physical chess’ Fencing, in the words of senior Sriram Ramamurthy, is different than the sports usually found at Los Altos. It requires precision, extreme accuracy, calculated movements.

Fencing focuses on deliberation and expertise instead of the pure strength of other endurance-driven sports.

“It’s an exercise for the mind as well as the body,” Sriram said. “A lot of people describe it as a physical chess.”

The basic objective of a fencing match is simple: aim for your opponent, strike. What makes it so hard is the incredibly restrictive guidelines on methods you are allowed to use to land a “touch.” There are three types of fencing — foil, épée and sabre — each aptly named after the weapons of varying weight used in the domain.

In foil, for example, you are only allowed to aim for your opponent's torso and hit them with the precise tip of your weapon. The real art of the

sport is being tricky, finding quick and inven- Once a week, she goes into her fencing club, tive ways to strike and landing strong blows. It's Le Club Touché, and trains with other fencers a mind game. in scrimmages, working to refine her tactics.

Being a good fencer means There's an emphasis on individtraining very specific skills, ual success, yet the fencers share things that may seem minute to bonds through the commonality watchers but can mean the dif- It’s an exercise of playing a rare sport. ference between winning and for the mind When it comes to competing, losing on the courts. Fencers as well as the fencing tournaments follow a simmostly only practice for their body. A lot of ilar structure to many other sports; specific type, since each requires there are elimination rounds that people describe lead up to a final. different training. “[Foil] has the lightest type it as a physical Referees strictly enforce all of sword, so it requires a lot of chess. touching rules, and modern-day speed,” junior Lucy Wang, who fencing suits are equipped with — senior Sriram trains in foil, said. “For sabre, for touch sensors which respond Ramamurthy example, you don't really have to only to the specifically targeted pace your steps, but the sword is and positioned blows allowed. like 10 times heavier. I can barely hold it.”

This, combined with the restrictive movements For Lucy, a week of workouts consists of a that are closely monitored, challenges fencers couple days at the gym, specifically working to to maintain a level of precision not present in strengthen her arms for a more powerful thrust. most other high school sports.

COURTESY SRIRAM RAMAMURTHY

Senior Sriram Ramamurthy during a fencing practice. He thinks the sport is a balance of physical and mental strength.

Squash: Coaching a community

COURTESY SHAWN AVIDAN

Senior Shawn Avidan stands with one of the beginning squash players he coaches.

Shawn and sophomore Portia Pliam coach to give back to and strengthen the squash community.

Besides being the two top squash players at Stanford squash, senior Shawn Avidan and sophomore Portia Pliam utilize their expertise, enthusiasm and communication skills to coach beginning players. They spend three hours each Sunday in and out of the four-walled squash courts at Stanford, helping newer players work toward mastering the game. “[The beginning players] need a coach to walk out there and be really excited and keen to show them how to play, and [Shawn and Portia] really shine,” their coach Nick Albott said. “They can come in there and really inspire them to be better players and better people.”

Shawn and Portia’s dedication to coaching in addition to practicing exemplifies a common experience in the sport: a sense of community. Both the small number of people who play squash and the way practices are conducted nurtures this community and creates bonds despite a strong sense of competition.

“I met all these great people that I probably never would have met if it weren't for squash,” Portia said. “We'll play each oth-

er many times, but even though we want to win it’s still friendly.”

Shawn and Portia’s coaching strengthens this sense of community past players in their skill levels, and Portia wishes to give back to and grow the community that mentored her.

“I really enjoy helping people and helping kids,” Portia said. “I want to help them have fun playing squash and not just stress about winning and being the best.”

Shawn also helps players play for themselves, rather than being pressured by their parents. Parents recognize that being well-ranked in tournaments can help players get recruited to top colleges, and they can often be overly competitive on behalf of their child.

“The one thing I say and the one thing I always do when I play is I never look outside the court,” Shawn said. “I tell the kids ‘Don’t look at your parents in tournaments, when you’re practicing. Just don’t.’”

This competitive energy comes out most in U.S. rank tournaments, where players earn ranks. Shawn played in a few when he was 13, but he soon quit because

of the pressure-heavy environment. Now, he prefers to compete in non-rank tournaments that encourage more friendly competition. But Portia, who participates in the tournaments, found the supportive community of players persisted in these tournaments, despite the pressure from parents.

As part of giving back to the community — and representative of a growing trend of making squash more accessible — Portia also assists at Talbott’s squash program, Xtreme Squash. The program coaches kids from underserved neighborhoods and tutors them academically.

The Stanford Squash Club also aims to increase accessibility through building outdoor squash facilities to give the public a way to try out the sport, rather than having to go to country clubs or specific colleges where the courts reside now.

“What we're trying to do out west here — and what they've done really well overseas — is trying to make squash more part of the public atmosphere,” Talbott said.

“The goal is to get it big out west, and it’s just starting to blossom.”

Horseback riding: Partners with a purpose Senior Rose William begins preparing for her show at 3 a.m., grooming her horse, braiding his hair and warming up in the ring before her first course at 7 a.m. With clean breeches and polished boots, Rose executed multiple memorized courses of jumps and other skills for judging.

“On show days specifically, everything has to be perfect,” Rose said. “Your horse has to be perfectly groomed, your saddle has to be on perfectly, your boots have to be shiny, your horse’s feet have to be groomed and polished… It takes a lot of time to get everything ready.”

After being exposed to horseback riding through summer camps when she was 5 years old, Rose grew to enjoy the sport. It transitioned from a summer activity to a year-round, almost daily passion.

But in her sophomore year, Rose stopped competing due to the overwhelming time commitment, and because competition fees can range from $2,000 to $3,000, requiring several expenses from transporting horses to providing food and bedding.

“A lot of the shows are during the school year and I just didn’t have time to stop school and go for a week to do a show,” Rose said.

While Rose has wound down from the competitive aspect of horseback riding, junior Jen

COURTESY ROSE WILLIAM

COURTESY JEN ROSEN

Senior Rose William and junior Jen Rosen, left to right, practice their routines. Both value the bond between them and their horses, although Rose has stopped competing due to the time commitment and cost.

Rosen trains four times a week in the hopes of qualifying for championships next fall. As practices become more draining and timeconsuming, Jen finds motivation through both competition and self-improvement.

“I want to kick ass and beat everyone when I go,” Jen said. “I'm just thinking about my next test and [who] I can beat…That's mostly what I’m focusing on: what did I do wrong in my last ride? Even though it's exhausting, you're mostly focused on how you can improve.”

With almost four years of experience, Jen hopes to improve her technical skills and master more difficult dressage movements in preparation for competitions.

“You get a lot more challenging movements

[and] it starts to look a lot more like your horse is dancing,” Jen said. “I’m not there yet because that's a very high level, but it keeps going up [and] it looks more like dancing.”

Though Jen pushes herself to succeed during the season, she does remind herself of the non-competitive aspect of horseback riding and the reason why she initially chose to pursue the sport: her connection to her horse.

“I do get into those points where [I think] ‘This is for competing’ and it gets very stressful because when I get into that mindset [I think] ‘Why am I even riding?’ but it's [because] I love it and I love being with the horses,” Jen said. “It's mostly that but when it gets to competition season it's really challenging not to

see the other aspect of it.”

Similarly, Rose also marks her improvement through a less competitive lens. Now that she practices less frequently, primarily during school breaks, she finds more value in her relationship with her horse than competing.

“Now that I don’t compete as much, I base my milestones on how my horse’s training is progressing… and how we do together during lessons,” Rose said. “My horse always comes first because to take care of a horse, there’s a lot that goes into it: food, veterinary needs, and just how I get my horse ready for lessons…

Your horse is your partner and if you don't take care of their needs then you're missing out on a large aspect of what that partnership is.”