The Talon | Issue 7 | April 28, 2015

Los Altos High School, Los Altos, CA ■ april 28, 2015 ■ Volume XXX, Issue 7

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

New research class expands options for seniors STEVEN CUI ELAINE LEE

Opinions Editor Staff Writer

Starting the fall of 2015, the school will offer Advanced Scientific Investigations (ASI), a yearlong research class allowing students to explore a topic within a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) field and conduct independent research culminat-

ASB HOSTS ANNUAL DIVERSITY ASSEMBLY Since its inception, the Diversity Assembly has expanded in both size and popularity.

The Talon takes a closer look at the stories of two of this year’s performers. News, 2

ing in a final project at the end of year. Chemistry teacher Darren Dressen, who pushed for the class to be offered, will lead the class.

“When I got hired here, I talked a lot about how this was something that I would like to do,” Dressen said. “We want to take it up a notch and give kids an opportunity to do some independent research.”

Although currently intended for

only seniors next year, the class could eventually allow juniors with strong science backgrounds who have taken biology, chemistry and physics in later years.

“Especially now that kids can double up on science [classes], the idea is that this would be the culminating class, putting everything they have learned in the sciences together and producing something interesting,” Dressen said.

PERFORMING ARTS

School introduces girls lacrosse team

Main Street Singers return from world tour

DAVID WU

Web Managing Editor

Three months of preparation by the Divulgence Club culminated in the club sending four poets to compete for the first time in the annual Youth Speaks Unified District Poetry Slam. Features, 9

Senior project: Can you hear me?

One student learned sign language for her project on cochlear implants, a surgically implanted hearing device for deaf people. Features, 12

Read one writer’s opinion on the science behind teenage obsessions with celebrities and the fine line between its benefits and detriments.

Opinions, 7

Sushirrito feeds hype in hybridized food

Sushirrito is making waves in the foodie community with the marriage of sushi and burritos. Entertainment, 16

The varsity boys baseball team volunteers with the Challenger Program to build not only baseball skills but personal relationships as well.

Sports, 19

NOAH TSAO

The Main Street Singers stand in front of a cathedral in Granada, Spain, after they gave an impromptu concert to the public. They embarked on their 30th annual European tour on Monday, April 5 and returned on Wednesday, April 22. The group performed and toured for 18 days throughout cities in Spain and Portugal.

DAVID WU

Web Managing Editor

O

n Wednesday, April 22, the Main Street Singers returned from their 30th annual international tour. This year, the tour was a 18-day excursion through Portugal and Spain and began on Monday, April 5 when the singers left for Frankfurt, a layover en route to Porto, Portugal.

According to the group’s website, Main Street members have performed in over 300 concerts and 59 countries over the course of 30 concert tours. This year’s tour marked Main Street’s second appearance in Spain and Portugal, its first being in 2000.

Students resided in Portugal for the first five days of the trip, making their way through the cities of

Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon and Évora.

The group spent the remainder of the trip touring Spain, starting in Seville and traveling through four other major cities before the tour’s culmination in Madrid.

Main Street singers stepped on stage a total of 12 times for formal concerts and twice more as part of mass participation performances.

“Singers” continues on page 4

Under the covers of...

UPCOMING EVENTS April 30 - May 2

Broken Box Performance: “Museum” May 4 - May 15

AP Exams May 8

Jazz Ensemble Guest Artist Concert May 13

Student Recognition Awards May 15

Spring Art Show May 16

Senior Prom May 21 - 22

Dance Show News Editorial Opinions

2 5 6

Features 9, 12 In-Depth 10–11 Entertainment 14 Sports 18

Starting next spring season, the school will be offering varsity girls lacrosse as a sport. The decision regarding the creation of the team was finalized just before spring break, following a year-long period of deliberation. It comes just a year after the addition of a boys frosh/soph lacrosse team, which is currently in the midst of its inaugural season. Girls lacrosse’s first season, which will be no-cut, officially starts on February 1, 2016.

The settlement is the culmination of a multi-step decision-making process, all of which took place during this school year. Interested parties had to meet certain prerequisites, the first requisite for the creation of a team being viable competition: a sport must be played in at least half of the athletic league’s schools to be considered.

The Santa Clara Valley’s girls lacrosse league currently consists of seven schools, many of which neighbor Los Altos: Mountain View, St. Francis, Palo Alto, Gunn, Leland, Saratoga, Mountain View and Pioneer all currently offer girls lacrosse as an athletic program.

“Lacrosse” continues on page 19

COMMUNITY FEATURE COURTESY LINDEN TREE BOOKS

Baseball program gives back to youth community

“Research” continues on page 2

SPORTS

Divulgence Club slam poetry showcases talents onstage

Attachment to celebrities should be understood, not judged

The class is structured after research groups in graduate school, where a small group of four or five students work on separate parts of a larger collaborative project.

Essentially, this form research structure encourages individuals to work together to increase their understanding of a single overarching topic.

SITARA SRIRAM JOSH KIRSHENBAUM Senior Writer Staff Writer

“Pages for all ages, gifts, music, a skilled staff of literary matchmakers—the perfect place to spark and nurture a passion for reading. Welcome to Linden Tree Books: where imaginations grow.”

Step into Linden Tree Books in downtown Los Altos, and the warm, cheery atmosphere, the great selection of books coupled with the friendliness of the booksellers makes it clear that

this is a place that takes this motto very seriously. Linden Tree is undoubtedly committed to helping the imaginations of children grow, and has stuck to this mission ever since they opened nearly 30 years ago.

Linden Tree Books started out 35 years ago as a music store on Main Street owned by couple Dennis and Linda Ronberg. They owned the store for nearly 30 years, but eventually decided to close the store and go into retirement. Los Altos resident Dianne Edmonds and her partner Jill Cur-

cio couldn’t bear to see the store close, and instead decided to buy the store from Linda and Dennis, and implement a wide variety of changes to try and increase Linden Tree’s sales.

These changes included moving to State Street in downtown Los Altos and hiring a graphic designer to create an official logo. Perhaps most importantly, Edmonds and Curcio created a website, and hired a social media coordinator to help bring Linden Tree into the digital age.

“Linden” continues on page 13

The Science of

Decision Making

In-Depth, page 10

The Talon April 28, 2015

Get daily LAHS updates and read the news archives at lahstalon.org/news

ASB hosts annual Diversity Assembly Lawrence Wang

ROBERT CHIN SITARA SRIRAM Senior Writers

On Friday, April 3, the Associated Student Body (ASB) hosted the school’s annual Diversity Assembly to highlight the variety of different identities that exist on campus. From demonstrations of Brazilian jiu-jitsu to speeches about providing support to students who suffer from eating disorders, the annual school-wide Diversity Assembly fosters discussions on acceptance of people from different backgrounds.

Before the Diversity Assembly was conceived, the school had a performance class called Mexicolindo, which focused on Mexican culture and a wide variety of dances performed both in Mexico and Spain.

After the teachers for the class moved on, many students at the school wanted something to replace it, and the school eventually decided to create a Diversity Assembly that would showcase dances and other performing arts from cultures around the world.

Since then, the Diversity Assembly has become increasingly successful and p0pular with the student body.

“It was not difficult at all [to find people to try out],” ASB Outreach Coordinator junior Izzy Phan said. “Our school is diverse and we have a very welcoming environment so I do not think the performers were afraid of presenting to the school. It can be intimidating to speak or perform in front of the whole school, but many people were willing to pour their hearts out for us.”

This year, ASB had to turn away

PHOTOS BY ALLEGRA MAESO

Left: Junior Victoria Anufriev speaks at the annual Diversity Assembly about her gender identity and experiences in school. Right: Senior Mehr Singh dances a Bollywood dance at the Diversity Assembly. The Diversity Assembly featured speeches, dances and performances to highlight the school’s cultural diversity. some performers who applied due to an increased number of candidates.

“We got a lot of talented acts this year and when deciding, we chose acts that we felt represented cultural and individual diversity,” Izzy said.

“We wanted people from all grades and groups of the school. We also had to find a balance of talking, dancing and music acts for the sake of variety.”

Since the assembly has grown in recent years, the amount of planning that goes into it also increased substantially.

“By the time of the assembly, I had 10 separate spreadsheets and [many] to-do lists, but I was really happy with how it went,” Izzy said. “The most exciting thing for me was that we were running exactly on schedule the whole time... As with anything, there were imperfections, but I’m grateful everything worked out and people enjoyed it.”

Here are the stories of two of the acts performed at the Diversity Assembly and the students involved.

Shanzeh Shunaid & Mehr Singh

During the Diversity Assembly, seniors Shanzeh Shunaid and Mehr Singh performed a Bollywood dance incorporating elements from both Pakistani and Indian dancing.

Though they have different levels of experience with South Asian dancing, both recognize and appreciate the ability dance has to connect people more closely with their culture.

“I have never formally learned how to dance,” Shanzeh said. “It started off mostly with family weddings, since it is tradition for the family of the bride and groom to prepare dances at weddings.”

Mehr learned bhangra, a dance originating in the Indian state of Punjab, from her father, and she has been dancing bhangra for the past eleven years. She is a Sikh, and much of her experience has come through dancing at various events in her temple. “[I participated in the assembly] because I just missed dancing,” Mehr said. “I wanted an opportunity to

Research

National Honors Society approves bylaw changes

CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

However, the research group structure requires the students to take control of specialized areas within a single larger project.

Thus, this collaborative structure could only be implemented if students had overlapping or similar research interests.

The goal of the class is to teach the entire research process from start to finish. Therefore, the course will teach the skill of reading dense research literature for both individual and group projects, as well as steps for designing and conducting experiments. “[The class] will be walking them through the process of asking a question, coming up with a research plan and then... doing something semi-original,” Dressen said.

Although Dressen is slated to be the only teacher, the class will also offer the chance to work with other teachers and outside experts as mentors. Dressen hopes this mentoring system will fill in for areas he is not familiar with.

“If a student comes in and says ‘I really want to do a physics en-

learn and perfect a dance again, and I thought the Diversity Assembly would be a great way to do that.”

Though Mehr and Shanzeh did not end up performing a bhangra dance during the Diversity Assembly, it did give them an opportunity to perform in front of a large group.

“I am a lot more used to dancing in front of a smaller crowd, so [the Diversity Assembly] was definitely an experience I had not had before,” Shanzeh said. “Participating in the assembly is a good reminder of where you come from and what is important to you.”

The assembly also allowed them to showcase some lesser-known elements of South Asian culture.

“People got a chance to see a bit of South Asian culture outside of Holi or bindis,” Mehr said. “India and larger South Asia are full of extremely different cultures, religions and languages... The idea that culture across India is homogenous [is] far from the truth.”

Senior Lawrence Wang has been a hip-hop dancer since he was 13 years old. During the Diversity Assembly, he performed along with members of the Movement Oriented Dreamers dance club, a club that he founded.

For the past few years, Lawrence has been a member of a studio competition team, a dance team that has enabled him to gain a significant amount of experience dancing competitively. However, being a member of a studio team has its drawbacks.

“One of the most important things I can tell someone interested in dance is to not fall in love with the studio because it will keep you conformed,” Lawrence said. “There are different dance communities out there, and you just have to find them.”

Last summer, Lawrence was accepted as a dance major at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). To audition for the major, he attended a summer dance intensive at UCLA. There were about 188 prospective freshmen auditioning, and those 188 were split into about six or seven rooms to learn two different dance styles at random for almost two hours.

Participating in the Diversity Assembly along with members of the Movement Oriented Dreamers gave Lawrence a chance to give back both to the audience and himself. “[Dancing is] a way for people, that otherwise would be strangers to get together in a noncompetitive environment and act as best friends,” Lawrence said. “I am passionate about [dancing] because it is a good way to stay fit, stay happy and make others happy.”

Election procedures marked the second major change in NHS policy. Differing from past At its meeting on Wednesday, years, the election process will April 1, the National Honors So- now more closely mirror that ciety (NHS) passed changes to of ASB: NHS officers must not its bylaws and announced an in- only win the vote of their fellow crease in participant dues. NHS NHS members, but also the approval of the NHS revisits its bylaws faculty council after every few years, and an interview process. this year’s review The faculty council brought changes to NHS officers is made of a group the election process must not only of five teachers and and officer positions. win the votes of Wynne Regarding officer their fellow NHS principal Satterwhite.

They positions, the posiare responsible for tions of Secretary members, but reviewing incomand Treasurer were also the approving applications and melded into one and al of the NHS handling disciplinan entirely new offi- faculty council ary actions. cer role was created, In addition to the the Community Ser- after an interchanges in election vice Liaison. This view process. process and officer year, the organizapositions, the dues tion experienced an increase in community request for members rose from 25 dollars for NHS volunteers. The Com- to 40 dollars. Members are exmunity Service Liaison position pected to pay the year after they will cater to the new need for first join. This is in response to increased coordination between the rise in national charter dues NHS members and the commu- and a rise in overall club costs, nity along with technology and such as the cost of graduation tassels and cords. social media management.

CARLY COHEN Editor-in-Chief

VANESSA MARK

gineering [project] with robotics,’ they will work in this class, but they might go see...another teacher or someone on the outside [like Robotics teacher Karen Davis] who can provide them with a little bit of direction,” Dressen said.

Many students have already shown interest in the class, and the administration anticipates more to join as the semester comes to a close. While ASI is currently structured solely for the sciences, it may possibly branch out into the social sciences, as Dressen contin-

ues dialogue with the English department about a potential senior project tie-in.

“These kids will be doing a lot of research, and they can probably take a lot of their research and reuse it for the senior project,” Dressen said. “Mrs. Satterwhite seemed to hope that we could do that. I am not saying that it is 100 percent, but I think even if it wasn’t official, kids could still take any part of the research they are doing and turn it into a research project.”

The Talon April 28, 2015

LASD debates use of Measure N funds KEVIN YEN

Copy/Content Editor

Last November, Los Altos voters passed Measure N, allowing the Los Altos School District (LASD) to raise $150 million through bonds that will address the issue of overcrowding in the district’s nine schools. In comparison, the district maintained nine schools last year to serve 5,190 students, compared to the 14 schools that were open in the 1970s to serve nearly the same amount of students. Recently, the process of dividing up the money

has met roadblocks, with the Facilities Master Planning Committee (FMPC), which is in charge of drafting a spending plan, being suspended in March at the direction of the LASD Board of Trustees.

Currently, the FMPC’s favored course of action is to purchase a new site, build a K-8 school on it and convert Egan and Blach Junior High Schools into middle schools.

Doing so would allow the two junior high schools to accept incoming sixth graders on top of seventh and eighth grade enrollment.

Another plan involves merg-

NOY ANISMAN

ing Egan and Blach Junior High Schools into a “mega-middle school” so that Bullis Charter School (BCS) will be able to move into the vacated site. In addition, the committee also proposed transferring an entire elementary school population onto another site and installing BCS there.

However, district parents backlashed after discovering that the trustees were considering relocating or shutting down schools in order to accommodate BCS. “It is loud and clear that the community does not want to shut down a school, and the committee does not want to relocate a school either,” trustee Sangeeth Peruri said.

As a result, the trustees decided to halt FMPC meetings and reevaluate the feedback from district staff and community members before continuing the process.

“We need more direction from staff,” Peruri said. “We need the staff to give the board more information so that the board can give directions to the FMPC.” So far, the tension over how to spend the money has already spilled onto the debate of how much to spend. Trustee Tamara Logan stated that she wants to allocate $125 million to the construction of a new school while Trustees Sangeeth Peruri and

Pablo Luther prefer to spend tens of millions less.

In any case, the trustees have decided to implement a portion of the FMPC’s recommended plan, ordering LASD’s real-estate broker in a March 23 board meeting to begin

negotiations for a four acre parcel at 201 San Antonio Circle.

“This is a signal to the community that we are serious,” Board of Trustees President Steve Taglio said. “Even if this does not work out, we are at the action stage.”

RILEY MOULDS

Egan Junior High School is one of two campuses that shares space with Bullis Charter School (BCS). With the passage of Measure N, the district may buy BCS its own campus.

School conducts interim SBAC exam Winter HANNA KHOSRAVI Staff Writer

On March 25 and 26, Los Altos High School freshmen, sophomores and juniors took the interim SBAC (Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium) exam in order to practice with online test-taking.

In May of this year, the junior class will be the first at Los Altos to take the full SBAC exam.

The SBAC is one of two testing consortiums designing exams for Common Core, a state education standards initiative that fortyfour states have adopted since its inception in 2009.

The interim exam consists of a computer-based evaluation that students take using a secure browser downloaded to their computer.

It served as a trial run for both the students and administration for the full exam in May. “We really needed to [evaluate] our ability to do the test, because it is very new for both students and teachers,” Assistant Principal Galen Rosenberg said.

“Students have taken thousands of tests in their lives and teachers have given thousands of tests, but almost every student and every teacher has never taken or given a test online like this.”

The SBAC test is geared towards evaluating analytical and interpretive thinking. Instead of simply asking multiple choice questions, the test makes use of short-answer sections and requires students to back their claims up with evidence.

The English portion of the test consists of listening and reading sections, in addition to creative writing on randomly chosen prompts. The math section tests geometry, algebra and trigonometry, as well as a statistics-based writeup designed to test critical thinking.

“I don’t know if [SBAC testing] is there yet... but it could be better than STAR testing ever was if it [requires] students to do more complex thinking, in reading, writing and math,” Rosenberg said.

“Many students are so used to just showing they know some fact on a bubble test.”

The SBAC is only one part of a broader shift in curriculum currently occurring at Los Altos High School.

“There is the test, and then there is the actual content that students experience in their classes,” Rosenberg said. “The transition to Common Core standards is happening, and it is happening in a substantial way to a lot of the classes at Los Altos, but there is more change to come.”

The exams at LAHS were proctored by the students’ fourth period teachers, Despite extensive preparation, and many precautions were taken in advance to ensure that the students came to class prepared.

However, with every freshman, sophomore and junior on campus logged on to their secure browser and using their device at the same exact time, there was a definite

guard concludes successful season PERLA LUNA LEO WAI

Senior Writer Business Manager

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CARL FAUST

On March 25 and 26, the district conducted an interim SBAC exam using secure browsers on laptops. The exam was designed to prepare for May, when juniors will be the first class to take the full SBAC exam. worry that technical glitches could slow down the process.

“There were some hitches [with testing], which we expected,” Rosenberg said. “Given that we [tested] three times as many students as we will in May for the juniors... that showed that we are going to be able to do the technical end.”

Common Core tests like the SBAC test have made it their goal to show a different side of student ability, and want to reflect a truer representation of a student’s ability to understand, assess, and examine. Its total execution could be a

long process, but the SBAC tests are an introduction for students, teachers and the administration as to what the future could bring.

“You may feel like you have never taken a test that makes you show that you can really analyze something,” Rosenberg said.

“Hopefully, that is what [the] Smarter Balanced testing is going to do… An external test that shows that our students have learned to do that kind of work is valuable.

I am not convinced that has happened yet, or will have happened in May. But, it is a start.”

NOY ANISMAN

This season, winter guard competed in the Scholastic Regional A division after being placed in this division during evaluations at the beginning of their season. Their performance won them third place at the competition.

Unlike color guard, winter guard performs indoors and dances to recorded music instead of a band. Ted Ferrucci directs the group, and instructors Noelan Mori and Joyce Luong handle day-to-day routines and practice for the group.

This year, winter guard performed a set called “No One Knows Who We Are,” whose title is taken from the song of the same name by Krewella. Winter guard chose a completely black outfit, with a silver stripe across the chest and scarf to ref lect their theme for the year.

“I think [the season] went really well,” co-captain senior Kathia Angel said. “By the end of this season we scored the highest we have ever gotten and we got third place which is really good.”

Although the season has officially concluded, winter guard will be giving a special performance at Crittenden Middle School on Monday, April 27 as an act of appreciation for the school, which allowed winter guard to use its cafeteria for afternoon practices.

4

The Talon April 28, 2015

Brown restricts water use to control drought EMILY AOKI Staff Writer

On Wednesday, April 1, Governor Jerry Brown issued a series of mandatory restrictions on water usage in California in response to the state’s crippling drought. The restrictions command the State Water Resources Control Board to reduce water usage by local water supply agencies by 25 percent from 2013 values over the course of a year.

Water supply agencies are responsible for determining how to meet the 25 percent reduction.

However, the New York Times reports that they are expected to include drastic changes in individual consumption.

Large farms, which are the largest consumers of the state’s water, are not affected by the order. The farms are required to offer detailed reports to regulators on their water consumption to prevent diversion.

Because the state measures water usage relative to water usage in 2013, not all districts will cut back equally. Those that have cut back more effectively in the past two years will have to make fewer reductions to meet the requirements compared to others.

California is currently experiencing the worst drought in the state’s history. Over the summer, the Los Angeles Times reported that 82 percent of California was

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CARL FAUST

Governor Brown has issued mandatory restrictions on water usage to cope with the worst drought in the state’s history. Local water supply agencies are repsonsible for reducing their usage by 25 percent over the course of a year, and the school is curtailing its water use substantially to comply with the new restrictions. experiencing extreme drought, ing Sacramento and Los Angeles. less unless the developments use a and similar scarcity is expected In addition to the 25 percent water-efficient drip system. from this summer. statewide cut, Brown’s order reThe order also requires 50 million Statistics from the Save Our stricted specific uses of water. square feet of lawns to be replaced Water campaign reveal that The restrictions primarily apply with drought-tolerant landscapsnowpack water content during to urban water users and include ing, which the school is currently January 2015 was only 20 percent banning cities from watering or- implementing on campus. of the average amount for the namental plants on public street “We are changing all the planttime of year. Furthermore, 2013 medians and prohibiting new er areas to rock and... low-water was the driest year on record for homes and developments from ir- plants,” facilities coordinator several areas in the state, includ- rigating with drinkable water un- Mike Woodworth said. “It will

Singers

eral pieces specific to their host countries, including a Spanish carol and Portuguese tango.

In addition to its 12 formal conCONTINUED certs, singers gave informal, often FROM THE FRONT impromptu performances daily in PAGE squares and public areas. The trip also featured time built into each day for sightseeing. Students visChoral Department Head Mark ited just shy of three dozen tourist Shaull directed the group, and or- attractions, including Alhambra, ganist and pianist Jin Kyung Lim a renowned palace and fortress accompanied them throughout complex in Granada, as well as the tour. the Seville CatheMain Street held dral, the thirdconcerts in a numlargest church in ber of churches, The tour is a culmithe world. cathedrals and “Outside of nation of all the remonasteries across concerts, I enhearsals leading up the region. joyed touring P e r f o r m a n c e s to it: a great experithe Alhambra in consisted of num- ence of cultural imGranada and the bers from Main Córdoba Mosquemersion combined Street’s spring Cathedral, [which and winter reper- with spreading the is] especially intertoires. The group’s joy of music. esting for its amaltour repertoire of gamation of ar— Vishnu Bachani nearly four dozen chitectural styles,” songs was made up senior Vishnu of sacred pieces, madrigals from Bachani said. the medieval and renaissance Singers even received private leseras, chamber works and spiritu- sons in flamenco, a form of Spanals. Singers also performed sev- ish folk dance, on the eleventh day

of the tour in Granada, after which they were treated to a professional flamenco show over dinner.

The group gave its final formal performance in Madrid’s Church of the Calatrava on Tuesday, April 21 to end the tour.

“I am glad to receive the full Main Street experience,” Vishnu said. “The tour is a culmination of all the rehearsals put in leading up to it: a great experience of cultural immersion combined with spreading the joy of music.”

Main Street will give its final spring concert on Saturday, May 16 in conjunction with the rest of the Choral Department.

take five years to change... every single wing. The two grass [planter] areas that will remain will be soccer and baseball.”

Brown’s order stated that all campuses are required to install watersaving systems. The school has already fulfilled this with low flow toilets and automatic faucets and has kept a water-saving artificial turf on the football field.

The school has not yet exceeded its allotment of water from the county this year, and has a history of very low water consumption.

“We started cutting back on water five years ago,” Woodworth said.

“The reason our recorded water usage is so good is because we have our own well. [We use] city water to run our buildings, our bathrooms, the showers and the swimming pool, and [we] use groundwater to irrigate the lawns and landscaping.”

Many of the same restrictions that apply to schools also apply to urban residents; they are encouraged to replace wasteful equipment with newer, more efficient equipment and replace grass lawns with drought tolerant plants.

“We definitely have been conserving water relative to our previous use and we will review our current use to see if we can make further reductions,” Assistant Principal Galen Rosenberg said. “I care about the issue for sure, and it is definitely something we should continue to address.”

NOAH TSAO

Members of Main Street Singers visit the windmills of La Mancha, made famous by the novel “Don Quixote.” Main Street toured Spain and Portugal throughout April, giving planned and unplanned concerts.

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VANESSA MARK

The Talon April 28, 2015

Please send letters to the editor to talon.lahs@gmail.com Los Altos High School

School’s efforts in STEM education commendable Next year’s addition of an advanced science research class brings unique opportunity for students

O

n February 24, the school announced that it will offer an Advanced Scientific Investigations (ASI) research course beginning next school year. ASI is one of many new science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses the school has added in the past 10 years. Within this time, the school has excelled in providing innovative courses for students in STEM. The school should be commended for its efforts and should continue to further the success of the STEM departments.

In the past decade, the school has added specialized STEM courses such as forensics and AP Environmental Science; within the past three years alone, the school has added Biotechnology, Introduction to Engineering, Robotics and Multivariable calculus. With these increased options, students are able to explore STEM beyond the limits of traditional science and math classes.

The most recent of these additions is ASI. ASI was proposed by chemistry teacher Darren Dressen earlier this school year. Dressen will teach the year-long course to seniors interested in conducting research on a topic within a STEM field. Students in ASI will synthesize their findings into a final project at the end of the year.

The school’s efforts in promoting unique STEM courses is part of the district’s six-year goals to “enhance the opportunities as well as achievement of students in [STEM].”

The district’s success is apparent in the school’s addition of new courses

201 Almond Ave., Los Altos, CA April 28, 2015 Volume XXX, Issue 7 Editor-In-Chief Carly Cohen Managing Editors Maya Acharya (Print) Zach Cohen (Print) David Wu (Web) News Editor Sofia Guo Opinions Editor Steven Cui Features Editor Katherine Yen In-Depth Editor Amelia Baum Entertainment Editor Alice Dai Sports Editor Daniel Rosenbaum Media Editor Noy Anisman Copy/Content Editors William Jow, James Sun, Maya Varghese, Kevin Yen Business Managers Johnny Scher, Leonardo Wai

PHOTOS BY BRANDON HONG

Above: Physics teacher Adam Randall guides AP Physics C students during an electronics laboratory. District support for STEM allows for lab equipment and new classes. Bottom left: The school recently purchased an electron microscope.

Bottom right: Donations to STEM departments help purchase hardware such as power supplies and interfaces for labs. and the additional funding it helps secure for STEM courses. Through annual conversations, the district and the Mountain View Los Altos High School Foundation (MVLA Foundation) collaborate to ensure that the district’s needs are met. For example, this school year, the MVLA Foundation granted $170,000 just for state-of-the-art science lab equipment at all the MVLA schools. In addition, materials funding for STEM is greater than that for other subjects because STEM courses tend to require materials that must to be replaced more frequently, such as dis-

posable micropipette tips and fragile glass lab equipment.

At the school level, the administration and science department have shown drive and support for adding more innovative STEM classes. The administration addresses all departments’ desires and requests; in particular, the STEM departments have been most active in proposing new courses and the administration has continued to support their efforts.

At the departmental level, the math and science departments have both added specialized courses such as biotechnology and engineering;

however, the science department stands out as one of the most proactive departments in having the most new classes proposed within the past decade. Through the combined efforts of the department, administration and district, new innovative courses have proven successful and must continue to excel.

The school’s emphasis on STEM creates a perceived imbalance between the amount of specialized courses offered in humanities and the amount of specialized courses offered in STEM. However, the additional funding and opening of new STEM class offerings does not take away any resources from humanities departments. All departments receive the funding and support they need. The humanities departments at the school are simply less likely to propose new classes; they have already established an aligned course selection that progresses through a student’s high school career, which makes adding new specialized courses a lower priority.

Overall, the district, school and STEM departments have shown effort and support in expanding the opportunities for students interested in STEM. The school should continue the success and development of our STEM programs, just as it has shown with the addition of ASI.

Senior Writers Robert Chin, Perla Luna, Sitara Sriram Staff Writers Emily Aoki, Claire Bai, Teddy Chmyz, Hannah Craford, Spencer Dembner, Annie Gaffney, Anneliese Gallagher, Cole Hanson, Olivia Jerram, Hanna Khosravi, Jessica King, Josh Kirshenbaum, Eric Kopps, Elaine Lee, David Lisbonne, Alexandra Milkey, Emily Terada, Eric Thiem Photographers Ian Mackey, Brandon Hong, Allegra Maeso, Noah Tsao, Elvis Li, Menson Li, Gina Kermode Graphic Artists Amanda Mell, Vanessa Mark Videographers Bonaventure Duprat, Carl Faust, Brandon Hong, Ian Mackey, Riley Moulds 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 fulltime coverage.

The Editorial Board sets the policies of The Talon and crafts its editorials and thumbs. Its members are Maya Acharya, Noy Anisman, Amelia Baum, Zach Cohen, Spencer Dembner and Perla Luna.

ADVERTISE & SUBSCRIBE Send advertisement and subscription inquiries to Johnny Scher and Leonardo Wai at talon.lahs@gmail.com.

Talon Supporters

THUMBS UP to dodgeball

THUMBS UP to the first annual Color Run

PHOTOS BY CARL FAUST

Thumbs up to the Associated Student Body (ASB) for organizing and advertising the 11th annual dodgeball tournament. For the first year ever, ASB allowed students to submit their teams digitally via Google Forms and created a Facebook page to inform students about the event and provide basic information such as competition dates and the tournament bracket. Though dodgeball regularly draws hundreds of students to the stands of the large gym, attendance this year during preliminary rounds has surpassed that of past years.

Thumbs up to ASB and the Los Altos Athletic League (LAAL) for finding an effective replacement for Sprint For Sports. Sprint For Sports, a walkathon-like fundraiser, has traditionally failed to generate enthusiasm. By contrast, the 5k Color Run, which was held on campus on Saturday, April 18, raised over $12,500—more than $4,000 above target profit goals. Community and school involvement made the fundraiser possible; according to ASB, 437 people signed up for the event in total, with community turnout exceeding expectations. Volunteers from the school’s National Honors Society and other clubs, financial support of local businesses such as Whole Foods and contributions from the Culinary Class, which handmade around 25 pounds of each colored powder used in the run, also made the event a success.

Participants in the Color Run pose for a photo after the event. The event raised over $12,500 for the school’s athletic department.

COURTESY MEG ENTHOVEN

Honorary Pulitzers Kamal and Sharmila Acharya, Hadas and David Anisman, Holly and Andy Cohen, Henry Dai and Dan Shen, Chuyen Do and Quyen Nguyen, Anne Marie Gallagher, Lisa Gordon, SuJane Hsieh, Jerry Scher and Susan Stark, Lillian Terada, The Varghese Family, Talon Volume 26 editors, Tracy Weatherby, Wendy Yang, Yongmei Zhou

Silver Supporters Sam and Ann Baum, Bruce Cohen, Amy and John Gaffney, Bob and Janis Harrison, Samrand Hesami, Rick and Corrie Jow, Jade Kandel, Hanna Khosravi, Vivian Mao, The McColl Family, Angie and Steve McDonald

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The Talon April 28, 2015

Read more opinions articles at lahstalon.org/opinions

Why ambiverts make the best leaders responses.

In addition, extroverts tend to excel at verbal persuasion, a ELAINE LEE Staff Writer quality that is essential in a team setting because it brings others to their point of view. Extroverts also respond quickly to a situToo often, people conf late the ation, immediately addressing words extrovert and leader, con- the problem, rather than besidering them interchangable. ing too hesitant or slow. Most However, the best leaders have importantly, extroverts excel at verbal communicaa balance between tion, a quality that opposing traits of leaders need in order extroversion and to delegate tasks efintroversion; al- We need to ficiently and enforce though a combina- remember the discipline within a tion of energy and importance of group. assertion are often balance, and On the other hand, the key to leading some would argue a group of people, understand that that introverts make patience and quiet ambiverts truly even better leaders. contemplation are offer the best of In a study by Francjust as important. both worlds. esca Gino, associate These are ambiprofessor at Harvard verts, people who have more or less equal parts of Business School, it was concluded that quiet bosses with extrovert and introvert.

Extroverts certainly do have proactive teams can be highly excellent qualities that make successful because introverted outstanding leaders. Aggres- leaders carefully listen to their sion is necessary to encourage followers.

Introverts are known to prefollowers, and this display of confidence gives the impression fer solitude over group sessions, that the leader knows where he but this does not automatically or she is going, an impression suggest that they are incapable that draws respect. A charismat- of leading others. Rather, inic leader not only instills confi- troverts are more likely to be dence and positive vibes among humble, driven by a desire to others, but also successfully help others and not grab the gives direction with immediate spotlight. They think carefully

before they speak, so as to use sound judgment as opposed to rash thinking.

Reasonable cases can be made for both sides of the argument, leading to the central question: which type of person makes the better leader? Researcher Adam Grant of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School conducted a study involving personality surveys to learn about the sales performances of extroverts, introverts and ambiverts.

As written in a Forbes article titled “Move Over Extroverts, Here Come the Ambiverts,” by David DiSalvo, “As [Grant] predicted, people whose scores put

them in between extreme extroversion and introversion turned out to be the best salespeople.

In a three-month period, they made 24% more in sales revenue than introverts, and 32% more in revenue than extroverts.”

Furthermore, the study showed that those who exhibited traits of extreme extrovertism and extreme introvertism pulled in similar percentages in sales. The reasoning is that even though extroverts are expected to be the best at advocating for a the sale of a product, they may actually go too far with their enthusiasm and consequently not listen to

AMANDA MELL

the actual needs of the customer, leading to more damage than good.

“The ambivert advantage stems from the tendency to be assertive and enthusiastic enough to persuade and close, but at the same time, listening carefully to customers and avoiding the appearance of being overly confident or excited,” Grant said.

It’s easy to see why extroverts would make such great leaders: charisma and outward confidence attract followers and lead to immediate and often efficient results. In an age of instant gratification and fast-paced society, some forget the virtues of introversion and being quiet, contemplative and out of the spotlight. But we need to remember the importance of balance, and understand that ambiverts truly offer the best of both worlds.

Inevitably, every person will lean toward one end of the personality spectrum. But rather than mentally confining ourselves to certain traits, we should keep an open mind and search for an inner balance. We should go out of our way to meet different people, rather than associate with the same crowd, and by connecting with and understanding other perspectives, we can strive to become better leaders.

Traffic behind the school is both a nuisance and a safety hazard CHRIS DADOK Staff Writer

If you thought that the traffic in front of the school was bad, think again. With the growth of student population in recent years, the traffic during drop-off and pickup times at the back of the school behind the tennis courts has gone from bad to worse. Over the past five years, the school’s total population has grown from 1,658 to 1,919 students, pushing the overflow of traffic from the student parking lot in the front to the back of the school. In order to maintain safety and order for all students during those times, the school

and the city must work together to consider placing crossing guards, more crosswalks or parking and driving regulations at the back of the school to direct the flow of pedestrians, bikers and traffic.

“Coming [to school] from the back of the school has been definitely getting worse over the years,” senior Kevin Van Dyke said. “Since the parking lot cannot accommodate all of the student drivers, they have to park in the back of the school.”

Every year there are a limited amount of spots in the student parking lot that students can obtain access to via a parking permit.

Those who do not make the parking permit deadline must find other places, such as the limited sidewalk parking or street parking at the back of the school. In addi-

tion to the students’ maneuvering for spots at the back of the school, parents add to the chaos by pulling up to the sidewalk adjacent to the school to drop off their children. This disorder severely clogs traffic going through Jardin Drive and endangers students crossing the road.

While the school’s administration and the city of Los Altos corresponds regularly to respond to the growing issue of traffic surrounding the school, the power of the school itself over the situation on Jardin is minimal.

“Part of the problem is that we only control the campus,” Assistant Principal Galen Rosenberg said. “The city controls parking and the roadways.”

The disorderly traffic situation has instilled an “every man for himself ” mindset among students vying for parking space and parents dropping off their children, which puts pedestrians and bikers at risk. Only two years ago, a student was hit while crossing the crosswalk in front of the school; this could easily happen at the back of the campus due to the high amount of unregulated traffic.

“Hopefully more students will decide to get to school in other ways,” Rosenberg said. “Part of what some people do [to] try to create less car traffic, aside from encouraging people to bike, walk and skateboard, is to either restrict parking more so it becomes

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PHOTOS BY ELVIS LI

Above: Students walk and bike to school amidst heavy traffic. Left: A Tuesday morning traffic jam on Jardin Drive behind the school. This chaotic situation can be both frustrating and unsafe for drivers and pedestrians alike. enough of a hassle to bring in so that it’s easier for you if you your car... or block off more of the are walking or crossing the street area back there.” with a bike,” Rosenberg said. “We The hectic setting may be a tre- need the police, though, to enmendous nuisance to early morning force that. We communicate with drivers as they struggle to make it to them a lot about it.” class before the bell rings, but the Protecting students should alnumber one goal is always making ways be a top priority, and to ensure that students are safe. The ad- sure that safety is maintained, the ministration has therefore decided school needs to have regulations to discuss the issue and its potential imposed or personnel stationed at solutions with the police depart- the back of the school so students ment, who could serve as enforcers can get to school faster and safer of order. In fact, Rosenberg will be than they currently do. With all presenting potential fixes at a Parent signs pointing to this problem beTeacher Student Association meet- coming worse as time passes and ing during the week of April 27. the student population grows, the “Part of the safety proposals [is school must take action before the to put] less parking back there situation becomes too chaotic.

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

The Talon April 28, 2015

Removing school vending machines was the right decision ERIC KOPPS Staff Writer

In 2012, the school removed the campus vending machines, which were filled with sugary, unhealthy snacks. This action was not without good reason— the vending machines were visually unattractive due to casings of rusted rod iron bars “protecting” them. They also provided an unhealthy variety of food options for students to choose from and served as a constant distraction for students in class. Proving to be useless to the school’s financial needs, the vending machines generated little revenue in comparison to the amount of garbage they produced and their lack of nutritional benefit.

Since the change occurred, many students have argued that the vending machines were helpful to students and that the school needs to bring them back in order to provide more lunchtime options than just the cafeteria. However, the vend-

ing machines will not serve this brought their own water bottle.” purpose and should not be conAfter the students had paid for sidered for reinstatement at any their snack, they would rarely point in the future. take the time to throw their garSupporters of bringing vend- bage away in the proper bins, if ing machines back believe that in any bins at all. Earlier this year, vending machines the announcements are helpful to those displayed tutorials who needed a “pickthat showed the stume-up” or who just We were makdents which bins to needed a snack, but ing a few 100 dispose of their garbeing that their fi- dollars a year, bage in, and encournancial return was [which was] not aged students to be minimal, vending cleaner and treat the machines grew to be very much...Stucampus with more an incredibly poor dents can bring respect. The vending compromise. their own snack machines only addThe items inside if they want to. ed to the amount of the vending malitter amounting on It’s cheaper. chines were relativecampus, and these — Assistant Principal ly overpriced and issues lead not only Galen Rosenberg not healthy enough to untidy school ento substitute as a vironment, but also wholesome snack. The lack of to unnecessary and excess work nutritional benefits in the ma- for the custodians. jority of the offered snacks and “They were often a mess, and beverages was one of the core weren’t very well maintained by reasons that the school chose to the provider,” Rosenberg said. get rid of the machines.

“The downsides outweigh the “It’s all just pre-packaged stuff upsides. The upside is that stu[in the vending machines],” As- dents can have a snack if they sistant Principal Galen Rosenberg want one, the downsides are said. “It would be way better if stu- that there is trash, and we don’t dents, if they were more thirsty, make any money.”

The lack of economic output brought on by the vending machines made them absolutely worthless to the school, shedding light on the fact that the only reason they even lasted as long as they did was because of their popularity with students.

While many think the school was making money off of them, the situation was more of a nuisance than an asset. “ [ T h e provider] would get most of the m o n e y,” Ro s e n b e rg said. “We were making maybe a few 100 dollars a year, [which was] not very much...Students can bring their own snack if they want to. It’s cheaper.”

Because the vending machines were fraught with negative inf luence, the school’s final choice

to eliminate them was beneficial when considering the consequences in the long-term. One of the most decisive issues that drove the school to eliminate the machines was that teachers would perpetually find their students “leaving for a bathroom break,” when they were really leaving to buy a Gatorade or a bag of chips.

Student complaints about the loss of the vending machines at the school are understandable.

While the vending machines provided a momentary comfort to students as they went from class to class, in the grand VANESSA MARK scheme of things, the machines held a negative inf luence over the school, and our campus has been improved by their expulsion.

Celebrity attachment should be understood, not judged SITARA SRIRAM Senior Writer

We live in a culture that is obsessed with celebrities and every action they take. We look up to them as role models, figureheads and sometimes even people our children should aspire to be like. For better or worse, they yield an undue amount of inf luence on people today.

The actions celebrities take in their own lives often dramatically inf luence their fan base.

The emotional connection that fans often feel they have with celebrities can lead to dangerous situations, but often times, society fails to comprehend the severity of these connections.

While it may seem to many like a silly obsession, these people feel true emotional attachment which should be understood rather than judged.

For example, in late March this year, Zayn Malik of the boy band One Direction announced that he would be leaving the band due to stress and other personal factors. The following day, according to Independent News, more than 220 One Direction fans called the Employer Advice Service requesting “compassionate leave” from work. This leave is typically granted to an employee for very personal circumstances, such as the death of a relative or an illness in the family.

When these One Direction fans of all ages called their employers, the calls were met with amusement, even disdain from employers. While Zayn leaving One Direction may not qualify for fans to take compassionate leave, the sentiment itself displays the over-attachment associated with celebrities in our culture.

Although it may not be healthy, it is important to be compassion-

ate towards people who place a and the famous. lot of value in celebrity culture Though this “condition” affects and are deeply affected by the people of a variety of ages, it is outcome of celebrity lives. Tak- teenagers in particular who suffer ing leave when a celebrity quits the most from an obsession with may be extreme, but it is impor- celebrities. This is no accident; tant to recognize how deeply rather, it is a direct result of the some people value celebrities composition of teenagers’ brains. and consider them a part of their “Developmentally at this time, own lives. Even if one teenagers are does not understand surging with emothe obsession, being tion,” clinical psyempathetic is neces- Being empathet- chologist at the sary and the only way to ic is necessary Child Mind Instihave die-hard fans rectute Rachel Busognize that their overly and the only way man said in a CNN emotional attachment to have die-hard article. “They’re is irrational. starting to explore fans recognize James Houran, a that their overly their identity, and psychologist with what they find emotional atthe Southern Illinois meaning in, and University School of tachment is so this is a very Medicine, conducted irrational. key time for them a study to test how to develop attachobsessed with celebriments to celebrities people in the United States ties and other media figures.” really are. After surveying over To sum it up, teenagers are 600 people, Houran found that emotional and get attached easabout a third of people had a ily, and sometimes, this attachpsychiatric condition he named ment can get out of hand. For “celebrity worship syndrome,” instance, fans of the pop star which is simply an unhealthy Beyoncé Knowles went so far interest in the lives of the rich as to create a church dedicated

to worshiping the pop star, and are able to assimilate the celebfans of Justin Bieber rity’s characterishave been known to tics in themselves save portions of their and feel better hair that Justin Bieber Having your about themselves touched, even after happiness rest when they think getting a haircut. solely on the ac- about that celebHowever, much of rity,” Shira Gabritions and wellthis obsession stems el, a psychologist from the way celebrity being of another at the University managers market and person is danof Buffalo said in advertise these celeb- gerous. a Time magazine rities to the teenage article called ‘Cedemographic in parlebrity Worship: ticular.

Good for Your Health?’ “And “Promoters are directly speak- that is something these indiing to these kids, and really viduals can’t do in real relationdrawing them in, and I think ships because their fear of rejecthat adolescents and younger tion keeps them from getting kids don’t understand that fully,” close to people.”

Busman said. “They think these The problem arises when peoartists are speaking directly to ple start to confuse their own rethem, and they really do that ality with the celebrity’s reality, through things like Twitter feeds and forget that the celebrity is a and Instagram.” person they have not, and likely This attachment that teens feel will not, ever meet. Having your to celebrities doesn’t have to be happiness rest solely on the acnegative. At a certain level, this tions and well-being of another attachment can be positive and person is dangerous, because it even lead to feelings of higher is not at all possible to control self-esteem. “Because people the actions of others. Though the form bonds in their mind with feelings of the fans of One Ditheir favorite celebrities, they rection who called in requesting compassionate leave should be understood, it is also worrying that Malik leaving the band affected them so dramatically.

Thus, though it may be easy to dismiss people, particularly young teenage girls, as being “crazy” for doing things like requesting compassionate leave for Zayn leaving One Direction, it’s important to understand where these people are coming from and why they’re behaving this way. Teenagers in particular need help controlling their emotions from parents, other authority figures and even friends.

These people must help teenagers understand the reality of the situation, rather than just dismissing their feelings. Keep this in mind before you immediately judge someone for telling you about how they spent four hours on Tumblr looking at pictures of Zayn Malik.

VANESSA MARK

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The Talon April 28, 2015

Just Maya Thoughts

Digitalization of textbooks is beneficial

the inconvenience of a tattered and try are ahead of the game; they not easily than in a print book, so [the disintegrating book. It is important only replaced their old textbooks, information] wouldn’t become outthat such textbooks stay updated in but did so through the usage of of-date in five years.”

Senior Writer In addition, the potential of elecorder to have the most reliable in- devices such as Chromebooks and Staff Writer formation and provide the highest e-books instead of print textbooks tronic textbooks is apparent in litto keep concurrency. According to eracy. For example, students can read efficiency of study for students.

There are two different conditions the Yahoo News article “Schools books from English classes, define At our school this year, the institu- of textbooks that should considered Shift from Textbooks to Tablets” new words and annotate passages tion of the Bring Your Own Device for replacement. The first one is text- by Philip Elliot, digital content all on one device. Those who speak (BYOD) program has already given books that are physically falling apart. providers such as Discovery are English as a second language can also students the opportunity to ease These textbooks have been worn out harnessing their potential to bring navigate between translations for furinto online curriculum and the use and need repairs, or if they are dam- students cutting-edge curricu- ther comprehension of the reading. of laptops as an everyThe money spent on e-books, in aged beyond repair, lum. One example is Discovery’s day educational asset. need to be completely incorporation of Hurricane Sandy retrospect, is much less than the However, as educationreplaced. The second in science lessons for middle and amount spent on replacing textbooks al technology evolves Since textbooks condition is outdated high schoolers. With the need for every few years. Furthermore, eand is used more are such a core material in print books, replacement of many crumbling books can be constantly updated and widely, it is a wonder component of often dated back more old textbooks, our school should shared. With the help of an electronic that the school has not than a decade ago. Re- also consider completely switch- device, students can access bounds of the curriculum, yet switched out heavy placing older editions ing over to electronic resources in information at their fingertips. textbooks for shareable they should be In 2013, Menlo School comof textbooks with new- the near future. a top priority. online resources.

“There’s some advantage to the pletely transitioned to using elecer editions also elimiAs one of the more nates the presence of kind of content you can put on a tronic resources for homework well-funded school damaged textbooks. Therefore, tablet that you can’t put in a text- and schoolwork. Public schools districts in California, the Moun- this second solution would also book,” librarian Gordon Jack said. here will likely follow suit, and in tain View-Los Altos (MVLA) school take care of the first solution by “The currency would allow pub- order to keep up, our school must district has regularly provided and default. lishers to update the content in a take the initiative in participating updated equipment needed in orSeveral schools across the coun- textbook in an e-book much more before it is left behind. der to help students succeed. Our district has provided us with many costly tools that not many other schools have, such as the expensive electron microscope used by the science department. Indeed, our school district has greatly benefited from the amount of the budget dedicated toward updating school equipment.

Despite this, one area in which the school is currently lagging behind is updating the textbooks used in class. Since textbooks are such a core component of the curriculum, they should be a top priority when considering the budget and funding of the classroom.

However, if they are not updated, misinformation and outdated facts PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ELVIS LI could significantly affect the learn- The textbooks at the school are often tattered, stained and damaged. The physical wear-and-tear is only part ing process. Practically everyone of the problem, as much of the information within the textbooks is outdated. The use of e-books has the in the school has stood witness to potential to fix this issue.

ROBERT CHIN CLAIRE BAI

By Maya Varghese

When Justice is Optional A few weekends ago, I visited family friends I hadn’t seen in a while. There was a lot of catching up to do, but at some point our conversation turned to the recent cases of police brutality.

“Did you hear about that Alabama case?” someone asked.

“The police slammed him to the ground. He was an appapan, too.”

Hearing Sureshbhai Patel called “appapan,” which means “grandfather” in India, made me see the case in a new light, even though I had already heard about the Madison, Alabama case in which ex-police officer Eric Parker slammed the elderly Indian man down to the sidewalk and partially paralyzed him.

It’s not that this particular case matters more to me or to my family friends because he is of the same race, or that we’re worried about racially motivated violence against Indians—according to NBC, the person who called the police saying that Patel was acting suspicious described him as a “skinny black man.” This case is the same as any other case—better, perhaps, because Parker was fired and the fact that Patel is Indian and elderly might mean he has a better chance of succeeding in court in the trial, which will start on Wednesday, April 29. But hearing an accidental victim referred to the same way that someone might refer to my grandfather showed me how much everyone loses by permitting police brutality and injustice to persist.

The victims of brutality in recent cases were mostly black, and it’s mostly black people whose rights are being violated over and over by police. However, that doesn’t mean it’s just a black issue. By allowing a situation to persist where many people’s rights are violated, often without repercussions, we’ve created a system where justice is optional. Normally the rest of us don’t have to notice the flaws in our justice system, but cases such as Patel’s force us to realize that the flawed system can occasionally affect even the people who aren’t normally targets.

Most of our rights are not being violated by the police or the justice system. But all of us are living in a country where protection of our rights may or may not be granted depending on appearance or assumptions people make. If there are people who can choose whether or not to violate our rights, then they aren’t really rights. They’re privileges, something being granted instead of guaranteed. The distinction between protection as a right and protection as a privilege should matter. Black people are the main targets for these violations, but every single one of us is living in a country where applying justice correctly has become, or perhaps always has been, optional.

SBAC testing’s benefits should be taken seriously HANNAH CRAFORD Staff Writer

A practice version of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) test was introduced to the school this past March. SBAC tests are aimed at making sure that student ability is analyzed more accurately. Often times, scoring high on a standardized test depends more on strategy than true capability. The SBAC test’s goal is to present a more honest portrayal of standardized testing. As such, students need to keep an open mind about the SBAC test and how it can improve standardized testing.

This year marks the first time the

SBAC test will be administered to students in place of the STAR test in May—namely, students in third grade to eighth grade, as well as high school juniors only. Throughout the U.S., schools have been administering a practice SBAC test in order to see how well students understand newly-implemented Common Core standards, with the ultimate objective being to replace the current STAR test with the SBAC test.

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Education awarded $330 million to two different organizations: Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and SBAC. The goal was to create a new and improved standardized test aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Developed by governors and chief state school officers, the tests will also be adopted by more

AMANDA MELL

than 40 states.

The SBAC test originated in the State of Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

However, in fall of 2014, its headquarters were moved to the University of California, Los Angeles Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.

Scores from this new test are said to represent a more realistic baseline that provides a more insightful indicator of student capability for teachers, students and parents as they work to meet the demands of college and career readiness.

SBAC assessments are also said to offer significant improvements over past standardized tests, such as STAR tests. These new improvements include writing at every grade level, new question types and performance tasks that ask students to demonstrate an array of research, writing and problem-solving skills that could be used in the real world.

What separates the SBAC test from the average standardized test is that instead of simply testing a student’s ability to bubble in a multiple choice response, it tests analytical and interpretive skill by placing an emphasis on writing. The SBAC test evaluates the ability of a student to prove their statements with background information and logic.

Students need to recognize the benefits this test will give them before they dismiss it.

Like with any newly introduced test, there are still several concerns and issues to be resolved by the SBAC creators. The main concern

for many was that taking the test online would bring a bout of technical issues. The school tried to isolate problems during the trial run that freshmen, sophomores and juniors took in March. By doing so, the school was able to see what potential issues could arise when it came time for the junior class to take the actual test in May. It also gave the rest of the student body a chance to explore the new Common Core standards and see what the SBAC test was.

Many students responded negatively to the math portion of the test, complaining that they were not fully prepared for the concepts that they were being questioned on. Because question types tended to repeat themselves, students felt that they were failing whole sections. This could lead to scores that would not accurately represent students’ comprehension on certain concepts.

“It was basically 30 of the same question over and over,” sophomore Leah Marrin said. “If you didn’t know one concept, you [would] fail because all the questions were the same.”

The SBAC test may not be perfect yet, as many kinks still need to be worked out, but that does not mean students and faculty should immediately dismiss it. This test has the potential to measure a student’s ability, rather than simply assess their capacity to take standardized tests. At this point we cannot completely gauge what the future will hold for this test, but the SBAC has a chance to redefine what “testing well” means for students across the United States.

The Talon April 28, 2015

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Read more features articles at lahstalon.org/features

Aloha: hula dancers go international HANNA KHOSRAVI Staff Writer

Whether it be the swaying grass skirts or undulating hips, the stereotypical image of hula dancers has embedded itself into the minds of the American populace over time.

Hula’s cultural grounding in Hawaii has transcended across the world and created an idea that many students have come to know and expect. What many have realized over the past two Los Altos High School Diversity Assemblies is that there is much more to the art of hula dancing than coconut shell bras. Sophomore Cayla Kita and junior Jenny Chin, PHOTOS BY GINA KERMODE COURTESY CAYLA KITA two competitive hula performers, are Left: Junior Jenny Chin and sophomore Cayla Kita (left to right) smile after a Pleasanton competition on November 1. Center and right: Jenny and Cayla ready to show the world what true perform at the Diversity Assembly on April 3. The two girls strive to share their love for hula dancing with fellow students and the international community. hula dancing really means.

Cayla and Jenny dance for a hula legitimate hula is,” Jenny said. “By part of her childhood after-school “We will [be] doing community bring light to their unique tradition. group that travels around the coun- performing, Cayla and I can show- activities, and it not only served service to spread the aloha, or love,” If hula dancers in countries like try to compete. In adcase hula for what we as a unique activity to partake in, Cayla said. “Aloha is giving to others Romania and Croatia sound surdition to frequently know it to be, and defy but also a culturally befitting one. without expecting anything in re- prising to anyone, they are not visiting the Hawaiian those stereotypes... our Because of her mother’s Hawaiian turn by giving unconditionally. We alone in their observation. It is a islands for their per- By performing, performance enhances heritage and hula influence, Jen- want to be positive role models to starkly different and exciting enformances, the group Cayla and I can people’s vision of the ny was signed up for hula dancing bring out the best of ourselves and deavor for the girls, who are inis taking the experi- showcase hula Hawaiian culture.” at a very young age. others... As a kickoff to our tour, we credibly thrilled to be taking their ence to an internaThe San Jose-based Much of the Hawaiian tradition recently danced and served dinner at talent to an international level. and... enhance tional level for the first hula group that Cayla integrated within the hula class the Family Supportive Housing Shel- The years of hard work and deditime this year and will people’s vision and Jenny dance for, includes helping the community. ter in San Jose.” cation the girls have put into hula be traveling to coun- of the Hawaiian Halau Na Wai Ola, One of the main values within the One of the group’s main mottos dancing is reaching a peak, in a tries like Austria, Ro- culture. truly values Hawaiian culture of the team is that of com- is to “spread a little aloha around rather unexpected way. mania and Croatia to culture. This is shown munity service. Four years ago, the the world.” This time, the dancers “I’ve continued to do hula for — junior Jenny Chin share their passion for in their annual public group started their “Spread a Little are taking that statement very liter- so long because I really like danchula dancing. show at San Jose’s Fox Aloha” tour, in which both girls ally, expanding their trip to Croatia, ing, and I started to get better at “A lot of people have Theater, which regu- travelled throughout the United Slovenia, Austria, and Romania. it and I became really passiona general idea [or] a stereotype [of larly follows a storyline relating States, performing hula and help- Through their participation in Folk ate about it,” Cayla said. “Hula is hula] in mind, but they may not have to the history of Hawaii and hula. ing the less fortunate through char- Dance Festivals, the girls will dance just something that I love... It is been previously exposed to what For Jenny, hula was a natural itable group volunteer services. with other European dancers and just what makes me happy.”

Divulgence club’s slam poetry team showcases talents onstage MAYA VARGHESE Copy/Content Editor

Slam poetry has been a part of the school’s culture for as long as any current student can remember. The poetry slam is an annual school tradition, and three years ago the school introduced the freshman poetry slam. But before the Divulgence club was formed, the school had never pitted itself against other schools in a slam competition.

Assistant Principal Galen Rosenberg, who helps run the school’s annual poetry slam, originally suggested the idea of a Los Altos slam team.

The team performed at the Youth Speaks District Poetry Slam in San

Francisco on Tuesday, April 21.

In preparation, the biggest challenge was finding a team that worked. As the maximum number of people who could perform in the competition was six, Kalie decided to hold auditions for spots on the team. Originally, five people were chosen by Kalie, who did not plan to join the team as she was the judge and club president. However, when two members had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, the remaining three members voted to have her join the team.

Even though the final team was not exactly what Kalie had planned on, she, freshman Langston Hay and juniors Emily Goto

and Meg Enthoven work well together. The four have stayed committed to the idea of competing throughout a preparation process spanning several months.

“It’s hard to find a group of people that work together and can write together,” Kalie said. “It’s one thing to write a really awesome poem, but it’s another to work with three other people, put in the time to work on it and stay at the same energy level the whole time.”

Finding a common topic was difficult for the team, but everything came together when they found a broad topic that united them. The team decided to write about the pressure they put on themselves to

COURTESY KALIE OKU

Left to right: Junior Kalie Oku, freshman Langston Hay, junior Emily Goto and junior Meg Enthoven perform an original group poem at the Youth Speaks District Poetry Slam on Tuesday, April 21. The performance marks the culmination of three months of hard work and preparation.

be people they weren’t and the iso- ning round, in which poems could not last longer than a minute. Her lating effects of that pressure.

“I talk about perfect, and how I poem, “Not About Screaming,” defeel like I need to be perfect,” Ka- picts the raw emotion with which lie said. “Emily talks about how children scream and how people she felt like she needlose the ability to exed to be loud. Langspress those raw emoton felt like he always tions as they grow I’ve never been needed to be moving, older. and then Meg felt like in an environThe team comshe was always alone.” peted last Tuesday, ment where The group members everyone was April 21, performing wrote about their asthree poems for a so supportive of all pects of the poem seppanel of five judges, arately and then met each other even as well as performers up to piece their per- though we were and supporters from spectives together into battling against five other schools. a single poem.

“I’ve never been each other.

“We didn’t realize in an environment — junior Meg Enthoven how hard it would be where everyone until we actually started was so supportive to write,” Meg said. “It’s of each other even difficult to get everyone to collabo- though we were battling against rate and write different pieces, and each other,” Meg said. “There kind of mash them together and were people we didn’t know sayhave them be comprehensible to ing we did amazing, and this one other people.” guy from another school came up Ultimately, the team felt that they and hugged Langston and said, had created a poem that spoke to ‘Your poem was amazing, I loved the struggles students experience, it.’” and they aimed to show through LAHS placed third out of six in their poem that everyone experi- the competition, just behind San ences a similar struggle to find who Leandro High School, which placed they want to be. second, and Oakland School for In addition to the group poem, the Arts, which placed first. The Emily and Langston also each team hopes that its success will enperformed their own individual courage more people to participate poems. Langston’s echoes the in Divulgence and explore poetry theme of pressure and isolation in the future. Kalie herself is exfrom the group poem. cited that the club, which she only “What I tried to do with it is split started this year, has achieved so myself into two people,” Langston much in so short a time. said. “One person making mistakes “I’m really happy that this hapand the other person observing pened,” Kalie said. “It was a dream mistakes, but both people are me.” in the summer, and now [that Emily performed in the light- dream] has been executed.”

The Talon April 28, 2015

INTRODUCTION

B Decisions, Decisions!

Claire Bai, Staff Writer | Amelia Baum, In-Depth Editor | William Jow, Copy/Content Editor | Jessica King, Staff Writer | Emily Terada, Staff Writer | Kevin Yen, Copy/Content Editor

rringg! Do you hit the snooze button and sleep for an extra five minutes, or do you jump out of bed, ready to start the morning? Every day, teenagers make short-term and long-term decisions, just like any other person. However, teenagers must make those decisions while facing the most challenging stage of life: learning how to make good decisions through the expectations of society while their physical and mental maturities are still developing.

It is important that teenagers figure out how to differentiate between “good” decisions, “bad” decisions and everything in between, so when the time comes to make the more significant decisions, they will know what to repeat in the future and what to avoid. Short-term and long-term decision-making is particularly challenging during teenage years because there is an overwhelming number of both types of choices to be made; for example, students may be overwhelmed by the responsibility of considering their future while also facing smaller decisions in their social and academic lives.

No matter what, each decision that a teenager makes is important because of the learning process it instills. The more teens can learn from their mistakes and successes, the easier it will be to make better choices later in life.

The Talon hopes that the following information about the science of the adolescent brain and the pertinence of “good” versus “bad” decisions during high school will provide teenagers with a better understanding of the inner workings of decision-making, so they can find success in their high school careers and beyond.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND

A

THE TEENAGE BRAIN

ge restrictions on driving, voting and purchasing of various items exist to protect minors and others from making bad decisions, but for many, they are plain annoying. As it turns out, there is a scientific reason why you cannot get behind the wheel or mark your ballot before a certain age, and it is located quite literally right in front of—or rather, behind—your eyes.

Rational decision-making is a complex process governed by two parts of the brain: the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system. These two regions act in tandem to balance emotional reactions with cognitive thought.

The prefrontal cortex is the region responsible for behavioral control and is located in the front part of the brain, near the eyes. Relatively complex associations, such as those about morality and cause-and-effect relationships are processed here. When you make decisions by weighing pros and cons, or by thinking about long-term consequences, this part of the brain, the one most associated with rational decision-making, is in action. For instance, a decision about whether to skip class has many facets; the prefrontal cortex influences the part of the decision that evaluates whether or not missing class that day will have a detrimental impact on your success in the class.

This part of the brain is relatively new in human evolution and does not fully develop until much later in life compared to other parts of the brain. The development, which does not finalize until the end of adolescence, comes in the form of a systematic loss of gray matter. Humans are born with an excess of neurons, the least helpful of which are eliminated throughout childhood and adolescence in a process called programmed neuronal cell death. This loss of gray matter is a form of intelligence pruning; at the end of the process, the brain is left with a smaller number of more effective neurons that aid in cognitive processing.

Prefrontal Cortex

While the prefrontal cortex deals with the logical part of decisions, the limbic system manages emotional and instinctual responses. The amygdala, an almond-shaped set of neurons that controls fear and pleasure responses, is the main part of the limbic system that deals with decision making.

In the example of skipping class, the limbic system is more likely to be in effect if you decide to skip because you are stressed out, tired or bored of sitting in that classroom.

A large amount of limbic system activity is associated with strong emotional reactions and gut decisions. A study by Deborah Yurgelun-Todd and colleagues at the McLean Hospital Brain Imaging Center in Belmont, Massachusetts found that adults tend to have greater activity in their prefrontal cortexes when making decisions, but teenagers center more of the activity in their amygdala. This means that it can be harder to make wellreasoned, rational decisions as a teenager because more of the process is located in a part of the brain that specializes in instinctual, emotional responses.

“Lower activity in the frontal lobe could lead to poor control over behavior and emotions, while an overactive amygdala may be associated with high levels of emotional arousal and reactionary decision-making,” Gargi Talukder, a graduate student in the Neuroscience Program at Stanford University said in an article called “Decision-making: Still a Work in Progress for Teenagers.” “As teenagers age into adulthood, the overall focus of brain activity seems to shift from the amygdala to the frontal lobes.”

Limbic System

T

hough teenagers may be physically less prepared to make good decisions compared to adults, the necessity to make many kinds of decisions in everyday teenage life is not diminished. Long before teenagers are given the responsibility of a motor vehicle or controlled substance, practiced decisionmaking skills are necessary for everything from academic commitments to social quandaries.

Understanding the way that the brain controls these processes is essential to taking control of them to ensure that one is choosing the best route. Part of this understanding is actively taking steps to diminish the influence of this part of the brain, such as seeking confirmation from trusted sources or trying to get to the root of the emotional aspect of the decision.

“It’s important to be aware of what is influencing your decision—emotions, peer group, etc.,” school psychologist Chad Ablang said. “I also [find] it helpful to ask those that you can trust and gather as much information to make a comfortable and informed decision.”

The Talon April 28, 2015

THE WORST DECISION I’VE EVER MADE...

“Staying out really late when I had work the next morning. [I now know] that I shouldn’t stay up past 2 a.m. when I have to go to work at 9 in the morning the next day. [Now] I don’t hang out with friends when I have to go to work the next day.” junior Megan Murphy

sophomore Nathan Mesel

“Piercing my own belly button. I tried to pierce my own belly button and it did not work. [Now I know that] if you’re ever going to do any sort of body modification, get it done professionally because otherwise it’s dangerous. I decided that I want to wait to do these things until I’m 18. It’ll be more rational.”

“One of my friends had a really bad health issue [related to] what he ate and how active he was. Together, we kept a log of those things and we based his dosage [of medication] for the next day based on what we recorded. One of the days we were hanging out, I forgot to log pretty much everything. I thought that if he took the average doseage he would be fine but he got really sick and was hospitalized for a week before he recovered.

[Now] I’m so much more careful and much more meticulous when I’m keeping track of problems and being aware of everything that I’m doing. ” PHOTOS BY ALLEGRA MAESO

sophomore Naomi Hoffman

SO, HOW DO WE MAKE BETTER DECISIONS?

E

ach day, teenagers must make both long-term and short-term decisions which, although not life-defining, will be training for making adult decisions. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth have pinpointed six key aspects of the decision-making process that, if executed correctly, can aid in making more educated decisions. Although it is unlikely that a person will complete this process perfectly each time, being consistent in following these steps is essential to building the skills necessary to make informed decisions.

1

Imagine a teen who is torn between attending class and skipping it. The first step for the student would be to quickly recall background information—will cutting class mean missing something important? Is the student struggling in the class? Have friends been caught cutting class before? A brief reflection on the consequences can separate an educated decision from a purely emotional and impulse-based one.

2

The student only has two options: to ditch or to attend class. Though it seems simple, identifying the options available before deciding is a critical first step toward a well-rounded decision.

3

A teen trying to decide whether or not to attend class only has a few minutes to consider both sides of the issue. In this case, their personal morals and the possible repercussions of ditching class may be the most significant factors to consider. By ditching class, the student could take some time to relax or study for another class. However, by attending class the student may obtain crucial material for an upcoming project or test that the student would otherwise miss.

4

The crux of the decision-making process is choosing a path to take. This is the point when the student must decide which of the various repercussions and benefits of skipping class are most beneficial to them. For instance, if a student has an important test in their next period, skipping a less critical class may be the best choice in that particular situation.

5

The student must implement the decided plan by taking the steps needed to execute it effectively. Let’s say the student has chosen to ditch class. He or she might walk to the parking lot, get in his or her car and drive away. All major obstacles to the execution of the given decision should have been acknowledged or dealt with earlier in the process, so at this point the chosen solution should be both practical and comfortable.

6

If the student determines that his or her decision was a poor one—for instance, if the decision to cut their class resulted in a low score on a test or quiz later that week—active reflection is required to establish what part of the decision process was problematic. This part of the process is essential to ensure that one doesn’t make the same errors the next time he or she is confronted with a difficult decision.

Six Key Steps to Making a Good Decision AMANDA MELL

NOY ANISMAN

12

The Talon April 28, 2015

Seniors complete four-year debate journey together CARLY COHEN WILLIAM JOW

Editor-in-Chief Copy/Content Editor

The dynamic duo, the golden team, the perfect match—all are phrases that can be used to describe the speech and debate team of seniors Ashwin Vaidyanathan and Ben Gardner-Gill. The team has been paired in the public forum division in speech and debate since freshman year and have seen success after success in their time together.

“It’s been quite a journey,” Ben said.

“It’s quite unlike anything else that I’ve done, merely because you [start] off as a beginner, and you just have to work up and do as much as you can.

It’s just been sort of a comprehensive journey about figuring out how to push away from the beginner-level debate and… start learning a new type of debate which is the advancedlevel sort of flow debate.”

The recent announcement of their qualification to the Tournament of Champions (TOC) this semester marked a new victory for Ben and Ashwin. Held in Kentucky from April 25 to 27,

this tournament accepts only the top teams in the nation.

“Once you join debate, [the TOC is] what you aspire to get to,” Ashwin said. “That’s kind of like the pinnacle of someone’s debate career.”

In order to qualify, teams must earn at least two bids by reaching a certain round in a major tournament. Ben and Ashwin relied on a tournament in Fremont to earn their second bid, which brought on quite a bit of stress.

“It was super intense since we knew we had to win that round to advance,” Ashwin said. “[While] we’re waiting, we’re like, ‘We definitely won, or maybe they won on this point or maybe we talked too fast, and we’re just doubting ourselves.’ Then on a split decision, the win goes to Los Altos. It was kind of like four years of work led up to that one moment.”

Those four years of work weren’t kick-started by immediate success.

In ninth grade, Ashwin joined the club to spend time with friends, and Ben signed up to continue the debate career he began in eighth grade. Both drawn to public forum, they were matched as the only freshmen in that division.

BRANDON HONG

Seniors Ashwin Vaidyanathan and Ben Gardner-Gill (left to right) have shared four years of successful public forum debate together. The duo went to the Tournament of Champions on April 25, an accomplishment matched by few in the Speech and Debate Team.

“I think what originally attracted a much better knowledge base to me and what still is a big factor in start out with, then it’s easier to how much I love [public forum] is apply it. But the team who knows that it’s very intellectually engaging,” more does not always win.”

For every round within a tournaBen said. “It not only forces you to be knowledgeable—very, very in-depth ment, Ben and Ashwin each deliver knowledgeable—about a complex two speeches, with Ben starting off subject and the abstract, but also be the round and Ashwin closing. Afable to apply it practically to solu- ter competing together for so many years, they have learned each othtions within the round.”

When the pair first began to com- er’s rhythm to a point of mastery.

“Something really pete, Ashwin recalls switched for us this secthem as being someond semester of senior what of a disaster. year,” Ashwin said. “I “I still remember I still remember can’t quite identify what our very first round,” our very first it was, we kind of just Ashwin said. “It was hit our stride and things so bad. I think we round... It’s clicked… While Ben is spoke for half the incredible to giving his two-minute time we needed to think how far summary speech, I alfor each [speech] we’ve come as ready know before he and we were stumdebaters since starts speaking exactly bling everywhere. what he is going to say It’s incredible to then. and how he is going to think how far we’ve — senior Ashwin Vaidyanathan say it, so I can just start come since then, preparing my part.” how much better Ben echoes Ashwin’s we’ve become as sentiments, noting the subtle, speakers and as debaters.”

According to the team, their yet significant improvement of progress from public forum ama- their debate partnership over the teurs to TOC qualifiers is mostly course of the year.

“The thing is, last year we were due to experience.

“You can never underestimate doing most of the stuff right; it’s the value of experience,” Ben just a matter of moving from good said. “It [often] comes down to to great,” Ben said. “We became the minutiae in rounds so having great at many things over the experience allows you to draw on course of the past year, but we’re so many things to figure out what still not great at everything, right? is the right thing to do—what is We’re not perfect by any means.”

Regardless of their performance the right thing to say, what argument should I make—and that is at the TOC, Ben and Ashwin are simply happy to have made it to really important.”

On top of accumulating experi- such a prestigious tournament.

“We’re very happy with how this ence over the years, the team also gained a deeper understanding of year has gone and how we’ve built up to it not just this year but also the nature of debate.

“Debate is in some ways a game, over the last few years,” Ben said. and in other ways it’s not a game “We’re not looking to win by any at all,” Ben said. “It comes down means, or even do wonderfully, to pretty much whether you ap- but getting there is such a huge ply your knowledge better than accomplishment and we’re just the other person. And if you have really happy to be going.”

Senior project: Can you hear me? something we rarely stop to think about. That’s not the case for Ya’el, who spent the better part of the year A hallmark of a Los Altos High researching how modern innovaSchool education is the senior tions in hearing technology are inproject, an open-ended research fluencing the deaf community. project that each senior under“My project is about the cochletakes. The project spans about six ar implant, a surgically implanted months, and, unlike common as- hearing device for deaf people, signments, has sparse intermedi- and its impact on deaf people, ate deadlines. The specifically deaf chilphilosophy of the dren,” Ya’el said. “I project is to teach stuexplored its controdents about what it I was driving versial development means to start with an home one night and advertisement in open-ended question the medical industry and use a collection of and ‘I Wanna and the media, which different resources to Dance With has cultivated the pin down an interpre- Somebody’ by idea that a cochlear tive answer. The proj- Whitney Housimplant is somehow a ect is split into two ‘cure’ for deafness.” ton came on... I components: one is a Ya’el began to reresearch project that was able to sign search the deaf comtends to range from 15 the whole song. munity more thorto 20 pages; the other oughly during World — senior Ya’el Weiner component is the Literature her sophohands-on project. The more year, when she hands-on component saw Sound of Fury, a has one restriction: it must be re- documentary about the cochlear lated to the research topic. Other implant’s impact on deaf culture. than that, seniors are free to form Ya’el’s research has helped her a project of their own creation and to understand the deaf commudevote a minimum of fifteen hours nity on a more personal level, to it. One notable project is that of while also teaching her subsenior Ya’el Weiner. stantial amounts of information about the development of lanWHAT? COCHLEAR IMPLANTS? guage in younger children.

Hearing and responding to oth“Deaf children with cochlear ers with ease is a skill many take implants who are not exposed to for granted; it’s something we do sign language at an early age are almost every day, and, naturally, is more likely to experience setbacks

ZACH COHEN

Print Managing Editor

COURTESY YA’EL WEINER

Senior Ya’el Weiner signs with Haiti citizen Marilene in February 2014 during a Haiti Solidarity trip. Ya’el is studying cochlear implants for her senior project and learned sign language for the hands-on part of the project. in their emotional, social and educational developments because of the lack of an early foundation of communication,” Ya’el said.

Most importantly, Ya’el has seen how the cochlear implant, while a landmark achievement in biotechnological innovation, can be a setback for the deaf community.

“I discussed how the false notion [that cochlear implants are a ‘cure”’for deafness] has contributed to the trivialization of the deaf community and deaf culture, the delegitimization of sign language as an actual language and the stunting of development in deaf children.”

Because Ya’el wants to enter the biomedical research industry, her findings on the cochlear

implant’s impact on deaf culture has brought perspective to her future pursuits, making her more sensitive of the unintentional trivialization of deaf culture on behalf of the research sector.

Ultimately, with the hands-on portion of the project, Ya’el is aiming to teach herself American Sign Language. While teaching herself the language has been challenging, it has also been immeasurably rewarding, especially when she is presented with opportunities show off her skills.

“I was driving home one night and ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ by Whitney Houston came on,” Ya’el said. “I was able to sign the whole song… with one hand on the steering wheel, of course.”

This Side of Lunadise

By Perla Luna

You Can’t Always Get What You Want I’m not the first senior who can say that the college process didn’t go exactly as planned. Despite what the perception is around here sometimes and what the movies will tell you, the majority of people don’t end up getting the perfect college process experience. It only seems like everybody got everything they wanted because the people who do are the ones who publicize every single acceptance all over your Facebook feed.

You never see people posting pictures and statuses about getting rejected from a college they have prematurely sold their soul to. And if it’s not the actual admissions decision keeping you from a happy ending, it’s the money issue. It’s the weather issue. It’s the “too far away for me” issue or alternatively, it’s the “too far away for my parents” issue.

There are just too many moving parts and the reality is, not all of them will fall perfectly into place. But in the end, something will fall into place. That’s the most important lesson I’ve learned from the college admissions process and really from any rejection I’ve experienced.

I’m not saying it feels good to be rejected because it certainly doesn’t, and being pragmatic in the heat of the moment is as hard as climbing up a landslide.

The important part is what comes after the rejection.

The people who are going to be successful—whatever they choose to define that success as—are the ones who are going to look at their options and figure out how to move from there.

Sometimes, part of rejection is just being mature enough to realize that maybe the rejection was justified. Maybe you weren’t ready, or maybe it’s not what you would have wanted in the long run. It’s hard to see what’s best for ourselves sometimes—it’s hard for me—but as someone who’s also been on the evaluating side of things, I know there’s a reasoning behind the decisions people make. It just takes time to realize that.

However, coming to terms with that fact is often harder to accept than the rejection itself. There’s a tendency to place blame on everyone else before it ever occurs to us that the blame is on us or even that there’s no one to blame. It’s just something that happened. But until we reach the magical land of acceptance, we can complain, wallow and curse whoever we have to.

Then we move on. If moving on just happens to include sitting on a park bench commiserating with friends as you consume as much mint chocolate chip ice cream as you can find, well then that’s just what has to happen.

The Talon April 28, 2015

13

Students find unique and inviting environment in Evans’ room

boards, others bantering over the latest video games and more stuNews Editor dents deep in discussion about Staff Writer mathematical concepts.

“The other people in the Every day, when the coveted lunch bell rings, a flood of stu- room are usually quiet, which dents dash to their cars, the caf- is [great] because a quiet envieteria or the lunch tables through- ronment is helpful when playout campus to begin their second ing chess,” Chess Club Co-Vice daily meal. However, a handful of President sophomore Henry Ma the school’s students do nothing said. “Ironically, the chess club of the sort. Instead, they climb up is often louder than the other the stairs of the 700 building, take clubs and people in the room.”

Besides chess club, other stua right and walk into room 718, a social hub and the domain of dents in Algebra II Honors, AP Calculus BC and AP Statistics math teacher Carol Evans.

The constant hum of laugh- classes f lock to Evans’ room for ter and buzz of excitement that help on particularly difficult bring the room alive come from math problems or just to chat. many different students. Evans Others come to collaborate on currently advises four clubs: group projects or catch up on homework. In parthe Chess club, the ticular, Chess Club Investment club, President junior Sethe Math club and lynna Sun cites the Team HBV. The larg- Ms. Evans is connection between est of the four is the always availmath and chess stuchess club, which dents as a major continues to meet able to help you draw for many of her every day at lunch ... and you don’t club’s members. and thrive in the feel judged for “[Meeting in Evan’s unique environment not knowing room] is special in that Evans’ room the sense that the provides. Chess club something.

— senior Kaitlyn members of chess was founded two Schiffhauer club that are stuyears ago, and since dents of Evans can then the founders have decided to meet in Evans’ work and play chess at the same time,” Selynna said. “The accesroom every day.

During those early years, Ev- sibility factor is extremely imans’ room was relatively quiet portant because it increases atand unvisited. It was only after tendance to our meetings and lets the second year that chess club students work at the same time.”

Despite the dominating pressparked the interest of many freshmen and sophomores, who ence of chess club, about half started to come regularly and of the room is usually kept clear fill up the quiet void that was for students to meet with peer once Evans’ room. Now, a sweep- tutors. With a textbook and paing glance of the room beholds pers filled with mathematical a lively scene of club mem- scribbles spread across a desk, bers hunching over large chess peer tutor and senior Ryan Wu

SOFIA GUO DAVID LISBONNE

Linden CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

“Within our industry there are always fun little tidbits being passed around, so [our social media person will] promote things like that,” Edmonds said. “For example, there was a group of librarians who did a parody on Meghan Trainor’s ‘All About The Bass,’ only they did it to ‘All About The Books.’

It was great, they lip-synced the whole thing. So she posted that and we got quite a few hits on it.”

Since moving to its location on

BRANDON HONG

Students spend their lunchtime in math teacher Carol Evans’ room. The room serves as a workplace and social hub for students and the four clubs that Evans advises: the Chess, Investment and Math clubs and Team HBV. beforehand so they can tell their spends nearly every one of his her own work or relaxing. lunch periods in Evans’ room.

“What I like about being in friends,” Evans said. “I think it He began tutoring for extra her room is that she’s always makes more sense for me to have credit in Algebra II Honors his available to help you,” Kaitlyn my break during my prep period freshman year. said. “It’s not nec- [instead of at lunch] because “Ms. Evans’ room essarily different lunch is when all students can is the perfect place from other teacher’s come in and help each other. I like to tutor at lunch be- I like to encourclassrooms, but you to encourage students to be comcause it has books, a feel judged for fortable tutoring each other and age students to don’t good environment, not knowing some- helping others because it’s a betand Ms. Evans is be comfortable thing. I also like the ter, more efficient way to learn.” bustling environKaitlyn agrees. While she always available to tutoring each ment, which is in scans the sea of heads constanthelp teach,” Ryan other because part helped by chess ly laughing and chattering away, said. “I pretty much it’s a better, club being there, her eyes light up at the thought live in Evans’ room.” and I love the energy of other teachers fostering the Senior Kaitlyn more efficient students bring to same idea in their rooms.

Schiff hauer has also way to learn. the room.”

“I know it’s a lot of work for been tutoring since — math teacher Carol Evans The secret ingre- teachers to be in their room and she was a budding dient to creating a supervising students every day second-semester blend of comfort, at lunch,” Kaitlyn said. “It’s asksophomore. A student of Evans herself, Kaitlyn hustle and bustle and a good ing a lot, but depending on the cultivates a passion for helping work environment boils down nature of the subject, if teachother students; she helps out the to two factors: availability and ers are willing to give up their lunch, it is much easier for peer tutees who show up, and when consistency.

“My room is always open at to peer interaction to happen none are in need of help, she sits back and enjoys the warm atmo- lunch, and if I can’t be here on [in the classroom] in such a sphere of the room while doing certain days I’ll tell my classes positive way.”

State Street and implementing back,” Edmonds said. “So, for invarious changes, the bookstore stance, when people come in and has seen its sales insay I could get a book crease by 15%. Howcheaper on Amazon– ever, keeping sales well is Amazon going up is something the One girl said, to filter the book and bookstore continually “Do you ever know if it is approstruggles with, espepriate for your child, cially with the grow- feel like you live is Amazon giving ing national trend of in the story? money to the local people buying fewer I do”... that is little league team, and fewer books from why I am doing is Amazon giving bookstores. local library free this. She gets it. the Linden Tree’s solubooks?”

— Linden Tree co-owner tion? Continue proFor Linden Tree, Dianne Edmonds viding excellent cuspart of exceeding customer service. tomer expectations “We know that we is hiring booksellers need to exceed expectations with who are truly passionate about our customers so they will come books.

RILEY MOULDS

Linden Tree Books started out as a music store on Main Street 34 years ago and moved to its new location on State Street in 2010. The store prides itself on having excellent customer service and providing a nurturing environment for passionate readers.

“We only hire people who are ers can directly see the impact truly interested in literary works,” the books they’re selling are havEdmonds said. “That doesn’t have ing on children. to be the classics, but “We just last week a bookseller needs to had a Brownie group be willing to be able come in to do a tour to open a book that A book will of the bookstore, to may not be their fa- always be your talk to entrepreneurs vorite genre, but be friend... someon what it’s like to able to know that own a business and times I’ll have this is going to work then to do a storya bad day and for a certain child.” time,” Edmonds said.

Their strategy I’ll go back to “Then we had quesseems to be working. some of the tions/answers and a Linden Tree has an lot of the questions books I read as incredibly loyal cuswere ‘How many tomer base, one that a teenager. I books do you have in comprises of custom- just read a few the store?’ that type ers who used to shop chapters, and of thing. But one girl here when they were then I know said, ‘Do you ever younger, and who feel like you live in now bring back their everything will the story? I do.’ And own children to buy be okay. that just, this is why I books. The booksellam doing this. To get — Linden Tree co-owner Dianne Edmonds ers themselves feed a seven year old askoff these customer ing that question...I interactions, and was like, that’s it. It’s there are certain customers who happening. She’s getting it.” are particularly memorable.

Going forward, Linden Tree “There’s one little girl who’s got hopes to continue to maintain to be about four years old, and she positive relationships with customcomes in fairly regularly with her ers and the community at large, parents,” bookseller Eleanor said. and continue to expand their tar“She is always looking for ‘My Lit- get audience. Specifically, they are tle Pony’ books. She will sit and working on ways to reach the high she will go through the entire school market more successfully. area where she knows ‘My Little “It is the teenage population Pony’ books can be found. If she who in some cases needs books can’t find any, she’ll go, “Excuse even more now,” Edmonds said. me, but do you have any more “Because a book will always be ‘My Little Pony’ books?” And she your friend. A book will never, will be very polite about telling never leave your life. Even now, in you, ‘No I already have that one.’ this day and age, I’ll have a bad She is just the cutest little thing, day and I’ll go back to some of the and she’s really sweet.” books I read as a teenager. I just By far, the best moments with read a few chapters, [and then I customers come when booksell- know] everything will be okay.”

The Talon April 28, 2015

Catch reviews of new movies, music and more, plus read the entertainment archives at lahstalon.org/entertainment

MUSIC

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ake the eccentric music you hear coming out of jazz clubs late at night.

Add electronic effects, every mainstream modern jazz singer, hip hop artists like Snoop Dogg and a couple Grammys, and you’ve got the modern mastermind that is Robert Glasper.

Glasper produces music as a solo artist, with his acoustic group the Robert Glasper Trio and with the genre-spanning quartet the Robert Glasper Experiment. Producing both instrumental and vocal jazz songs, Glasper gives us an idea of where the genre of jazz is headed in the 21st century.

Inspired by the harmonies he heard in church choirs growing up, Glasper first earned recognition as a skilled jazz pianist with evocative music. He released his first album, “Canvas,” in 2005 and immediately set himself apart from the crowd.

Glasper composed all but one of the songs on the album himself, which is a fairly unique attribute of a jazz piano record. In his song “Portrait of an Angel,” he proves his ability to write an intricate melody that maintains momentum throughout the track. In a moving tribute to his late mother, Kim Yvette Glasper, he incorporated samples from his mother’s songs in “I Remember.” Glasper’s ability to mix pre-recorded harmonies with melodies of his own invention foreshadowed his producing talents that would earn him mainstream recognition in the coming decade .

For the most part, Glasper’s talent as a producer went unnoticed

Robert Glasper

until his third album “Double Booked.” Featuring tracks from both the Trio and the Experiment, “Double Booked” is a seminal album that includes jazz standards which show Glasper’s complete mastery of jazz technique.

The real treasure, however, is in the experimental songs that give listeners a taste of where Glasper is taking jazz in its next generation.

“D o u b l e Booked” placed the spotlight on the Experiment. With bassist Derrick Hodge, drummer Chris Dave, sax and vocoder player Casey Benjamin and Glasper himself on keys, the Experiment is the face of modern jazz. Fearless innovators, the group members frequently collaborate with artists from jazz, hip-hop and popular music, and use modulated vocals to add an electronic element to their tracks, making the vibe more modern without sacrificing Glasper’s tasteful jazz melodies.

After “Double Booked,” it became

bringing a modern twist to jazz

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“Can’t Deny My Love” Brandon Flowers

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12 “Glass & Patron” FKA twigs

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hile twigs might need some help naming her albums (her first two extended plays were named “EP1” and “EP2,” respectively and her first long play was named “LP1”), she seems to be excelling in the sonic industry, repeatedly outdoing and simultaneously out-weirding her contemporaries.

“Glass & Patron” marks a stylistic turning point for twigs; the tempo of the song is considerably more dynamic and edgy than some of her previous singles, namely the slower but infinitely more contemplative “Two Weeks” from “LP1”. Twigs explores a synthesis of several R&B styles, including trap and hip-hop, with brash electronic synth. The result is something unexpectedly magical. (Slightly less magical, however, than the accompanying music video released on the same day, which features twigs absolutely slaying the “Vogue” dance style of the 1970s).

aptly named “Black Radio 2.” The group brought in more collaborators, ranging from Marsha Ambrosius to Common. In “Calls” with Jill Scott and “You Own Me” with Faith Evans, the Experiment lays down smooth tracks that allow the singers to shine. Dave matches his beats to Jill Scott’s syncopated voice in “Calls,” while in “Let it Ride,” Glasper and his bandmates create a sonic space unlike anything we typically hear Norah Jones in; the result is a unique track that makes us wonder when we can expect a full album from the JonesGlasper collaboration.

“Jesus Children” is by far the best track on the record, and perhaps the Robert Glasper Experiment’s best track to date. The track took home the 2015 Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance and featured Lalah Hathaway and Malcolm Jamal Warner to create this haunting rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America.” Warner’s rap lyrics discuss America’s youth today: “And now, now, now they dance the story of masters/Much faster than the polygamous pastor can tell a lie… No, these kids dance the story that tells us to delete/The feeling of being incomplete from our consciousness.”

Whether he’s playing keys on his own, bringing out the best in other artists or skillfully producing music Robert Glasper is by far the most fascinating person in today’s jazz scene. Jazz and hip-hop fans alike need to keep an ear out; Glasper is making music with a message, and he’s here to stay.

SONGS TO LISTEN TO

ZACH COHEN

Print Managing Editor

rguments as to whether the music industry is regressing from a records structure to a singles market aside, artists seem to enjoy releasing snippets of their developing work to the public, a type of sampler for the general audience of what’s in store in their upcoming albums. Here are some singles (which were promoted as singles after the accompanying album has already been published) that have been particularly interesting and innovative.

Spirit.” The album’s title track,“Black Radio”, is a standalone hip-hop masterpiece. In his laidback rapping style,Yasiin Bey proclaims “Radio, suck never play me/ Triple shade of black that my bleach should never fade me,” alluding to the album’s theme of black identity.

Glasper brought Lupe Fiasco and Bilal into the studio MAYA ACHARYA to create “Always Print Managing Editor Shine.” With allusions to Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights MoveWIKIMEDIA USER ED NEWMAN ment, as well as clear that the Experiment would be modern black artists such as Drake and the future of Glasper’s career, as well Jay-Z, the song is a call for social action and preservation of the black identity, as the future of jazz itself.

“Black Radio” is Glasper’s first which is a pervasive theme throughout full album with the Experiment. the album. This is Glasper’s greatest Songs such as “Cherish the Day” strength: the jazz genre itself started featuring Lalah Hathaway mix as a social movement that reclaimed groove-inducing electronic ef- the black identity. With Glasper as its fects with soulful harmonies. A producer, the Experiment expertly powerful reimagination of the modernizes this message as well as jazz standard “Afro Blue” with the music itself.

Jazz and hip-hop fans alike reErykah Badu somehow pairs nicely with the guttural cover joiced when Glasper followed up of Nirvana’s “Smells like Teen with the Experiment’s next album,

A

notably ambitious and prolific artist, Brandon Flowers has never been content with his career as lead singer of The Killers, a Los Vegas-based rock band.

In 2010, he launched a solo career in addition to front-lining The Killers, releasing “Flamingo,” which topped the U.K. rock charts. After a five-year hiatus from his solo work, Flowers is back in the studio, putting together the forthcoming “The Desired Effect,” which is slated to come out later this year. “Can’t Deny My Love” is the lead single from the album, sporting a cross between retro disco and popish glamour, a signature synthesis of Flowers’ artistry. As an ensemble crossover choir joins Flowers in the chorus when he announces “No you’re not gonna/not gonna deny my love,” the listener realizes that Flowers’ ambition permeates every aspect of his life: his career, his personal life and perhaps even deeper. The culmination of his incredible efforts is taking shape to be a headlining album of 2015.

34 “REALiTi”(Demo) Grimes

idway through 2013, Grimes, the Canadian-based grimepunk musician, scrapped an entire year’s worth of work and announced that the album she’d been working on to follow up “Visions” (2012), would never see the light of day. Cult fanatics across the board lamented Grimes’ decisions; after the brilliance of “Visions,” fans were hoping to cheer on Grimes as she hit her stride as an artist, only to have her retreat at the last minute. Two years later, Grimes released the self-directed and self-produced “REALiTi” as a music video thanking her fans in Asia following a pan-Asian tour that spanned more than half a year. According to Grimes, “REALiTi” is still a demo; it is a track slated to be a part of her scrapped album (termed “the lost album”) that happened to have the best production value at the time she aban-

doned the project. “REALiTi” quickly transfixed listeners, some critics labeling it as the best work of Grimes’ entire career. The song is a classic case of artistic bravado, marking a departure from her signature obscurity in search for something more cohesive. Unlike the majority of “Halfaxa” (2010), “REALiTi” maintains more of a dynamic and constant tempo, while still incorporating a synth-punk basis. Grimes’ dreamy voice takes center stage on this ballad, swooning, “Oh baby every morning there are mountains to climb/taking all my time away./When I get up, this is what I see,/welcome to reality.”

Perhaps, instead of just the listener, she’s welcoming herself to reality, stepping away from the deliberately enigmatic sides of her past work and coming closer to a sonic personality that resonates with everyone.

WIKIMEDIA USER PHILLIP NGUYEN

“Black Lake” Björk

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WIKIMEDIA USER ZACH KLEIN

ncluded as an “album-only” track on Björk’s newest “Vulnicura” (Icelandic for “cure for wounds”), “Black Lake” is by far the longest and most complex piece on the legend’s latest album. The album itself tells the story of a crumbling relationship.

“Black Lake” comes after the climactic “Notget,” during which the relationship officially ends.

The song serves as the conciliatory self-assurance that ending the relationship was all for the best, despite the emotional toll it has wrought. Björk opens the song atop a soft, simple drum beat set in the distance, as she laments the bitter end: “Our love was my womb/But our bond is broken/ My shield is gone/My protection is taken.” The album cover of “Vulnicura” features Björk clad in black armor with a gaping hole in her chest. Similar to “Black Lake,” the cover depicts Björk when she is most vulnerable, which, as the listener comes to realize while exploring the album, is also where she’s most powerful.

The Talon April 28, 2015

TED talks to watch

Teachers and TED

The Surprising Science of Happiness

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TED Talks

Where Technology, Entertainment, and Design converge ANNELIESE GALLAHER EMILY TERADA MAYA VARGHESE

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MEL

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Staff Writers Copy/Content Editor

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el of thinking on the topic.

“I use TED Talks in class when I find a talk that connects thematically to a book we’re studying [and] when I think it could add in s o m e way to the kids’ understanding of the novel,” English teacher Arantxa Arriada said.

Unlike textbooks, TED Talks provide an interactive, nontraditional approach to a subject.

Often, they can provide information on a deeper, more current level.

“Bringing in relevant research to a lesson always makes it more enjoyable for students,” AP Biology teacher Jacob Russo said. “Many TED Talks are based on recent research, not something you would read about in the textbooks.”

By watching TED Talks, students are able to make beneficial connections outside of classroom learning.

“Seeing the scientist or researcher who actually discovered the technology the students are studying speak about their findings is a great way to connect the students to the real-world aspect of what they’re doing in class,” Biology and Biotechnology teacher Megan Straz said.

“When students see a “normal” person that they can identify with talking about really “sciency” things, it’s more relatable [to students].”

The engaging, innovative style of TED Talks supplies a unique medium for both students and teachers and bring a different attitude to traditional class discussions.

“People remember different lines [and] different aspects [that] stood out to them,” Tompkins said. “Because everyone has access to the

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ith all of the recent technologies, the demand for interactive educational supplements has grown. TED Talks provide a unique, fresh perspective on a given topic.

The online video format of TED Talks gives teachers a chance to show expert’s opinions on various subjects. From English to science classrooms, TED Talks provide a large range of versatility to lessons. “[TED talks] are a text of a different form, and it requires you to engage differently than reading because you’re listening to try and identify the main ideas,” English teacher Elizabeth Tompkins said.

A main goal within the departments is finding specific TED Talks that relate to the current unit and can expand the student’s overall lev-

same sort of text, eve r yo n e had the common experience to drawn on when you talk about it.”

Overall, TED Talks continue to improve the student’s learning experience by providing a catalyst for further self-learning and discussing topics of interest.

“When you hear a TED Talk, you [get] one of those ‘aha’ moments during the talk. They’re very enlightening and interesting,” Russo said. “If these TED Talks can show you relevance, then maybe you’ll go learn the content on a deeper level because there is that interest [in the topic].”

sychologist Dan Gilbert pulls out surprising statistics that show success and failure or gain and loss only briefly have an impact on the happiness levels of people. In fact, Gilbert says, psychologists have shown that a year after a life-changing event, people who won the lottery are equally as happy as people who lost the use of their legs. Gilbert explains that happiness is not affected very much by external events but is a psychological state, something that can be “synthesized” by individuals.

It’s worth watching for high school students, especially those who are stressed out and worried about not feeling in control of what is happening in their lives. Gilbert argues that though you may not be able to control external events in your life, you can control your happiness.

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My Philosophy for a Happy Life

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t the age of two, Sam Berns was diagnosed with progeria, a rapid aging disorder. Although there are many activities that Sam can’t do, this doesn’t stop him from leading a joyful and fulfilling life. As a freshman, his dream was to play the snare drum in his school’s marching band. His disorder prevented him from playing snare drum to the weight of the drum; however, this did not stop Sam from pursuing his dream. Berns discusses how he worked with an engineer to construct a snare drum harness that would be light enough for him to carry. Despite facing obstacles, Berns claims that he leads a ‘very happy life.’ For high school students who ever find themselves questioning their abilities or think they are limited in what they can do, this talk is one to watch. Berns argues that although life may be difficult at times, you can still ‘have a very happy life as well.’

TEDx at local schools

n recent years many local Bay Area high schools, including Gunn, Palo Alto and Sacred Heart Cathedral (SHC), have hosted independently organized TED conferences, or TEDx’s, of their own.

Of all the high schools in the Bay Area, Gunn High School has hosted the highest number of TEDx conferences. Since May 2011, Gunn has hosted a total of 4 TEDx conferences, with a mixed lineup of speakers similar to those who spoke at Palo Alto High School in 2014.

Los Altos High School has

never hosted a TEDx conference for a variety of reasons, including space availability and coordinated effort. While Gunn High School’s Spangenberg Theater has 950 available seats, Los Altos High School’s Eagle Theater has less than 400. This means that hosting a large-scale TEDx event the likes of which Gunn has hosted would be far more difficult given Los Altos’ facilities.. However, events like the school’s annual STEM Week have similarly promoted science and math education for students at the school.

PHOTOS BY EMILY TERADA

WIKIMEDIA USER STARTWITHWHY

FLICKR USER POPTECH

GRAPHIC BY NOY ANISMAN

WIKIMEDIA USER SEBASTIAAN TER BURG

The Talon April 28, 2015

FOOD

Sushirrito feeds hype in hybridized food frenzy Sushirrito

Sushi-Burrito Fusion

448 University Avenue Palo Alto, CA Price Range: $$

★★★★☆ ALICE DAI

Entertainment Editor

Move over, cronut (a croissantdoughnut), the West Coast is representing the latest surge in hybridized foods with the sushiburrito. Sushirrito, a hot-spot in University Avenue’s lineup of trendy eateries, is truly the best of both worlds. Nestled between Umami Burger and Cream, Sushirrito caters to a novel concept that is making waves in the die-hard foodie community. With a Chipotle-inspired service setup, the restaurant fuses traditional sushi with the size and bold flavors of a burrito. Perhaps it’s the unique gastronomic experience and the much-deserved hype that has customers lining up for these sushiburritos, but one thing’s for sure: Sushirrito is bringing fast fusion dining to a whole new level.

Strolling down University Avenue during lunch rush hour, the average customer’s first impression of the eatery is neither its

modern ambience nor its open kitchen, but rather the long line of hungry patrons patiently waiting in lines that can span as long as the entire block. While service is designed to be speedy, even with an assembly line of employees steadily making orders waits can still be upwards of 30 minutes. Because waits are predictably monstrous, menus are scattered throughout the line in an effort to streamline the ordering process. Be wary that Sushirrito is only open during the lunch rush Monday through Saturday (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), and for students who want to grab a bite during the school’s lunch period, timing will be tight.

Sushirrito offers a diverse array of sushi-burritos that caters to all diners. For those comfortable with raw fish, Satori (yellowtail) and Geisha’s Kiss (yellowfin tuna) are the two popular and more traditionally Japanese options. For the less adventurous, alternative options include Caballero (grilled beef ), Porkivore (pork belly), Mayan Dragon (chicken katsu) and Buddha Belly (grilled eggplant), which is the only vegetarian option.

All sushi-burritos are wrapped in a sheet of nori (seaweed) and sushi rice and paired with spe-

cial sauces and refreshing veggies that contribute unique and wholly original f lavor profiles to each order. Prices for the sushi-burritos are reasonable and range from $9 to $13, depending on the ingredients used; raw fish options are more expensive.

While the assembly line set-up is similar to that of Chipotle, Sushirrito does not offer the element of customization. However, the sheer assortment of sushi-burritos is enough to satisfy a range of customers.

Despite the long lines, after the food is prepared and paid for, the dining process gets a whole lot faster. Upon arrival, the sushi-burrito is smaller in size than a traditional burrito, but rice and generous fillings make it much more substantial than what the its initial aesthetics imply. Fortunately, the restaurant’s hype is also welldeserved; f lavors and textures are multi-dimensional and harmonious, and presentation is colorful. Mayan Dragon, one of the more popular non-seafood options, mixes the spices of Japanese curry with the crunch of fried chicken (called katsu), tanginess of pickled vegetables and heat of raw jalapeño slices, all wrapped in fragrant sushi

PHOTOS BY ALICE DAI

Left: The Mayan Dragon sushi-burrito. Right: A waitress prepares the Mayan Dragon sushi-burrito. The long lines in front of Sushirrito are a testament to the popularity of this latest food trend. rice and a crisp sheet of nori.

Sushirrito is the perfect place to grab a bite on a sunny afternoon; the restaurant’s decor is modern with hints of rustic, Asian inf luences in the wooden wall accents and tables. Seating is abundant, and there are plenty of windows and open areas that allow for sunlight to stream through. The space exudes a light, calming aura ideal for a low-key lunch out.

While all notions of convention are disregarded with the idea of a sushi-burrito, Sushirrito has mastered the art of sushi making in the convenience and package of a burrito, and the restaurant’s cult-like following is a testament to its raging success. Despite long lines, customers are f locking to Sushirrito because its delicious and novel sushi-burritos simply live up to all the hype.

Teaspoon promises an eventful grand opening Teaspoon

Beverage and Shaved Snow Cafe

4546 El Camino Real Los Altos, CA Price Range: $$

★★★★☆ EMILY AOKI Staff Writer

A cool sip of pearl tea or a refreshing mouthful of shaved snow are two of the best ways to escape the stifling heat of California’s typical spring weather. Luckily for the pearl tea lovers of Los Altos, a new cafe has opened up right on El Camino Real: Teaspoon. Despite its subpar customer service, the quality of the food and drink is likely to live up to any pearl tea fanatic’s ideal.

The cafe currently serves a wide selection of high quality drinks and shaved snow. They have three menus: the pearl tea menu, the specialty drinks menu and the shaved snow menu.

Unlike many other places that serve pearl tea, Teaspoon’s tea is neither over-sweetened nor too large in portion, and the range of toppings is more substantial than other popular pearl tea cafes. In fact, Teaspoon lets customers choose the percentage of sweetness of their drink. Customers have the freedom to select their choice of tea, milk and toppings. The cafe’s

Video Game TRENDING BAR ERIC THIEM & DAVID LISBONNE Staff Writers

PHOTO BY MENSON LI, SPOON GRAPHIC BY AMANDA MELL

Left: Two of Teaspoon’s drinks, the Grass Hopper and the Jasmine Creama (left to right) sit on the counter.

Right: A barista enthusiastically makes a concoction. While Teaspoon may still be riddled with internal issues, currently, its friendly staff and satisfying menu promise a successful grand opening. pearl tea is served either iced or warm, and if customers don’t want pearl tea, there are a variety of specialty drinks and iced teas to choose from instead.

Teaspoon’s specialty drinks are particularly popular, including a variety of refreshing beverages such as the Virgin Mojito, the Grass Hopper and the Rainforest Smoothie.

The Virgin Mojito, a cocktail of peach flavored green tea with mint leaves and key lime, has already received harmonies of praise on Yelp for putting a family friendly spin

on a traditionally alcoholic drink.

The Grass Hopper contains green tea but is mixed with lychee flavor and cucumber juice to produce an unconventional yet delicious mix.

The Rainforest Smoothie is simply a classic blend of tropical fruits, namely mango and passion fruit.

There are also several pre-created specials for shaved snow, including the piña colada and the Husky Sundae. The Husky Sundae consists of strawberry snow, banana, chocolate sauce and white mochi, while the piña

colada is a bowl of delicately flavored coconut snow topped with pineapple chunks, coconut jelly and condensed milk. It would seem with so many flavorful toppings and so much sweet snow, the flavor would be overwhelming, but that is not the case. The combinations of toppings and snow fit perfectly with each other to create a polished flavor.

Despite the favorable food and drink quality, the cafe does have two things to work on: staffing and equipment. These issues, however,

are easy fixes and are likely to be solved by the time of the grand opening, Saturday, May 2. Because the cafe is short staffed and doesn’t open until noon every day, the wait time is considerably long. Other issues such as malfunctioning equipment take away from the otherwise pleasant experience.

Aside from that, the interior design of the cafe and amiable service create a pleasantly serene and sophisticated environment. The design is relatively simple; customers, upon entrance, are greeted by a glossy hardwood counter and bare white walls. The menu is presented in a clear and concise manner upon three electronic display boards above the counter.

The atmosphere is relatively quiet, as most people stop in to pick up drinks rather than stay in and drink them on site. Although silence is nice at times, in this setting it makes the cafe feel relatively deserted.

Altogether, the cafe receives high marks in almost all of the categories. With such excellent quality of food and drink, the cafe shows great potential for becoming the new place to go for pearl tea, especially after it increases its staff and works out management kinks.

Take a trip to the cafe to truly gain an understanding of their adorably charming motto; “Let’s all enjoy life, one teaspoon at a time!”

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Halo 5

Batman: Arkham Knight

Release date: October 27

Release date: May 19

Release date: June 23

Xbox 1, PS4, PC

Xbox 1

Xbox 1, PS4, PC

The Talon April 28, 2015

BOOKS

“An Ember in the Ashes,” a fast-paced ride to a dystopian world “An Ember in the Ashes” Sabaa Tahir, April 2015 ★★★★☆

ALEXANDRA MILKEY Staff Writer

The first few chapters of Saebaa Tahir’s “An Ember in the Ashes” leave no room for the reader to stop and catch a breath. One moment you’ve cracked open the spine of the book, and the next you’ve been transported to the harrowing lands of an ancient Romanesque world.

Tahir’s debut is told through the voices of two characters: Laia, a Scholar orphan struggling to save her brother from certain death, and Elias, a soldier-to-be fighting under the banner of the Martial Empire, whose people have killed and enslaved Laia’s people, the Scholars. The bulk of the action begins when Laia is assigned to spy on Blackcliff Academy, the place where the Martial Empire trains its newest soldiers. At the same time, Elias is chosen to compete in a contest that will determine the next ruler of the Empire.

The first few chapters of the book are intense and leave the reader focused solely on the action. Part of this is good: there’s no time for the reader to be bored as the plot zips from one event to the next. However, because explana-

tions are slow to follow an action, they often seem to come out of left field rather than a reasonable conclusion that the reader could have drawn. After several inciting incidents, the plot does slow down some, but the book asks the reader to take a leap of faith, go along with a sequence of events and be content with a later explanation once the course of events has subsided. Tahir uses this technique effectively, although there are times when the explanation appears so far-fetched that it holds the novel back.

Aside from these few negatives, there are two particular areas where the novel is exceptionally strong: the development of its setting and its characters. “An Ember in the Ashes” is mainly set in the Martial Empire, which was heavily inspired by the ancient Roman civilization. This fantastical world provides a colorful backdrop for the book, although it’s not anything new to the fantasy genre.

However, though the bulk of the novel is set at Blackcliff Academy, flashbacks and character backgrounds provide a glimpse into other unique regions and add a level of diversity and culture to Tahir’s imagined world that we see in our own. In contrast to the Academy, other areas are much more varied, including the homes of the people the Martial Empire has conquered, such as the Scholars.

Like the setting, the characters add another realistic layer of depth to the novel. Part of what makes Laia and Elias so realistic is that Tahir isn’t afraid to give them both traits that keep the character from achieving his or her goals. Laia, for example, starts off as a timid girl whose first instinct is to run from a fight. She berates herself because of this, yet this instinct is what allows her to survive against the Empire army which kills her grandparents and captures her brother.

It might be instinctual, but this tendency is something that Laia actively fights against, adding another layer of realism to her.

Elias is at Blackcliff Academy training to be a soldier, though he doesn’t believe in the brutality that the Martial Empire’s rule brings. This softheartedness is seen as a weakness by the Empire, and because of it, Elias is forced to make decisions between what he believes is best and what everyone else believes is right.

Elias and Laia might be the major characters, but the book is aided by other necessary characters. From Helene, Elias’s best friend who’s hiding her own secrets, to the “Commandment,” a woman whose cruelty and ambition have no bounds, the book is peppered with minor characters who bring their own depth to the novel. Like the main characters, all supporting characters have their

own clearly defined goals that help them push the plot forward, but these goals don’t revolve solely around Elias and Laia. This marks a strength of Tahir’s: her ability to weave a world, complete with multitudes of characters that feel real.

Although “An Ember in the Ashes” has elements that are typical for young adult fiction, such as tournaments and a search for siblings, its multidimensional characters and inventive setting help to differentiate it from other young adult novels. It’s a unique

addition to a market already glutted with dystopian and fantasy novels and should appeal to most readers of popular young adult fiction. Unfortunately, as of the press deadline, “An Ember in the Ashes” is a standalone, though the ending is certainly open enough for a sequel. There’s no reason for its publisher to not pick up a sequel. With all of its noteworthy attributes, “An Ember in the Ashes” promises to be big. With all the hype it’s received, it’s more than just an ember in the book world.

Although the book speeds through the first few chapters, the actionpacked scenes, detailed settings and thorough character development make up for the book’s shortcomings.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MENSON LI, BOOK GRAPHIC BY AMANDA MELL

FOOD

Charley is back with a new ramen restaurant Charley’s Noodle & Grill

Ramen Restaurant

244 State Street Los Altos, CA Price Range: $$

★★★★☆ AMELIA BAUM OLIVIA JERRAM In-Depth Editor Staff Writer

For many veteran Los Altans, the name “Uncle Charley” brings back fond memories of the old Los Altos restaurant Charley’s Chinese Food and Lucky Donuts. But among today’s contemporary crowd, Charley is becoming known as the guy who is bringing tasty ramen to downtown Los Altos.

State Street’s newest addition— Charley’s Noodle and Grill—is a simplified, modern version of its former self.

Owner Charley Cheng has spent many years in Los Altos, opening two restaurants in downtown and watching his two daughters graduate from Los Altos High School. His first restaurant was the original Charley’s, which serves Chinese cuisine where Charley’s Noodle and Grill is today and was a popular haunt for locals for nearly 30 years. Before that, Charley also operated Lucky Donuts at 108 State Street until recently.

After closing the old Charley’s in the mid 1990s and retiring to Hawaii, Charley is back again in Los Altos, serving piping hot ramen to old friends and new customers alike.

Charley greets nearly all cus-

PHOTOS BY MENSON LI

Above: Ramen with potstickers, fried squid, seaweed salad and kimchi (top to bottom). Below: The complementary fried squid. The calm atmosphere of Charley’s Noodle and Grill is a great place to enjoy an affordable bowl of ramen. tomers with a serving of fried squid on the house. The squid is well cooked, f lavored with plenty of salt and, if you can get past the tiny tentacles, palatable even for the pickiest of eaters.

The menu is simple and straightforward, but though there may not be a huge range of options, everything on the menu tastes like it was prepared with care. The main dish options feature four kinds of broth: original (chicken broth), miso, tonkotsu (rich pork broth) and shoyu (meaty pork and chicken broth). The original broth is highly recommended by Charley to any and all customers, and it’s easy to see why with the rich and f lavorful broth. Each bowl is available in regular and spicy (which isn't too spicy) and with the option of extra

noodles. If you are looking for a truly spicy broth, neither of the options is likely to be satisfying. But the regular is great for someone who prefers f lavor to spice, and the spicy is adequate for someone who likes just a bit of fire. Though the broth and the noodles by themselves are rather simple, they are priced at just $4 a bowl, a steal for either lunch or dinner, especially compared to the largely more expensive options downtown.

Though Charley’s ramen is superb, the side dishes are what makes the place truly unique.

Seaweed salad, breaded sweet potatoes, potstickers, corn, eggs and much more are available for $2 to $4 and make creative additions to the simple noodles. The potstickers are fried perfectly, and the breaded sweet potatoes

add a hint of Charley’s island history to the otherwise Asian cuisine. Simply set on the side of the plate next to the giant bowl of ramen, the dishes don’t look like much, but they add a little something special to an otherwise generic looking bowl and the f lavors all meld well with the noodle soup. Some of

the sides are overpriced for what they are ($2.50 for a hard boiled egg); however, the relatively low price of the noodle soup and other sides means it is still possible to get a filling, quality meal for well under $10.

Unlike traditional Japanese ramen shops which bustle with energy and often lack tables for sit-down meals, the restaurant has a quiet, sit-down atmosphere. The small room is filled with dark wood tables dressed with white paper placemats, with the majority of the light coming in from a large window facing State Street, making the small space feel homey and welcoming. The table service is fast and attentive, and Charley comes around frequently to check on the food or visit and swap stories with returning customers.

Overall, the food is delicious, the service speed admirable and the peaceful environment unbeatable. So, if you’re looking for a place to relax with friends, grab an inexpensive bite to eat and hear some awesome stories, stop by Charley’s Noodle and Grill for lunch or dinner. You won’t be disappointed.

The Talon April 28, 2015

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

Boys volleyball overcomes adversity ANNIE GAFFNEY Staff Writer

With 12 wins so far this season, varsity boys volleyball has achieved unprecedented success. Despite the team’s youth—six of 13 players are underclassmen—the team has secured a 5-3 record and is third place in the league, behind only

Saratoga and Cupertino.

The team, only three years old, is still in the process of being built.

In the past, the team has struggled with inexperience, but this season the team hit the ground running and took a 2-0 victory over Norcal champions Mountain View in preseason.

“Last year our team was very new,”

PHOTOS BY MENSON LI

Coach Ken Lancaster addresses the team during a game against Kings Academy. Despite many injuries, the team has had great success in its season, with 12 total wins so far.

sophomore Darion Jusuf said. “We had a hard time dealing with more experienced teams. This year, we were much more prepared.”

The team, with more experience this year, has earned its success through its mentality and character.

“We have great mental toughness, great team chemistry,” Darion said. “[We have] some really good leaders that help us through tough situations.”

This mindset has allowed the team to excel when behind, but seems to leave the court when the boys have the lead.

“The team’s greatest strength is its consistency and ability to remain stable under pressure,” junior David Stein said. “[But our] greatest weakness is relaxing when playing worse teams or when we are ahead in matches.

[We allow] other teams to catch up, or [we] play worse.”

The boys faced a setback when junior Nathan Smith, the team’s captain and lead setter, tore his meniscus in the match against Fremont.

“This really hit us hard, as he was the major spirit of the team and the

leader on the court,” Darion said.

“We [struggled facing] the adversity of not having Nathan playing, leading us and rallying us.”

Since the loss of their setter, the boys have had to put in extra effort to maintain their success.

“Players have had to step up and take the place of the injured player, bringing the team closer together and making everyone work harder,” David said.

The team, despite its challenges, hopes to better its record as it faces the second half of the season.

“In the next half of the season I hope that we can continue to beat new teams and teams we beat in past,” David said. “With missing starters, the results may change, but hopefully they’ll remain the same or change for the better.”

With these high hopes, varsity boys volleyball seeks to further the program and use its youth to its advantage.

“The fact that we are a pretty young team gives us the chance to progressively get better,” Darion said. “I think we have the potential to become one of the best teams out there.”

Junior Harrison Beck jumps to serve in a game against Kings’ Academy.

Chris Borland’s retirement is good for NFL fans ALEXANDRA MILKEY Staff Writer

On March 16, 2015, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland retired from the National Football League (NFL), stating that he feared too much about the preservation of his health to continue playing any longer. Borland had played just one season in the NFL, but had been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise frustrating season for the 49ers. His retirement came as a shock to everyone, including fans, some of whom say that Borland had an obligation to finish out his rookie contract and that he caused the 49ers to waste a draft pick. Yet many others maintain that his early retirement because of a risk of concussion will not be unique.

Although it has an extremely large audience, at the end of the day, football is just another job that people should be able to walk away from without harassment. And if the NFL wants to keep players like Borland in the league, it has to pay

more attention to players’ safety and not just what they can do for league marketing.

“I just honestly want to do what’s best for my health,” Borland said via ESPN’s program “Outside the Lines.” “From what I’ve researched and what I’ve experienced, I don’t think [continuing to play football is] worth the risk.”

Concussions have long been an issue in the NFL, though the league maintains that its safety is at an alltime high. According to NFL.com, in 2013 alone, the league agreed to pay a tentative total of $765 million to some of its approximately 18,000 retired players. Over 4,500 of these former players sued the league because of brain injuries that they said were due to concussions, including Alzheimer’s, depression and dementia. The NFL stated that the money would go to compensate the players, pay for their medical examinations and be used to conduct research about concussions. But for all this talk about player safety, the NFL has yet to take any significant steps in finding an end to this all-too pervasive problem. Steps need to be taken, and soon.

Chronic traumatic encephalopa-

Soaring Eagle

Lizzy Beutter Class: Junior Position: Pitcher Innings Pitched: 139 Earned Run Average: 1.16 Strikeouts: 150 Perfect Games: 2 TALON FILE PHOTO

thy (CTE) is a degenerative disease of the brain that has been found in individuals who have suffered repeated brain injuries like concussions. As of now, it can only be definitively diagnosed postmortem, though many living NFL players have shown symptoms related to it.

CTE has been found in the brains of many former professional football players, including those who have committed suicide.

Junior Seau played for 20 years as a linebacker in the NFL. After retiring, he began to struggle mentally, and those who knew him said that he acted uncharacteristically of the man they had known. Seau also exhibited many other symptoms that have been connected with CTE such as insomnia and depression, before he committed suicide in 2012. Seau is not the only example of this; the list of football players that have committed suicide because of suspected brain damage related to the sport is frighteningly long. When faced with facts like these, is it any wonder that players such as Borland want to retire?

The NFL has been incredibly successful at expanding its market, and legions of rabid fans can attest

J

unior Lizzy Beutter, pitcher for the varsity softball team, is fresh off a successful last season in which she won SCVAL pitcher of the year. This season, Lizzy’s earned run average is 1.16 as of April 22. In her time playing for Los Altos, Lizzy has won Athlete of the Week once every year.

Lizzy has been playing softball since she was six years old and joined her first competitive club team when she was nine years old. When she was 12 years old, she started training to be a pitcher, and she has played the position ever since. On average, Lizzy

to this. But fans need to recognize that being a football player is a job like any other. If a miner decided to quit his or her job because of the dangers associated with the job, he or she would be understood, not ridiculed. Both fans and the NFL should recognize football players in the same light.

But the concussion problem does not end with the NFL. Concussions are a problem even in high school football. A study conducted by the Institute of Medicine found that high school football players are likely to suffer 11.3 concussions per 10,000 practices and games. This rate is almost double the expec-

tancy for college football athletes, at 6.3 per 10,000. With rates as high as these and potential long-term symptoms like the ones caused by CTE, it is surprising that more players don’t walk away from the sport.

Chris Borland may be the most recent case of an athlete retiring for the sake of his health, but he certainly won’t be the last. The NFL has talked for years about wanting to make football safer for the players involved. But until they actually do something, Chris Borland and other players like him are to be applauded, not harassed, for choosing to step away from the game.

VANESSA MARK

spends about 13 hours every week playing and training for softball.

“I have always liked working as hard as I can at something to get better and pitching allows me to do this almost endlessly,” Lizzy said. “I can work on pitching into the net in my backyard or even just spins in my room. I’m never going to have a perfect pitch, but I can always work to get just a little bit closer.”

Lizzy’s favorite part of softball comes not in the thrill of close wins or team glory, but in her steady improvement during practice every day.

“I love the ‘aha’ moment when I

have been working on something for a really long time and I finally get it,” Lizzy said. “I can pitch a hundred pitches in practice just waiting for that one.”

Lizzy knows that individual practice is important, but also appreciates the team aspect of her sport. As a leader and key player on the softball team, Lizzy values her teammates above all.

“Lots of people think softball and baseball are all about the pitcher, but this is definitely not true,” Lizzy said. “Our team at Los Altos has been great these past few years, and our success is reflective of that.”

The Talon April 28, 2015

Bay Area Sports Round-Up

Softball looks to build on past success TEDDY CHMYZ

T

By Johnny Scher

Giants’ Pitching Lacks Depth The weather is getting warmer, the trees are getting greener and flowers are blooming. This all means one thing: it’s baseball season.

The San Francisco Giants, coming off last season with their third World Series crown in five years, have established themselves as one of the alltime great teams in baseball history. Their pitching staff was the key to their success last season, recording an average ERA of 3.50. Four of their five regular starters, Madison Bumgarner, Tim Hudson, Yusmeiro Petit and Ryan Vogelsong, all boasted ERAs of 4.00 or under. During the postseason last year, they held an even more astonishing ERA of 2.87, which can mostly be attributed to Bumgarner’s out-of-thisworld performance of a 1.03 ERA in 52 innings pitched.

During spring training last month, the Giants were expected to continue their pitching dominance from last season.

However, the Giants’ pitching staff didn’t continue their World Series level of play into spring training. The supposed triple threat on the mound (Bumgarner, Matt Cain, and Vogelsong) failed as they pitched ugly 4.91, 5.04 and 6.45 ERAs respectively, with opposing batters teeing off them, hitting a high batting average of .279. Cain and Vogelsong typically pitch poorly during spring training but significantly better during regular season, so no one should focus too much on their abysmal ERAs from spring training. However, Bumgarner, who usually dominates during spring training, had a 4.91 ERA this spring, his highest since 2011.

The starting pitchers’ maladies this season can be attributed to old age. Vogelsong, the number two pitcher in the rotation, will be turning 38 this season, and his ERA has consistently increased since 2011 from a 2.71 to a 4.00 last season. Tim Hudson will be turning 40 this season and will be one of the oldest pitchers in the league.

Although the Giants are making strides to bring in younger players to their pitching rotation, such as the addition of rookie Chris Heston, they are not doing it fast enough. Hudson and Vogelsong will likely retire within the next few years, and as of now the Giants have no one to cover their spots in the rotation. However, as of the press deadline, the Giants pitchers have been performing well.

However, in order to ensure long term success they need to add greater depth to their roster of starting pitchers to cover the impending retirements of Hudson or Vogelsong.

Staff Writer

he varsity softball team won the league championship last year, and the girls are hoping to repeat that feat for the third time in the last four years. The team has only one loss in league play this season, which came in a very close 1-0 defeat against Wilcox.

Even with only one senior on the roster, the team has achieved great success. This is partially because many of the juniors have had three years of varsity experience and have been able to help lead the team to consistent success.

“The season has been really good so far,” junior Lizzy Beutter said. “Our coach and remaining upperclassmen have done a great job of setting a precedent for the younger players.”

Most fans would argue that the most important position in softball or baseball is the pitcher and that a team cannot succeed without a good one. Lizzy has filled this role for the softball team in the past three years, and she is the only player on the team to have thrown a pitch in a game this season. She has proven to be very effective, with an excellent league

best ERA of 1.16, and has thrown two perfect games this season.

But no matter how good a pitcher is, a team needs nine players on the field. Behind Lizzy, there is a strong defense that has allowed only seven runs in six league games this year.

The only time an opposing team has scored more than one run in a league game against Los Altos was the first game of the season, a 7-4 victory against Homestead.

Along with a solid defense and excellent pitching, the team also has many capable hitters. The only senior, Kaitlyn Schiffhauer, is the team’s strongest hitter, with 17 RBIs and 33 hits. Kaitlyn, who will play softball for Harvard next year, is third in the De Anza League with a .508 batting average. She and Lizzy, who herself has had success at the plate and is second in the league with 19 RBIS, lead the fourth most productive offense in the De Anza Division.

The team also has a tradition of very strong chemistry and passion, led by the experienced upperclassmen. Both at practice and in games, the team is always motivated and ready to play.

“In my opinion, our success is not so much in how many wins we have,

but rather the intensity we bring to the field,” Lizzy said. “Our record, especially in league, is definitely a product of good leadership and overall team dynamics.”

The team is looking to continue their successful run in league play and earn a spot in the CCS tournament. A repeat league championship is a large possibility, and the team will be striving

hard to achieve that goal.

“We won league last year and it would be amazing to do it again this year,” Lizzy said.

The team has the same record at this point in the season that it did last year, meaning it is on the right track to a repeat championship. The season has been successful for the team so far, and the girls have a chance to make a deep run in the playoffs.

TALON FILE PHOTO

Junior Kaya Augustin fields a grounder. The softball team has found success with strong pitching, hitting and defense.

Baseball program gives back to youth community DANIEL ROSENBAUM ANNIE GAFFNEY Sports Editor Staff Writer

While varsity baseball works hard to compete in the De Anza league, it is also working hard to make a difference in our community by volunteering in the Challenger Program. Established in 1989, the Challenger Program is a separate division of Little League that gives boys and girls with physical and mental challenges the opportunity to play baseball in a non-competitive environment. The program has national support, with more than 30,000 children participating in over nine hundred Challenger Divisions.

With the help of Elizabeth McDermott, a mother of one of the players, Los Altos varsity Assistant Coach Andy Coan kickstarted the bond between the program and the high school team this year. The program looks to develop more than just a love for the game; it also allows the children to be a part of a community and thrive with the encouragement of the high school players.

“The kids obviously love the game of baseball, and being

Lacrosse CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

“Then, we discuss it with administration, check availability of space, meet with parents… [and] students to see if there is enough interest in the sport [and] meet again with administration,” Athletic Director Kim Cave said.

A number of items remain to be determined, including whom the head coach position will go to; the athletic department will begin interviewing for the position once the school has enough candidates. The most pressing problem will be that of facilityuse, as the team will be competing with others for field-space.

“Logistically, we still need to work

PHOTOS COURTESY ANDY COAN

Left: Baseball players work with Challenger Program participants. Center: Senior Daniel Pefley prepares to catch the ball. Right: Assistant Coach Andy Coan tosses a pitch to a participant. The program has given players a unique chance to give back to the youth community. able to work alongside real high one, [which gave] us a lot of tion and appreciation.

“I have learned a new deal of paschool players brought them so time to talk about baseball and tience while coaching and workother topics.” much joy and happiness,” Coan ing with children,” Brendon said.

By building connections, said. “They looked up to our players as celebrities and men- Challenger also shines a bright “Most importantly, I acquired a tors, and will carry the memory light on mental disabilities and new appreciation of what I have of that day with them for the allows the players to identify and how lucky us baseball players are to have the abilities and opporwith the children. rest of their lives.”

“I met one guy…[who] often times tunities that we have.”

The high school players also The team hopes to further build benefit from the program, as struggled with communicating what on this relationship between the he wanted to say, but the more I listhey build personal relationprograms in the future by maintened, the more I realized how much ships and find a common ground he was like me, with his love of base- taining the foundation they have with the children.

“I have developed a good rela- ball, and his favorite player, Buster laid this year. “[The Challenger Program] tionship with two of the kids,” Posey,” senior Daniel Pefley said. turned out to be one of, if not the Not only did the program allow sophomore Brendon Ng said.

“I got to bond with them while the players to form new bonds, most rewarding experiences in working on their skills one on but it also enabled inner reflec- my entire life,” Daniel said. out where all of our teams will practice without getting in each other’s way,” Cave said. “We are limited on space… practice areas will be worked out by the coaches.”

The team will address the issue of funding as all other new teams do; the team will fundraise for uniforms, equipment and practice gear, while all referee, league and CCS fees will be covered by the school.

Parents and students alike have voiced their enthusiasm for the new team.

“I think it’s great that the school is finally adding a girls team,” junior Julia Davila said. “I know a lot of people are and were interested in it, and it’s nice that there’s finally enough interest to add the sport… more girls would have another option of sport to play.”

Jackie Radcliffe, a parent who helped organize a parent-interest

group, noted the growing popularity of the sport.

“Girls lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in California and a number of girls in our area have played for years…” Radcliffe said. “Adding a girls lacrosse team to [the school] is

a great pairing of a growing sport for a growing high school. The team will also need many players who don’t have experience to build a team, so it’s a wide open opportunity for students to come out and have a good time learning a new sport.”

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The Talon April 28, 2015

Spring Sports Updates Eagles’ seasons come to a close INFORMATION FROM MAXPREPS.COM, COMPILED BY TALON STAFF

Baseball

Boys Tennis

Gymnastics

League Record: 4-7 Next Game: April 29 vs. Palo Alto

League Record: 0-12 Next Match: April 28 SCVALs

Next Meet: April 28 vs. St. Francis Tracey, West Kimball, Mountain View

ALLEGRA MAESO

MENSON LI

RILEY MOULDS

Senior Daniel Pefley takes a swing. The baseball team will have to make a push if it wants to make CCS playoffs.

Sophomore Adam Rosenbaum winds up for a forehand. The boys tennis team ended a hard season in a very tough De Anza league with an 0-12 record.

Sophomore Hannah Milligan completes a flip during a meet. The gymnastics team is looking foward to competing in more meets, the bulk of which will occur in the next month.

Badminton

Girls Swimming

Boys Volleyball

League Record: 0-6 Next Match: April 28 vs. Monta Vista

League Record: 0-4 Next Meet: April 30 vs. Saratoga

Record: 5-3 Next Match: April 29 vs. Fremont

BRANDON HONG

Freshman Jacob Ouyang smashes the birdie. The badminton team is still looking for its first win of the season.

COURTESY MARSHA PAO

MENSON LI

Freshman Annalisa Pao swims butterfly.

Despite a poor team record, girls swimming has had some top individual results.

Senior Ethan Leikach serves the ball.

Boys volleyball has found success despite multiple injuries to key players.

Track and field sprints toward the finish line DAVID LISBONNE

V

BOYS

arsity boys track, launching into the season 3-1, is poised to conquer the challenge of winning league.

Despite returning with a relatively similar team to last year, the boys team does have holes to fill, left by sprinters like Kelly McConnell ‘14 and Will Scheetz ‘14.

“Last year we did not have [many] seniors,” sophomore Albin Mollerstedt said. “But the ones we lost were big losses for us.”

Despite the losses, the team still has some very talented athletes. Senior Bryan Yeager is the team’s best hurdler and jumper, and he finished second in 110 meter hurdles at the Arcadia Invitational in Southern California and first at CCS Top 8. Juniors Kevin Anawalt and Andreas Godderis lead the team in short and long distance running, respectively.

Such strength has actually been a bit of a problem for the team, as top performers are often at individual competitions instead of league meets. Even without its stars, the track and field team has found a way to stay in meets. In a meet against undefeated Palo Alto High School on April 16, Los Altos came literally within seconds of winning, losing the final event, the 4x400 meter relay, by 1.46 seconds to fall short in the meet 61-66.

Staff Writer

The team has been focusing more on practices in hopes that it will push the team further and help athletes step up to fill the holes left behind. However, the struggles of the team are centered around injuries.

“We’ve tried to be a lot smarter in the weight room to prevent injury,” track coach Dave Barth said. “Lift a lot smarter, [don’t] lift [too] heavy weight, so people who are new to weightlifting don’t get injured. Of course, every season we are going to have injuries with a team of 100 people.”

Proceeding farther into the season, the varsity boys team is tied for first in the league and has a very optimistic outlook for the future.

“Our team is looking very strong, and I believe we have a very good chance of winning league,” junior Joe Kull said.

T

GIRLS

he varsity girls track team has hit the ground running as they are off to a 2-2 start in league meets with a more experienced and mature team than in previous years. The team retained a large portion of their members from last year including the entire 4x4 relay team, which placed fourth in CCS last year, missing State Qualification by one place.

With more experience and motivation, the team has looked competitive in this year’s meets. “[We are] doing better than last year at dual meets,” sophomore Britt de Visser said. “This year it’s been very close every meet.”

Track includes league meets as well as individual invitations, which have seen members of the track team reaching unparalleled accomplishments. Junior Lauren Jacob recently placed third in the 3200 meter run at the Arcadia Invitational, while rising jump star junior Amanda Mell placed fourth in the triple jump at the Top 8 Invitational.

As the season progresses, the varsity girls team stares down fierce competition, yet plans to battle it with hard work.

“Our ultimate goal for the varsity girls as a team is to try and capture a league championship,” sophomore Katie Klein said. “[This] is going to be tough because there is such good competition within our league.”

Overall, the varsity girls are pleased with their progress and the completeness of their team.

“I really love the team,” sophomore Marina Hindman said. “It is a really good environment where everyone supports each other.”

CARL FAUST

NOY ANISMAN

All statistics according to maxpreps.com as of April 22.

Top performer

Brian Yeager

Sport: Track & Field Class: Senior

Results in CCS Top 10: • High Jump: 6’6” • Long Jump: 21’5” • Triple Jump: 45’6” • 110 m hurdles: 14.67 sec • 300 m hurdles: 40.42 sec TALON FILE PHOTO