The MArk

the MARK Menlo-Atherton High School Volume III, Issue I October 2012

the MArk

October 2012

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student life | politics | submissions | food&music

art | poetry | creative writing | news | opinion | Sports | feature

T

A M r e k h

Welcome to Volume III of The MArk! We have a new room, new staff, and are excited to present our newest issue. This is our first magazine as a staff, but we can already tell that the dedication level is fantastic. Further, we have unbelievably talented students here at M-A and it is a privilege for us to be able to showcase their work. The MArk could not be what it is today without these brilliant submissions. Enjoy!

Photography Underwater Nina Fox 10th

the MArk

The MArk, a feature magazine published by the students in Menlo-Atherton High School’s Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. The MArk is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost.

The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy, and obscenity. Submissions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of all M-A students or the staff of The MArk. Send all submissions to submittothemark@gmail.com.

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Staff Editors

Lauren Smith Creative Editor Fiona Gutierrez-Dewar Executive Editor Samantha Bloom Copy Editor Suzie McMurtry Photo Editor Anna de Benedictis Managing Editor Simone King Indesign Specialist

Contributors Eddy Avila Gabe Cohen Nimsi Garcia Francesca Gilles Helmi Henkin Alexis Magana Stefany Maldonado Amir Moazami Brett Moriarty Josef Nevigato Alyssa Ostrow Erendira Parra Gianna Prainito Maro Santos Gutierrez Peter Siegler Olivia Solomon Megan Wiebe Joanne Cho Megan Kilduff Lindy LaPlante Cayla Stillman Sara Solomon

Photography

Jack Boyle Head Photographer

Advisor Betsy Snow

Table of Contents Student Life 6 Freshman Advice Column 7 There’s a Club for That 10 APs for All 11 Mr. Boone 12-13 Super Freshmen 14 London was Calling 15 M-A was Calling 18 AP Environmental Science 19 Homeless Teens at M-A 23 M-A Report Card 24-25 Bearing our Soles 40 Campus Critters

Submissions

8-9 Butterflies 16 Confessions of an M-A Latina 17 Anguish 20 Austin Healey 21 Windows 22 To Be Burdended by Thought 42 Mustache Lady 43 Tux or Drape 44-45 South America 46 Poems and Drawing 47 Learning to Fly

Politics

26-27 Inside the Election 28 Democratic Opinion 29 Republican Opinion 30 Democratic Platform 31 Politics 2012: The Cheat Sheet 32 Mittens Romney & Dwayne ‘Ba-Rock’ Obama?

33 Eighteen 34 Other Political Parties 35 We Didn’t Build This...It Was the Little Men from Mars

Food and Music 36-37 Yummy Food Trucks 38 Cafe Zoe & Summer Album Reviews 39 Bubble Tea: Possible Carcinogen?

41 Bears in the Kitchen

Front & Back Photos by Suzie McMurtry

FRESHMAN ADVICE COLUMN because you need it!

Illustrated and Written by Nimsi Garcia

DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! Throwing things together at the last minute won’t work as well as it might have in Middle School.

Do your homework ON TIME. Meaning by the day you’re supposed to do it, not the period before it’s due.

Ms. Ventura, English Teacher Monday 3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Thursday 3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m

!!

ER

N

N

AN PL

If you tell your teacher that YOU’RE STRUGGLING you can set up an appointment to talk to her/him personally, or just go to class during lunch or afterschool.

Usually the teacher will tell you when they’re available. So take advantage of it!

Room G-3

Wednesday 8 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

If you have a big project, start working Plan ahead. You got a planner for on it when it’s assigned, not the week a reason, to write your homework it’s due. and help you PLAN.

When in doubt… use SPARKNOTES! Teachers will ask you to read a lot of stuff, and sometimes you can’t remember or understand it all. So try to use SparkNotes as a SUPPLEMENT to the reading you’re supposed to be doing.

It helps if you go to homework help center.

It can help when it comes to studying for a quiz or reviewing for a final.

Do not, however, use it as a replacement for reading. Teachers KNOW when you’re actually reading and when you’re just using SparkNotes. So…beware.

Be ORGANIZED and keep all your class work in order.

Teachers can make mistakes with their grade books! If you save your graded papers, and they make a mistake, you can correct it.

they know...

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

That’s what teachers are for, not to make your life miserable and overwhelm you with work.

Do not worry. Do not fret.

It is only the beginning.

You have four more years!

Enjoy your time here at MENLO-ATHERTON. :)

art | poetry | creative writing | news | opinion | Sports | feature

There’s A Club For That as I would like to, but it’s a special connection that I don’t have with the people I usually hang out with because we share the same interest.” Depending on the interest, this connection can be strengthened through doing good deeds for the community.

A club has the power to satisfy a person’s conscience too, particularly charity clubs. Outreach, Key Club, and buildOn are three clubs that have branches in schools across the country.

BuildOn empowers youth to make a positive difference in their communities through service. “We also raise money to build schools in developing countries and send students abroad each year on a trek for knowledge.

They get to experience another culture and participate in building a school,” junior and club president Georgia Reid explains. “It’s just a great way to have fun while helping others.” Groups like Rotary and Kiva have clubs at M-A and are non-profit organizations that have branches beyond schools as well. Kiva Club is a branch of the web charity Kiva, which allows users to lend money to businesses in need of better equipment that will eventually pay the lenders back. These types of clubs are empowering, providing students with opportunities to do community service outside of school and contribute to saving the world.

There are plenty of clubs at M-A that participate in extracurricular activities that don’t relate to community service. One example is Quiz Bowl, which is, according to parent volunteer and Quiz Bowl coach Sue Kayton, all about “having fun answering trivia questions, like on the TV show Jeopardy.” Quiz Bowl club participants compete in three or four NAQT (National Academic Quiz French Club Fridays E-10 Disneyland Club Mondays F-13

Rubik’s Cube Club Mondays D-5

Tournaments) per year with other Bay Area schools. They also compete on the Bay Area Quiz Kids television show. M-A’s Speech and Debate Club and Robotics Club also compete in tournaments with other schools from around the Bay Area, and sometimes from around the country. The Lunàtics club is M-A’s improvisational team that is set up similarly to the show “Whose Line is it Anyway.” They perform at M-A a few times per year. The extent of clubs dedicated solely to recreation is numerous, and makes up the majority of clubs at M-A. Many clubs don’t have any prerequisites to join. Members must simply enjoy the club’s dedication or subject.

Theatre lovers can attend Drama Club and play improvisational games, get free headshots, and receive audition advice, while those who prefer to work behind the scenes can join M-A’s Theater Tech Club. Foreign language enthusiasts can attend French Club or Latin Club. There is also a Pacific Islander Club, Asian American Club, and Black Student Union for those wanting to celebrate pride in their diverse heritage.

Anyone can easily join a club, even if they did not go to Club Rush at the beginning of the year. On the M-A website under Student Activities, there is a section on Club Information that has a full list of clubs and their meeting rooms and days. Simply go to the specified room on the specified day at the specified time (usually lunch). Clubs are a vital part of the M-A community and reflect the M-A student body’s diverse array of interests. All the clubs are enjoyable. All you must do is choose the clubs that are in accordance with your passions.

by Helmi Henkin Picture provided by buildon.org

buildOn Club Fridays C-15

Gay-Straight Alliance Wednesdays C-15

Quiz Bowl Club Wednesdays/ Thursdays B-10 the MArk

It seems most days during Bear News there is a reminder about one club meeting or another. Most people just brush it off without really listening, while other people wonder about that club or others like it. I am part of the wondering group. At M-A, clubs are a way for students to incorporate hobbies into their school day. There is a club for almost everything, ranging from photography to chess to Bollywood dancing. Selecting from about fifty clubs can seem overwhelming at first, but knowing the kinds of clubs out there dramatically simplifies the decision process. Clubs at M-A generally represent a charity, are a school-based organization, or are purely recreational.

Clubs contribute more to the M-A community than just entertainment. M-A’s activity director Mrs. Todd explains, “Clubs offer more opportunities to get involved at M-A because there is a club for everyone.

Clubs also offer many leadership opportunities so everyone gets a voice.”

Senior Brooke Muschott created a club during her sophomore year at M-A, “It was difficult planning for meetings and developing leadership skills, but I like the satisfaction of seeing my club grow.” When asked about what his favorite part of clubs are, junior Andrew Aufdemberge says, “I like the community and togetherness, plus they are just plain awesome and fun.”

Junior Maddie Rostami shares, “Clubs have been one of the best ways for me to feel like I have a place at M-A. I know that I always have a group of people to have fun with.” One especially fun facet of the club experience is the camaraderie shared among fellow club members. Junior Vira Leebong says, “I don’t see my club friends as often

Melodies for Charities Wednesday M-1

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the MArk

October 2012

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student life | politics | submissions | food&music

the MArk

Watercolor and Ink Untitled art | poetry | creative writing | news | opinion | Sports | feature Kristen Wong 12th

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APs

1. F O R 2. A L L

“

The test can sometimes serve as a wake up call.

I am glad that we didn’t have to take an entrance exam because it saved us the stress of having to study and we didn’t have to worry about if we got in or not.

“

“

At the same time, however, this year students will be enrolled in the class without knowing what to expect, as there is no test to give them an idea of the work and extent of knowledge expected out of the class. Nicolas Plume, a tenth grader in AP Euro, reflects on the course, “We had no idea of what the class truly is like, and the entrance exams would have made us aware of the true nature of the class.” Students have also noticed an excessive increase in enrollment. The first thing that came to junior Jack Donahue’s mind when thinking about his APUSH class is that, “there are way too many people this year.” Mr. Lippi has confirmed, “there was a great increase in enrollment, and more students dropped out prior to the beginning of the courses.”

Considering more consequences of his choice, Mr. Lippi mentions, “Sometimes students sign up for the class thinking that it’s a good idea, but realize after taking the test that it’s not. The entrance exam can often serve as a wake-up call.” Junior Jill Galbraith is currently caught in the great intensity of APUSH, as she says, “last year they let people drop out. If only I was born a year earlier.” Students taking AP Euro and APUSH were given a contract on the first day of school, where they agreed not to drop the class after the first two weeks of school. This was enforced so that the large number of struggling students would not drop out and crowd the regular history classes.

Many students feel relieved about the lack of entrance exams this year, while other students feel that the entrance exams would have been a good warning for the upcoming difficulties that they would soon regret. By the end of the year, the administrators will know if the long-term effects are beneficial or detrimental for the students.

“

I

n past years at Menlo-Atherton high school, AP students were required to complete and pass a test for their admission into two of the AP History courses offered: AP European History, for sophomores, and AP United States History, for juniors.

Beginning this year, students were not required to pass a test in order to be admitted into either class. Every student that wished to take either course was admitted without complications, which relieved many students. But is this decision going to benefit these students in the long run?

When asked why the administrators made this decision to eliminate the tests, Mr. Lippi responded with two main benefits of the change: “One, that it’s difficult based on one test to determine if the student is capable or incapable of succeeding in the class, and two, that it’s logical to stay consistent with the other AP courses at M-A, which don’t require entrance exams.” An anonymous junior admitted, “Last year I really wanted to take AP Euro, but didn’t pass the test to get in. I know that I could have been able to handle the class, but that one test crushed my chances of taking on the challenge.”

Many students were relieved that they were not required to pass a test to be admitted into the AP History course.

Sophomore Marta Fatica speaks for the majority of the students in her class when she says, “I am glad that we didn’t have to take an entrance exam because it saved us the stress of having to study and we didn’t have to worry about if we got in or not.” Some students in the past were unable to pass the test after studying, leading to discouragement and wasting valuable time. Many students were relieved that they did not have to live out that possible situation.

by Lindy LaPlante

art | poetry | creative writing | news | opinion | Sports | feature

The MArk: So Mr. Boone, where are you originally from?

Mr. Boone: I’m originally from the Redlands in the Inland Empire in Southern California.

The MArk: Have you always been tall or did you hit a sudden growth spurt?

Mr. Boone: I was born 26 inches [tall] and I think people are usually about 19 inches on average.

The MArk: Are your parents really tall as well?

Mr. Boone: My dad is about 6’5” and my mom is 5’10” I think.

The MArk: Because of your height, did you play a lot of sports?

Mr. Boone: No, I was actually really nerdy, not the sporty type.

The MArk: Where did you go to college?

Mr. Boone: UC Davis.

The MArk: So were you recruited to play basketball for college?

Mr. Boone: Yeah, I was never really into it [though], and my high school coach made me go to the tryouts.

The MArk: Did you stop playing basketball after college?

Mr. Boone: No, I actually played professionally overseas.

The MArk: Where did you play?

Mr. Boone: I played in China, Australia, Germany, France, and Mexico.

The MArk: What did you aspire to be when you were younger?

Mr. Boone: As a kid I wanted to be a doctor; I think all kids kind of have that dream but in college I wanted to get into computer science and animation, like pixar, but then I realized how hard it was and chose history.

The MArk: I see that your height was an advantage when it came to sports, but I heard that you can’t ride certain rides at Disneyland, is that true?

Mr. Boone: Yeah it was really traumatic.

I can’t ride Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, or California Screamin’. In 8th grade on a school trip to Disneyland, we were all on Space Mountain and the people there were like, “you don’t fit,” and it was very embarrassing for an 8th grader.

The MArk: How tall were you in 8th grade and how tall are you now?

Mr. Boone: I was 6’7” in 8th grade and I am 7’2” tall now.

The MArk: You’re quite notorious for being tall, do people joke about it a lot?

Mr. Boone: No, not at all. People only made jokes in elementary school but it doesn’t bother me. It’s funny when people come ask me how tall I am. Sometimes at the mall, random people stare especially little kids just stare at me; its pretty funny.

Mr. Amoroso: Hey tree!

The MArk: Is “Tree” your nickname?

Mr. Boone: I don’t know, I guess it is as of 10 seconds ago?

Mr. Amoroso: No its been your nickname for the past 4 days.

The MArk: How do you like teaching at M-A so far?

Mr. Boone: I love M-A, its great, the teachers are great, the departments are great, everyone’s great here.

by Joanne Cho Photography by Jack Boyle

Mr. Boone

the MArk

W

e at The MArk took it upon ourselves to get to know Mr. Boone, a new history teacher here at M-A. We asked him a few questions on a variety of subjects during our chat.

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super

Typically the rigor of varsity sports is reserved for2012 junior student or senior year, |but October life | politics submissions | food&music we have found four of our finest, who arrived ready as freshmen.

How were you able to step up your game in order to adapt to the playing level of the upperclassmen?

Branning: “I tried to use every opportunity I had to get my shots up.”

Jaggers: “I had to work really hard. When everyone was joking around, I improved.”

Fratt: “The upperclassmen were very supportive and wise as to what to do because of all their experience which influenced everyone in a positive way. Their support was helpful because tennis is primarily an individual sport and extremely mental so every piece of advice from upperclassmen was significant.”

Caryotakis: “I had been playing water polo three years prior to freshman year, but by asking questions I improved.”

Brian Jaggers: was really excited, and honored.”

What is the most “I valuable piece of advice that you would give to freshman looking to play Varsity sports at M-A? Branning: “Learn from everything that the upperclassmen on your team do.”

Jaggers: “Play your game, don’t get intimidated.”

Fratt: “In general, If you put time into something, then you will get something out of it. Also, skills do not go unnoticed.”

Caryotakis: “Play your hardest in tryouts, don’t be afriad to ask questions.”

by Josef Nevigato & Brett Moriarty photography by Jack Boyle

the MArk

What was going through your head when you made the varsity team?

Junior, Nick Fratt: varsity tennis 11

Junior, Royce Branning: varsity Basketball

freshmen

Junior, Brian Jaggers: varsity lacrosse the MArk

Junior, Sofia Caryotakis: varsity Water Polo

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October 2012

student life | politics | submissions | food&music

Photography Big Ben Amirteymour Moazami

London Was Calling

O

n a usual Friday afternoon after school I was sitting down doing my homework when my father came speeding through the front door. Once inside, he seemed very anxious and eager to tell my family and me something. The first thing he said was to cancel our plans for that evening because he wanted to have a family meeting over dinner, so we cancelled all of our plans, not thinking much of it. We silently went about our own business for the next hour until dinnertime arrived and we all gathered around the table. My father nervously started to speak and eventually told us that his company had assigned him a task to complete in London, which would require us to move there for two years.

As a family, we were shocked and did not know what to say or do. After a while, both of my older sisters started

complaining, which lasted for hours. My oldest sister Leily’s complaint was that she was a senior in high school at MenloAtherton and wanted to graduate with her friends whom she had grown up with. My other sister, Yasmine, who had just graduated middle school and was on her way to being a freshman in high school, did not want to move in general.

I did not have a problem with moving to London because I am the kind of person who does not decline any opportunity to explore the world.

Ultimately, their issues did not matter because my father knew we would have the time of our lives in England and that he would accept this offer no matter what.

A couple months went by before we arrived in London as a family. We had to adjust to many things, especially the time zone and differences in British culture. It was a large city so everyone

“the level of conversation was more intellectually focused among all ages and types of people”

always seemed to be in a rush compared to Menlo Park where everybody was laid back. In London there is a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures, unlike Menlo Park, where everyone has known each other since an early age and they are all living an American lifestyle. Another difference between here and London is that the schooling facilities and the amount of children who attend the schools are much smaller across the pond. I noticed the level of conversation was more intellectually focused among all ages and types of people in comparison to Menlo Park, where people just adore to gossip about each other and what they did last weekend.

Time flew so fast and before we knew it we had to move back to California because my father’s work had been completed in London. We loved London so much so my father found another task to complete at his company to extend our time there for one more year.

That year went by as fast as the previous two years and soon enough it was time to return. I had the best time of my life there and made some great friends.

by Amirteymour Moazami

art | poetry | creative writing | news | opinion | Sports | feature

Photography Maro Suzie McMurtry

M-A Was Calling I would only go to school with Spanish and, in some rare cases, English kids.

Here everything is different; there are people from all over the world, South America, Europe. Everyone’s from different countries, regions, cultures and beliefs. This not only caught my attention, but it also helped me not to feel classified as the “new one”, “the Spaniard.” Here, the classes are different.

You can choose to do journalism, guitar, or chorus. In the same class there may be people that are seniors, juniors and even sophomores all together. There are classes that are already at university level, APs, which are necessary to enter the most prestigious universities.

Other changes I noted are the differences between sports here and in Spain. For example at M-A there is volleyball, lacrosse, water polo, baseball, football and even wrestling, while in Spain you can almost only do soccer or tennis. And if you want to do any sport during college it has to be at a club, not for the school. In Spain you play the whole year round, not by seasons like

“My old school would fit in the parking lot.”

here; you can only do one or maybe two sports per year, while here you can do four sports, one each time of year.

But the school isn’t the only thing that differs. Menlo Park is completely different from any Spanish city, with low buildings, many parks, and very wide streets. It also has loads of shops, restaurants and big stores like Costco. I lived in a small village that merely had two small supermarkets and barely any big restaurants.

Despite these differences, each day I’m feeling more comfortable, I’m starting to have a nicer time and all these differences are becoming natural.

the MArk

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n Spain, the USA is completely idealized. When I told my friends that I was coming here they could not believe it; they practically died of envy. From the moment I got on the plane my whole life had changed. I had to wait in Chicago for a six hour layover before proceeding to San Francisco. During those six hours when I was completely alone, I thought my whole year in the USA was going to be the same.

My first day at M-A was quite similar: alone at every moment, eating alone, sitting alone, not talking to anyone at school or anywhere else. Truthfully I was demoralized. I’d really wanted to come here, and that desire vanished in a second. Since my first day, things have not changed much, but people are starting to be nice and I’m finally starting to meet students.

What most shocked me when I first arrived at M-A was the size of the school. There are also many differences in the diversity of races in school.

by Maro Santos

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October 2012

student life | politics | submissions | food&music

Confessions of an M-A Latina

by L.C.

It begins as an acknowledgement, a sort of slow but sure realization. You’re low income, you’re a minority, and of course bound to endless stereotypes. A Latina in an AP class? Strange. Drop outs, pregnancies, whatever. I’m not saying it’s all M-A’s fault that Latinas are expected to fail. The statistics speak for themselves.

It’s a reality, but what has persisted, and I’m afraid, can’t be helped, are the divisions clearly drawn at M-A high school. The elite with the elite, the middle with the middle, the low with the low. It’s a whole system of classes and levels of amazingness.

I mean, why is it that I feel shy in an AP class? Is that how it’s supposed to work? Being in an AP course with three people (those in my table group) talking to me throughout the slow trajectory of ten months, isn’t exactly warm.

I have a sea of complaints and confessions, but this is all you’re getting. Its been three painful years, and I’ve grown weary, so I’ll speak now and graduate with no regrets.

Confession #1: My stomach does little flips when I’m a TA for an AP teacher. Have I been in the course? No. Confession #2: I feel lame walking through the green.

Confession #3: I connect “The North Face” with the elite. Did I miss the memo with the backpacks and the black sweaters...?

Confession #4: My skin is five times darker than the elite, but I love it.

Confession #5: I feel looked down upon by the elite, but hey, I’m succeeding.

Confession #6: I’m smart too, I detest underestimation, especially from the elite.

Confession #7: I find a great portion of the elite extremely beautiful Confession #8: My brown hair, brown eyes, and brown skin aren’t contagious. I’d love it if some of the elite would try to talk to us, the middle, and the low.

Can there just be this big social ball pit?

You know? That big sea of plastic balls, all different colors? The ones you sink into?

Yeah one of those, M-A would be a much better place if there weren’t so many divisions.

the MArk

art | poetry | creative writing | news | opinion | Sports | feature

Watercolor 11 Anguish Andrea Simes 12th

A P E S

October 2012

student life | politics | submissions | food&music

dvanced

lacement

nvironmental

cience

S

tarting this 2012-2013 school year, M-A is offering a new science option to add to the AP course selection: AP Environmental Science, taught by Mr. Powell.

The course was first adopted into the Menlo-Atherton curriculum as part of an initiative to diversify the AP course demographic. “As most people… know,” Mr. Powell explained, “M-A is a very diverse…campus from an aerial view. Once you go into some of the upper end classes, you lose that diversity and that’s the problem.” Unlike AP Bio and AP Physics, AP Environmental Science (APES) attracts a wide variety of students and academic histories.

Part of the appeal of the APES class is its accessibility to the majority of Menlo-Atherton students. While the curricular scope of the class is extensive, the prerequisites are not. To be successful in this class, students do not need to be groomed with a certain intense set of math skills or come from an advanced academic background. Mr. Powell noted, “All you need to be is bright and willing to work hard.”

One of the most appealing aspects of the APES course,

besides its endearing name, is its obvious relevance in today’s politics, economy, and world health.

Mr. Powell explains, “It’s a very interesting time to be alive and it’s a very scary time to be alive. As we pass 7 billion people, we are starting to really push up against the limits of what the environment can handle.

We’re already seeing repercussions and I think most people would agree that what we’re doing right now is not sustainable.” Do not be mistaken, though. The purpose of the class is not to instill fear of the future, but rather to face world climate change and environmental issues head on from an unemotional, scientific standpoint. By teaching about natural cycles, biodiversity, and environmental systems and how human impact has disrupted them, Mr. Powell hopes to see students “turned on and inspired by what’s going on and [to] also come away with a sense of urgency.”

Mr. Powell assures people that you do not need to be a “dirtworshipper” or a “tree-hugger” to participate in the AP Environmental Science; he believes all human beings on the planet should be required to learn it.

by Olivia Solomon

Need more convincing? Listen to these enthusiastic APES students!

“I think the class is for people who are fascinated by the social aspect of science. It goes beyond just ‘fact’ there’s a lot more depth to the class than the textbook. It makes you think.”

-Kristen Wong, Senior “I’m really excited about APES as a new science option for students. So far the class has been not only fun and interactive, but also super interesting. Mr. Powell does a great job making the class manageable and keeping us engaged, and I hope MA continues to offer this class to students because it incorporates many subjects like history, economics, chemistry, and biology into a single course.”

-Hannah Ellefritz, Senior

the MArk

“People at M-A should take APES because it is a class that is totally relevant to the current events happening in the United States and the world. If you are interested in the future of mankind, it would be a great class to take. I really enjoy [the fact] that lectures and notes are taken at home, and that it is really a hands-on class during the school period.”

-Alex Aguiar, Senior

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“It’s impossible not to be interested in what we are studying. And best of all, Mr. Powell is one cool cat.”

-Brittney Badduke, Senior

Photography Untitled Suzie McMurtry

art | poetry | creative writing | news | opinion | Sports | feature

HOMELESS TEENS AT M-A There are over 1.4 million homeless teenagers in America.

The majority of this 1.4 million come from broken households, in which they have been neglected or abused. Homeless teens come from all spectrums of society and from all ethnicities.

These teens are faced with the harsh reality of living on the streets on a daily basis; there isn’t much they can do but try to survive. At M-A, there are students who are classified as homeless who have gotten help from Miki Cristerna, head of the Student Support Center.

It is hard to believe that in a place such as America this is an issue, especially because it receives so little attention. When asked about homeless teens at Menlo-Atherton, Cristerna said “there are different definitions of what homeless is, but we have a lot here at M-A.” There are many shelters that offer housing for homeless teens and their families, but it is often far from school and for a limited term.

The kids living on the streets or with foster families not only want a house but they want a home where they can feel comfortable and at peace, a place where they are accepted and loved. Often many homeless teens are hesitant to turn to a shelter (or Cristerna) for help in fear that they

will be reported to child protective services and taken away.

Cristerna emphasizes “Let someone know here at school and don’t be afraid. What we will do is help them stay here at M-A and give as much advice as we can possibly provide them. Let one of us know.

Let me know.” Cristerna helps families and students solve their issues by referring them to shelters and programs that can help them with their troubles.

It is at most times exceedingly difficult for students to keep up with their school work and get good grades. On this issue Cristerna says there are many “road blocks to young people being successful in school when they’ve lost their homes; it has to do with not really having a place to go home to, do their homework. It’s about parents really having to spend all their extra time and their resources to find a place to live versus helping or supporting their son or daughter.

All of the energy that you had for maybe football or soccer, robotics club, or whatever now has to go into ‘I have to find a place to live tonight.’” Not having a place to live can affect a student’s entire life, especially academically. Homeless

youth are far more likely to drop out of high school than someone with a stable home.

Homeless teens are socially affected by their housing status as well because they likely feel insecure and uncomfortable letting others know. “It’s hard for them to have that social time with their friends after school. They might feel uncomfortable going to someone’s home that’s really nice. So they’re disconnected in many ways” states Cristerna.

Further, Cristerna says “it’s harder to find coping mechanisms...

I think a lot of these kids are susceptible to choosing coping mechanisms that aren’t as healthy for them as others.” Although homeless teens do not automatically fall into drug abuse and addiction, they often are more likely to choose them as ways to deal with their problems.

Homeless teens are like other students, but they face challenges most students don’t, making it harder for them to accomplish tasks that are easier for the more privileged. There are homeless students at M-A that may go unseen but they are here.

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by Erendira Parra

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Photography October 2012 Austin Healey Nolan Martin 12th

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student life | politics | submissions | food&music

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art | poetry | creative writing | news | opinion | Sports | feature

Photography Windows Vanessa Wijaya 12th

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What It Feels Like To Always Be Burdened By Thought

by Sharef Beckum

Thought caresses the mind as a bear trap would a limb.

Palmed, gripped, and grasped, without care, with the most violent intents. Thought is not for thinking, it is for guiding one’s mind through the maze, wherein lies the darkness that dwells within us, all alike. Like an entity, separate from the laws of the universe, Thought has its own consciousness; free to choose, to decide. It moves with an unreal speed, leaving behind a trail of chaos. The mind cannot comprehend the unpredictable movements of Thought. At times, diving into that desolately occupied space in the center of the mind’s labyrinth, Thought tends to bring forth ideas, taboo to the world surrounding.

Thought provokes curiosity, and the mind, like iron to a magnet, must follow Thought as one does the light at the end of a dark cave. However, this light is just as blind, if not more, and just as misled; always whipping violently from one place to another as the dust that never settles. Thought confuses the mind and, yet, not the body.

Every decision, injuring the body, continuously vegetating the mind to a state of unconsciousness. Thought drags the body through emotional conflict and physical growth as the body endures rage, sadness, and satisfaction. Thought becomes a steroid, keeping the body growing stronger and equally weaker. Thought forces the body to confront authority, to act first, to ask last, and to keep moving. However, Thought, also, keeps the body isolated from other minds and the mind that once influenced its movements. The distance continues to grow as Thought drains the mind’s energy and increases that of the body’s own.

Thought is the magnetic repulsion that confines the mind, in the center of labyrinth, and the body, from any influences other than that of Thought. Thought defeats the purpose of homeostasis and tips the balances that the mind and body need to remain whole.

Once Thought has separated the mind and body, as a surgeon does one’s faulty appendix, Thought moves into the next mind, the sleeping victim. It rests, gaining back its energy like a soft sponge. Thought only begins to suggest to the mind ideas, guiding the mind through the maze. Waiting. Watching. Weighing ever heavier on its victim. The greatest burden of all? Thought.

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What a predicament this is, for the mind to become so helpless in controlling its body. Even though the body is only a vessel for which the mind dwells, the mind has become usurped instantaneously by Thought, a true cuckoo.

One’s being is no longer of its own power but in the power of an outside force far greater than any person can fathom. The process of the mind’s demise is more inceptively so. Inceptive is the best way to describe the process because the mind has the inability to be in a state of nothingness. Thus, Thought confines the mind to the inner reaches of the maze. The idea of the destruction of one’s mind would be as ludicrous as the Sun flying away from the Solar System, self-conscious of its

weight problem. The mind develops Thought as an animal would cancer, tumorous. Thought, as if it had not already been, becomes even more burdensome than before. Now, able to dictate bodily movements and functions, Thought is a parasite that, now, brings the mind toward the darkness.

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Photography Untitled Miranda Alfano-Smith 10th

The MArk presents our very own High MArk, Low MArk

Report Card

Menlo-Atherton High School

Subject

New Building

A

October Issue

B

C

D

Comments

Music at Homecoming Rally and Spirit Days

New Snack Shack for Football Games

delicious cookies!

more vending machines

Recent enforcement of dress code

Space Shuttle sighted over M-A Cornell Notes

Algae in the Pool

Senior Panoramic Picture

New Turf

New AP Environmental Science Class

“No Loitering” & “No Standing” signs Bells Breaking

F+ E-Wing Bathrooms Closed During Class

Winning Homecoming Game

8=D

oops!

“I got these after I was diagnosed with cancer” Anna de Benedictis “I got the shoelaces in National Harbor DC as a prize for a scavenger hunt” Helmi Henkin

Bearing Our

Soles

by Gianna Prainito in collaboration with Suzie McMurtry

“I got these cleats in my the MArk

home country, Spain.

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Everyone plays fútbol there” Maro Santos Gutierrez

“I won these in a barrel race at a rodeo” Morgan Corona

“I got these my freshman year. They have been through a lot, and are my favorite shoes” Nimsi Garcia

“These have been thrown in a river, and I had to chase after them” Eddy Avila “I wore these on a trip to Alaska this summer for a science program” Peter Siegler

“I’ve had these tap shoes forever” Simone King PHOTOGRAPHY Suzie McMurtry 12th, Jack Boyle 12th, Gianna Prainito 10th, and Tatiana Spears 10th

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“I got these in London” Samantha Bloom

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Inside the El 22

e lection the MArk

Digital Illustrations & Layouts by Lauren Smith Conceptual Designs by Samantha Bloom

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DEMOCRATIC

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My point of view regarding this year’s election may not fall squarely into the current understanding of the word liberal; Americans should really stop throwing around the words liberal and conservative, because each has become a caricature and, thus, lost all meaning. Rather, I argue as a radical moderate that a vote to re-elect President Obama is most assuredly better for America than the alternative. As a country that has become politically bipolar, I present the perspective that four more years of Obama represents our best chance to find our nation’s center.

On the subject of the economy, which is foremost in voter’s minds, there is no party platform plug-in that answers to the complexities. In 2008-2009, America teetered on the edge of another Great Depression. Pundits can argue about who got bailed out and how, but the fact remains that newly sworn-in President Obama took immediate and decisive steps to avoid a complete financial meltdown. It is true that growth in America today is slow, but perhaps upward trajectory has been an unrealistic goal of late. When stability was required, Obama delivered. If you compare our current economy to those of Spain, Greece and Italy, it is hard to disagree. While Romney steadfastly ties growth going forward to the Republican mainstays of low taxes and budget cuts, arguing they will stimulate business and create jobs, Obama puts forth a more nuanced view. In his parlance on the topic, which I acknowledge is cheerless and dense, only a combination of increased taxes on the wealthiest and cuts will create revenue and momentum.

This is a complex problem, and there is no sound-bite answer. America has to acknowledge the widening gap between the Americans should wealthy and everyreally stop throwing body else: Societies do around the words not survive the pauperization of the midliberal and dle class. While it conservative, because is true that Obama each has become a stumbled with caricature and, thus, clunky language in the “you didn’t build lost all meaning. that” controversy, the context of his full

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statement was that government and business people can and should cooperate to create opportunity and jobs. Many successful businesses have been the beneficiaries. On the Romney side, his comments about the 47% of voters who see themselves as victims seem a more dangerous problem than a poor choice of words. That statement belies a belligerent attitude towards an alarming number of the people that the Governor claims the wish to serve.

In terms of foreign policy, the Obama administration took out Bin Laden, avoided war in Iran, ended the war in Iraq and stepped down the disaster in Afghanistan. One could argue that much of this is the work of the much vilified but extraordinarily smart Hilary Clinton, but it was President Obama who was able to put aside his ego after the primaries and appoint a person who represented his greatest threat to attaining the initial nomination. On the Romney side, his gratuitous and uninformed comments regarding the terrorism at the U.S. Embassy in Libya do not suggest that he will be a Chief Executive who understands the delicate geopolitical balance. Using the death of an American diplomat as a cheap election-year insult was not very presidential. Running a venture capital firm has given Romney deep business experience, but it is not at all clear that he has the experience outside of the predatory investment world to be an international diplomat. Bottom-line capitalism does not cut it on the stage of global politics.

No piece on an upcoming election would be complete without a discussion of healthcare. The system in place when Obama took office was justifiably the laughing stock of the civilized world. Americans paid more for healthcare and were in poorer health than citizens of most other industrialized nations. Obamacare is modeled on Romneycare, deny it though the Governor may. It may not be the ultimate solution, but it is a start. As it continues to phase in, there is some hope that it will create more savings and make it possible for more Americans to be covered. Mitt Romney himself once believed in the idea and implemented it in Massachusetts; his forced allegiance to the far-right wing of the Republican Party necessitates his backpedalling. He routinely says that he will repeal Obamacare. This is not righting the ship but rather capsizing it on the extreme right. Again, I acknowledge that Obama’s plan is far from perfect, over-complicated and egregiously lobbied by special interests. Nonetheless, at least it addresses a gaping problem with forward motion.

REPUBLICAN Writing from a conservative point of view regarding the 2012 election will almost certainly alienate the majority of the student body, so for most of you reading, I’m going to ask you to put aside your personal ideologies and bear with me.

Obama is the wrong choice for America. I can’t seem to understand why everyone finds him so appealing. When he makes a speech, he is completely formulaic: “I can’t do this, and here’s why [insert the eloquent words of a speechwriter here].” “You didn’t build that” wasn’t a gaffe; it was the true, off- book feelings of our beloved president. He’s obviously anti-business, which contradicts all of his pro-middle class garbage. He devalued the spirit of entrepreneurship by saying that self-made small businesses are entirely courtesy of the government. I’m sorry, but that seems to be just a tad out of step with what his entire campaign is based on. His lack of support and faith in America as a patriotic, capitalistic nation is disconcerting.

I will indulge all of you liberals out there by saying that Mitt Romney is far from a perfect candidate. However, he’s completely undervalued and not actually the extremist, fascist, “Nazi” that the democrats make him out to be. At the DNC, he was referred to as a Nazi, which is frankly a cheap ploy that screams “WE’RE DESPERATE!” Comparing Mitt Romney to a genocide-initiating, fascist movement demonstrates how Obama’s strategists are trying to tear down the opposition because America is finally becoming aware of the fact that this president is just barely working. Obama promised hope and change in 2008, yet all he’s given us are his feeble attempts at foreign policy and another five trillion dollars in national debt.

Republicans do not hate women. Let’s just get that out of the way right off the bat. I’m so sick of hearing about

how Mitt Romney is leading a “war on women” by making them pay for their own birth control. COME ON. If you can’t afford the Pill, opt for condoms or abstinence. Sandra Fluke, a 31-year old Georgetown student who was allegedly “shut out” of talking with Republican lawmakers, was not the best choice for a DNC spokesperson. She goes to a prestigious school and obviously doesn’t need any governmental help paying for her birth control, yet she persists in playing the victim to demonize the right wing so that they appear anti-women.

For a woman who pays $45,000 a year on graduate school, she certainly goes to great lengths to lie about how much money she pays for contraception. She claims that birth control pills cost $3000 a year; in reality they can be as inexpensive as $324 a year. This liberal bleeding-heart exemplifies the spirit of screwing over the constitution. Forcing religious institutions to provide contraception is not only invasive into religious culture, it’s unconstitutional and a clear violation of separation of church and state. The real issue is not Sandra Fluke’s constant, inane filibustering; it’s the fact that she persists in lying and deeming the destruction of the constitution appropriate.

So, students of M-A, perhaps my hopefully non-offensive article has provided an insight into the other side of the partisan battle. Maybe the topics I’ve chosen to discuss have opened you up to new opinions. I can only wish that if you are heading into the voting booth this November you make sure you have some unbiased information backing you up.

by Francesca Gilles

[Obama] devalued the spirit of entrepreneurship by saying that selfmade small businesses are entirely courtesy of the government.

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President Obama’s first term saw the most difficult economic climate since the 1930s; though currently deemed a recession it may be labeled a depression in retrospect. When he took office, he immediately faced enormous challenges both at home and abroad. Often, he is accused of inaction and of thinking too much, but he has been in fix-it mode since his inauguration. Given what is at stake and how far the cultural and economic divides have become within the American people, we need a leader who is methodical and who represents everyone, particularly the moderate and unrepresented center. We need a radical moderate and Obama is the closest fit.

by Samantha Bloom

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October 2012

student life | politics | submissions | food&music

Democratic Platform 2012 Domestic -Support military families by finding them jobs -Support Equal Rights Amendment -Support marriage equality -Priority deportation of criminals rather than law

by Anna deBenedictis

Economy -Middle class tax cuts -Raise taxes on higher income citizens -Wall Street Reform: holding wall street accountable

Health Care -Affordable Care Act expanding National Defense coverage to disabled Americans -Working with Iraqi people to build a better future without U.S. with pre-existing conditions forces and allowing women to have -Disrupting, Dismantling, and Defeating Al-Qaeda access to contraception in their -Working with Afghan people/troops to draw down our own forces health insurance plans and transfer responsibility -Supports women’s rights to -Preventing the spread and use of nuclear weapons make decisions regarding their -Strengthen ties with Europe and NATO nations as well as Asiapregnancy including safe and legal Pacific nations and Middle East nations and Africa abortion -Promoting global prosperity and development -Maintaining the strongest military in the world Energy -Supports clean energy jobs and technologies while protecting natural resources and Education preserving habitats -Recovery Act represented the largest education -Reduces emissions and provides incentives for investment since President Johnson people and companies to do these things

Drawings Obama & Romney Nicky Hug 12th

Source: http://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platform#transparent-government

Republican Platform 2012 Economy -Free-market economy -Supports business regulations that promote confidence in the economy among consumers, entrepreneurs and businesses alike -Opposes policies that put the federal government in control of industry National Defense -Remaining vigilant in confronting global terrorism -Maintaining a robust defense against the threats arising from nuclear proliferation -Promoting an effective, capable intelligence community.

-Full commitment to America’s Armed Forces to ensure they are modern, agile and adaptable -Develop and maintain alliances and relationships that will lead to greater peace and stability -International organizations must never substitute for principled American leadership nor prevent America from joining other democracies to protect our vital national interests

Source: http://www.gop.com/our-party/

by Helmi Henkin

Health Care -Support reforms that will lower costs, ensure quality health care that Americans deserve, and end lawsuit abuse -Oppose government-run health care Education -Maintain a world-class system of primary and secondary education with high standards in which all students can reach their potential Energy -Energy independence.

-Responsible production of nuclear power, clean coal, solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, as well as drilling for oil and natural gas -Oppose cap and trade legislation that would impose a national energy tax on families and small business that would kill jobs and raise utility prices Domestic -A judge’s role is to interpret the law Judges in our federal court system demonstrate fidelity to the U.S. Constitution.

-Judicial system should base rulings on the law, and nothing else.

2012 POLITICS: art | poetry | creative writing | news | opinion | Sports | feature

THE CHEAT SHEET

by Samantha Bloom

If you haven’t had time to follow every minute of the campaign leading up to 2012 Election, here’s a curated list of highpoints. If you master some of these classic moments, you should be able to have a legitimate, potentially entertaining conversation on the subject. In fact, if you know at least two from each list and you turn 18 before November, you might actually be way ahead of most voters in the country.

KEY WORDS AND PHRASES •Shucky Ducky •Rafalca and Dressage •Obamaloney and Romneyhood •Obamaneycare OLD GUYS, NEW DEALS •Colbert runs for President of South Carolina.

•Joe Biden. The Quiet American…they wish.

•Newt Gingrich a.k.a. mashed-potatoes-in-a-suit wants to go to the moon.

ELECTION 2012: THE SOUNDTRACK •Obama singing “Let’s Stay Together.”

•Romney counters with “America the Beautiful.” Culture Wars!

•Jimmy Fallon tops all with: “I’ve seen Romney, I’ve seen Bain, Seen Clinton speeches I thought would never end…”

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TRENDS AND BREAKING NEWS •The “Santorum Sweater Vest” flies off the shelves.

•Dogs on the roof. They like it!

•Breaking News: CNN says Supreme Court strikes down Obamacare.

•Update: CNN reporter fired.

•Sarah Palin’s speaking slot at the RNC goes to Clint Eastwood.

•Clint shares the limelight…with a chair.

•This Just In: Bill Clinton’s speech has reached the halfway mark.

Stay tuned.

•47% of Americans are slackers: If you have read this far, you might not be one of them.

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1% of Freshmen would vote for another candidate

15%

of Freshmen would vote for Romney

83%

of Freshmen would vote for Obama

82.03%

81%

12%

of Sophmores would vote for Romney

of 82.03% M-A student of M-A student body would vote for body would vote for Obama Obama

of Sophmores would vote for Obama

14.29%

of the14.29% M-A student of the M-A student body would body vote for would Romney vote for Romney

5%

of Sophmores would vote for another candidate

4% of Juniors would vote for another candidate

80%

of Juniors would vote for Obama

15% of Juniors would vote for Romney

3.68%

13% of Seniors will or would vote for Romney

82% of Seniors will or would vote for Obama

3% of Seniors will or would vote for another candidate

by Anna deBenedictis

We Didn’t Build This…It Was the Little Men from Mars!

The numbers are staggering. Analyzing SuperPACS alone, it is clear that spending on election 2012 is out of control. As of September, Restore our Future, backed by former Romney aides, spent $82,491,530. About 83% of their spending has been on attack ads. Much like their conservative counterparts, the “tax and spend” liberals are certainly living up to the latter part of their title. Priorities USA Action, the largest Democratic Super PAC has harnessed just under $30 million to attack Romney.

This raises many questions. Has Citizens United changed politics forever? Should I reexamine the efficacy of my involvement in idealistic bake sales that yielded an average of $38.50 to help natural disaster victims? Are we at least getting some high quality verbal jousting for our money? In no particular order, I offer a bipartisan look at two now-famous gaffes and what the other side did about them.

Going back to the primaries, Mitt Romney was having an “informal” conversation with a prospective voter. Naturally, this was on camera. Mitt squared his already impossibly square jaw and uttered the phrase that would haunt him: “Corporations are people, my friend.” Five words, but an early campaign-season present to the pundits that paid dividends.

The ads on the democratic side hammered the point that Romney is hopelessly out of touch with regular people. They spent a fortune just replaying the tape. When asked to defend, Romney added fuel by accusing democrats of misunderstanding the nature of corporations, saying “what do they think [corporations] are, Little Men from Mars?” Recently, a woman in Seattle married a “corporate person” just to drive the democratic criticism home (word has it there was controversy when she asked McDonalds instead of Carl’s Junior to be a bridesmaid).

The licensing fee has since been refunded and the union de-

1 1

3.68% of the M-A student body of thevote M-Afor student body would another canwould votedidate for another candidate

clared void, but the absurdity remains. Is this the level of debate that Super-PAC money buys? We have elevated wasting money to an art form, but our rhetoric is at a low point.

On the donkey side of life, President Obama stepped into a hole of his own: the “You Didn’t Build That” Controversy. Obama delivered a speech saying “if you’ve got a business—you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” An expensive storm of instant replays and “I Built This” t-shirts (made in China) ensued. Talk about undermining American business. Again, all this money spent, and what did we get? A boost to somebody else’s GDP. In the spirit of all this mudslinging nonsense, I’ve created a little vignette of my own, for your imaginary viewing pleasure: Camera pans to an ordinary American kid (a multiracial bespectacled girl to stereotypically defy every stereotype). She is working on a Lego model of the Millenium Falcon and after days of toil, she proudly shows her parents. They say, “Nice, honey, but you didn’t build that! Think of all those shareholders, Board Members and VPs of marketing. You stood on their shoulders. You had so much help. You couldn’t have done this alone! These are people, not Little Men from Mars!” Kid puts her head in her hands and fadeout. “This announcement was not paid for by frustrated Americans who no longer want to pay for subpar attack ads coming from either side of the debate. No corporations were hurt or experimented upon during the filming of this video. And kids are people too. ” My fellow Americans, we are being sold underperforming insults—I’ve seen better tirades on middle school playgrounds. Our future is at stake, and we cannot bet it all on humorless, ineffectual mudslinging. Not when superior content is available at a fraction of the cost.

by Samantha Bloom

art | poetry | creative writing | news | opinion | Sports | feature

or or

18 18

nn-

The MArk staff interviewed eighteen-year-olds at M-A, including Diana Boyle, Peter Siegler, and Connor Hegarty, and asked them how they felt about the 2012 elections.

by Cayla Stillman

The MArk: Are you going

Diana Boyle: Definitely! I’m lucky that my eighteenth birthday fell on the same year as a presidential election. I think it is really important for people our age to have a say in our government and how our world is run. At the age of eighteen, you are responsible for many more things and you are affected more by government policies. Therefore, you should be able to voice your own opinion about how you think the United States should be run.

Peter Siegler: Yes, I will be voting in the 2012 election. I think now that I have lived in this country for eighteen years, I should have a say about who runs it.

Connor Hegarty: No, I am not going to vote because I am not really a huge fan of either candidate. I think it’s nice to have a voice, but only when there is an issue I feel passionately about.

The MArk: Was this a big

Boyle: It is a pretty big milestone. I am excited to take part in such a monumental event.

Siegler: Yes, I have not really been thinking about voting for many years, but since I was about sixteen or seventeen I have wanted to vote, so it feels nice now that I finally can.

Hegarty: This was not a big step in my life.

The MArk: Are you

Boyle: Yup! My family and friends have been discussing it a lot lately.

Siegler: Sometime last year, I realized that I would be able to vote in the 2012 election; that was when I knew I should start to think about what I believed in, but I have not been following it since the primaries.

The MArk: Are you very

Boyle: I have been paying much more attention to politics this year than I did before. I have been watching speeches and debates so I can actually say why I am voting for someone and not just check a box.

Hegarty: I am not involved at all with this election

to vote? Why or why not?

step in your life?

thinking about the upcoming election?

involved in the election?

The MArk: Does the fact that you are now legal to vote change how you feel about politics? Are politics now more relevant in your life?

Boyle: Like I said earlier, being eighteen comes with a lot of responsibilities. As a result I think politics will become a much larger part of my life. Recently, it has been interesting to see fellow classmates talk about the election and whether they are Democrats or Republicans. I think a lot of people are surprised when they hear that their friend’s political opinion differs from their own.

Siegler: It definitely strengthens how I feel about certain things because now what I say can be taken into account, so now I have solidified my beliefs.

Hegarty: Politics are definitely more relevant, because I feel more obligated to get intimately familiar with the views of a candidate before I vote for them, but I also don’t feel any kind of sudden interest in politics beyond what I already felt.

Other Political Parties

by Megan Kilduff

Guess Who’s Back: The Modern Whig Party Goes Round 2 After almost 200 dormant years, the 19th century’s “conservative liberals” are back! Established in 2007 by Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans discontent with the bipartisan political gridlock they had returned to, the party aims to use “civic mindfulness and ethics” to determine positions on matters. Ideally, they add, they would be able to dismantle the current two-party system, kick-starting major socio-economic changes throughout the nation. Whether this means that they encourage many active parties in the government or the establishment of a single ruling party the leaders have yet to declare. The members do not have any real association with the 19th century Whigs they say they were inspired by, either. The Modern Whig Party may seem to offer the perfect middle ground to almost all solutions, but they have yet to gain serious momentum.

Arrgh, Matey! Swagger Aboard the U.S. Pirate Party and National Committee Although the head of the movement is referred to as “Captain,” this seemingly seafaring party is quite lacking in ships, sails, and lost treasure.

Trading in their sacred old maps for modern computers and mobile devices, the U.S. Pirate Party advocates for the abolishment of bans on file sharing and hopes to strengthen the average citizen’s right to privacy in both the digital and real worlds. Junior Joanne Cho supports the party’s goals, believing that, “There are some things that should be easily accessible and free.” Grant Johnson adds, “It’s a great arr-ganization.”

U.S. Marijuana Party… Enough Said “WE are Americans and WE do not piss in a cup for anyone!” the U.S. Marijuana Party so boldly declares on its campaign website. TIME.com names this unconventional organization, formed in 2002, as one of the world’s Top 10 Alternative Political Movements. Besides the legalization of responsible forms of consumption of the currently illegal drug for the adult population, supporters also “demand that you stop treating [them] like second class citizens.” Although its own founder abandoned the party years ago for the more-sensible Libertarian party, the U.S. Marijuana Party proves to still be going strong with local chapters flowering in a whopping seven of the fifty states. Unfortunately for you presidential-hopefuls just dying to represent the party, the movement is so underrepresented that they aren’t considering running candidates for any executive or legislative office in the near, and even the more distant, future. On top of that, California is not one of those seven states with an active chapter. Olivia Dobberstein expresses her disappointment by saying, “If the Marijuana Party were in charge, politics would definitely be more interesting.”

The United States’ Communist Party Remains Hopeful If a party’s Frequently Asked Questions page tells a lot about the organization, the inquiry “Is the Communist Party legal?” definitely shows some key information about the group. Despite the U.S.’s entire war against communism last century, the party refuses to give up hope. The possibly still-bitter members do, however, seem to have a bone to pick with the Democratic Party, suing them in both 2010 and 2012 for platform plagiarism.

National Green and Libertarian Parties (AKA: The Ones That Might Actually Stand a Chance One Day) If you’ve heard of any political party besides those of the Republicans and the Democrats, it’s probably one of these two. They are currently the next most-supported parties in the U.S., with respected presidential candidates from each running in the current election.

Originally just a small group of used-to-be Republican and Democrat supporters expressing concern in the home of founder David Nolan, Libertarians now make up the nation’s third-largest political party. Like many of America’s founding fathers, they aim to establish a peaceful foreign policy, to let a free-market economy thrive, and to protect the rights and freedoms of all citizens. They also dream of universal tolerance, stating that to “live and let live is the Libertarian way.”

Not to be confused with modern-day hippies, members of the Green Party of the United States call themselves “grassroots activists, environmentalists, advocates for social justice, nonviolent resisters and regular citizens who’ve had enough of corporate dominated politics.” Also advocating for a decentralized government, gender equality, and sustainability, the Green Party has won the support of enough Americans to become the nation’s fourth largest party, including, it is rumored, the occasional M-A staff member.

Mittens Romney & Dwayne ‘Ba-rock’ Obama?

Ron Paul, Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, GOP, POG, tea parties (wait like with cookies?), stimulus, platforms (isn’t that where the presidents stand to deliver speeches?), USA, AUS, what does it all mean?? No matter how hard we try we are doomed to ignorance, to waffle when asked to corroborate our friend in a political debate, and have snide remarks from the Colbert Report slide over our heads. Do we really deserve to be chastised further by our peers for not understanding the complexity and tedium of political happenings? The answer is no! Not a single one of you uninformed students out there is unique in your bewilderment regarding these topics. Do not be ashamed! Other M-A bears struggle with all the same concepts you do: 1) What students responded when asked the diffence between Paul Ryan and Ron Paul…

2) When asked if they knew anything about the Clint Eastwood and chair dilemma…

3) When asked what the 47% scandal was about…

4) When asked what the GOP stands for….

“Ron Paul? I think he’s a democrat right?”

“I don’t know who Biden is, or Romney, but I do know who Obama is!”

“I don’t know who Paul Ryan is.”

“I recognize the names and know they are involved in politics but I don’t know specifically who they are.”

“I know the name of his dog too! Isn’t it Bubby, Bobo, Bubarina, Little Bobama…?”

“Didn’t his son just die?”

“Nope.”

“I have no idea.” [when pressed further] “Something about Clint Eastwood and a chair.” (well put!!) “...wasn’t that about Mexicans voting?”

“Wait I think I saw that on SNL!” “That’s about prostitutes right? Like there are 47 prostitutes.”

“I literally have no idea.”

“Umm...Government of the People...?”

“My best guess would be the something of Politics.”

“Isn’t that some type of poll?”

If you’d respond similarly to the above questions or have been caught saying any of the following, rest assured you are not alone. So don’t be embarrassed to laugh at yourself. Those politically informed certainly are.

by Fiona Gutierrez-Dewar

1) Paul Ryan is Mitt Romney’s Vice Presidential Canidate for the Republican Party. Ron Paul is the previous Libertarian Party Canidate 2) During the Republican Convention, Clint Eastwood placed an empty chair on the stage and pretended President Obama was seated in it. 3) The 47% scandal was when Romney implied 47% of the population considered themselves victims because they were dependent on the government. 4) GOP stands for the Grand Old Party, another name for the Replican Party.

October 2012

student life | politics | submissions | food&music

Yu m m y F o o d

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Have you ever driven by a parking lot full of what seem to be revamped taco trucks, bearing shiny new wheels and freshly painted doors? Well, you must have spotted one of America’s hottest new trends: Food Trucks. The new mobile dining fad has become increasingly popular over the past few years. Food Trucks have surpassed the typical $1 mystery meat tacos, and have upgraded to gourmet, healthy food services. They are serving up fast and delicious meals to people of all different ages, while providing a fun and lively atmosphere to communities.

One of Palo Alto’s most famous Food Truck meetups, Edgewood Eats (E.E.), did just that, gathering six to twelve local Food Trucks at Palo Alto’s Edgewood Plaza parking lot right near the 101 Freeway. E.E. drew in a large crowd of people from the area, serving various takes on gourmet street food from their vibrantly decorated trucks.

Unfortunately, this weekly food meet-up is currently trying to find a new location due to the recent demolition of the Plaza. The E.E. crew is in need of a new home, so until

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by Lauren Smith & Fiona Gutierrez-Dewar

further notice, Edgewood Eats is shut down.

Even closer to M-A, however, is the relatively new Willows Market Food Truck event. Starting this past summer, favorite food trucks now come on a weekly basis each Monday evening, parking in front of the Willows Market on Middlefield road. This weekly event has certainly fostered as sense of community in the Willows neighborhood as many friendly faces show up every week to indulge in the tasty and exotic cultural infusions created by each unique truck. M-A junior Jill Galbraith agrees “the trucks are great!” Some of the most outstanding savory buns can be purchased at Chairmen Bao’s, a truck that comes regularly.

The other truck options alternate constantly, lending to a vast array of options that keep neighborhood members interested. Other trucks companies that have attended include Roti, serving fresh rotisserie chickens and potatoes; The Dosa Republic, a modernized Indian cuisine; Hiya, serving up bahn mi, gourmet Vietnamese sandwiches; Mayo Mustard; Saruno Burger; and many more. Each has distinct

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Tr u c k

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creative fusions unheard of in regular sit down restaurants.

If you go, you’ll be hard pressed to try just one truck.

A less known secret of the Willows Market food truck nights is the delicious dessert stand that serves brownies, cookies, and puddings inside the store. They make an outstanding, highly recommended, decadent, butterscotch pudding complete with whipped cream and a chocolate-butterscotch crumble. The owner of the dessert booth is in fact the mother of an M-A student. She used to have a food truck for a couple years, but now sets up inside the store each Monday night.

If you have yet to stop by the Willows Market on Monday afternoons, or any other food truck event, we strongly suggest you do. Only a few blocks South of M-A and easily within walking distance the Willow’s Market Food Truck event, is truly the ideal location for students to stop by and enjoy a pre-dinner, post-sports snack. Fellow M-A faces constantly frequent the venue, so you are sure to see a friend and enjoy some sort of heavenly creative concoction.

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October 2012

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Summer Album Reviews

by Gabe Cohen

Café Zoë

A Great Place for Food, Music &Art

by Simone King

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Provides a great community environment to share art and help those in need...[and] a great panini!

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As Menlo-Atherton students are always looking for the new place to hangout after school, Café Zoe seems to be the place to be.

Café Zoe, located on Menalto Avenue, Menlo Park, may seem like any ordinary café, but this is not the case. The café offers a delectable variety of beverages and pastries. Senior Tom Liggett tells us how they have a “great panini”. But that’s not all. Café Zoe offers many things that other places such as Starbucks or Peet’s does not offer.

Café Zoe hosts many art and music showcases that can either be for entertainment or to raise money and awareness for various causes.

Menlo-Atherton’s very own music club, Melodies for Charities and The Applied Arts Club, have taken part in many Café Zoe events and have helped raise money for different charities such as “My New Red Shoes” and some concerning the Ravenswood School District. “Café Zoe provides a great community environment to share art and help those in need, with their involvement with various charities. And they have a great Panini!” explains Senior Samantha Bloom Café Zoe prides itself in its involvement in the community. All of their events and scheduling can be found on their website at: www.cafezoemenlopark.com

Jack White- Blunderbuss Following the break up of The White Stripes in February of 2011, Jack White is back and better then ever with his new solo album, Blunderbluss. Reaching number one on the U.S. charts at its peak, White’s attempt to recreate himself without the association of The White Stripes or the Raconteurs was a clear success. Without forgetting his hard-rocking roots in songs like “Sixteen Saltines,” White infuses country into songs such as “Blunderbluss.” Throughout the album, White really touches on a multitude of musical influences, yielding an outstanding product.

4/5 ranking Passion Pit- Gossamer Passion Pit captivates the party-seeking crowd once again with their new album Gossamer. Passion Pit has struck the perfect balance between electronic and alternative. After so much success following their last album, Manners, Passion Pit had a lot to live up to with this album. Although Gossamer is a great album, Passion Pit let me down a tiny bit, only because they didn’t surpass Manners. With their smashhit single “Take a Walk” heading off the album, Gossamer reached its highest ranking on the top charts at number four.

If the group continues to put out albums like this, and improves on their best, the sky is the limit for these Massachusetts natives.

3/5 ranking The Rolling Stones- Sticky Fingers A trip back four decades takes us to one of the greatest albums of all time, hands down. The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers went platinum not one, not two, but three times; and as such it is an inspiration for bands everywhere. With songs such as “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses,” The Stones cemented their place in Rock History. Jack White derives a great deal of his success from the Stones riffing on their guitar tracks, while Passion Pit uses the catchy, dancey aspect of the Stones’ music. Either way, one of the greatest bands ever to walk this world created an album in the early 70s that still captivates young muscians today.

4.5/5 ranking

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Bubble Tea: Possible Carcinogen?

by Peter Siegler

B

ad News, Bears! You might be paving a new road to cancer by consuming a new type of drink that has blown in from the East. During the hot summer months, there’s nothing a person craves more than a cold drink to cool them down. This craving is often specific to certain types of beverages, usually due to a new fad or invention.

Within recent years, one such drink that has recently spiked in popularity is bubble tea, also commonly known as boba tea, pearl tea, milk tea, and tapioca tea.

This Taiwanese concoction, sweetened tea that comes in a variety of flavors, including Jasmine, Taro, and Mango, as well as ice, and black tapioca balls at the bottom to add a surprising textural element that first-time consumers may find bizarre, has become popular throughout the entire world, especially in various Asian cuisine.

However, people that indulge in this odd mixture are quite literally “drinking at their own risk.”

Besides the obvious choking hazard that accompanies slurping up tapioca balls through a straw, these gelatinous spheres pose another, more serious risk: cancer.

A recent German study conducted on the small, black pearls found that the orbs, “may also include cancer-causing chemicals known aspolychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs,” according to Daily News. This is a chemical that is highly unnatural to the human body, and can cause cancer, as well as produce many other harmful effects.

E v e n with this knowledge, thousands of people will still purchase the refreshing drinks everyday. When told about this fatal threat, Senior, Brittany Scheuch expressed shock when she responded, “yes, [bubble tea] could be very harmful, but obviously by the amount you consume. I think once a month wont do much damage, but if your statement is true, then daily or even a couple times a week could for sure be detrimental.” If this sentiment is representative of the entire population of M-A, it appears that this haunting news will not be convincing enough to get people to stop consuming this toxic beverage. It is just another item to add to the seemingly endless list of daily activities that will supposedly lead to cancer.

Photography Untitled Suzie McMurtry 12th

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“[they] may also include cancer-causing chemicals known aspolychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs”

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S R E T T I R C S CAMPU October 2012

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A spider dashes out from beside your elbow on the physics lab table, scuttling toward a crack in the scarred, black counter top. A squirrel peers out from the lip of the trashcan, balances on the rim, and nibbles on the crust of a PB&J recently discarded. A hamster named Tree Trunk spins quietly on his wheel while an APES lab ensues. A black Labrador puppy trips over its paws as it marches down pride hall dressed in a neon orange training vest. the bird poop I have the pleasure of trodding on, barefooted

the eastern fox squirrel, stares menacingly at the camera (peak of squirrel mating season is December and June)

a spider nests in a concrete crevice

a dust bunny sitting on a desk

a gull flees from the american crow

honey bees, known for dying slow deaths on M-A tennis courts

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california gull perches majestically on a Green lamp post

Tree Trunk, one of the many critters of Mr. Powel’s classroom

These are M-A’s campus critters. Many residing in the tiniest recesses of our schools community, they often pass unnoticed yet are critical contributing members to our campus vibe. Anyone can confirm they’d miss the occasional gull-dropping landing on their 44 shoulder as they cross the basketball courts hoping to make it in time to class on a dreary Monday morning. Or the sight of our schools duck couple, cuddling on the E-wing grass, taking their morning constitutional. As I explored the campus I discovered when students leave for the day that’s when most of the critters come out to play.

by Fiona Gutierrez-Dewar

By

By Ally Ostrow & Sara So

Fall Specials

by Ally Ostrow and Sara Solomon

Do you always have too much leftover candy from Halloween? Are you struggling to think of a Thanksgiving dessert? Do you read The MArk? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, we are The Bears in the Kitchen and we have two recipes to share that you will enjoy.

Use your leftover candy to make delicius shortbread candy bars or melt down any chocolate bars to create a chocolate pumpkin tart using Martha Stewart recipes. Happy baking.

Martha Stewart Shortbread Candy Bars Ingredients Difficulty: easy Prep time: 15 minutes 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt 2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled) 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 2 cups assorted chocolate candies (we used 1 cup of Milky Ways and 1 cup of M&MS)

Directions 1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and salt on mediumhigh for three minutes until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add flour in three additions and beat until combined (dough will be crumbly). Press dough evenly into an 8-inch square baking dish. Bake until golden brown and firm, 30 to 35 minutes.

2.) Scatter chocolate chips on top of shortbread. Bake until soft, one minute. With the back of a spoon, spread chocolate evenly over shortbread. Scatter candies over top. Let cool on a wire rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate briefly to set chocolate, then cut into 16 bars.

Martha Stewart Chocolate-Pumpkin Tart

Directions 1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse cookies and brown sugar until finely ground. Add butter; pulse until crumbs are moistened.

Using the bottom of a dry measuring cup, press crumbs into bottom (but not sides) of a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until set, about 12 minutes.

2.) Pour chocolate onto warm crust; spread with a spatula. Freeze until chocolate is firm, about five minutes.

3.) In a bowl, whisk together pumpkin, egg, cream, granulated sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt. Pour filling into prepared crust; bake on a rimmed baking sheet until set, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool one hour at room temperature; refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 1 day).

4.) Unmold tart (if sides stick, gently loosen with a knife). With two thin metal spatulas, transfer to a platter.

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Ingredients Difficulty: medium-hard Prep time: 1 1/2 hours 20 chocolate wafer cookies 2 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted 1 1/2 cups cooled Sugar-pumpkin purée or canned pure pumpkin puree 1 large egg 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice 1/4 teaspoon salt

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October 2012

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Painting Mustache Lady Aliya Hasoon, 12th

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High school is more often an unsafe place for gender nonconforming youth than not. Bathrooms can be a battlefield, teasing is not uncommon, and these issues are usually ignored by teachers and administration. Dropout rates of LGBT youth are nearly three times that of the national average. However, Menlo-Atherton High School is an environment where I almost always feel safe, included, and accepted. I feel free to let my men’s jeans fall just low enough that my floral-print boxer briefs peek through. I am confident enough to buzz my hair on a Monday night in the dark and still show up to my first period class Tuesday morning with no fear of facing bullying or harassment. I go to Gay Straight Alliance every Wednesday during lunch, and I talk about my female-to-male trans boyfriend with the other girls in my astronomy class. As a person who has very recently come out of the closet as Queer I am infinitely thankful for the welcoming environment M-A has provided me.

blue background, giving them a glimpse of their parents in their adolescence. I wanted my moment in time captured along with every other senior at M-A, but the dread of choosing between hyper-masculinity and hyper-femininity almost drove me to not get my senior portrait taken at all.

Ironically, as a member of the yearbook staff, the only exception to this awesome feeling of acceptance I have experienced here is senior portraits. For weeks I silently panicked every time they were brought up. The idea of wearing the drape assigned to me by the sex on my birth certificate brought me immense anxiety. While I knew I could wear the tux, the honest truth is that I just did not want to. I felt crushed by the implications that both the tux and the drape would have on my gender expression and identity. Our senior portraits are one of the defining images of our high school career. Decades from now our children will look through our senior yearbook searching for that one moment in time captured by the flash of a camera and a navy

I will be proudly sporting a plain, black button down for my senior portrait; an item of clothing that does not imply definite masculinity or femininity. While I am grateful that my needs were met, this is not enough. Not only should there be a third or fourth option for gender nonconforming youth, but it needs be advertised, available, and normalized so this unintentional gender exclusion can be stopped. Students need to know that there can be options for them outside of the tux or the drape because not everyone feels secure enough in their gender identity, or lack thereof, to assert themselves in a vulnerable situation to get their needs met. M-A is a place where LGBT youth can feel safe, included and accepted. Our senior portraits should reflect that.

by Olivia Schmidt 12th

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Part of me felt like it was my own fault that neither the tux nor the drape would accurately represent me in this way, that maybe I should just settle with one or the other--it would be easier to just participate in the gender conformity that resonated untrue with me. With the support and encouragement of my best friend and Ms. Snow, the yearbook advisor, I was able to find a solution that met my needs-- a solution that comes closer to accurately representing who I am and how I feel about my gender-- one that does not dumb down gender into two comical options, a drape and a tux, an in between place.

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October 2012

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student life | politics | submissions | food&music

Photography Cayman and Macaws Suzie McMurtry, 12th

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by Stefany Maldonado

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October 2012

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Pencil Draped Anna deBenedictis 12th

untitled by anonymous

Pipe dreams Day dreams RĂŞverie Fantasy How can we exist So many realities So many dimensions So many deceptions

nostalgic by anonymous

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nostalgic for when i looked forward to you. someone near, dear, warm, and close. and now i train my eyes on a future distant, fuzzy, and far. what’s so wrenchingyou, your light, your warmth. in the grayness of now.

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Photography Untitled Vanessa Wijaya 12th

Learning to Fly

by Brooke Muschott

I fell Does that shock you?

It shocked me I was flipped upside down Inside out Chilled This shouldn’t be happening So I think ‘I’ll just stop Turn around And run’

But then I caught the air In my wings with a pop I am flying And I wouldn’t give it up for the world Because it is real

Life feels right Head tilted back Eyes closed Arms spread wide Wings spread wider

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Infinite

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