Issue 7, 2/28/20

Friday February 28, 2020

The Campanile

Vol. CII, No. 7

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL 50 EMBARCADERO RD. PALO ALTO, CA 94301 NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAI D PALO ALTO PERMIT #44

www.thecampanile.org

Palo Alto High School, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301

CTC declines Haxton’s administrative credential Admin consult students in Clarisse Haxton’s role as guidance administrator to shift at end of school year

By Benjamin Stein & Sloan Wuttke

By Adora Zheng

Staff Writers

F

ollowing the declination of Guidance Assistant Principal Clarisse Haxton’s administrative credential by the California Teaching Commission, Haxton’s role has shifted to administrative teacher on special assignment for the remainder of the school year.

“The rule (is) you need at least three years of teaching and two of them have to be in the past five years,” Haxton said. “So my credentials declined because my teaching in K-12 education was not recent enough. So I would need to teach for two (more) years.”

Haxton said the declination of her credential was “unexpected,” because the small inconsistency of her application with administrative credential requirements was overlooked during the application process. She applied for the credential with two years of middle school teaching and one year of TOSA teaching from last year, but the TOSA teaching ultimately didn't count.

“I had the credential (and) I met the requirements of the position when I applied and when I got the job,” Haxton said. “Before the credential was granted, I had a valid, temporary administrative credential while the application was being reviewed. And so my admin credential was valid until it was declined (by the CTC).”

Consequently, Haxton’s duties have been altered by the district to abide by the CTC’s rules, making her a TOSA. “My role will be the same for the rest of this year as all of the duties of assistant principal guidance,” Haxton said. “The only detail is that you need an admin credential to do two things: to be able to do student discipline and to evaluate staff. So now for the rest of the year, I will not do those two things.”

During her time as guidance assistant principal and now as a

principal hiring process

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BENJAMIN STEIN/THE CAMPANILE

Acting administrator Haxton said, “This is an amazing school. It has a ton of strength (and) it has a ton of resources. I think the need is just to continue to improve and to work together as a team and community.”

TOSA, Haxton works primarily with the Guidance, English and Social Justice departments. There, she co-leads a committee that works to come up with suggestions to improve the advisory program.

“The only detail is that you need an admin credential to do two things: to be able to do student discipline and to evaluate staff. So now for the rest of the year, I will not do those two things.”

Clarisse Haxton

“I think advisory is one of the most important things for students,” Haxton said. “It holds a lot

(of weight) and we want to try to do it better.”

Haxton is also working with school counselors, psychologists and wellness teams to coordinate an effective way of helping students who struggle with mental health or personal and academic issues.

“We have made a more systematic approach to the (guidance) system this year so we can make sure that staff can better support students and follow up in a more systematic way,” Haxton said.

According to Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson, the fact that Haxton instantly took the initiative to improve systems around Paly is what makes her special.

“The most impressive thing is she hit the ground running with her job, which (amazes me) because she hasn’t been an assistant principal of guidance before,” Berkson said. “It is such a complex job that she just hit the ground running like she’s been doing it for 20 years.”

Looking toward the future,

Haxton said she hopes Paly can continue to better its environment for students and staff.

“Bottom line, this is an amazing school with amazing people,” Haxton said. “Paly just needs to continue to improve and work together as a team and as a community.”

In terms of her own career, Haxton is confident that this setback will not prevent her from pursuing her passions.

“My entire career has been working in education and working on issues of equity and systems improvement,” Haxton said. “I love kids (and) schools. And I love working with teachers and teaching. So all of the experience(s) of my career brought me to this role here … I love being a site administrator.”

For her next two years of teaching necessary to acquire an administrative credential, Haxton wants to continue to teach at Paly.

Haxton Credentials

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Lifestyle Editor

wo weeks after Principal Adam Paulson announced his resignation, effective at the end of the 2019-20 school year, the administration held an open meeting in the Media Arts Center to gather student input on their preferences for the new Paly principal.

Assistant Principal Tom Keating announced that the Feb. 4 meeting was happening through a course update posted to the Schoology homepage the day before the meeting. Deputy Superintendent Karen Hendricks and Director of Certificated Human Resources Lisa Hickey were among the district administrators in attendance.

The six students who attended the meeting said they wanted a principal who is consistently reachable, has good communication with student journalists and who makes a true effort to connect with all students, not just vocal student leaders.

“We look at the input from students, from staff, from the community in terms of what they prioritize to be the most important to see who might be the best match.”

Lisa Hickey

“(When it is) challenging to get time with the press, that makes it easier for (administration) to prepare for questions, which kind of defeats the purpose of asking tough questions in the first place,” junior Rohin Ghosh, a staff writer for Anthro

Magazine, said at the meeting. “It creates a relationship of distrust with student press and creates an aura of somebody trying to hide something even if that’s not true.

So I think we should have a very strong culture of transparency and a very strong compliance with student press freedom.”

“I want to see the principal and the administration of the school do their job without the scandals.”

Owen Longstreth

Ghosh and junior Owen Longstreth, another member of Anthro Magazine, also touched on the importance of having a principal who can ensure Paly is compliant with state and federal laws — two years ago, Paulson had to navigate the aftermath of Paly’s Title IX scandal after the resignation of the previous principal, Kim Diorio. “(One thing) that’s really been a problem these last couple of years is that we don’t meet compliance,” junior Owen Longstreth said at the meeting. “I want to see the principal and the administration of the school do their job without the scandals.”

Some students, like junior Michaela Seah, expressed concerns about whether administration would actually use student input given at the meeting in the actual hiring process.

“I thought (the meeting) was just for show,” Seah said. “I thought they were just doing this to be like, ‘Oh, yeah, we care about students,’ but then not actually fit (our input) into the requirements (for the new principal). I’m a little

New Principal

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Baccalaureate confirmed Annual Career Month event kicks off in MAC for new San Jose venue Employees from variety of careers speak about occupations, answer student questions

By Kris Risano & Siddhartha Sahasrabuddhe Staff Writer & Business Manager

A

fter a controversial period in which it was thought to be canceled, Baccalaureate will take place on May 30 at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts from 1-2:30 p.m.

According to Paly parent Kristen Andersen, the event was initially canceled because the traditional venue was torn down.

“Apparently (Student Activities Director Matt) Hall was not able to find another venue that could accommodate size requirements.

There are very few facilities in the area that are large,” Andersen said.

But Andersen said, despite the rumors, the event was never formally canceled.

“I scheduled a meeting with (Principal) Adam Paulson to make sure we were on the same page,” Andersen said. “I asked about Baccalaureate and found out that we did not have a venue.

I offered to help look for a venue and Mr. Paulson welcomed my involvement.”

Andersen also said she worked with Hall and Paulson to finalize the details of the event.

“I had told Mr. Paulson I would seek to find a venue in line with the cost of Flint Center,” Andersen said. “I initially found a venue for Friday, 5/29, but in working with the Center for Performing Arts to get an estimate, Saturday opened up. I provided an estimate to Mr. Paulson and Mr. Hall, and Mr. Hall took over finalizing the contract.”

INSIDE

According to Hall, Baccalaureate is a traditional event at Paly.

“This (is) a traditional, inspiring ceremony that focuses on senior student performances,” Hall said.

Senior Haley Ho, who said she plans to audition to perform a dance at Baccalaureate, said she was disappointed when she first heard the program might be canceled.

“I was pretty sad at first,” Ho said. “Because I knew that Baccalaureate was a pretty big tradition at Paly, and throughout high school, I was always looking forward to being a part of it during my senior year.”

Senior Taylor Yamashita, who also plans to audition alongside Ho at the event, agrees.

“I was disappointed,” Yamashita said. “I was really looking forward to performing with friends onstage.”

The event, formerly held at De Anza Community College, also showcases the talents of the graduating class, Hall said.

Ho said the uncertainty surrounding the event led to her and her group losing precious preparation time.

“We created a Spotify playlist of songs that we could potentially dance to after we found out that it was rescheduled,” Ho said. “But we haven’t started practicing yet.”

Ho said her group would have already made some crucial decisions regarding choreography had Baccalaureate not been originally canceled.

“We were all pretty excited about it,” Ho said. “And I think

Baccalaureate

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By Jace Purcell

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Staff Writer

iming to provide students with insight on various career paths to help them plan their life after high school, Paly’s 12th annual Career Month began Thursday.

“It gives exposure to a lot of careers and job paths, especially unconventional ones, and it lets you learn about different careers and what you might be interested in.”

Ludovica La Rosa

According to senior and Career Month committee president Ludovica La Rosa, Career Month is a time in which people with careers in different fields come and share their professional experiences. The two-week period consists of daily speakers discussing their lives and how they ended up where they are. These talks take place during lunch in the Performing Arts Center and Media Arts Center.

La Rosa said all students should take advantage of this opportunity because it will allow them to discover and learn about both traditional and non-traditional careers.

“It gives exposure to a lot of careers and job paths, especially unconventional ones, and it lets you learn about different careers and what you

Lifestyle

RYAN YEUNG/USED WITH PERMISSION

Listening closely! Joseph Okpaku speaks about his job as a Chief Policy Officer for Booster Fuels. Senior and career month president Ludovica La Rosa said, “It’s always interesting learning about new jobs.” might be interested in,” La Rosa said.

La Rosa said she joined the committee as a sophomore and has enjoyed her three years on it.

“It’s definitely a rewarding experience seeing a lot of the students come to the speakers and enjoy them, and just getting to work with a lot of people from a lot of jobs is always interesting,” La Rosa said.

One of the most important parts of preparing for the event is making sure students know about it, according to junior and Career Month committee publicity manager Ryan Yeung.

“We try to publicize the events through posters, social media and word of mouth,” Yeung said. “We want everyone to know about Career Month.”

Another critical aspect of

Spotlight

preparation is reaching out to and selecting which speakers to host at Paly, La Rosa said.

“It’s definitely a rewarding experience seeing a lot of the students come to the speakers and enjoy them.”

Ludovica La Rosa

“We have some of our own contacts through parents and friends but we also search online in various job websites,” La Rosa said.

Science & Tech

According to the Career Month committee advisor Karla Larson, the students in the committee essentially plan and run the entire event themselves.

“The committee is mostly run by students, and I’m just there to help them with the planning,” Larson said. “Our students on the committee find the speakers themselves. Every year, they send out a survey to the whole school and find out what types of speakers the students want to hear.”

This year, the committee has made an effort to choose speakers from more diverse industries than in past years.

“We try to pick speakers who are from a ton of different careers,

Career Month

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Sports

the edition

News. . . . . . . . . . . A1-A4 Opinion. . . . . . . . A5-A7 Editorials. . . . . . . . . . A8 Lifestyle. . . . . B1-B3, B6 Spotlight. . . . . . . . B4-B5 Science & Tech. . . B7-B8 Sports. . . . C1-C3, C6-C8 Sports Spread. . . . . C4-C5

DECLAN GREICIUS/USED WITH PERMISSION

Oscar’s Band Legacy

An eccentric music group has taken Paly by storm.

PAGE B1

BENJAMIN STEIN/THE CAMPANILE

Wellness Center

An analysis of the effectiveness of a widely-praised school resource.

PAGE B4-B5

ART BY SHIVA MOHSENIAN

Coronavirus

Anti-Chinese sentiment grows following the spread of a virus.

PAGE B8

LUKE HAROLD/CC0 1.0

Remembering Kobe Bryant Students reflect on the life of a legendary athlete.

PAGE C4-C5

Friday, February 28, 2020

The Campanile

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NEWS

Students honored with Scholastic Art Awards Teen Advisory Board High school artists from Palo Alto account for significant portion of Bay Area winners

hosts latest social event

By Kai Vetteth Online Editor

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he Palo Alto Teen Advisory Board plans to host a new event in an effort to recreate the social and energetic atmosphere of their most popular events, Boba & Brushes and Palapalooza, Vice President Jasmine Sun said.

“Currently, we are planning including game tournaments, tie dying socks and a boba bar,” Sun said. “We haven’t come up with a name for this event yet.”

According to Sun, last year, TAB successfully designed and organized a music festival in collaboration with the Palo Alto Youth Council.

“It is great seeing teens

ANDREW BERNAS/USED WITH PERMISSION

Junior Andrew Bernas had five of his photos win Scholastic Art Awards. This photograph of the moon and stars plastered across the night sky over a scenic California landscape, titled “Silver Surfer,” won a Silver Key, a prestigious regional award. Bernas said, “I specifically have a passion for photography, so I take it very seriously.”

By Aidan Seto Staff Writer

P

aly students won a combined 165 awards in the Bay Area region, putting them on top of many other schools in terms of winning Scholastic Art Awards.

“I’m happy with and admire all my students who apply because they have to put themselves out there to be judged, and that’s not easy,” art teacher Kate McKenzie said. “I’m also really proud of the students whose work gets chosen.

It’s an honor and attests to a lot of hard work.”

“I’m happy with and admire all my students who apply because they have to put themselves out there to be judged and that’s not easy. I’m also really proud of the students whose work gets chosen. It’s an honor and attests to a lot of hard work.”

Kate McKenzie Every year, high school art students throughout the country submit their best work to local programs in hopes of receiving a Scholastic Art Award in the form of an honorable mention, Silver Key or the renowned Gold Key. Gold Key winning pieces are then sent up to be judged on a national level, competing for gold and silver medals. The artworks submitted to the contest are judged on originality, technical skill and the emer-

gence of personal voice. According to artandwriting.org, in 2019, over 340,000 works of art and writing were submitted, making it a great honor to win and be recognized on even a local level.

Kate McKenzie has taught Drawing and Painting at Paly for over a decade, and has been the mentor to many Scholastic Award-winning students. Having seen countless of her students receive awards, McKenzie said that students need to work extremely hard to win an award, which is why Paly is so exceptional at it.

According to McKenzie, this is not a new trend, as Paly students have held a significant portion of the award winners for a decent stretch of time now.

The reason behind Paly’s culture of success in the Scholastic Art Awards is a complex topic. It is known that Paly has access to a wide variety of resources, given its great funding and educational environment. Art students can access a glass-blowing lab, one of the very few among American high schools. This, among other assets, is a major factor in the success of our art students in receiving Scholastic Art Awards.

Junior Andrew Bernas is a photography student who was nominated for three honorable mentions and two Silver Keys as a result of his work. This is his first year applying for a Scholastic award, but he already has a clear picture as to why Paly wins often.

“We have tons of different resources,” Bernas said. “In photography, we have a whole computer lab with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. We also have access to a darkroom for film photography, as well as scanners.”

Outside of technological advantages, Paly also possesses other traits that give students an edge

over others, McKenzie said.

“We are very lucky that we have a 4-year program, and the students are often supported by their family,” McKenzie said. “The students here are lucky to have so much to work with.”

“We have tons of

different resources. In photography, we have a whole computer lab with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. We also have access to a darkroom for film photography, as well as scanners.”

Andrew Bernas Sophomore Meya Gao was also nominated for an honorable mention for her drawing and illustration this year. While she does acknowledge the significant advantage of Paly’s resources, she said the largest factor for her success is the school’s great working environment.

“The atmosphere here tends to be more competitive, and everyone here wants to learn from and help each other,” Gao said.

Of course, individual skill and effort plays a large role as well, according to Bernas. Many students genuinely care about their art and have an ambition to improve, and that drive helps them win awards.

“I specifically have a passion for photography, so I take it very seriously,” Bernas said. “I want to get better as a photographer.”

In a community where academic excellence is stressed so

heavily, many students take it upon themselves to pursue their art outside of class and have a true love for their art, according to Gao. “I know a lot of students who take art classes outside of school,” Gao said.

Although the current competition is already steep, pushing students to work very hard in order to receive recognition, it could only get tougher in the future, according to Bernas.

“As technology keeps expanding, there will be more resources available, I only expect it to get harder,” Bernas said.

McKenzie admits that it is much more difficult now than a decade ago, and is unsure if this means increasing competition in the future.

“Like everywhere else in the pre-college world, the competition is so much more than it was,” McKenzie said.

“The atmosphere

here tends to be more competitive, and everyone here wants to learn from and help each other.”

Meya Gao While art students here at Paly are certainly in an advantageous position, they will still have to have a serious work ethic and be willing to put in tremendous effort, as the competition could only look to be getting significantly steeper with time.

“Kids do have to work really hard,” McKenzie said. “Whether you are talented or not, it takes serious work to get an award.”

come with their friends but also interact with people they usually don’t talk to. The most challenging aspect would be setting up and making sure everything (and) everyone is where they are supposed to be.”

Jasmine Sun “Also, starting from last year, we created this annual event, Palopalooza, which is an event with live music from local high school bands, silent disco, glow in the dark graffiti room, lots of food and henna,” Sun said. “We also had a social media giveaway where we gave away AirPods and two Hydroflasks.”

According to Teen Advisory Board President Nathania Au, the Teen Advisory Board also hopes their new event will emulate the social and energetic atmosphere created by Boba & Brushes, which has been their most popular event for the last three years.

“Every year, our most attended event would be Boba & Brushes, where teens come and paint on canvases and drink boba,” Au said.

“We usually get around 100 to 150 students there.”

Daniel Pei, a junior at Gunn High School, said the event allowed students to relax and enjoy themselves.

“With the boba and the other fun activities that they had in the community center, I got to spent some time with my friends (to) destress from the school work,” Pei said. “I also won the lottery for the gift card that night, which was a bonus to the overall experience.”

According to Pei, many students also participated in other activities as part of the Boba & Brushes event, including ping pong, video games, card games, pool and foosball, which allowed them to mingle with students from different social groups.

“Boba Brush is an event that can help you to take a step back

Construction of new fire station nearly finished

City expects building to be functional by end of March following numerous delays

By Will Thomas

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Staff Writer

he newly constructed Fire Station 3 is on the brink of completion.

Despite an original completion date of Jan. 8, 2019, the remodeling of Palo Alto Fire Station 3 has dragged on well into 2020. The station, located at 799 Embarcadero Road, is now expected to be finished and operational by the end of March, according to project manager Matt Raschke.

Raschke explained that the delay was in part caused by issues within the General Contractor, those responsible for coordinating the project while following the City’s construction contract.

“The General Contractor on Fire Station 3 experienced a high volume of staff turnover during the first six months of work,” Raschke said. “They had two project managers and four superintendents assigned to the job leave the company. I believe that staff turnover significantly affected their ability to stay on schedule and coordinate the work.”

Raschke also added that there were problems with HVAC Service Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., one of the major subcontractors involved with the project. “(HVAC) had performance is-

sues and then ultimately filed for bankruptcy in May 2019,” Raschke said. “This subcontractor was responsible for the heating, air conditioning and the exterior cladding of the building.”

“(HVAC) had

performance issues and then ultimately filed for bankruptcy in May 2019. This subcontractor was responsible for the heating (and) air conditioning.”

Matt Raschke As a part of the city’s construction contract, there is a provision for Liquidated Damages, justifying costs caused by delays from the General Contractor. In the contract, the city designated the fine to be $1,500, the amount the General Contractor must pay the city for each day of delay.

The contract states that “if Contractor fails to achieve Substantial Completion of the entire Work within the Contract Time, including any approved extensions thereto, City may assess liquidated dam-

ages on a daily basis for each day of Unexcused Delay in achieving Substantial Completion, based on the amount of One Thousand Five Hundred dollars ($1,500) per day.”

According to Chenglong Tsai, the project architect for Station 3, the new station improves upon its predecessor in a variety of ways, allowing it to both comply with the current firehouse standards and better suit the needs of the community.

One standard the new station meets is the Essential Services Building Seismic Safety Act. “(The act) requires that all the fire stations we design today remain operational after a major earthquake,” Tsai said. “This is one of the main reasons that the new fire station is necessary.”

The new station also enhances the apparatus bay, the part of the station that houses the firefighting vehicles, according to Tsai.

This design incorporates a driveway on Newell Road, allowing vehicles to enter the building from Newell and exit out to Embarcadero.

“The old station only had doors opening to Embarcadero Road.

It required fire apparatus to back into the station,” Tsai said. “It took more time for the fire personnel to back into the apparatus bay and also required traffic to stop at Em-

barcadero Road. More importantly, this feature creates a much safer environment for both pedestrians and traffic.”

Palo Alto residents may have noticed the similarities between the new station and other surrounding civic buildings, such as the Palo Alto Main Library on Newell Road.

“As part of architectural design, we always strive to make our new building fit in with its context, may it be physical or conceptual,” Tsai said. “As a way of drawing connections to what’s already in the area, we did look closely at the library.

We have no intention to copy what was done at the library, however we did use the materials that ‘already existed in the area,’ such as terracotta and metal panel, and reinterpreted them to make them unique to this fire station.”

Junior Matthew Ward, who lives a block away from Station 3, said he is content with the way the project appears to be turning out.

“I think it will be a lot more beneficial to have (Fire Station 3) done given the fire history we have in California,” Ward said. “I also believe that the absence of construction will reduce a lot of the traffic there is currently on Embarcadero. I’m looking forward to the many benefits the new station will bring to the community in the foreseeable future.”

and really spend time talking to your friends and make some new friends,” Pei said. “Overall, it’s an engaging event that connects the teens in our city.”

Au said she attributes the number of students who attend the event each year not only to the activities themselves, but to her team’s creative marketing strategies.

“We publicize our events through hanging up flyers around schools, posting about it on our social media (and) having our events announced on InFocus,” Au said.

“Recently we have also been doing social media giveaways which attracts teens to come.”

According to Au, organizing the event required extensive coordination between board members as well as negotiation with local businesses.

“In the past, we interacted with Teaspoon to get discounts on Boba,” Au said. “For Boba & Brushes this year, I had to communicate back and forth with Boba Guys on receiving discounts.”

Au said that despite its complexity, the planning of Teen Advisory Board events is incredibly rewarding, in part because it brings students from Paly, Gunn High School and Castileja School together.

“It is great seeing teens come with their friends but also interact with people they usually don’t talk to,” Au said. “The most challenging aspect would be setting up and making sure everything (and) everyone is where they are supposed to be, especially with the limited time that we have to set up.”

“With the boba and the other fun activities that they had in the community center, I got to spend some time with my friends (to) destress from the school work. I also won the lottery gift card that night.”

Daniel Pei According to Au, the success of Boba & Brushes follows the success of two other recent Teen Advisory Board events.

“This year, we put on an Escape Room event as our first event, then a Holiday Night and then Boba & Brushes,” Au said.

“We are currently planning for our next event which is going to be a Game Night.”

Sun said that her experience bringing disparate groups of people together through the Teen Advisory Board has been a gratifying experience.

“I feel like TAB has always been a safe space for me to share out my creative voice,” Sun said.

“It is a truly rewarding process to see your imagination and creativity come to life.”

UPCOMING EVENTS MAR

3

MAR

4

MAR

4

MAR

13

MAR

14

MAR

15

MAR

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WASC FOCUS GROUP WORK Attend a meeting run by another organization where no one knows what the acronym stands for.

PTSA GENERAL MEETING Discuss how to ensure smooth swaps as admin end their Paly internships and move on to real jobs.

SENIOR CPR TRAINING Prepare for an inevitable Senior Ditch Day neardeath experience, assuming we go to the beach again.

POPS CONCERT & SWING DANCE Watch freshman learn the boogie woogie and other dance moves as early preparation for prom.

FLEA MARKET Help Paly admin buy furniture as part of a new initiative to improve the barricades during Code Reds.

SPRING PLAY Appreciate the hard work of the theater members who sacrificed their evenings for the production.

ASB ELECTIONS Tell all candidates who ask you to vote that you did already, then realize the polls open tomorrow.

The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

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NEWS

Super Tuesday may clarify race Photo students display blue shoes Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, others vying for top finish in crowded field Footwear scattered around campus highlight environment issues

By Austin Xiang

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Staff Writer

fter a fiery debate among seven Democratic presidential contenders this week, California and 13 other states head into Super Tuesday primaries that may determine whom the party nominates to run against President Donald Trump.

U.S. Government teacher Steve Foug, who will be voting on Super Tuesday next week, said that this week’s debate, despite the obvious tension, might not affect voters in the next primary, which is Saturday in South Carolina. During the primary elections hosted by individual states, party members vote for a presidential candidate to represent them in the general election in November.

“This was the tenth debate and the first one started in June, so I don’t know how much effect (the debates) are going to have anymore,” Foug said. “If I were a South Carolina voter, I don’t think it would have swayed me one way or the other.”

Despite the mess, according to Foug, there were a couple trends that stood out to him.

“Relative to the other (candidates), I thought Biden was okay,” Foug said. “Also, it’s not fun to get attacked, but it also means that you’re the number one threat, so we definitely saw the attack on (Sen. Bernie Sanders).”

According to the website FiveThirtyEight, the latest polls in California show Sanders in the lead, hovering around 30%, with all other candidates under 15%.

Nationally, Sanders leads with 45 total delegates, with former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg trailing with 25. However, with Super Tuesday providing all candidates with a total of 1,357 delegate votes and 415 coming from California, Foug believes there is an enormous number of delegates up for grabs.

“According to ABC News, 70% of Americans have a positive opinion about the U.S. economy right now. I think that if the Republicans want to win, they should just keep doing what they’re doing.”

Jackson Druker

“You have Texas, California and Virginia, which are all big, huge states,” Foug said.

Foug believes that with Sanders having an early lead, other states such as California will follow suit and continue to vote for the senator from Vermont.

“The more Bernie wins early, the better he’ll do (in California) because people will want to back the winner,” Foug said.

Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden has gotten an endorsement from House Major-

ity Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), the number three Democrat in the House, ahead of the state’s primary. Clyburn also endorsed former President Barack Obama ahead of the South Carolina primary in 2008, which resulted in an Obama victory.

Prior to Super Tuesday, Iowa and Nevada have held caucuses, while New Hampshire and South Carolina have held primaries.

The Democratic National Committee will have hosted 10 debates. Those on the debate stage in South Carolina included Biden, Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and businessman Tom Steyer.

“(Biden) was the overall front man for a long time and he is dropping like a stone.”

Steve Foug

With the DNC removing the individual donor requirement to qualify for the debate, Bloomberg, a self-funded candidate, was able to step on stage. Bloomberg skipped the early-voting states and instead is focusing on the states voting on Super Tuesday.

Despite Bloomberg’s new approach to campaigning, Paly senior Jackson Druker, a former member of the conservative club Young Americans for Freedom, does not believe Bloomberg will perform well in the primaries.

“Bloomberg currently doesn’t have the ability to win over the far-left Democrats who are set on Bernie,” Druker said. “I think that the more moderate Democrats have their eyes set on Mayor Pete or Vice President Biden.”

On the contrary, Foug believes Bloomberg has won the support of the moderate Democrats. “(Biden) was the overall front man for a long time, and he is dropping like a stone,” Foug said.

“He was the moderate, bankable one, but Bloomberg, a former Republican, is now taking over as that moderate representation.”

Druker believes the Republicans are on track to win the general election, even though Trump was impeached.

“According to ABC News, 70% of Americans have a positive opinion about the U.S. economy right now,” Druker said. “I think that if the Republicans want to win, they should just keep doing what they’re doing.”

On the other hand, junior and Democrats Club president Rohin Ghosh said he thinks the Democrats can pull off a victory over Trump in November but that there is still work to be done.

“I think in order to beat Trump, Democrats need to ensure that young people especially are energized to go out and vote in very large numbers,” Ghosh said.

“I think we lost in 2016 because we had low voter turnout.”

Senior Olivia Chang, who will be voting on Super Tuesday, also believes that steps need to be taken in order for a Democrat to take

back the White House.

“I think they (have a chance), but there’s work to be done,” Chang said. “I think (Trump) won by 120,000 votes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.”

Chang said Democrats need to take a different approach and focus on campaigning in swing states.

Some believe that the snafus in the first caucus state, Iowa, could hurt Democrats, or at least the image of the party. A bug in a newly developed app used to increase voter participation caused the results of the Iowa caucuses to be delayed.

Senior Ryan Wisowaty said the delayed results of the Iowa caucuses affect the perception of elections.

“There is a very large perception that there is voter fraud going on, and that’s dangerous because elections are only as legitimate as people perceive it to be,” Wisowaty said. “(The delay) dampens whoever actually won because there’s that cloud hanging above them.”

With the Nevada caucuses encountering errors similar to those in the Iowa caucuses, though not as severe, Foug said the Democrats have to fix this problem.

“They’re going to have to figure out the mechanics of how they want to run these caucuses in the future,” Foug said. “It’s too late to fix Iowa and Nevada, but it doesn’t look good if every caucus is in a contention or challenge.”

“There is a very large perception that there is voter fraud going on and that’s dangerous, because elections are only as legitimate as people perceive it to be.

(The delay) dampens whoever actually won because there’s that cloud hanging above them.”

Ryan Wisowaty

However, Foug said that the results of the several early states may not necessarily tell the whole story, due to Iowa and New Hampshire being predominantly white states.

“As of yet, the front-runners aren’t the ones that lead amongst the (Latino and the African American vote),” Foug said. “Super Tuesday will see a great big mix because you have (Texas and California) in there, amongst other things.”

On the whole, Ghosh said Super Tuesday could drastically shake up the outcome of the primaries.

“I think Super Tuesday is going to determine the outcome of the primary,” Ghosh said. “Most of the delegates and biggest states all vote on Super Tuesday, so I think that it will radically change the direction of the primary.”

District in debt after free lunches

PAUSD faces $60,000 deficit following distribution of costless meals

By Braden Leung

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Staff Writer

alo Alto Unified School District school lunch debt could reach over $60,000 by the end of the year, according to an email sent out by the district to all parents.

The California Education Code Section 49550 requires all schools to provide a nutritionally adequate lunch for free or at a discounted price for eligible students.

According to the email, this code, as well as others, has been put in place to combat “lunchshaming,” in which schools used to give students who were unable to pay an alternate meal or no meal at all.

These students are now covered by federally subsidized lunch programs. Sophomore Eric Gabasoff used to be part of PAUSD’s Free and Reduced Lunch program.

“In elementary school and middle school, I got a discounted lunch as my family couldn’t afford it, but people could abuse that rule for free lunch,” Gabassof said.

According to the email, many students who have not applied to the Free and Reduced Lunch program still do not pay for lunches,

which the district has to cover.

As a result, over the past few years, the debt has grown steeply.

During the 2018-19 school year, the district wrote off $27,000 in debt. This year, the debt passed $27,000 mid-January.

PAUSD Food Service Director Alva Spence said while the unpaid lunches may lead to district debt, free school lunches are a necessity.

“I believe that it is crucial that no student be denied the ability to eat a meal, even if they do not have the funds to pay for that meal during the school day,” Spence said. “Students cannot focus, participate and perform at their highest levels if they’re concentrating on being hungry.”

However, Gabassof said the meals are not very beneficial to him. He said he has many criticisms as well as suggestions for improvements.

“I feel like school lunches are overpriced,” Gabassof said. “They have very small portions and are not healthy whatsoever. They should give out a variety of protein options and vegetables on the side, and give out water instead of milk.”

Gabassof said he believes the dip in quality is a result of the

lunch debt. He thinks that because the district has been losing more money on lunch, they have made food portions smaller to compensate.

“Parents are ultimately responsible for covering the cost of their student’s meals, but some families are struggling financially,” Spence said. “School fundraising is already stretched for so many school events and programs. All families that are struggling should apply for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program to see if they qualify.”

If you are a parent and do not know how to deposit funds into your child’s account, there are three options.

1) Give checks (payable to PAUSD) or cash (cash is not accepted at elementary school offices) to school offices.

2) Mail checks to Student Nutrition Services at 25 Churchill Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306.

3) Deposit money online at sendmoneytoschool.com.

ANDY WANG/THE CAMPANILE

Bold in blue! Pairs of blue shoes lay scattered outside of the Haymarket Theater, drawing attention to the impact of climate change on the environment. Photography teacher Margo Wixsom said, “(The project) should communicate a new form of demonstration and make the blue shoe a worldwide symbol of the environment and climate protection movement.”

By Andy Wang

S

Staff Writer

cattered across campus lay sets of blue shoes attached with posters painted and designed by the Advanced Photography and AP studio arts classes aiming to provide guidance on revamping environmental damage caused by climate change and human intercession.

Photography teacher Margo Wixsom said that the installment was a collaboration with Heidelberg professional artist Nicola Pragera.

“For Nicola Pragera, the shoes represented ‘Steps in the Water’ and the reality of rising sea levels,” Wixsom said. “Since he was the lead artist in this collaboration and we were invited to join the installation concept, my idea was to have blue shows represent the steps and missteps that we as humans take in making the world either a better or worse place.”

Pragera’s original installment displays hundreds of blue shoes placed in the centers of cities in Germany. Other cities that will be involved in the project include Stuttgart, Hamburg, Berlin, Barcelona and Amsterdam.

“The blue shoes show the future,” Pragera said. “They represent the water that will flood many coastal cities in the future due to climate change. The blue stands for water, and the shoes for people. This is where the name ‘Steps in the Water’ comes from.”

Pragera said that he currently has designed and painted 1000 pairs of blue shoes.

“The implementation of the

Haxton Credentials Continued from A1 “I hope that I’m not going to leave (Paly) actually,” Haxton said.

“I’m trying to work it out. If possible, I would love to stay for the next two years.”

Regardless of her position or location, Berkson said Haxton will do everything she can to improve her community.

“Whatever she does here, she’ll be great,” Berkson said. “It’s not like she’s just going to teach to get her two years. She will give it 100% and do something meaningful, and I’m excited about the prospect of having her around.”

Wherever the future takes her, Haxton said she is excited to solve problems and help people.

Haxton said, “You can’t control the challenges in this job, but you can turn them into opportunities.”

Career Month

Continued from A1 even speakers who pursued an unconventional way of getting a job, like they didn’t go to college, for example, just to have a lot of diversity,” La Rosa said. “We have sports coaches to professors to venture capitalists. We definitely have been increasing the diversity of speakers over the years.”

Yeung agrees and said this year’s event has more emphasis on more hands-on, field speakers.

“There’s a lot of different speakers, for example, there are more vocational industries like the Army or mechanical,” Yeung said.

For Yeung, Career Month is about more than just speeches.

After listening to the speakers during his freshman year, Yeung said he approached them, exchanged contact information and gained many connections. This experience is what ultimately led him to join the committee.

“Freshman year, I got a decent amount of connections and it led to getting a part-time internship,” Yeung said.

According to Larson, connecting with speakers is common amongst students.

“It’s a good way for students to get connected,” Larson said. “Often times, students stay after and get connected and that can lead to

project was not easy,” Pragera said.

“First of all, I spent months collecting old shoes from friends and acquaintances. Then I made several attempts to find the best way to paint the shoes blue. It took me more than half a year to finish the first 100 pairs of shoes. Then I tried different arrangements (on) how the installation in the open air works best.”

Pragera said that he hopes to show the installation on the world-famous Piazza San Marco in Venice next autumn.

Paly photography classes extended Pragera’s concern regarding rising sea levels to all environmental issues.

“Photography students paired a set of shoes with a landscape photo and environmental fact so that the blue shoes also became a way to ‘display’ photographers connecting the image to the practices that we have in using land and resources,” Wixsom said.

Advanced Photography junior Ethan Hwang said the project was meant to address the issue of climate change in general.

“It intersected with our King Tides project, where we took pictures at high tide to draw attention to the rise of sea levels,” Hwang said.

Clipped onto each blue shoe is a poster designed by students expressing their personal suggestion for reducing the effects of climate change. Photography students chose to tackle various environmental issues such as ocean pollution, energy waste, food waste and extinction of species.

“My poster specifically discussed the high environmental

cost of shipping food to supermarkets and other large retailers,” Hwang said. “I encouraged people to buy food from local farmers markets, as the food likely hasn’t traveled as far.”

On Hwang’s poster, he wrote, “Not only are fresh-picked fruits and vegetables tastier, they also help reduce the environmental impact from the transportation of food. On average, food from your local supermarket travels 1,500 miles before it reaches you. Think of all the pollution. Reduce your carbon footprint by buying local.”

Through this project, Wixsom hopes to create a nexus of art and advancement of eco-friendly methods.

“Modern photography can intersect and expand art disciplines — in this case paired with sculptural installations,” Wixsom said.

“For the greater Paly community, I want them to better understand that literally every step we take each day in the choices that we make either helps or harms the planet. If better informed, I think people will transition to more sustainable ways of using resources and being in a healthy relationship with the planet that sustains us.”

Artists’ actions and messages, Pragera said, can be a powerful form of expression in which he hopes to create change.

“I hope that the project will make people think about the visual language of art,” Pragera said.

“It should communicate a new form of demonstration and make the blue shoe a worldwide symbol of the environment and climate protection movement. ”

something else like internships.”

Yeung encourages other students to take the same initiative.

“Afterwards, exchange contact and send them an email,” Yeung said. “It’s rare as a student to be in the presence of so many successful people. Take advantage of that.”

Yeung said networking is one of, if not the most, important skills in life, and Career Month is a great opportunity to start practicing regardless of students’ vocational futures.

“It’s not about what you know it’s about who you know,” Yeung said. “Sooner or later it won’t matter about what college you went to, it’ll be about who you know and how that connection can further your career. So by learning how to network and make connections early on, it’ll just push your career further.”

“Where we really get into (community) input is when we do the rounds, and we come up with finalists and there are discussions about the finalists because all candidates have strengths and areas for growth.”

Administration also announced that students will be included on the interview panel for candidates who pass initial screening interviews with Superintendent Don Austin, Hendricks and Chief Academic Officer of Secondary Education Sharon Ofek.

According to Hickey, who will be facilitating the panel interviews, on-site administration is still working on the logistics for how the students on the panel will be selected.

Among the others on the interview panel will be several site staff members, parents, district staff members, a member of the Palo Alto Educators Association and a member of the California School Employees Association.

According to the district’s hiring timeline, which was released on its website on Jan. 24, the new Paly principal will be announced on March 13.

New Principal

Continued from A1 bit more optimistic now.”

During the meeting, the administration announced that in the coming weeks, a survey would be sent to all students, staff and parents to gather input from more community members. The survey consists of a list of 14 to 15 statements about certain characteristics in a principal that users will mark on a scale of one to five, with one being least important and five being most important, as well as an open-ended section at the end for general input — among the characteristics surveyed are the ability to shape a culture with high academic expectations of students, to create a safe and respectful environment that supports the social-emotional and physical needs of all students and to act calmly and professionally in stressful and difficult situations.

The survey was sent to staff on Feb. 4, and students and parents have not received it yet.

“We have a panel who makes a recommendation for finalists, and when we’re looking at our finalists, we look at the input from students, from staff, from the community in terms of what they prioritize to be the most important to see you who might be the best match,” Hickey said.

Baccalaureate

Continued from A1 we would have decided on a song already.”

But Yamashita said she was relieved the event returned.

“I’m glad it all worked out,” Yamashita said. “Now I’m excited to start choreographing and working on a piece together.”

Andersen said she worked with Hall and Paulson to reschedule Baccalaureate because she realized students wanted the event.

“And Baccalaureate is a more enjoyable event than graduation,” Andersen said.

Andersen also said parents wanted the event just as much as students.

Andersen said, “Having Baccalaureate on a weekend makes it possible for siblings and relatives out of town to attend. People wanted an opportunity to take pictures and have a celebratory meal with family — this is not possible on graduation night as kids go straight to grad night.”

The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

NEWS A4 Palo Altans take on 625-mile-long hike for awareness US Marine Corps veteran, crew start trek at Solana Beach Fire Department, aim to help prevent veteran, first-responder suicide

By Gina Bae

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Staff Writer

alo Alto firefighter, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and chart-topping recording artist John Preston and his crew reached the U.S.S. Midway on Feb. 9 after 28 days and 625 miles of hiking on the California coast.

Preston organized the hike, dubbed “22 and You,” to help prevent veteran and first-responder suicide.

Preston said the event’s name originated from a Veterans Administration 2013 study which found that 22 veterans died by suicide every day between 1999 and 2010, a statistic Preston said he highlighted by hiking 22 miles per day while toting a 22 kilogram backpack.

Preston and his crew have also been filming their journey for a “22 and You” documentary, which will feature stories of other veterans regarding their own experiences with mental health and loss.

“People say ‘awareness’ a lot (to describe our mission, but) we’re not raising awareness,” Preston said. “We’re trying to stop people from taking their own lives. That is our No. 1 mission.”

Preston and his crew have also been filming their journey for a “22 and You” documentary, which will feature stories of veterans sharing their own experiences with mental health and loss, with the aim of a release in September.

Origins of the Organizers Seven years ago, Preston said he made the decision to use his musical talent to help others after seeing an Iraq veteran friend’s struggle with addiction and posttraumatic stress disorder; he advocated for PTSD, veteran suicide and other causes important to him with the national media attention he earned from his song “this IS war,” his Los Angeles Music Awards nominated EP “Your War is Over,” and “Day to Night,” which reached the Top 100 New Alternative Albums chart.

In 2016, Preston’s brother Mike, a Marines Corps veteran and police sergeant, died by suicide. After this loss, Preston said his commitment and passion only grew. It drove him to continue to advocate for veteran mental health and suicide prevention through his music and interviews with various media outlets and inspired him to create 22 and You. “(My brother) was a phenomenal man,” Preston said. “If it was me that took my own life I feel like my brother would be doing what I’m doing right now.

He would have done something special because that’s who he was.

He cared about people, he loved people, he loved interaction and family and he loved his children

and he loved his job working as a police officer.”

The rest of the 22 and You crew each have their own stories that drew them to this cause.

One of the lead organizers of the hike, Adam King, is a Palo Alto firefighter paramedic skilled in public outreach who took charge in mapping out the route to San Diego. He said out of the many calls he received in his career, one that left a significant emotional impact on him involved a murder-suicide between a husband and wife.

“I’ve definitely had difficult times as a first responder, where I had really negative thoughts that were very dark and disturbing,” King said. “I’d like to help (people to) never be so sad that they would resort to suicide.”

Shannon Harness, an outdoor recreation professional and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served alongside Preston, helped prepare the proper equipment, clothes and first aid for the journey. He has always embraced the role of confidant and comforter for his friends, and continues to emphasize open discussion of mental illness as an important step in suicide prevention.

“There’s a stigma attached to talking about mental illness and mental health,” Harness said. “It’s something that means a lot to me, to try to get rid of that stigma and get people to actually talk to each other and feel comfortable talking to each other about how they’re doing, how they’re struggling and to recognize that all pain is the same."

Through this hike, he plans to extend his support system and encourage others to start their own.

“Everyone’s been affected by mental illness in my life, (including) my family and friends (and) my own personal struggles with anxiety and depression,” Harness said. “We’re out here because we care and because we want people to talk to each other instead of bottling it up until they get to a point where they haven’t spoken to anyone and they feel like they can’t.”

Double Double, Toil and Trouble, Muscles Burn and Blisters Bubble Preston said he was always aware the trek would come with difficulties. In fact, the entire point of such an extreme hike was the toll it would take on the crew.

“I never felt like I could truly explain what it felt like to be a family member that lost one to suicide,” Preston said. “My plan initially when this all started was to create a physical impact that would mirror that. I knew that hiking 22 miles in one day hurt really bad. I’ve done that before.

So I wanted to go really far, I

wanted to film this and manifest this pain physically to show the world what it would look like.”

And indeed there was plenty of physical pain, especially considering Preston and Harness suffered from physical issues such as torn rotator cuffs and chronic back problems even before the hike. “(I’m now) dealing with plantar fasciitis, bursitis in my heel and Achilles tendonitis,” Harness said.

“It’s been excruciatingly painful.”

The physical suffering also led to mental fatigue as well, which Preston said led to doubts and thoughts of giving up. Preston, who experienced severe back pain, skin loss and even toenail loss throughout the trek, said this mental and physical challenge affected him daily.

“I quit every day in my mind,” Preston said. “Every night … I could not move anymore, and I was crying from pain, which I don’t think I’ve ever done since I was a child. So every night I asked myself over and over again ‘How am I gonna wake up tomorrow and do this again?’ Yet, I woke up and I did it again.”

And like any other organized effort, there were bound to be bumps in the road, some of which turned out to be literal.

“We didn’t have a chance to drive the entire route beforehand,” King said. “So although Google said certain routes were open they weren’t always open, or some roads were farm roads and not passable walking roads. We ended up having to modify the route regularly throughout the actual hike.”

Hiker’s Highs Once the grueling journey was over, Preston spoke at the U.S.S. Midway Museum about his experience and the goal of 22 and You. But the speech was followed by a sweet surprise: a proposal to his girlfriend Cory Willette, who happily accepted.

“That was one thing that was wonderful and amazing,” Preston said.

Harness says that advocacy work, whether it be a talk with a friend or a 625-mile hike, keeps him informed and equipped to help others and himself.

“I don’t ever want to say the wrong thing to somebody,” Harness said. “It makes me want to research and study solutions, breathing practices, meditation, therapy practices, anything that might help someone get through whatever they’re struggling with, so I’ve educated myself through the process of being an advocate.

And in doing so, I’ve learned a lot to help myself.”

Preston, Harness and King all said the main highlights of the journey were the supporters and stories they encountered along

PAUL HARNESS/USED WITH PERMISSION

Hiking the distance for a difference. (Left to right) Patrick Callahan, Justin Ortega, John Preston, Darren Slotterbeck, Reynaldo Vaca and Shannon Harness pose for a photo while trekking the last 22 miles of their hike on Feb. 9. Harness said, “John and I and the crew are all sad to be parting ways soon because we’ve created lifelong friendships over 30 days that we’re hoping to continue.” the way.

“The fire departments show up, the veterans show up, the police officers show up, cause that’s who we’re out here for,” Harness said. “And in general, people show up because overall we’re out here to end the stigma associated with mental health as a whole and not just the veteran and first-responder community.”

The presence of these supporters kept up the morale and created an amazing group culture throughout the hike, Preston said.

“By our last day, there were over 50-100 people walking with us and it was unbelievable, just to feel that energy and people that showed up with their own beautiful stories and their own sad stories and just sharing them with us and telling us that we brought them purpose,” Preston said. “It meant a lot to all of us in the group.”

The crew and supporters formed close bonds by the end of the march, which made reaching the Midway a bittersweet victory.

“When people show up like that, we feel like we have a community,” Harness said. “John and I and the crew are all sad to be parting ways soon because we’ve created lifelong friendships over 30 days that we’re hoping to continue.”

A Blessing in Disguise Preston admits he grossly underestimated the impact of the 22-kilogram pack in the hike.

After 200 miles, he realized that in order to keep going, he would have to ask for help, which was symbolic of the cause itself, he said. “(I was initially) speaking with

my own bravado, with my own stubbornness, my own madness, thinking that I was gonna be able to carry that weight with me the entire time and go through all of that, and the reality was that I needed help out there,” Preston said. “I had a wonderful and amazing crew that made sure that I made it through every single day and when we decided to take the pack off my back, they were there to hold it for me, as well as the fire service and all the other veterans and members of families that lost people to suicide that came out to help us carry that weight with me as well.”

Though he set out to help others, Preston said he returned from the trip with his own mindset improved.

The change in plans sparked a self-realization and a new hashtag on 22 and You’s social media, #sharetheweight, next to the original #carrytheweight.

“This part of the journey is the most healing thing that’s ever happened to me in my life,” Preston said. “My ability to finally ask for help was a major part of my own personal growth. I plan now, upon my return, to actually go seek help for my own mental health and take care of myself."

The Next Generation The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report shows that 22 and You’s cause is becoming more important as suicides among veterans increased by 6.1% from 2005 to 2017, with the suicide rate of veterans aged 18 to 34 increasing over 10% from 2015 to 2016.

As for the general American

population, the American Psychological Association reports that symptoms consistent with major depression in the last 12 months increased 52% in adolescents from 2005 to 2017 and 63% in young adults, while the National Center for Health Statistics reports the age-adjusted suicide rate increased 33% from 1999 through 2017.

With these rising rates of mental health problems and suicide, the American Psychological Association views suicide intervention efforts and advocacy movements like 22 and You as crucial to improving the future of younger generations, especially those going into the military or looking into becoming a firstresponder without being aware of the potential mental health issues they’ll face.

“I’ve had insomnia and struggled with that after a series of bad calls at work,” King said. “It was one of the things I didn’t anticipate going into that job.”

Thankfully, Preston and the crew of 22 and You will continue their advocacy work in the future to further help the veteran and first-responder community.

“I’m not gonna be changing anything that I’ve been doing in the music industry or how I’ve been approaching mental health that way as well as, our LLC is going to grow,” Preston said. “We’re going to be focusing directly on veteran and first responder mental health with everything that we do beyond the film, and we’ll see how that turns around as the year goes forward and we finish our film. I absolutely, 100% will be constantly moving forward as an advocate for post-veteran and first responder mental health.”

ASB plans stress-relieving Board discusses CAASPP, events such as Spring Week minority students’ results

By Siddhartha Sahasrabuddhe Business Manager

A

fter a successful February, ASB is looking forward to a planned Spring Week in March as well as a carnival.

While ASB has already hosted an impressive slate of events, ASB President Pooja Akella said ASB has more events coming up.

“We have tons of exciting things coming up in March and April,” she said.

Akella said after Winter Break, ASB splits into seven different committees to plan out events for second semester.

One of the committees is planning a schoolwide carnival on March 20. According to junior site council representative Bowman Wingard, the carnival will take place after school and feature games, rides and food.

Sophomore Site Council Representative Phoebe Kim said the carnival is replacing a spring dance, which was scrapped because of low attendance and is being planned for March because ASB hopes the warmer weather will lead to a larger turnout.

Akella said that the carnival will feature both big and small events.

“Hopefully it will feature major attractions like those typically (on) field day as well as smaller booths by ASB and interested clubs,” Akella said.

Alta said ASB plans to rent inflatable attractions, but Akella

said ASB is still working on finalizing games and rides.

“It honestly depends on what the vendor can provide,” she said.

“But possibly human foosball, rock climbing, aero bungees and maybe a petting zoo.”

Sports commissioner Stephen Lee said ASB is also planning some sort of spring spirit week.

Akella said that the proposed “Spring Week” will last from April 13-17 and is supposed to serve as a stress relief for students.

“It will include some intramural tournaments and a fun ice cream social,” Akella said. “(This will) help students relax before the end-of-year rush hits.”

Amid excitement as students anxiously awaited a six day weekend, ASB continued planning future events and enjoying the successes of Club Day and Love Week, ASB clubs commissioner Medha Alta said.

“We had a lot of new clubs that were chartered this semester,” Alta said. “And many clubs that were previously chartered also showed up at Club Day.” Alta said about 35 clubs set up presentations at Club Day to attract new members. Paly’s clubs now number 115.

While Alta said she was pleased with the Club Day proceedings, she said some issues potentially prevented students from learning about all the new clubs.

“I hope the format of how the tables are arranged will change next year,” Alta said. “It can get very congested and thus prevent people from being able to visit all

the club tables.”

Kim said ASB brought back Love Week for the second consecutive year, and Kim said that the week was a success.

Kim said ASB decided to continue with last year’s popular Matchomatics program and she was pleased by the high participation in the event.

“We decided to continue with (Matchomatics) this year since it was so successful last year,” Kim said.

Kim said that over 500 students participated in the program.

Other Love Week festivities included Valgrams and campuswide decorations.

“We put up some love weekthemed decor around school like pink sticky notes with little words of encouragement and red and white balloons strung around trees or poles,” Kim said.

Akella said while she pleasantly surprised by the student participation in Matchomatics, there was room for more participation.

“Over 500 students participated which was amazing to see,” Akella said. “But we definitely want to increase underclassmen participation in future years.”

Kim said 73 freshmen, 105 sophomores, 199 juniors and 126 seniors participated in Matchomatics.

Despite the success of the program, Kim said Love Week has room for improvement.

Kim said, “We could partner up with the committee planning out Quadcerts so that there could be more action around the Quad.”

By Sarah O’Riordan

A

Senior Staff Writer

t the Feb. 25 Board meeting, the Palo Alto Unified school board covered topics including the consequences of electing out of CAASPP testing, as well as concerns regarding minority student performance on the California-wide College and Career Readiness standards.

After opening the floor to public comment, PAUSD Board member Melissa Baten Caswell spoke on the issue regarding CAASPP testing. The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, used to evaluate and rank public schools throughout California, is commonly opted out of by PAUSD students.

“A particular concern is the fact that only one of the 17 African American students in this cohort of students obtained ‘prepared’ levels.”

Sharon Ofek

“I feel like we need to be a little bit tougher,” Baten-Caswell said.

Baten-Caswell compared the district’s lenient enforcement of CAASPP testing to other districts’ in California.

“Our policies make kids feel like they should take it, except other districts don’t stop there,” Baten-Caswell said. “Many districts have negative impacts if you don’t take the CAASPP.” Later in the meeting, The district administrator currently overseeing secondary education services, Sharon Ofek, presented on the California Department of Education’s College and Career Readiness scale.

According to Ofek’s presentation, the main criteria for attaining ‘prepared’ status on the readiness scale involve meeting the standards for ELA and mathematics on the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments along with being compliant with the UC and CSU A-G and CTE requirements.

Ofek’s main concern was the performance and representation of minority students on the College and Career readiness scale.

“This slide provides you with the percentages of students who obtained each of the three possible levels, ‘prepared’, ‘approaching prepared’ and ‘not prepared,’” Ofek said. “You will notice that, like much of the other data we’ve shared with you this year, that underrepresented groups… are less likely to obtain ‘prepared’ status compared to their peers.”

Ofek went on to point out an example in the data.

“A particular concern is the fact that only one of the 17 African American students in this cohort of students obtained ‘prepared’ levels,” Ofek said.

Ofek voiced her support for a program that could help keep account of student performance across PAUSD demographics.

“It is abundantly clear that we need to utilize a more robust tracking system for student journeys.” Ofek said. “We're exploring tools that can accurately reflect the trajectories in real time so we can work with family to respond appropriately when humans are falling short of meeting specified criteria.”

“It is abundantly clear that we need to utilize a more robust tracking system for student journeys.”

Sharon Ofek

Ben Gordon, senior and PalyPAUSD student board representative, is in charge of reporting school happenings at each and every board meeting as well as gathering student input on agenda items. Gordon aims to keep student-shared concerns with the board and work with them to resolve the issue in the best interests of all PAUSD members.

“This year, one of the main focuses for the board is on an increase in transparency as well as development of more equitable academic opportunities across all schools,” Gordon said. “Recently, there has been a focus on middle school academics.”

The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

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The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

OPINION

A6

Rotating bell schedule benefits students’ focus, success

By Ziggy Tummalapalli

I

Staff Writer

t seems like I always have that one class that I just cannot focus in. For me it is typically seventh period, when I simply want to go home. But for others, it can be any given period. Whether that is the first class of the day, when you are half asleep, or right after lunch, when that big meal you ate is making you drowsy, sometimes we just cannot focus.

Whatever it is, there are times of the day where some people cannot focus. To combat this, Paly should incorporate a rotating bell schedule, a schedule that means students have classes at different times throughout the week.

There are times of the day where some people cannot focus. This is why Paly should incorporate a rotating bell schedule, a schedule that means students have classes at different times throughout the week.

A student may have trouble focusing during the first period at the beginning of the day. If this student has chemistry, for example — a difficult, conceptual class for many — they may struggle to pay attention during long lectures and end up falling behind as a result.

Last year, I had chemistry seventh period, right after art, and this class was virtually impossible for me to focus in. To come out of my least strenuous class, where barely any attention was required, and to all of a sudden have to switch my brain on for my hardest class was extremely difficult for me. I was never able to focus in chemistry, and my schedule didn’t allow me to move the class to a different period. I am confident that should I have had the class during a different period, my performance in the class would have been higher.

In addition, students who participate in sports like baseball or soccer at Paly, whose games often require them to miss the last period of the day, may end up falling far behind in one class, which creates a lot of stress for the student when trying to catch up.

ART BY VALERIE CHU

Junior and varsity baseball player Hayden Jung-Goldberg said he missed a week of his seventh period English class at one point last year due to early games and practices.

Jung-Goldberg described his experience as being quite stressful, and said that because of his schedule he was forced to make up all the work on his own time since he didn’t have the opportunity in class.

Fortunately for Jung-Goldberg, he was only a sophomore.

For juniors and seniors who take more rigorous honors and Advanced Placement courses, missing a week of school could be extremely detrimental to their understanding of the class.

While living in Singapore, the middle school I attended operated on a six-day block schedule.

Every student had three block classes per day and two electives which were half the length of block classes. Every other day, the classes would move; for example, if you had math first period on Monday, on Wednesday you would then have math second period, and then on Friday you would have math last.

This schedule provided a much more effective way to learn, because each day presented a different schedule, thus ending what may otherwise be a gruellingly monotonous school day, and making students more attentive in class.

For example, this schedule could be set up similar to last year’s, when odd and even days rotated every day, however in this schedule, the classes would also be rotating. So Monday’s sched-

ule would be 1, 3, 5, 7, Tuesday’s would be 2,4,6, Wednesday’s would be 3, 5, 7, 1, Thursday’s would be 4, 6, 2 and so forth.

The idea being that every day, the schedule shifts a little bit.

Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson said having a rotating schedule creates confusion for part-time teachers who may teach one period at Paly and another at Gunn.

Currently Gunn and Paly do not have the same schedule, and having a schedule that consistently changes can create scheduling issues for those teachers, according to Berkson.

However, this scheduling issue is a small price to pay for the ultimate gain, as this schedule would only affect the 136 part-time teachers in PAUSD, and would benefit the whole student population.

Paly ought to adopt a rotating bell schedule. Once everyone is given the chance to get used to the

This schedule provided a much more effective way to learn, because each day presented a different schedule, thus ending what may otherwise be a gruellingly monotonous school day, and making students more attentive.

schedule, students will begin to perform higher and achieve more than they ever have, something that isn’t as possible with this current schedule.

U.S. Government should recognize Taiwan as sovereign nation

By Alex Liu

I

Senior Staff Writer

n 1949, after being forced out from mainland China by the Communist Party, General Chiang Kai-Shek, along with the remnants of his government, fled to the island of Taiwan and established the Republic of China.

For years, mainland China has chipped away at Taiwan’s influence, pursuing a global agenda intent on dismantling Taiwanese influence on the international stage.

So far, they have been successful, with only 15 countries recognizing Taiwan. In doing so, these 15 countries, have given up formal relationships with China, a nation that wields the second largest economy in the world and a massive international presence.

China’s goal is to isolate Taiwan from the international community in order to get Taiwanese voters to vote in a president open to reunification with China.

As a member of the UN and one of five permanent members on its Security Council, China has an advantage over Taiwan.

Back in 1949, after the rival governments were established, both claimed to be the legitimate international representatives of China, thus implementing a “One China policy” in which a foreign nation could only maintain diplomatic relations with one of the two governments.

Initially, the U.S. supported Taiwan, allowing them to be the ones to hold a seat on the Security Council for nearly two decades.

But after more countries began to recognize Beijing over Taipei, the tides began to shift towards Beijing, and eventually Taiwan was dropped completely from the U.N. The U.S. initially supported a compromise that had both main-

ART BY GINA BAE

land China and Taiwan as members in the U.N. However, neither nation wished for a compromise, both claiming themselves as the legitimate nation of China. Eventually, in the 1970s, the U.S., seeing the opportunity for a relationship with Beijing and a strategic advantage against the USSR, decided to drop Taiwan and support China the expulsion of Taiwan from most international organizations.

China’s goal is to isolate Taiwan from the international community in order to get Taiwanese voters to vote in a president that is open to reunification with China. However, recent events

in Hong Kong and tensions over the blocking of information from the WHO about the Coronavirus, have only further isolated Taiwanese voters from the possibility of reunification with mainland China.

Despite this, China still persists in its goal of isolation and as it continues to economically dominate its neighbors in Asia and the rest of the world, it becomes harder and harder for Taiwan to do anything to stop the loss of its diplomatic partners.

Now, several decades later the U.S. still only formally recognizes mainland China; however,

recent events and the Trump administration’s wish for a foothold in the Asia-Pacific region have prompted arm sales to Taiwan, the building of an informal embassy in Taipei and a military presence around the South China Sea. Due to China’s increasing global presence around vital international trade routes and control of some of the world’s largest economic regions, it would be beneficial for the U.S. to recognize Taiwan in a stand against its rival, China.

Though the U.S. has made growing steps to “recognize” Taiwan — receiving top officials and

strengthening trade ties — it still must take the final step to properly recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation. In doing so, it would strengthen the U.S.’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region stopping China from obtaining near strategic dominance in the area.

As a member of the UN and one of five permanent members on its Security Council, China has a massive advantage over Taiwan.

Friday, February 28, 2020

The Campanile

OPINION

A7

Standards-based grading detrimental to students’ success

By Zack Silver

I

Staff Writer

n both school and in society, many institutions and traditions require radical change. However, grading is not one of them.

Ever since Mount Holyoke College introduced it in 1887, most American high school students have been assessed on an A-F scale.

But in recent years, many teachers, including Paly’s entire world languages department, have switched to a new system called standards-based grading. While it is supported by many teachers and administrators in the district, the decision to adopt standards-based grading will be left to individual teachers.

“There is energy and momentum around the practice,” Palo Alto Unified School District Superintendent Don Austin said. “But we have no plans to mandate it globally.”

Students learn to work hard, and incentivizing homework through grades is one of the best ways to do so. World language teachers often tell students homework is necessary to become fluent.

Under standards-based grading, every test is given a whole number grade on a scale of one to four, as opposed to a percentage score which is used currently. A 4 corresponds to an A, 3 to a B and so on. Teachers then use a weighted average to calculate a student’s overall grade for the semester. Many teachers see standards-based grading as a more holistic method, rather than the points-based A-F scale.

“The old model relied on tests … which tend to show what students didn’t know,” Spanish teacher Kevin Duffy

ART BY KAITLYN LEE

said. “With standards-based grading, every assessment is a chance for students to demonstrate skills that are important for Spanish.”

However, standardsbased grading is nearly universally despised by students.

While designed to increase fairness and focus on student improvement, it in fact does the opposite, and is full of flaws. One of standardsbased grading’s major faults is that homework is not incorporated into the overall grade, instead being thrown into the meaningless “formative” category.

Proponents of standardsbased grading argue it gives all students the chance to succeed. However, by not giving a grade boost to stu-

dents who do their homework, it rewards naturally talented students at the expense of hard workers who may not be as naturally talented.

In high school, students learn to work hard, and incentivizing homework through grades is one of the best ways to do so. World language teachers often tell students homework is necessary to become fluent or to do well on the tests. However, with no tangible benefit in the form of a gradebook, many students opt to ignore their assignments in favor of work from other classes.

The adoption of standards-based grading throughout PAUSD would only serve to decrease stu-

dent work ethic and student performance. Lack of a homework category also significantly reduces overall grades. For many students, the homework category provides a much-needed boost to their grades. Switching to standards-based grading lowers many students’ grades, and is harmful.

In addition, the four point scale which standards-based grading uses is too coarse. It groups large swaths of students together, and students can improve significantly without seeing any improvement in their grades. For example, in Spanish this past semester, percentage-wise I only needed a 78% on the final in order to earn an A in the

class. However, with the only possible scores being 1, 2, 3 and 4, standards-based grading meant I needed to get a perfect 4 to achieve an A. Finally, rather than helping students improve, standards-based grading actually hinders them. On the rubric, a 3, which corresponds to a B, is phrased as “meets standards.” This leads many teachers to give a 3 on an assessment with an explanation like, “It was good, just not great.” The current letter grade system, where teachers mark mistakes with a number of points penalized, is better equipped to offer specific, objective feedback.

The best way for a student to learn is to understand where they lost points on an assess-

ment, rather than receiving a general metric of how well they did.

The current letter grade system, where teachers mark mistakes with a number of points penalized, is better equipped to offer specific, objective feedback.

Students deserve a fair grading system which fosters hard work and improvement. The current letter grade system does that better than standards-based grading.

California should implement vacant house tax to help housing crisis

ART BY ZANDER LEONG

By Anna Meyer Science & Tech Editor

D

ozens of recreational vehicles line the curb of El Camino Real, home to residents who

Although the number of vacant homes is a relatively small portion of the 2.3 million homes in the Bay Area, there are 28,200 homeless people in the Bay Area, two-thirds of which are currently unsheltered. have been forced into these circumstances by a lack of affordable housing in the area. RVs have become the

subject of ire in Palo Alto in recent years.

The rapidly escalating housing crisis is one of the biggest problems facing California. In Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent State of the State address, he referred to the crisis as a “disgrace.” As of January 2019, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said 151,278 people in the state are homeless. However, this crisis may not just be because of a shortage of houses.

There are nearly four times as many houses as people in San Francisco, according to Curbed SF, a real estate and urban design site.

So, why the discrepancy?

Because luxury apartments have difficulty finding tenants who can afford to buy or rent them, much of the housing is kept empty. In

London, according to a Palgrave Communications study, as much as 30% of the housing in expensive neighborhoods is empty or low-use. And, according to the Mercury News, there are approximately 46,000 vacant homes in the Bay Area alone To combat this issue, California should implement a vacant house tax to encourage the development of affordable housing in place of luxury housing.

The state government could then use the revenue generated by the tax to fund government services that place homeless people in shelters and permanent homes.

Although the number of vacant homes is a relatively small portion of the 2.3 million homes in the Bay Area, there are 28,200 homeless

people in the Bay Area, twothirds of which are currently unsheltered, according to the Bay Area Council Economic Institute.

Thus, there are more than enough homes in California to provide housing for all of the homeless people in the state. The vacant house tax would provide a disincentive for property owners to keep homes empty. This, in turn, would encourage landowners to lower rents in order to fill homes, which would enable more people to have shelter. According to CalMatters, a media organization focused on the California political realm, rising rents are one of the primary reasons for the rapidly diminishing supply of affordable housing. Already, the vacant house tax has proved effective in other cities where it

has been implemented.

For example, Vancouver experienced a decrease in the number of vacant properties after implementing a vacant house tax in 2017.

Out of 2,538 properties that were declared vacant in 2017, 1,199, or 47%, were occupied in 2018, according to a report from the city of Vancouver. This increase in the percent of occupied houses indicates how a vacant house tax could help fill homes that currently remain empty.

Oakland also recently passed a vacant-property tax, which was set to go into effect at the beginning of 2020. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf ’s spokesperson Justin Berton said in an email to the San Francisco Chronicle that the new legislation “taxes people who are failing to

utilize their property during a housing shortage, which damages overall community vitality.”

Out of 2538 properties that were declared vacant in 2017, 1199 or 47%, were occupied in 2018, according to a report from the city of Vancouver.

In order to cope with the ever-worsening housing shortage, California must follow the lead of Oakland and other cities and consider a vacant house tax on a larger scale as a solution to maximize the utilization of properties and address the prominent issue of homelessness.

Friday, February 28, 2020

The Campanile

A8

EDITORIALS

Juniors should consider negative More tables should be provided consequences of skipping CAASPP for dining purposes during lunch

T

he Palo Alto Unified School District requires all students from grade three through eight and all juniors to participate in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress or Smarter Balanced Assessments.

While participation rates for these assessments are usually near or at 100% for all elementary and middle schools in the district, they land dozens of percentage points lower for PAUSD’s high schools, especially Paly. In 2017 and 2018, only 16% and 19% of Paly students, respectively, participated in the CAASPP. Paly’s participation only recently crossed the 50% mark, landing at 51% in 2019.

One major reason behind the low CAASPP participation rate at Paly is that while the federal government requires all students to be assessed, California EdCode allows parents to provide an exemption for their child, so many students are excused from the exam. Last year, 25.2% of eligible students in PAUSD were exempted from the exam by a parent or guardian.

However, The Campanile thinks all juniors ought to participate in the CAASPP because it upholds the reputation of Paly, allows programs for minority student groups to continue to be well-funded and is an opportunity for students to skip prerequisites or earn individual awards.

Participation in the CAASPP is crucial more than ever this year, according to PAUSD Research, Assessment & Evaluation Director Chris Kolar and Assessment &

Evaluation Manager Janine Penney. California has implemented a new accountability system that significantly impacts districts with low participation on the CAASPP. Specifically, if Paly does not meet the state-required 95% participation rate on the CAASPP, California assigns every student who did not take the CAASPP the lowest possible score, or Lowest Obtainable Scale Score, until the total participation of the school reaches 95%.

The California Department of Education could reduce or pull Federal Title I & II funding for schools or districts with low CAASPP participation rates.

This new policy would drag down Paly’s average student score on the CAASPP. A low average score reflects poorly on PAUSD’s California Schools Dashboard, which reports data on public school performance. The dashboard is also “highly accessible and visible to colleges, the community, and the public,” according to a letter from Paly principal Adam Paulson and Gunn principal Kathie Larence that was sent out to juniors’ families.

As a result, low participation significantly harms the academic reputation of PAUSD. Furthermore, according to

Penney, the California Department of Education could reduce or pull Federal Title I & II funding for schools or districts with low CAASPP participation rates.

These funds are used by the district to support vulnerable groups such as socioeconomically disadvantaged students and English learners. For example, Title I & II funding help fund reading specialists in elementary schools.

Participation in the CAASPP also directly affects students. The CAASPP is a prerequisite for individual honors including the State Seal of Biliteracy and Golden State Seal Merit Diploma. It is also a College Readiness Indicator — students who achieve a certain score can skip placement tests or introductory courses for California State University schools or specific community colleges.

The Campanile commends the measures that both Paly and Gunn are taking to encourage juniors to take the CAASPP since last year, including providing incentives such as free school gear and raffles for prizes such as parking permits.

Already, the district has seen a significant participation increase over the past two years. Paly’s participation rate for juniors climbed from 19% in 2018 to 51% in 2019, while Gunn’s rose from 62% to 74% during the same time span.

We urge students to play their part and act in the district’s and their own best interests by attending the CAASPP exam. We hope Paly can make another leap in participation this year and finally reach the minimum required threshold of 95% participation.

L

unch time is an essential period of rest to break up an otherwise densely packed school day.

However, because of the lack of available eating locations on campus, students often have to eat their meals on the bare ground or unsheltered areas.

The Campanile thinks more areas for students to eat, specifically tables or indoor seating, should be available as a means to prevent unsanitary and inconvenient conditions for students.

Because of the lack of available eating locations on campus, students often have to eat their meals on the bare ground or unsheltered areas.

The Student Center, which serves as the cafeteria, has a maximum capacity much less than the school population of around 2190. Yet, the only other eating areas available around campus are a few sporadically placed tables and benches.

With student population increasing every year, this issue is becoming more noticeable. Not only is sitting on the concrete to eat lunch uncomfortable, it also poses hygienic concerns, as it presents the risk of food being contaminated given its close proximity with the unsanitary ground.

While some might be content with sitting outside, on the quad or scattered throughout campus, cold or rainy weather renders a large portion of the ground seating areas unusable as they become exposed to the elements.

Students are then left with very few places to take shelter, forced to endure bitter temperatures and biting rain while scarfing down their lunch.

The Campanile suggests either the Student Center be expanded so that it holds more students or that administrators allocate funds to convert other areas such as unused classroom, the Media Arts Center and the Performing Arts Center to alternative lunch locations.

This would ensure that students can eat a relaxing lunch without having to be subject to harsh, perhaps even unsanitary, conditions.

We know in the past that ar-

eas such as the MAC became a big mess when students were allowed to each lunch there, so it is up to students to be more respectful of whether administrators or teachers provide alternative lunch areas.

Not only is sitting on the concrete to eat lunch uncomfortable, it also poses hygienic concerns, as it presents the risk of food being contaminated given its close proximity with the unsanitary ground.

While The Campanile also acknowledges it could be a costly endeavour to provide more lunch seating, we urge administration to consider purchasing a couple more tables to help offer alternative seating for students during lunch.

The ability for students to eat in a healthy, safe environment should be higher on the school’s priority list.

More discussion on dangers of intoxicated driving necessary

W

ith only 10 minutes left until curfew, he sets his beer down, reaching for his phone. An urgent text from his mother reminds him that he has to be home on time. His vision blurs as he walks out into the night and stumbles towards his car. He sits in the passenger seat, contemplating whether he would rather risk getting pulled over or getting grounded.

Unfortunately, many students pick the former. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10,497 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2016, accounting for 28% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.

The Campanile thinks the first step in addressing this issue is for students and parents to come together and condemn driving under the influence, making it socially unacceptable while providing outlets for students to easily report peers who may be driving under the influence. Additionally, parents must reassure their children that there are alternatives to driving under the influence, like using a rideshare app or asking a family member for a ride home.

Students have a more powerful ability to positively influence their peers than adults do, and students also are more susceptible to peer influence than adults.

Thus, students must use these dual situations to their advantage and create a societal shift by speaking against drunk driving when they believe it may occur.

It is also the responsibility of students to alert a trusted adult, such as a parent or counselor, if they know of someone who is repeatedly driving under the influence. Wellness Center Counselor Elizabeth Spector said the usual protocol would be to call in the student and assess the severity of the situation and alert their parents of the report.

Spector also said the identity of the student or community member who reported the concern would be kept anonymous.

The Campanile commends the promise of anonymity, as many students may feel uncomfortable exposing a peer, despite them exhibiting troublesome behavior.

One reason teenagers opt to drink and drive is to hide their drinking from their parents. To some, choosing to drive their car home under the influence is more appealing than asking their parents for a ride home or having to explain why they could not drive home the next morning.

The next phase of combating teen drunk driving is rooted in education.

In the same way administrators have taken it upon themselves to educate students on the effects of vaping, The Campanile thinks they should educate parents about drunk driving.

During the 2018-19 school year, administrators held a panel in which five to six students spoke about student drug and alcohol usage and responded to questions relating to juuling, marijuana and

drinking culture. According to Paly alumna Vivian Feng, who was one of the students participating on the panel, this model was a success as students shared an important perspective.

The Campanile commends the administration for encouraging open conversation but thinks this could be improved by holding a meeting for parents as their child enters high school, educating the adults about the preventative steps that can be taken to combat driving under the influence and encouraging parents to have an honest conversation about underage drinking.

According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, some of these prevention tactics include open communication and developing a set of rules and expectations. Their research shows how teens with involved parents are less likely to drive intoxicated compared to teens with less involved parents, and it recommends that parents assure their children that they can opt to use a ride sharing app or call a family member for a ride without repercussions.

This issue does not only concern the safety of the driver, but the countless lives that could be impacted in the case of a disastrous accident. Through encouraging conversation between parents and their children, and students and administration working together to stigmatize drunk driving, we can work towards a safe environment for all.

MARCH’S TOP TEN LIST Top ten things to do in Senior Elimination 10) Follow your target to their house and watch them from their window.

9) Befriend the FBI agent in the target’s phone to find out how to catch them.

8) Run screaming at random people to make them think you have them as your target.

ART BY FRIDA RIVERA, SASHA LEHRER & AVANTIKA SINGH

The Campanile Editors-in-Chief Annie Chen • Miranda Li • Lucy Nemerov Frida Rivera • Jaures Yip Online Editor Kai Vetteth

Managing Editors Emily Asher • Leila Khan

News & Opinion Editors Neil Kapoor • Sophia Moore

Lifestyle Editors Maya Rathore • Adora Zheng

Science & Tech Editor Anna Meyer

Sports Editors Rebekah Limb • Johnny Yang

Multimedia Editor Paige Knoblock

Business Managers Siddhartha Sahasrabuddhe • Kiana Tavakoli

Art & Photo Directors Kaitlyn Lee • Tien Nguyen

Board Correspondent Bruno Klass

Gina Bae Gianna Brogley Evelyn Cheng Valerie Chu Olivia Ericsson Matthew Ho Erin Kim Sasha Lehrer Braden Leung Alex Liu

Staff Writers Ali Minhas Shiva Mohsenian Sarah O’Riordan Jace Purcell Kris Risano Krista Robins Aidan Seto Claire Shimazaki Zack Silver Avantika Singh Benjamin Stein

Will Thomas Emma Todd Andrew Toteda Ziggy Tummalapalli Ajay Venkatraman Andy Wang Parker Wang Sloan Wuttke Bill Xia Austin Xiang

Illustrators & Photographers

Gina Bae • Gianna Brogley • Valerie Chu • Erin Kim • Bruno Klass • Kaitlyn Lee Noa Lehrer • Sasha Lehrer • Zander Leong • Braden Leung • Rebekah Limb Anna Meyer • Shiva Mohsenian • Sophia Moore • Tien Nguyen • Jace Purcell Frida Rivera • Avantika Singh • Benjamin Stein • Kiana Tavakoli • Andy Wang • Johnny Yang Advisers Rodney Satterthwaite • Esther Wojcicki

Writing Coaches Evelyn Richards • Elisabeth Rubinfien

Letters to the Editors: Email all letters to editors to theeds20@googlegroups.com The Campanile prints letters on a space-available basis.

We reserve the right to edit submissions.

The Campanile only prints signed letters.

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For more information regarding advertisements or

sponsors in The Campanile and their size options and prices, please contact The Campanile Business Managers by email at campanile.ads@gmail.com.

Note: It is the policy of The Campanile to refrain from printing articles that misrepresent or alienate specific individuals within the Palo Alto community.

The Campanile would like to thank the PTSA for supporting the mailing of our newspaper!

7) Roll some paper into a ball and pretend it’s your beach ball when you forget yours.

6) Give up on Elimination and use the ball to play Spikeball.

5) Protest the game because the beach balls are made of plastic.

4) Write a lengthy piece about how the use of social media for rules promotes becoming digital zombies.

3) Fill a beach ball with special juice and sneak it into prom.

2) Redesign your beach ball with your hitlist.

1) Backstab your friend because in two months, you won’t see them again.

— TIEN NGUYEN & KAI VETTETH

Our Vision Statement: The Campanile strives to uphold the highest standard of journalistic integrity through diverse mediums of storytelling and responsibly informing readers about local news, culture,opinion and athletics.

The Campanile

LIFES YLE

D

onning a brown trench coat and dark sunglasses, junior Bowman Wingard steps toward the microphone. A crowd of students waits expectantly at Terman Fountain in Stanford University, excited for the performance to come.

Oscar’s Band Tribute Band Tribute Band is not about to let them down.

OBTBTB has garnered audiences in the hundreds for events like Quadchella and jam sessions at Stanford, boasting a rich history. As its name suggests, the band is a tribute band to a tribute band to a popular Paly band, with new members stepping up each year as the previous band’s members graduate.

Three years ago, the original Oscar’s Band gave a performance at Quadchella that would become legendary, spawning multiple tribute bands and the beginning of a new Paly tradition.

Then senior Oscar Scherer said he walked onto the Quadchella stage in the fall of 2017 with one goal in mind.

“The idea was to just make a fool of ourselves on stage,” Scherer said.

Oscar’s Band co-founder and Paly alumnus Ben Avny said the band was built upon the principles of chaos and spontaneity.

“The only goal we had was to be as obnoxious as possible and see what kind of stuff we could

g e t away with,” Avny said.

Rather than making a fool of themselves, Scherer and the jester hat-wearing Avny delivered a captivating performance that epitomized chaos in its purest form.

Banging on drums and ringing bells, Oscar’s Band was a hit.

Scherer said he could never have guessed that his and Avny’s creation would live on after the original band members graduated.

“I was confused as to why anyone would want to create a tribute band to the dogsh-- Ben and I created,” Scherer said.

However, at the first Quadcert of the school year following Scherer’s graduation, a new group of students chose to continue the legacy of Oscar’s Band in the form of Oscar’s Band Tribute Band.

“Oscar’s Band was a sweet relief from school at a time where Paly seemed to be losing a lot of its fun character,” OBTB member from the class of 2019 Lucas Washburn said. “When Oscar’s Band was gone, my friends and I thought that the goon shoes they left behind needed to be filled.”

Similar to Oscar’s Band, OBTB was known for its colorful, eccentric outfits and rambunctious performances. After its 2018 debut at Quadside Lands, OBTB began to host jam sessions, play at parties and perform randomly around campus and downtown Palo Alto.

Promising to “rock the frick on,” OBTB was a more traditional band with the elements of the original Oscar’s Band-style showmanship.

“We definitely had a different sound than Oscar’s Band,” Washburn said.

“Their sound was a little more chaotic.

We tried to add some of their chaotic elements into our music, but they will always be the masters of this.”

When the 2018-19 school year came to a close and all members of OBTB departed for college, Washburn passed on the torch to his then sophomore brother Alex Washburn. Enlisting the help of his friends, some of whom had played at OBTB performances, Alex helped form the third iteration of Oscar’s Band: OBTBTB. OBTBTB burst onto the scene during the 2019 Quadchella, when the band delivered a performance in true Oscar’s Band style: wearing crazy outfits, moshing and even slip-andsliding.

However, similar to OBTB, school

“We do a lot of stupid stuff, and people get hyped on seeing us do stupid stuff.”

David Snyder

Text, Photos & Design by Benjamin Stein SCIENCE & TECH

Spicy junk food

BENJAMIN STEIN/THE CAMPANILE

performances were only the beginning. The new band also began to host jam sessions at parties and around Palo Alto, rocking locations ranging from Lytton Plaza to Stanford University’s Lake Lagunita.

Performances have garnered attendance into the hundreds, with students from Paly and many other local high schools flocking to the events.

“People are looking for things to do on the weekends, and we provide a way for people to get together, listen to music, hang out and just have a good time,” OBTBTB member and junior Benny McShea said.

O B T B T B member and junior David Snyder said part of the appeal of OBTBTB is the personality and character that it, much like the previous iterations of Oscar’s band, always bring to performances.

“We aren’t afraid to laugh at ourselves, and I honestly think that is key to this community that we’ve created,” Snyder said. “We do a lot of stupid stuff, and people get hyped on seeing us laugh and do stupid stuff.”

McShea agreed, and said the performance antics of OBTBTB set it apart from other bands.

“People can play music, and that’s great, but we’re out here throwing people up with sweatshirts, going down slipand-slides and yelling random chants,” McShea said.

Junior Tommy Hall, a regular at OBTBTB performances, said the way the band does not hold back makes performances more fun.

“I like that they don’t care about what people think,” Hall said. “They just do it to have fun and let others have fun.”

Snyder said the open nature of the band’s performances has been instrumental in creating a culture of friendship the band strives to nurture.

“When we have a performance, we’re not really exclusive,” Snyder said. “We invite basically everyone and bring together people who wouldn’t normally hang out.”

McShea said friendship is important to the band and is at the core of its existence. According to McShea, the tightknit friendship between band members gives OBTBTB the ability to perform spontaneously and create new music.

“It just flows,” McShea said. “Since we have so many people, and we’re such a tight group of friends, we can decide to perform whenever we want to, and we can make a song over the phone if we can’t meet in person.”

Members of

PAGE B8

Column: How to get a letter of recommendation

OBTBTB p r i d e themselves on being more than just a cover band.

In addition to playing songs from bands like the Grateful Dead and Nirvana, OBTBTB also writes and performs original songs including “Corrupted,” “Haunted,” “Chronicled,” “Sandwich in a Bottle” and “Supermodels.”

These original songs are typically written by OBTBTB member and junior Bry Sid. “Bry is the real songwriter,” Snyder said. “He writes all the foundations of songs, and the rest of us fill in everything else.”

Wingard contributes most of the lyrics, but the band collaborates on creating the final product.

“We all sit down together and think of lyrics,” Snyder said.

“Bowman will have a pen and paper, and he will take down some of our ideas and write some of his own.”

For McShea, playing original songs are the highlights of OBTBTB’s performances.

“When you have all these people screaming the lyrics to something you helped make, it’s super cool to see because you know people actually like your music,” McShea said.

McShea said OBTBTB plans to create more original songs and make a Spotify account so people can listen to its music whenever they want to. The band also hopes to expand its collection of merchandise, which currently features tee-shirts, to include stickers, hats and even pants.

Regardless of what the band is doing, it always tries to stay true to the casual spirit of the original Oscar’s Band.

“The best thing about OBTBTB is that it’s not a super-serious band,” Snyder said. “We just want to use our platform to hype it up.”

By Sidd Sahasrabuddhe

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Lucas Washburn

Art & Design by Kiana Tavakoli

COD NEWSROOM/CC BY 2.0

Alternative schooling

Students take classes outside of Paly for additional learning credits.

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Design by Aidan Seto Lifestyle

RAFFAEL DICKREUTER/CC BY 2.0

Parasite wins Best Picture

An in-depth review of the Oscarwinning film.

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Business Manager

s the school year winds down, juniors are now dealing with a new wrinkle: the ordeal of asking teachers for recommendation letters. Here are some strategies on how to get a rec letter from your teachers.

“Oscar's Band was a sweet relief from school at a time where Paly seemed to be losing a lot of its fun character.”

Lifestyle Artificial ingredients and extreme amounts of artificial spices lead to heightened stomach pain and potential constipation, prompting concerns from students who regularly consume snacks such as Hot Cheetos and Takis.

Friday, February 28, 2020

Strategy 1: A Good First Impression For juniors and underclassmen preparing to ask for rec letters next year, making a good first impression is the optimal strategy to getting a rec letter from a teacher.

The first step of this process is doing your due diligence in the first few weeks of a new class. Go above and beyond. Do extra homework, TA for your teacher, don’t talk in class and show up every day.

If all goes according to plan, by the end of the first month or so of class, your teacher should love you.

Of course, you, only in the class for a glowing letter of rec, will be bored out of your mind.

Despite your boredom, you will be treated like a legend by your teacher. Which is why, like other legends such as Michael Jordan or JFK, you leave at the peak of your powers. Disappear. Vanish. Commandeer your mother’s email and health excuse yourself for every class the rest of the year. Never interact with that teacher again until it ’ s time to ask for a rec letter.

Your first impression becomes your lasting impression, and by the time your teacher realizes they haven’t seen you in six months, it’s too late; they’ve already written you a glowing recommendation based on your month of try-harding.

Strategy 2: Forgery “Fake it until you make it” is an idiom as old as time.

Unfortunately, today’s fastpaced high school environment doesn’t afford students enough time to fake it until they make it, especially concerning time sensitive matters like rec letters.

Instead, hesitant students should fake it rather than making it and forge their rec letters.

The first part of this strategy is to pretend to be a teacher that isn’t generally inundated with rec letter requests. A first-year or elective teacher is ideal.

The second step is to write the letter. Obviously, if you’ve reached the point where you’re forging a rec letter, you’re likely not the most academically inclined, leaving your letter writing skills a bit suspect, meaning you might need some assistance.

Not to fear. While forging a letter, a thesaurus is your best friend. Write a first draft and then replace every word with a fancier-sounding synonym.

Remember, adopt a treasury of words in order to hoodwink establishments into acquiring you. It never fails.

Strategy 3: Bribery In the case that you’re not conniving enough to fake a letter, or you realized you haven’t been showing up to class for over a month and your teacher will be suspicious of 22 consecutive HEAs, then you may have to resort to a more conventional strategy: bribery.

Next time you ask your teacher for some extra credit, or for an extension, or, most importantly, for that ever-elusive rec letter, and they say, “No,” tell them Ben Franklin has something he’d like to discuss.

Another no? Girl Scout Cookies will make your teacher fall head over heels for you. 49ers season tickets? They’ll be letting you grade your own homework.

By the time you pull out the Godfather offer of affordable housing, your teacher will attest that your B last semester was just a typo, and that you really do seem like Ivy League material.

Sports

JENNA HICKEY/VIKING MAGAZINE

Creighton Morgenfeld

Lessons learned from a life of playing football.

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Friday, February 28, 2020

The Campanile

LIFESTYLE B2 Non-profit animal rescue supports, helps adopt strays

Doggie Protective Services improves lives of homeless dogs and cats through collaboration, organizing local adoptions

By Gianna Brogley

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Staff Writer

lmost every typical Saturday morning, a crowd surrounds the storefront of Pet Food Express at the Charleston Shopping Center in Palo Alto. Families eagerly peer into pens holding dogs of various breeds, captivated by their lovable faces, and a line to walk the dogs snakes around the building. In some pens, volunteers hold smaller dogs in their arms, giving kids a chance to pet them.

“We can help animals who need more types of surgery, as well as animals from shelters and the Korean meat markets.”

Annelies Verbist

Twice a month, Doggie Protective Services, a non-profit organization that rescues dogs and cats across California, hosts weekend adoption events. Earlier this month, DPS arranged for the adoption of over 57 stray dogs and cats during a single weekend.

DPS Executive Director Tera McCurry said the organization has several moving parts and wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of the volunteers, most of whom are highschoolers, who help run events. Between cleaning up after puppies, interviewing interested families and managing a crowd of on-lookers, there is always something for volunteers to do.

“In the morning, our dogs from fosters in Southern California arrive in a van and the volunteers walk them and get them into the right pens for the day,” said junior Annelies Verbist, DPS’s Volunteer Coordinator.

According to Verbist, the adoption process is the most lengthy aspect of some volunteers’ day.

Families who are looking to adopt a pet have to fill out an application form and complete an interview with a volunteer to ensure that the pet is a good fit for their family.

DPS’s process is time-consuming, but according to McCurry, the lengthy efforts are beneficial on several levels.

DPS most directly affects the lives of the animals, such as cats or dog it takes under its wing. Verbist said the organization’s resources and partnerships with other rescue groups around the world allow it to help animals who come from more difficult situations.

“We can help animals who need more (complicated) types of surgery, as well as animals from shelters and the Korean meat markets,” Verbist said.

McCurry said that after staying with DPS for three months, a dog who suffered a traumatic injury was recently adopted by a loving family.

“Somebody purposely broke the dog’s leg,” McCurry said. “We got a call (from a local shelter) two hours before he was euthanized because they didn’t have the money to take care of him.”

In every case, McCurry said that DPS supports and cares for each animal and provides them with a temporary family until they are adopted, regardless of how long it takes. Its unique system of utilizing foster families instead of having a physical animal shelter allows DPS to avoid the tragedy of putting down a dog due to a lack of resources. “(Shelters) are killing animals because there’s too many — that’s a tragedy,” McCurry said. “I think we as a society have a responsibility to help them.”

Since its establishment in 2001, DPS has rescued over 12,000 dogs and cats. McCurry said she knows it is impossible for DPS alone to find a home for the millions of animals that pass through animal shelters each year, but she said she will always continue to make an effort to do her part.

“It will make a difference for the thousands that come through

GIANNA BROGLEY/THE CAMPANILE

Adoption Day! Sophomore student volunteer Anushe Irani for a pet adoption program sits with the dogs in front of Pet Food Express at the Charleston Shopping Center to help them find their forever home. Irani said, “I love hanging out with the dogs, even though I get peed on!”

DPS, and I’m OK with that,” McCurry said. “I’m not here to change the world.”

“There’s this sort of fighting spirit in shelter dogs that you can see through their personality and behavior. I think it reflects how a lot of people have to go through life.”

Aidan Choi

The organization not only makes an impact on the lives of the animals that come through, but also the lives of their owners and other people they meet.

Sophomore Aidan Choi adopted a dog named Ollie from

DPS last April who he said dramatically changed his perspective on life. Ollie, who Choi said was originally named Crash after he survived a car accident, was supposed to be put down because of a broken leg until DPS saved his life.

“There’s this sort of fighting spirit in shelter dogs that you can see through their personality and behavior,” Choi said. “I think it reflects how a lot of people have to go through life.”

Despite Ollie’s fear of cars as a result of his traumatic experience, Choi said that Ollie has grown tremendously over the past few months, as has his other rescue dog, Buzz, who was homeless for six years before Choi adopted him through DPS. “It gives me hope, because I can see how they have both been in really difficult situations,” Choi said.

One of McCurry’s favorite aspects of her job is playing a small

part in changing people’s lives through the adoption of a rescue animal.

“I have known so many people who were dealing with depression, anxiety … even the death of a child, and a dog changed their life,” McCurry said. “It is a privilege to be one part of that.”

“You find a part of your soul helping a creature that can do nothing for you except give love back.”

Tera McCurry

Besides impacting rescued animals and their owners, DPS affects the lives of many of their volunteers. Verbist, who has been with DPS for three years, said she values the community and the many inspiring people she has

gotten the chance to meet through the organization.

“I get to work with a lot of different people who are passionate about the same things that I am, and that part is really fun,” Verbist said.

Additionally, Verbist said that her mentors and close friends at DPS have shaped her to be the person she is today.

“They have taught me to always try to be better … and to be brave enough to try new things,” Verbist said.

Between giving animals a new, safer home, transforming the lives of adopters and giving volunteers a sense of belonging, McCurry said DPS will continue to pursue its mission for years to come. “(DPS) will change the lives of adopters, it will change the lives of volunteers and it has changed my life,” McCurry said. “You find a part of your soul helping a creature that can do nothing for you except give love back.”

School embraces Black History Month Cacao 70 comes to Black Student Union allows African American students to reflect on identity Town & Country

By Avantika Singh Staff Writer

By Erin Kim Staff Writer

T

wo years ago, When Makayla Miller was a sophomore, she found herself in a heated debate about race as part of an InFocus segment on former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem.

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hocolate lovers can expect hot chocolate, chocolate frappes, milkshakes, waffles, crepes and fondue from Cacao 70s Sweet Shop’s Palo Alto branch, slated to open in late February.

Located between Oren’s Hummus and the closed Village Cheese House at Town & Country, Cacao 70 is set to become a trendy and relaxing eatery for snacking and socializing.

With both a brunch and dessert menu, the store hopes to attract customers with its unique concepts centered around chocolate, whether savory or sweet.

“Before BSU I didn’t understand what community meant because I didn't have one. Now that I do, I can go out in the world and do things, (and) try and try again.”

Makayla Miller

ART BY TIEN NGUYEN

Miller said she was invited on the show to represent Black Scholars United, and as a person of color, she said she could understand Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality.

However, Miller said as she expressed her opinions, she began to feel targeted and felt like the others on the panel dismissed her ideas and talked over her.

Now a senior, Miller said she and her peers of color still have to go the extra mile to be heard on campus. But through BSU, Miller said she has found an on-campus community to where she can receive and offer support.

Miller, the BSU president, said students in the club have developed a sense of unity and work together to help each other grow.

“On the surface, BSU is what it sounds like: a community of African and African American students on a campus where we are a minority,” Miller said. “But underneath, BSU is really a place where we are not a minority, and we can speak our truths and connect with one another on a deeper level.”

For senior Moyo Ayo-Ogunyemi, who has been a member of the club for three years, BSU has been the place that has allowed her to accept who she is.

“The club has shown me and taught me things I never knew about my ancestors,” said AyoOgunyemi. “It taught me to embrace my skin color and make a difference where there needs to be one.”

During February, which is Black History Month, the club shared different aspects of black culture with the rest of the student body.

“The club has shown me and taught me things I never knew about my ancestors.”

Moyo Ayo-Ogunyemi

The club met every Wednesday on the quad with music, and an array of activities including African jewelry making, taste testing cultural foods, fashion, art history, music and dance, and a remembrance of ancestors.

Miller said BSU will host an after-school Black History Month production today, where African and African American students will come together and showcase their talents and knowledge, such as dancing, singing and spoken word in a comfortable space.

BSU also has added a step team extension this year that per-

formed at events for BHM in and around Palo Alto, and will also perform at Paly basketball games.

“Black History Month is one month out of the 12 in a year that African and African American people celebrate all of the greatness that is their history and culture, and be able to share it and use it as an educational tool with those around them who may have a different ethnic background,” Miller said.

Miller said this month can be used as an educational tool for those who may have a different ethnic background, shining a light on black cultural perspectives.

“For black people, it’s important and empowering to look back into history and remember all the great things that our people did to give us the life that we are able to live now, and to also teach younger black people who don’t know their history,” Miller said.

“For non-black people, I think it’s important for them to remember just how much black people had to endure in the past and learn from that and understand why things are the way they are today and how to help become part of the solution.”

Junior Oluwatunwumi Ogunlade, who transferred to Paly at the start of the 2019-2020 school year, said she hopes to share the importance of Black History

Month with her classmates.

“Black History Month is very important because African Americans have been isolated and maltreated for years because of their skin color,” Ogunlade said. “Black History Month is a platform to show how important African Americans are and also celebrate them with all races putting our differences aside.”

Miller said nobody looks out for her like her family does, and BSU is her family.

“Black History Month is very important because African Americans have been isolated and maltreated for years because of their skin color.”

Oluwatunwumi Ogunlade

“Before BSU I didn’t understand what community meant really because I didn’t have one,” Miller said. “Now that I do, I can go out in the world and do things, try and try again, and I know that when I fall I have people there for me who are going to help me get back on my feet and keep going.”

“I don’t think we need more overpriced stores in Town & Country.”

Daniel Shelton

Cacao 70 was created in 2011, opening in downtown Montreal as a chocolate drinking bar. It has expanded to include several franchised locations throughout Canada with unique concepts, including ice cream dip shops, restaurants and chocolate factories.

The new Palo Alto store will be a spinoff sweet shop location, featuring brunch items and a chocolate drink bar.

Their brunch menu will offer several dishes such as their Mediterranean Frittatas ($13), an Apple Bacon Crunch Crepe ($11) and an Outlaw Chicken Waffle ($11).

“Cacao 70’s quest to transform chocolate into exciting flavor adventures has led down the path of cocoa bean sourcing, product development and new store concepts — all tracing back to the

first store opening in Montreal nine years ago,” said Mila Zhu, the regional agent for Cacao70.

“Cacao 70’s quest to transform chocolate into exciting flavor adventures has led down the path of cocoa bean sourcing, product development, and new store concepts.”

Mila Zhu

Featuring a selection of drinks from champurradas, a Mexican chocolate atole-based drink ($5.75) and a Guatemalan sesame cookie, as well as its signature Crazy 70 S’more milkshake ($11.75), the shop features many drink options at a variety of price points.

“I go to Town and Country a lot, so I’m excited for a new place for food.”

Neil Rathi

Their brunch menu will offer several dishes such as their Mediterranean Frittatas ($13), an Apple Bacon Crunch Crepe ($11) and an Outlaw Chicken Waffle ($11), while their dessert menu includes a Chocolate Banana Pizza ($14.75) and a Raspberry Brownie Parfait ($9.95).

Sophomore Neil Rathi said he is planning to frequent the shop when it opens.

“I go to Town and Country a lot, so I’m excited for a new place for food,” Rathi said. “I like chocolate and milkshakes, so I’ll probably get some stuff from there after school.”

Others are less enthusiastic about the new store.

“I don’t think we needed more stores in Town and Country,” history teacher Daniel Shelton said.

“There’s enough overpriced places already.”

The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

LIFESTYLE

B3

Upperclassmen choose to postpone obtaining driver’s licenses Juniors, seniors delay legal ability to drive because of busy schedules, more accessible means of transportation

By Kris Risano Staff Writer

T

he age of 16 is a landmark year for Americans. It’s the year adolescents first become eligible to get a driver’s license. Across the country, teens eagerly await the age of 16 and the new freedom that comes with it.

But not all teens. Some don’t have the time to practice. Others want to protect the environment by biking, walking or riding public transit. And some disdain the hassles of driving and finding parking.

“I’m pretty busy, so I always had trouble finding time to get it done. I remember I felt too busy to get it done, and now things have just gotten busier for me.”

Leo Marburg For example, junior Aaron Kim is one of several Paly students who have made the choice not to drive.

Instead, his days usually begin with a cold bike ride to school.

Kim said there is no need for him to get a driver’s license because he can travel nearly everywhere he needs to go via bicycle. In addi-

tion, Kim said he can avoid the inconvenience of paying for a school parking permit.

“I usually just bike everywhere because I can,” Kim said. “I live pretty close to Paly, so biking to school is actually faster and more convenient than driving. Also, I don’t have to worry about oncampus parking permits. Paly offers enough bicycle parking that it usually is not an issue.”

However, Kim said biking does have its drawbacks, and in some cases, these disadvantages make it difficult to get around.

“Sometimes I really don’t feel like biking everywhere,” Kim said.

“It can get really cold and rainy some days. Biking in the cold and rain is awful.”

Junior Timothy Hung, who has also decided to postpone getting a driver’s license, agrees with Kim. “Sometimes it’s more convenient to have a bike when there aren’t easily accessible parking spaces,” Hung said. “However, biking at night is freezing cold and kind of dangerous.”

For senior Leo Marburg, getting a driver’s license was just another time commitment that he decided was not worth the effort, until he has more spare time.

“I’m pretty busy, so I always had trouble finding time to get it done,” Marburg said. “I remember I felt too busy to get it done, and now things have just gotten busier for me.”

California requests teens to practice on the road for 60 hours, 50 during the day and 10 at night, before getting their license, along

with completing a drivers’ education course and permit test.

For students like Marburg and Hung, being able to drive is not worth the time and effort to get a license.

“The decrease in interest has been going on for quite a few years. Teens just aren’t as interested.”

Erika Vieyra According to Erika Vieyra, who is employed by Bay Area Driving School, summer is an excellent time to practice for those who are too busy during the school year.

“We are the most busy in the summer, because that is often the best time for students to practice,” Vieyra said. “Students tend to have more free time to practice during the summer, which can make the process easier.”

Hung has heard that the process can be stressful.

“I heard the DMV line is very long,” Hung said. “Also I am too lazy to prepare properly for the test.”

Vieyra has noticed a decrease in interest among teens regarding the pursuit of a driver’s license.

She believes this is due to the restrictions that come with licensed drivers under the age of 18.

“The decrease in interest has been going on for quite a few

SHIVA MOHSENIAN /THE CAMPANILE

Steering Clear: Teens turn down their chance to drive, saying it is not necessary for every day life. “To me it is not a necessity. I have friends and parents who can give me rides,” junior Timothy Hung said. years. Teens just aren’t as interested,” Vieyra said. “(Teens) look forward to driving their friends and are not as motivated to get a license when they find out they must have a license for a year before driving other teens.”

“If you find that you don’t often go far places by yourself, it might not be worth your time to get a license.”

Timothy Hung However, Hung said the deci-

sion to not get a driver’s license was not entirely up to him, and his family had a say.

“My parents feel like I will be more likely to crash the car if I get my license as a teenager,” Hung said.

Marburg decided to delay his license mainly for the well-being of the environment, and was not influenced heavily by his parents.

“Part of the reason I have not gotten a license is that I have never liked cars very much,” Marburg said. “There was a brief period when I was little where I would even refuse to get into cars because they were contributing to global warming. I still try to avoid driving somewhere if it is possible to bike because it is greener.”

Furthermore, Hung said a li-

cense may not be a necessity for students if they have others who are willing to drive them places.

“It is not easy going (to) places without a ride,” Hung said. “But, if your friends can drive, and if you find that you don’t often go far places by yourself, it might not be worth your time to get a license.”

Regardless of some students’ choices to not pursue getting a driver’s licence, Kim said everyone ought to make their own decisions that are right for them and their families.

“If it’s easier for you to get around by bike, then bike,” Kim said. “If maybe you live far from school or just want to drive for the sake of going places, get a license.

It’s all based on preference.”

Students turn to alternative strategies over traditional classes

Unconventional schooling methods becoming increasingly universal due to unique strategies, additional convenience

JOHNNY YANG/THE CAMPANILE

Junior counselor Selene Singares sends e-mails from her office. She suggests choosing programs carefully since they are not always the best fit. Singares said, “I’m a procrastinator also, so I know that online programs wouldn’t work for me ... that’s part of our discussion.”

By Johnny Yang Sports Editor

W

hen senior Hazel Shah was registering for classes for senior year, she realized she needed to take physics since it is recommended by the UC system. However, her schedule was already filled with other classes she also wanted to take. Luckily, she was able to find an alternative way to meet the requirement: Lydian Academy.

While most students opt to take classes at school for credit, there are other ways for students to learn such as taking classes at a local community college or a certified private academy like Lydian. The different curriculum and flexibility in schedule of these alternative courses have made them ideal choices for many students.

“I’m never super interested in physics, but (UCs) are some of the schools I wanted to apply to,” Shah said. “But I wanted to take other classes that I was more interested in. I have a few of my friends who went there for several classes, and they said all good things about it. I also had time over the summer, so I thought this could be a good way to get it out of the way.”

Shah said the physics course offered at Lydian Academy was three hours a day, Monday through Friday for six weeks.

Though she was a little overwhelmed by the rigorous schedule initially, she said she adapted quickly and found it manageable.

“At first I thought it seemed like a lot,” Shah said. “But then I started doing it, and I was like, ‘OK, this honestly isn’t that bad.’”

In addition to the difference in

schedule, Shah said that the style of teaching at Lydian is different from most courses offered at Paly.

“The way they teach is really interesting to me because I really liked the one on one collaboration with just your teacher,” Shah said.

“I’ve always really liked having a tutor because I can actually ask them direct questions and they could give answers right away. I don’t know the concept of Lydian, but just having one teacher that’s kind of dedicated to you is really ideal for me.”

“I chose the online option instead of the standard course offered

by PAUSD because the classes offered by PAUSD were after school and thus did not fit my schedule.”

Andrew Li According to Shah, unlike science courses at Paly, she did not have to take tests or write out labs to prove her understanding. Instead, the teacher evaluated her understanding through a discussion in the form of questions.

“We don’t really do labs because doing the whole write up and everything is a little bit pointless,” Shah said. “So what they do is basically you and a teacher just go inside one of the rooms, called experimental areas, and do the experiment. (We would) just talk about it afterwards. We didn’t have tests, and you prove your un-

derstanding of concepts through talking to your teacher. I feel like for me that was a lot more helpful than having the chore of doing a write up or the pressure of doing well on a test.”

Shah also said that Lydian has a straightforward procedure of transferring credits, which was another reason why she chose it.

“All I had to do was to finish the class,” Shah said. “And a week later, they will have my official transcript ready in the envelope, which I had to mail or give to the guidance office. (The guidance counselors) will automatically put it on my transcript.”

Alternative courses not only offer a different course experience, but also allow students a more flexible schedule. Junior Andrew Li, who plans to take Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra online during his senior year instead of through the dual enrollment program offered at Paly, said the schedule of the Paly-offered Multivariable Calculus course conflicts with his extracurriculars.

“I chose the online option instead of the standard course offered by PAUSD (Palo Alto Unified School District) because the classes offered by PAUSD were after school and thus did not fit my schedule,” Li said. “I plan on playing basketball again next year for Paly, and I did not want to have to miss practices and games.”

Junior Amelia Lagna, who is passionate about film, is also considering an alternative way of taking a class because the video production course she was going to take is no longer offered. She found a film class offered at Foothill College for high schoolers and plans to take it this semester.

“You can take community college classes for free while in high school, and I thought that was really cool,” Lagna said. “I want to study film, and I took Film Composition which is a one-semester English elective (at Paly), but that’s basically the only film class we have after video production stopped.”

According to Lagna, the discussion with her guidance counselor was helpful when she was looking into the procedure.

“I didn’t know anything about

the programs,” Lagna said. “So I talked to my guidance counselor, Ms. Singares, and she gave me the forms to fill out. Now the only thing I have left is to look up for what time the class runs so that I know how to schedule it.”

Despite having concerns about the difficulty of the curriculum, Lagna said she looks forward to taking a course in her favorite subject.

“Something I’m kind of nervous about is that Foothill runs on a quarter system, so a semester-long class for us will be condensed into a quarter,” Lagna said.

“I feel like it’s gonna be ... a mega AP class, but again that’s something I’m interested in so I don’t complain about it.”

Lagna said such opportunities should be better advertised and communicated to more students, because it took her some effort to obtain all the information she needed for the class.

“I wish it was just more wellknown, and like the Paly administration would talk about it more.”

Lagna said. “Free college courses are such a nice resource to have, and it also helps students who need support financially.”

Junior counselor Selene Singares said that taking classes outside of school can be a helpful alternative for students, and Paly supports students to explore it.

“Paly allows students to take 40 credits from outside institutions per semester,” Singares said.

“And when students need, such as when they feel like the course at Paly is not a good fit for them, we lead them to these alternative op-

tions, such as online programs or community colleges.”

In addition to providing paths and instructions, Singares said that the counselors also make sure that students are aware of the potential challenges of taking each pathway.

“Part of my discussion with (the students) are the resources we provide here and opportunities that exist outside of school,” Singares said. “Some students don’t do well with online programs because it doesn’t have explicit deadlines as normal classes do, which can lead to procrastination. So we would discuss the community college options with them.”

“You can take community college classes for free while in high school, and I thought that was really cool.”

Amelia Lagna Overall, Singares said that the guidance counselors are here to provide students with information and make sure they find a program that fits.

“I’m trying to give them all the information so that they know all the opportunities that are available to them,” Singares said. “We make sure that they take classes at a credited place, the schedule works out, and they will succeed in them.”

Friday, February 28, 2020

The Campanile

SPOTLIGHT

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lued to the concrete floor for two hours, a Paly student locked himself into one of the school’s private bathrooms after being asked to leave the Wellness Center, due to the center’s policy of a 15-minute time limit unless they are seeking guidance from a counselor.

While, according to the student, the center’s staff speculated he was using the center as a means of cutting class, in reality the student said he was fighting a mental disorder that caused him to feel dissociated from his body and his mind, sometimes forgetting his own name and identity. Minutes later, campus security detached the screws of the door, escorting him to the Wellness Center,

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tudents who enter the Wellness Center across from the main office are greeted not just by a troupe of staff members, but by plants, tea and a hot water dispenser along with snacks — and the infamous sandbox. If a student cannot meet with a counselor right away, they can have a date with the sand, where they can fiddle with toy shovels and cars to hopefully calm their distress.

Piloted in 2016, the Paly and Gunn High School Wellness Centers provide necessary support for students struggling with academic stress, anxiety, depression, family issues, gender identity and more.

According to Steven Adelhesim, the director of the Stanford Psychiatric Center, the series of student suicides in Palo Alto from 2009-2015 brought the issue of mental health outreach into the spotlight, prompting the development of a solution: wellness centers and one-on-one onsite counseling and therapy services.

“I know that there’s a lot of pressure academically,” Adelsheim said. “I think this notion of what success is has really kind of changed and, you know, people worry a lot about whether they’re taking the right Advanced Placement courses. So we need to see these services available.”

Following its inception, the Wellness Center’s primary on-campus counseling provider was Adolescent Counseling Services, a nonprofit serving the Peninsula. According to Paly Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator Elizabeth Spector, ACS provided predominantly unlicensed intern trainees to counsel Paly students. Two years ago, PAUSD switched its provider to Counsel-

THE NEED FOR CHANGE only for him to be asked to leave once again.

The student said that based on this incident more than a year ago he lost hope in Paly, the Wellness Center and his future.

This former student, who agreed to an interview only if he could remain anonymous because of the personal nature of his experiences, represents an extreme of the range of student opinions about the high-profile Wellness Center in Paly’s Tower Building, a place that serves as the front door to the school’s mental health programs. In his case, as in all others, Wellness Center staff do not comment on individual situations.

Wellness centers at both Paly and Gunn trace their roots to the string of teen sui-

cides between 2009 and 2015. The events prompted serious soul-searching among students, parents and Palo Altans. An array of programs resulted, all aimed at reducing student stress and providing students with broad mental health support.

The Wellness Center is the most visible.

As the center approaches its four-year anniversary, The Campanile spoke with students, psychologists, parents and Wellness Center staff in an attempt to assess its effectiveness and reputation. The Campanile found that the center has carved out an important role in supporting many students and that many seek its help — indeed, there’s usually a waiting list for counselor sessions.

From August 2017 to January 2018, the latest figures made available, there were 470 counseling sessions with appointments and 74 drop-in counseling sessions, according to a Palo Alto Unified School District report.

PAUSD administrative assistant Betty Muñoz said she did not have time currently to provide more recent data.

Though the previously mentioned student reported a traumatic incident, many of those interviewed said the center represents a good start for mental health support at Paly but sometimes falls short, including inconsistency in treatment, a distorted reputation, misidentification of some needs and, at times, insufficient communications.

WHERE IT ALL STARTED ing and Support Services for Youth, whose counselors are licensed and more comprehensively trained according to Spector.

CASSY runs on a “brief therapy” and goal-oriented model where students can receive counseling for up to 12 weeks or 12 sessions, according to Spector.

Students’ needs differ, so session lengths can range outside of that time frame depending on external factors and their state of mental health.

“If you’re working towards your goals and you’re getting something out of treatment, and you’re still en- STEVEN gaged, then we can continue ADELSHEIM on,” Spector said. “If you feel like you’ve reached your goals, then we close after the session.”

Some students, such as junior Amelia Lagna, utilize the Wellness Center as their only means of mental health support.

Strained financially and lacking other support options, Lagna said she purposely tries to use as much time as possible talking during her sessions to avoid confronting the possibility that the session could be her last.

“(The therapist) always starts the session saying, ‘What do you want to talk about?’”

Lagna said. “I’ll go on for a really long time, so we don’t have enough time to get to the very structural stuff (of scheduling).”

When a student arrives at the Wellness Center, a staff member asks some questions to decide the course of action. Staff can direct the student in a number of possible directions: a 12-week one-onone session with a CASSY therapist, a drop-in session with a therapist, a period to simply relax in the Wellness Center lobby or a referable outside program.

Students with eating disorders and those who are potentially suicidal are classified as referable patients since they require comprehensive care and possible out-patient programs, Spector said.

Therapists, when in a session with students in either a 12-week or drop-in session, ask a range of questions to assess their mental health more comprehensively.

Paly CASSY therapist Kate Minutillo said she primarily asks questions concerning academics, family and friends to have an ac-

“I think this notion of what success is has really changed and people worry a lot about whether they’re taking the right Advanced Placement courses.”

curate representation of the student’s needs for counseling.

For many students, the Wellness Center has been a haven for relief as it is a space free of judgement. They appreciate its convenience and its care.

“You don’t usually get to talk to someone who’s completely nonjudgmental and their whole job is just to listen to you,” Lagna said. “I feel like with friends, even though they say they’re always listening to you, you can still feel that stress, that burden.”

In contrast to the student who felt rejected by the Wellness Center, Lagna said she is grateful for its services.

“I would find that I would leave and I’d feel way lighter,” Lagna said. “There were times when I would come in and be like, there’s no way I’m feeling better.”

Junior L.J. Vargo agrees.

“If you needed to just rant, they would be there to listen or a room to cry in or just someone to say they are there for you, they would do it,” Vargo said.

Paly parent Gabriela Buendia, a licensed marriage and family therapist, said the Wellness Center’s counseling program was beneficial for her child.

“I was super grateful that it was available because a lot of what was going on for (my child) at that time was stress related to school,” Buendia said. “And so having the convenience of her being able to be on campus and just see someone right then and there and deal specifically with stuff at school, it was very focused towards that.”

While the Wellness Center wins praise from many, others point to what they see as shortcomings.

PROBLEMATIC PERSONALIZATION

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hen it comes to personalizing the counseling to each student’s needs, the Wellness Center has restrictions that have irritated some students.

Since the Wellness Center does not encourage or generally permit students to switch to a different therapist, it can be hard for students to find the right counselor match for them. A junior who asked to remain anonymous because of privacy concerns, said the therapist provided was not the right fit for her needs or preferred style of therapy.

“You can’t choose your counselors, so if you become upset with yours, or you don’t think they’re best for you, you don’t really have a say,” she said. “I had a very big problem

with my counselor because I felt she was very condescending in a way.”

She said the therapist misconstrued her words, leading her to believe that she and her therapist weren’t compatible.

“When I would tell her certain things, she would try to sum up what I was saying in a way that made it sound like she was putting words in my mouth that I never said,” she said.

“I’ve just had a lot more experience with therapy … so I just see things differently. I noticed things that they shouldn’t be doing.”

But Spector said, regardless of whether a student is compatible with their therapist, they must try to work through their problems and differences.

“In life, we have these messy relationships and we never really get to fully work through conflict, oftentimes,” Spector said. “That’s why we strongly encourage you to talk to

your therapist about it if you’re feeling some sort of dissonance because it is therapeutically relevant.”

Lagna, who has met with two CASSY therapists, said the counselors’ methodologies vary despite being guided by the same overarching policies.

“One is way more solution-oriented,” Lagna said. “The other one is like, ‘Just talk about it.’ I don’t know which one I prefer, but I didn’t really get a choice at the beginning.”

Minutillo, though, said trying different therapists at the Wellness Center does not correlate with its plan.

“We ask that students stick with a therapist and work through any issues that come up in therapy because we do have limited resources, and you are not really going to get another time like that to work through something,” Minutillo said.

TEXT & DESIGN BY OLIVIA ERICSSON, KRISTA ROBINS & SLOAN WUTTKE ART BY KIANA TAVAKOLI

“You can’t choose your counselor, so if you become upset with yours or you don’t think they’re best for you, you don’t really have a say.”

ANONYMOUS JUNIOR

Suicide: Help Santa Clara County Suicid 278-4 National Suicide Preventio www.suicidepreve Crisis Text Line: Tex www.crisist

The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

SPOTLIGHT

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WHAT’ S THE FEEL

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nother challenge faced by the Wellness Center is that it is a victim of its own success.

On the one hand, it has the reputation of helping students with genuine mental health concerns.

On the other hand, some teachers suspect that when a student asks to go to the center, it’s to kick back and relax, not to address a legitimate issue.

The former Paly student who locked himself in the bathroom said he thinks this “relaxed” reputation is partly why he was denied services.

He said while this perspective may help crack down on students who cut class, it overlooks those using the service with justifiable intentions.

“In their attempt to discourage skipping class for unnecessary reasons, they ended up pushing me away when I needed their help,” he said. “It makes more sense to me to give students the benefit of the doubt and make sure they are mentally all good, instead of making sure that no student uses it for selfish reasons but also denying some students who need support.”

Another Paly junior who asked to remain anonymous said many of her teachers see the Wellness Center as an excuse for students to cut class.

“In my experience, teachers just see going to the Wellness Center as an attempt to leave class,” she said. “My math teacher last year called my parents and told them I was going to Town & Country because

the math teacher thought her call slips were fake.”

The junior also said her math teacher reprimanded her for using the despite the Center’s confidentiality rules — which represents another challenging aspect of its operations.

In general, Wellness Center counseling does not require consent of a student’s parent or guardian. Meetings can be confidential unless the student is being harmed, harming themselves or harming others in the past or present, or they know of others having harmed themselves or others in any way.

The math teacher did not even bother asking for the student’s call slip without calling her parents, she said.

“Only one of my parents consented to therapy, so the teacher broke confidentiality by calling my other parent. I told my mom I’d talk to my therapist about it, and after I did, nothing happened. I just stopped scheduling my appointments during math to make things easier.”

Spector said the Wellness Center does not condone this teacher’s alleged behavior, as it goes against the rules and students’ right to confidential counseling.

“If it’s clinically appropriate to not involve the parents, we do offer minor consent; that’s something that the student and their therapists would discuss in depth to determine if that’s appropriate,” Spector said. “But still, the limits of confidentiality apply.”

READING EMOTIONS

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main anonymous because he still regularly uses the center’s services.

He said the center has improved in this respect from last year, now asking questions to those who don’t show their emotions to better assess their intentions. That improvement came too late for the former Paly student, however, who said when he entered the Wellness Center, the staff told him since he wasn’t showing any outward signs

ome students say the Wellness Center suffers from a version of the squeaky wheel proverb: it seems to them that outwardly distressed students receive more attention.

“If the kids coming in are not talking to (the Wellness Center staff ), then they had no issues but are using the Wellness Center as a way to pass the time and to not go to class,” said a Paly junior who asked to re-

of distress, he was mentally and emotionally sound in their eyes.

“According to them, I clearly wasn’t showing signs of stress and was therefore fine, which I was directly told,” he said.

“Most of the time I was sitting there quietly with a blank expression on my face, usually because that’s all I could manage.”

This student says the Wellness Center began to limit his time there to 15 minutes

and began to call his teachers and parents, saying students without issues could not stay longer than that. Spector said she could not comment on individual student cases but that, in a scenario where a student is emotionally inexpressive or unwilling to communicate, the Wellness Center will generally ask them to leave after 15 minutes but their response can be subject to change on a case-by-case basis.

OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION

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hile the Wellness Center was established to make sure it met the mental health needs of Paly students, so far, at least, it has no way of ensuring that some students will not fall through the cracks given its case-by-case policy as described by Spector. Students who are enrolled in Wellness Center counseling receive thorough follow-up communication after sessions, but that cannot be said for those who sporadically or even regularly drop in to the Wellness Center in search of support.

Spector said she may reach out to those who drop in sporadically or regularly depending on their past history or other factors, but insisted that it is case-by-case and

that there is no guarantee of a follow up.

The former Paly student was one of those sporadic visitors. He said he dropped by frequently when he was unable to function in class but felt unnoticed and pushed out by Wellness Center staff.

“I didn’t demand attention from the staff or anything. I just thought it was a safe space,” he said. “After a while, however, some of the Wellness Center staff noticed I was a regular and warned me that if I kept using the Wellness Center to skip class, I would have to give up on coming there again.”

What he really wanted was not just to be noticed, but to be helped.

But Spector said Wellness Center staff

are careful not to make a student talk if they don’t want to.

“If there was someone who was in our presence, and they didn’t want to engage with us right now, we never want to force the student to talk to us,” Spector said. “If you’re not ready or don’t feel like talking to someone, it’s not gonna help.”

Spector said it is the responsibility of each individual student to seek help if they need it.

However, in some situations, Spector said that she will reach out to guidance counselors or others to try to connect with a student who seemingly needs help, describing the approach as case-by-case.

“In their (the Wellness Center’s) attempt to discourage skipping class for unnecessary reasons, they ended up pushing me away when I needed their help.”

FORMER PALY

THE MISSION off of myths that are incorrect,” Kessler said.

“It takes time for various stigmas to improve and this is one of them that is in the process of improving, but has a way to go.”

To further destigmatize mental health in families, Adelsheim said talking within the family is where it all needs to start.

“We as parents need to do a better job of shifting our own expectations for students to be able to help our students shift the expectations,” Adelsheim said. “We’re all

REASONS FOR VISITING THE WELLNESS CENTER

HEALTH OFFICE

APPOINTMENT WITH A COUNSELOR

SNACK/ WATER

stressed and challenged. And I think if we can normalize some of that, that might take off a little bit of pressure.”

At Paly, the Wellness Center staff has worked over the years to improve students’ mental health and believes that an important step in assisting students to feel comfortable even seeking help is to at first help make them feel at home — whether that’s with a smile, soothing words, tea, toys or sand.

PRIMARY PRESENTING NEED OTHER STRUGGLING ACADEMICALLY

Data taken from PAUSD MidAnnual Report on Wellness from August 2017 to January 2018

ATTITUDE/ BEHAVIOR

SOCIAL SKILLS

AL LTUR S CU CROS S E ISSU

R EL A TI O N SH IP S

NEED A 15 MINUTE BREAK

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p is available de and Crisis Hotline: 8554204 on Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 entionlifeline.org xt HOME to 741741 textline.org

The center’s staff has made its services well known to teachers and to students, with wellness fairs and meet-and-greet sessions called “Cocoa with Counselors” and through presentations given to teachers.

Moira Kessler, a Stanford child and adolescent psychiatrist, said there is still a stigma around mental health and mental health conditions that needs to be addressed.

“People still have a lot of beliefs based

PE ER

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oving forward, Minutillo and Spector have made clear their top priority: de-stigmatization. Spector and others are striving to further destigmatize mental health problems, allowing students to feel comfortable reaching out for help.

“I think we have helped destigmatize mental health and help-seeking behavior,” Spector said. “That’s one of the biggest and we’ve done that in a number of ways,”

STUDENT

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Friday, February 28, 2020

The Campanile

LIFESTYLE

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Review: ‘Parasite’ first foreign film to win Best Picture Oscars

Korean comedic thriller has hooked audiences around globe, winning four Oscars, sweeping award season

ART BY ANNA MEYER & NAOMI JECKER

By Andrew Toteda Staff Writer

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or the first time in Oscar history, a foreign-language film was crowned Best Picture this year, and President Donald Trump was quick to criticize the movie he hadn’t watched.

“And the winner is . . . a movie from South Korea. What the hell is that about?” Trump said at a rally last Thursday evening. “Was it good? I don’t know.”

Movie critics do. Parasite recently scooped four Academy Awards — Best Picture, Director, International Feature Film and Screen writing at the Oscars 2020, after winning the Palme d’Or (the equivalent of Best Picture) at the renowned Cannes Film Festi-

val in May of last year. Director, writer and producer Bong Joonho (“Snowpiercer,” “The Host”) won every category Parasite was nominated for. Fueled by the critical acclaim, Parasite has grossed $48.9 million in the United States and Canada for a grand total of $210 million worldwide as of Feb. 23, 2020.

With so many English language Hollywood films dominating the theaters each year, some may find the act of reading subtitles more foreign than an entirely different language. Yet Parasite’s critique of South Korean class structure translates into American culture so well that one would be hard-pressed to misunderstand the premise of the film, even without the closed captions.

When the city sends fumigators to spray pesticides along the streets of the Kim family’s South Korean shantytown, Mr. Kim leaves the only above ground windows in their “semibasement”apartment wide open in hopes of attracting the toxins: a free solution to the home’s staggering bug population. As the toxic clouds of pesticides waft through the home, the Kims’ pest issue has lessened, but the family is forced to sprawl on the living room floor, coughing on the fumes and fanning themselves with the cardboard pizza boxes they fold to earn a living.

The parallels drawn between the treatment of pests and of poverty-stricken Korean families are hard to miss; the hundreds of

other extended metaphors also increase rewatch potential and provide an engaging “treasure hunt” of sorts. Be advised that the following review includes minor plot details, although no major plot points are discussed.

Directly after we meet the Kim family, Mr. Kim’s son, 20-ishyear-old Ki-woo, gets what is clearly his first-ever chance to climb the rungs of the social ladder when his best friend Min, an English tutor for the upper-class Park family, temporarily relocates to the United States, leaving his well-paying position behind. Kiwoo recognizes the once-in-alifetime opportunity, and armed with a photoshopped Harvard diploma, his friend’s recommendation and the alias “Kevin,” he travels by foot up the sloping urban sprawl to the well-off Park family’s contemporary showpiece of a home, nestled between meticulously manicured gardens on a hilltop overlooking the city.

Though comically unqualified for his new English tutoring position — helping teenage girl Dahye Park — Ki-woo gets a chance to apply the smooth-talking skills he has adopted from everyday life as a scavenger in the bowels of the city. Using well-placed compliments to establish good relations with Da-hye’s mother, Mrs. Park, whose comfy position among the elite has left her naive to the determination of a young man struggling to ascend the class system, Ki-woo easily wins the Park’s

trust. Leaving his first lesson with an unfathomable amount of cash in his pocket, Ki-woo reflects on his infiltration, and the ease with which the Parks accept him as a credentialed tutor. Attributing this to the stupidity of the wealthy, Ki-woo hatches a plan to fill the vacant spot of the Park son’s art tutor with his sister under an alias.

When this too succeeds, the Kim family sees the opportunity for a full infiltration of the Park household. Intent on installing each Kim family member into a different service-providing position, they start the process of embedding themselves into the lives and onto the payroll of the wealthy Park family, just as a parasite leeches from its host.

This process is exemplified by the “Peach Fuzz Ploy” scene, a five-minute montage of 60 short clips, spanning from the planning to execution stage of a plot by the Kims to remove the original housekeeper by exploiting her allergic reaction to peaches, thus vacating a spot for Mrs. Kim. Subject to hundreds of video essays and critic reviews alone, the scene is a masterclass in the creative art of cinematography — from the studio lights perfectly angled to pick up enchanting golden peach fuzz particles, to Mr. Kim’s choreography (now a personal driver to the Parks) as he guides Mrs. Kim’s shopping cart across the screen, steering the conversation and Mrs. Park’s

thought-process along with it.

All the while, the accompanying music guides the viewer, an aptly named original score entitled “The Belt of Trust” which impressively sounds like a classical composition from Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

As the music swells, the “Peach Fuzz Ploy” ends with the audience witnessing the fruits of the Kim’s labor: Mrs. Park dismisses the housekeeper over a fear propagated by the Kims that her illness is far worse than an allergic reaction.

“The Peach Fuzz Ploy” is more than well-edited eye candy: it also gives the audience a false sense of security.

As thunder crashes and rain starts to pour, the old housekeeper returns, revealing an eerie secret that turns the plot on its head and triggers the characters to begin violently spinning out of control.

The film begins to derail as well. While the cinematography is consistently stunning, the plot gives up on measured pacing and genuinely funny moments as it goes “all in” on a horror movieesque ending which is best left unspoiled.

At best, you will stare at the rolling credits in confusion as you try and process the last minutes of the film.

At worst, Parasite leaves you with a sour taste in your mouth — one that takes away from an otherwise awe-inspiring performance.

Math students skip Stick and poke tattoos rise in popularity to advanced courses Many students make their own tattoos at home with technique requiring only needle, ink

By Rebekah Limb Sports Editor

W

hen junior Matthew Ho was in middle school, he would take a bike ride to Paly every other morning, unzip his backpack, take out his notes and sit down in an Analysis Honors class beside Paly juniors. With highachieving and stressed 17-yearolds struggling to keep afloat in the notoriously rigorous class, one could say Ho, then a seventh grade math prodigy, was swimming with the sharks.

The Palo Alto Unified School District laning system for math makes way for students such as Ho to progress ahead and skip courses.

Math teachers administer aptitude tests at the start of middle school to identify these accelerated students and allow them to take more challenging courses.

“There wasn’t really a point where this happened,” Ho said. “It was more like I began to learn math faster maybe starting around grades 1-3, and then I got involved with math competitions. By the time I entered sixth grade, I was at the point where I had already learned everything through Algebra 1 because of math competitions.”

Like Ho, many accelerated math students started their interest in advanced math at a young age.

Junior Naomi Boneh, who skipped two years of math and is currently in Multivariable Calculus, said she always had an inclination that she was very skilled at the subject.

“I kind of always knew I was more advanced in math compared to my classmates because I had always already learned the math taught in school ever since kindergarten to until I skipped grades in math,” Boneh said.

According to Boneh, her fascination for math began to develop as early as in elementary school, when her teachers recognized her as an accomplished math student.

“I remember in elementary school we had this thing called math extension for about six or so students in our grade who were good at math, and we would get to leave our classrooms once a week for about an hour and go do more difficult math, and I was usually one of the students chosen,” Boneh said.

Similarly, junior Hannah Zhou said she discovered a passion for mathematics when she was in elementary school. Through other problem-solving mediums such as novel puzzles, Zhou said she quickly developed her skills.

“I think I never really considered myself gifted in math, but I’ve always just liked solving puzzles, and math was kind of the logical extension of that,” Zhou said. “I think I realized this sometime in elementary school.”

By way of taking advanced classes, these students are placed in environments where the majority of their classmates are older than them. Ho said being four years

younger than most of his classmates caused him to struggle socially at first, but then led him to develop strong friendships.

“I would say up to three years is mainly fine, but I wasn’t really able to socialize with people four years ahead due to the age difference,” Ho said. “I will say a large number of my role models have been from my classmates from Geometry Honors and BC Calculus.”

Boneh said being one of the youngest in her high lane math class was daunting, but she also said academic advice from her peers that helped her in the future.

“Sometimes it’s kind of nice because I get to listen to the conversations of people older than me and hear about classes that I might take in the future and learn what their lives are like and such, and also being in a more mature class environment is different but in a good way,” Boneh said.

According to Zhou, even when learning at a much faster pace than her peers, being a math whiz doesn’t interfere with her personal or academic life as much as it may seem.

“I think that skipping years in math hasn’t changed my personal life much outside of the fact that I have one less possible class which I have a chance of sharing with my regular friends,” Zhou said. “I think for academics, it’s actually made my life easier because in freshman year, math was pretty much the one class I had to worry about whereas if I took those math classes now, I probably wouldn’t survive because there are way more difficult classes to take later on.”

Ho said his math forte made it so he did not have to take math in eighth grade, 10th grade and beyond. This free time allowed him to indulge in more math competitions and opportunities where he could showcase his skill, he said.

“Skipping math has been more of a side effect of learning math outside of school than the other way around, but math is definitely my main focus,” Ho said. “To be more specific, doing math outside of school has led me to do math competitions outside of school, learn higher math, do cool projects and make a lot of friends from across the U.S.” One of the math competitions Ho has participated in is the United States of America Math Olympiad, which is the biggest math competition in the nation. The USAMO serves as the last round of the American Math Competition and has brought Ho and many other young math prodigies together to collaborate.

Ho said that his experience with skipping years will help him in many other sectors of life.

“I would say it (skipping years) helped me gain intuition and so helps me understand other branches of math and other sciences a lot better,” Ho said. “Basically, the more you learn, the faster and easier it is to learn more.”

By Claire Shimazaki

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Staff Writer

16-year-old amateur tattoo artist sits cross-legged atop a bench on a breezy February afternoon. She cracks a joke and laughs, brushing her cropped hot pink and electric blue hair behind one heavily pierced ear. Her nose has rings in three places, and her long rhinestone earrings sway gently with a passing draft. A tattoo of a small butterfly accompanied by the words, “never yours,” in lowercase letters peeks out from her collarbone beneath her sweater.

As only a sophomore in high school, the artist has nine “stick and pokes” in various places on her body.

A type of handmade tattoo called a stick and poke, dubbed for the strategy of creating a design dot by dot with a needle, is similar to the method used to create prison tattoos.

The tattooist said these permanent “body mods” are not only for kicks and giggles, but also can be a form of art and self-expression.

Because they are done by hand, often by the wearer or a friend, some people believe that they are more personal than going into a tattoo parlor.

“I’ve tattooed to cover up scars, which I think was very impactful for (the girl receiving it), and I’ve done tattoos that have significant either cultural or emotional meaning to the person,” the artist said. “But even some tattoos that are just for fun … it doesn’t have to have this crazy emotional meaning. It can just hold a fun memory on you.”

According to the artist, teens with tattoos unfortunately may face a persistent stigma.

“There’s a Nextdoor group from Palo Alto that (talks badly) about me, calling me ‘crazy’, and a church that (also does),” the tattooist said.

However, the artist said that perhaps these groups are not aware of her struggles as a preteen, which drove her to get her tattoos.

“I turned down a lot of tattoos, anything that is very much drug related, may affect your career choice, anything that is hard to cover.”

Paly sophomore “I suffered from a case of dissociative amnesia when I was about 11, and I still struggle with disassociation today,” the artist said.

The disorder often occurs after trauma or stress, and may cause the individual to be unable to recall basic personal information

ANONYMOUS PALY SOPHOMORE/ USED WITH PERMISSION

Ouch! Growing demand for stick and poke tattoos as a form of self expression keeps one sophomore Paly artist busy with student customers. The tattoo artist said, “I would say I get roughly one (request for design) a day . . . sometimes middle schoolers ask, and I really don’t feel comfortable (doing the tattoo).” such as their name or family.

“The tattoo on my thigh actually has to do with my memory loss,” the tattoo artist said of her largest abstract design. “My tattoos are kind of a grounder for me. When I struggle with my disassociation, I can look at my tattoos and the stories that go with them, and they remind me that I’m here.”

Despite others’ misgivings, the tattooist said she is unbothered by the way others may view her.

“Honestly, at this point, I just think it’s funny,” the artist said.

“I’m at nine tattoos, 18 piercings and every one has given me a boost of confidence. I think when I got my first two tattoos, I got them when I was about 14 in the same week, they are really small ...

I felt more confident.”

A female sophomore, who agreed to be interviewed only if her name wasn’t used due to familial concerns, agrees.

At three stick and poke tattoos and counting, she said she has tattooed herself and her friends as well.

“For a lot of people, it gives them a way to express themselves,” she said. “If they don’t feel like their body is theirs, they have the opportunity to put something they really love on themselves, and (reclaim their bodies).”

The sophomore said this method of coping helped her to sort out her feelings while attempting to find her identity.

“For me at least, I really hated my body and the way I looked and the way I acted, and I was able to get a tattoo to remind me to … ground myself (mentally) on my knee,” she said. I think it’s really important to someone who may be struggling,”

In California, tattoos, stick and poke or not, are illegal for anyone under 18.

Other states, however, may allow a minor to obtain a tattoo with parental permission.

With the rising popularity of handcrafted tattoos among teenagers, these laws have gone largely ignored.

“I’ve tattooed to cover up scars, which I think was very impactful for (the girl receiving it).”

Paly sophomore According to the artist, stick and poke tattoos have gained popularity and notoriety among teenagers because of their unorthodox nature.

“It’s because people are young and stupid and it’s a fun, rebellious thing to do,” she said.

The artist said the golden rule to maintain safety within the culture of these DIY tattoos is to have sterile materials.

“I have done basic, standard things to keep things clean,” she said. “Just having all the sanitary materials needed to ensure that the risk of infection is as close to zero as possible.”

The artist said students must consider the maintenance of personal safety and health above any aesthetic purposes.

“Be smart,” she said. “I turn down a lot of tattoos, anything that is very much drug-related, may affect your career choice, anything

that is hard to cover. Don’t do anything that may affect your future.”

A female junior who also agreed to be interviewed only if her name weren’t used said she doesn’t regret her decision.

“I was 16 when I got my first tattoo, and it was spur of the moment,” she said. “It’s a small moon on my ribs. I’m 17 now, and I don’t regret it. I guess it depends on the kind of person you are. Some people will look back on experiences and be able to laugh even if its stupid, and others may have to live in regret. I think many stick and pokes are cute things like hearts and stars and girls get it for the aesthetic. I can’t really picture a guy getting a crescent moon or flower on his side.”

One thing that must be kept in mind, the source said, is that tattoos are permanent and one needs appropriate precautions to avoid looking back in regret in the future.

The artist said she disapproves various middle schoolers’ requests to be tatted, which are often regrettable tattoos of the names of significant others and students who have been unsafe in their body art journeys.

“There’s a lot of basic information you can get so easily … you might as well utilize that,” she said. “If you don’t have the resources to do a tattoo or stick and poke properly, then maybe wait.

There’s no point in rushing things, but also have fun. Have fun but don’t be stupid. My life motto for pretty much everything is, if you’re going to do something stupid, do it in the smartest way possible. If you’re going to experiment, you’re going to learn the hard way, or you can prepare before it happens.”

Friday, February 28, 2020

The Campanile

SCIENCE & TECH

B7

Constant consumption of spicy food can lead to stomach pain Despite abdominal pain, students continue to eat highly-seasoned foods, adapt to spice levels as they grow older

EMMA TODD/THE CAMPANILE

Flamin’ hot! Juniors Addie Harris and Annika Shah sit down during tutorial for a bag of Hot Cheetos, a favorite snack among many teens. Harris said, “I normally just get them because they are so cheap and easy to buy.”

By Emma Todd Staff Writer

J

unior Addie Harris reaches into her backpack and grabs a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos.

As she opens the bag, though, she suddenly remembers the many times when this snack caused her stomach pain, and throws the opened bag back in her backpack.

But a lot of teens do not make the same decision. Hot Cheetos and other spicy snacks are a common choice for young people looking for an easy, cheap solution to their hunger. Yet unfortunately, some students and medical experts alike say eating spicy foods may have a negative effect on a teen’s digestive track.

“I’ve had a sensitive stomach for as long as I can remember,” Harris said. “And I would say that I eat Hot Cheetos pretty often.”

Harris said she remembers exactly how she feels eating them.

“When I take the first bite, it’s often really good,” Harris said.

“But when I swallow it, often times I might have burning sensations, and about 15 Cheetos later,

I can feel my stomach rumbling.

The taste is usually so good that I just keep on going.”

“When you are younger,

you are just not as open to eating spicy foods, but now since my mom has made a lot ... I have adapted to it a lot more.”

Annika Shah Around the country, others experience the same thing as Harris, but on a more extreme level.

Spicy foods such as Hot Cheetos irritate the lining of the stomach which can then become inflamed and swollen. This condition is called Gastritis, but eating too much spicy food can also cause indigestion and acid reflux.

Even for people who eat spicy foods on a regular basis, their bodies still might not be fully adjusted to it. Junior Annika Shah said her mom makes spicy Indian food 2-3

times a week. Shah said she has adapted to eating spicy food, but it took some time to fully adjust.

“Those ingredients in each of the foods have some spices to it, and I would say that when I was younger I wasn’t so adapted to the spiciness,” Shah said. “I guess when you are younger, you are just not as open to eating spicy foods, but now since my mom has made a lot over the years, I have adapted to it a lot more.”

Shah said she often has digestive problems and pain, which she says most likely attributes to the food she eats.

“I think (the pain) also might normally come with a lot of spicy foods that you eat,” Shah said.

Menlo Park pediatrician Katrien Burlinson said she often sees kids and teenagers coming into her office complaining of chronic stomach pain. After asking many questions about the source of it, Burlinson concluded that the reason why teens are having these pains is because of the spicy foods they are constantly consuming.

“It took a while for them to figure out that the chronic ab-

dominal pain was actually because of the spicy food that they were eating,” Burlinson said. “It’s not that they come in saying they have problems with spicy foods.

It’s just that they come in saying my stomach hurts.”

“When I take the first

bite, it’s often really good.

But when I swallow it, often times I might have burning sensations, and about 15 Cheetos later, I can feel my stomach rumbling. The taste is usually so good that I just keep on going.”

Addie Harris Burlinson previously worked at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, where she said she saw this trend begin. Burlinson said that most of the kids in the area

were on free and reduced lunches.

“The (students on reduced lunches) come in saying that they have stomach pain and that they have had it for a long time,” Burlinson said. “When you start asking questions, most of these kids do not eat breakfast; either there might just be no food at home, or they just skip the meal.”

Burlinson said she found out that the first thing the teenagers were eating was at brunch, and it was as if they were having Takis or Hot Cheetos for breakfast.

“Then they might have whatever is for lunch, which is not usually super nutritious, and then in the afternoon, for a snack, they are having more Takis or spicy foods,” Burlinson said. “There was a connection that what they were eating, which was this super artificial, spicy food, is the cause of their abdominal pain.”

After talking to many kids about why they eat, Burlinson said many patients said they thought Hot Cheetos and Takis give them energy because of the spiciness.

“It’s interesting because I think there is also a lot of mar-

keting that goes there as well,” Burlinson said. “But they are not really a food, there is nothing that is giving you energy in there.”

“There was a connection

that what they were eating, which was this super artificial, spicy food, is the cause of their abdominal pain.”

Katrien Burlinson Whenever Burlinson runs into problems with teenagers constantly eating these snacks, she makes sure to educate them and people around them that a body needs carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and protein.

“If you have abdominal pain, you should try eliminating these (spicy) foods for a couple weeks and see how you feel,” Burlinson said. “This should be a treat once in a while, but not a daily part of your diet.”

TikTok popularity skyrockets amid public security concerns

Federal government, military concerned over social media app’s data, privacy issues, ties to Chinese government

By Bruno Klass Board Correspondent

R

emember Vine? The app, which began in 2013 as a popular video-sharing platform, was shut down by 2016.

A new app has since risen and is now a household name: TikTok. It is a free social media app where users post short video snippets.

Senior Ally Kim has gained over 60 thousand followers on TikTok. “TikTok gives every user the opportunity to gain a platform through its For You page,” Kim said. “The dances and trends on TikTok are fun and simple to do and also it’s the closest thing we have to Vine at this point.”

The popular app is owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based company founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming. It came to the U.S. in August 2018 after merging with similar video-sharing platform Musical.ly.

In the age of consumer data and privacy issues, however, TikTok has been under public and government scrutiny.

The U.S. government has voiced concerns that the Chinese government is collecting TikTok users’ data and using it for political purposes such as silencing political dissenters in Hong Kong.

After the U.S. government raised their concerns, the U.S. Army decided to ban its soldiers from using TikTok on government-owned phones based on concerns that the app represents a national security threat, and can be used to surveil Americans.

According to an article by Justine Calma in The Verge, the U.S. government considers TikTok a cyber-threat and has instructed all government employees to uninstall TikTok to circumvent any exposure of personal information.

Junior Brooke Hansen says that she has stopped uploading to the platform due to concerns about the privacy issues related to TikTok.

“More often than not, it’s TikToks that are made by girls that aren’t allowed to be viewed publicly while TikToks made by infamously promiscuous teenage boys get millions of views. Someone would have to be oblivious not to notice this.”

Brooke Hansen “I would suggest all users educate themselves on the situation,” Hansen said. “Although there is awareness of potential issues with TikTok’s privacy and the way it uses the data it collects, nothing has been confirmed, leaving consumers unsure of how to react. I wouldn’t necessarily tell someone to stay on the app or leave it, especially since it doesn’t seem like we have heard definitive answers to the said concerns.”

According to The Guardian, in November 2019, TikTok blocked Feroza Aziz, a 17-yearold from New Jersey, after she posted a video that was disguised as a makeup tutorial, but actually criticized the Chinese government for its treatment of Muslim minorities.

TikTok’s blocking of Aziz was ill-received by its community and seen as a form of censorship. TikTok later apologized to the teenager and said the removal of her video was a “human moderation error.”

Aziz refused to accept Tik-

Tok’s explanation for the incident and later took her story to Twitter, referencing Uighurs, the Muslim minority group she talked about in her TikTok. “Do I believe they took it away because of an unrelated satirical video that was deleted on a previous deleted account of mine? Right after I finished posting a three-part video about the Uighurs? No,” she wrote on Twitter.

TikTok said it handles moderation separately for different regions of the world, and it does not apply Chinese moderation principles to its product outside of mainland China.

However, the censorship Aziz allegedly experienced seems to prevail, sometimes in more subtle ways than others.

“None of my videos have been banned; however, it’s very common for videos to be flagged as violating community guidelines and oftentimes, it’s with no justification,” Hansen said.

“One of my videos got taken down for violating community guidelines even though I really wasn’t doing anything.

I was just lip syncing to the song, nothing inappropriate. I wasn’t even dancing.”

Keola Asing Junior Keola Asing was one of the many users who got a post taken down.

“One of my videos got taken down for violating community guidelines even though I really

BRUNO KLASS/THE CAMPANILE

Renegade! Junior Keola Asing, whose most-viewed TikTok attracted 290,000 views, practices her renegade dance on the quad for her new TikTok account. Asing said, "Live, love, laugh TikTok." wasn’t doing anything,” Asing said. “I was just lip syncing to the song, nothing inappropriate. I wasn’t even dancing.”

She also explained how annoying it can get when these random flaggings do occur.

“Yet there are many TikToks with blatantly sexual content that seems to pass those community guidelines,” Hansen said. “More often than not, it’s TikToks that are made by girls that aren’t al-

lowed to be viewed publicly while TikToks made by infamously promiscuous teenage boys get millions of views. Someone would have to be oblivious not to notice this.”

Unlike many other popular apps, TikTok does not publish the artificial intelligence tools or criteria it uses to regulate removals and suspensions of users’ videos.

Although TikTok said it does not act on behalf of the Chinese

government, not everyone is convinced.

Hansen said, “While TikTok has repeatedly stressed that it does not take orders from the Chinese government in terms of what content it promotes or removes outside of China, it has done little to quench the suspicion, given that all Chinese companies are not only accountable to its shareholders, but also to the Chinese Communist Party.”

The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

S IEN E & TE H

The C ronavirus and Anti-chinese sentiment Infectious spread of 2019-nCoV spurs xenophobic tendencies amid Asian discrimination in media

A

s the recent outbreak of the acute respiratory illness 2019-nCoV, widely known as the coronavirus, continues to claim lives, public health regulations have ramped up to ensure safety. However, some students say these public health concerns have become an excuse for increasing anti-Chinese sentiment through inaccurate and discriminatory posts in the media.

With the spread of the coronavirus comes the inherent lack of sensitivity on behalf of Western media through anti-Chinese jokes and racist video games, junior Brian Lee said.

“On one hand, the portrayal of the coronavirus in the media is insensitive,” Lee said. “But on the other hand, the internet handles these types of serious situations by making jokes. I think it is more about an individual perspective, where if the issue isn’t directly affecting us, then we can laugh it off as a joke.”

Lee said the virus is being joked about on popular media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat with racial slurs linking Asians with uncleanliness, in addition to the creation of a video game specifically regarding the coronavirus, called “Plague Inc.” that romanticizes the death of thousands.

The increased anti-Chinese sentiment represented in the media has even lead the Asian American Journalists Association to create guidelines for reporters to help reduce stereotyping and discrimination when writing about the coronavirus.

“The Asian American Journalists Association is urging journalists to exercise care in their coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in China to ensure accurate and fair portrayals of Asians and Asian Americans and to avoid fueling xenop h o bia and racism that have already emerged since the outbreak,” the organization said.

The AAJA said some measures reporters should take include reducing the use of stereotypical images of Chinatown a n d A s i a n people in masks. Instead, journalists should report on topics such as xenophobic incidents against those of East Asian descent around the world.

The virus itself was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, according to the Center for Disease Control. The CDC categorizes the family of coronaviruses into four genuses: alpha, beta, gamma and delta.

The CDC said 2019nCoV is a betacoronavirus from a large family of coronaviruses that include Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, both of which were pandemics that resulted in hundreds of deaths.

The coronavirus family can cause illnesses ranging in severity from the common cold to severe acute respiratory failure, like the 2019-nCoV. International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization deemed the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. And Chinese public health officials have reported tens of thousands of deaths resulting from 2019nCoV, according to the CDC. According to Wired, the coronaviruses consist of one strip of RNA enveloped by a membrane that is embedded with spike proteins. Once in the blood-

stream, those spike proteins attach themselves to host cells, where the virus then injects its RNA into the cell’s nucleus and hijacks its replication process to create more infected

cells, quickly spreading the virus throughout the body.

Because of the rapid transmission of the virus, Intel employee and Paly parent Mark Robins who recently traveled to Beijing to lead an international conference said he noticed changes in lifestyle, as many residents were taking extra precautionary to prevent transmission.

“I noticed a change in the general attitude towards the virus throughout the week I was in China,” Robins said. “When I first arrived in Beijing on Jan. 18, I saw few people taking the extra measure of wearing face masks, but by the end of my trip, every single person I saw was wearing one to prevent transmission.”

Robins said he has also observed how the virus has impacted the livelihood of Intel employees who are current Chinese residents.

“For those of the employees that have been to China recently, the travel department of Intel highly recommended that we not come into the office until we have passed the 14-day quarantine period,” Robins said.

“There are a bunch of Intel employees who are Chinese nationals that work and live in China, and all of those folks are currently working from home and not going to work. For them, there’s no timeline about when the restrictions will be lifted; the time until they will be able to return to work is indefinite.”

And because of the struggles many victims of the coronavirus face, Lee said he wishes the focus of the situation would be on the people who are suffering.

“There are tons of people dying, and all the media does is make jokes about it,” Lee said. “Even though the virus doesn’t affect us directly, it still is affecting a lot of people in China and that should be the focus.”

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Text, Art & Design by Shiva Mohsenian

Symptoms: Fever Cough Shortness of A breath o cc o rd

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Design by Alex Liu Art by Adora Zheng

The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

SPORTS

Traveling abroad to compete internationally allows students to engage with cultures & bond

A

s junior Audrey Chu steps onto the 14-meter long metal fencing piste, she salutes her opponent and referee, then proceeds to lower her mask as she prepares for her next bout.

For Chu, a student athlete who competes internationally for her fencing team, traveling abroad provides her with opportunities to explore various cultures and meet new people.

Since 2018, Chu has fenced in European Cadet Circuits (16 and under fencing competitions in Europe) in Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Colombia. She started at 11 years old in a fencing club in Shanghai, China. Chu said she had to compete nationally to earn national points before competing internationally. After accumulating a sufficient number of points, Chu she joined the USA Épée Cadet Travel Team, which is made up of the nation’s top 20 fencers in the 16 and under age group.

Chu said her favorite part of competing internationally is experiencing unfamiliar cultures.

“When I went to Colombia, I (was able) to practice my Spanish with locals and bargained to buy some cheap trinkets,” Chu said. “The people there were filled with a different vibe; they were extremely chatty and welcoming.

I didn’t feel like a foreigner at all.”

While some athletes feel immense pressure competing at high-level competitions, Chu said she feels proud, as she met a personal milestone.

“Simply being able to compete internationally was a great deal for me, and I had no expectations

whatsoever,” Chu said. “I found out that it was just a normal competition, but better, because of the different culture and food that I enjoyed a lot.”

Chu’s USA Épée Cadet Travel Team is comprised of fencers from around the country, most of whom she had never spoken to prior to her competitions, but she said she connected quickly with them. “ E v e n though we have never talked before in the U.S., fencing together, especially knowing that we have the same goals and (are) representing the same country, just naturally brought us together,” Chu said.

Although her sport is time consuming, Chu said balancing school with competitions was not difficult for her.

“I feel that Paly is very encouraging for student athletes, and the attendance policies were lenient as well,” Chu said. “When I felt stressed out because of time management for competitions, I would talk to my teachers to work things out. Usually, they are very understanding.”

While Chu said initially she felt disappointed after a poor result. However, as she got better and more involved in fencing, she became more motivated.

“Now, I would not only think of fencing as a sport, but as a way of thinking,” Chu said. “Almost like playing chess because you want to out-do your opponent by thinking one step ahead.”

“I would not only think of fencing as a sport, but as a way of thinking.”

AUDREY CHU

Like Chu, junior Charlotte Versavel travels overseas for sailing events.

In 2019, Versavel placed ninth in the Youth World Sailing Championship in Poland while representing the U.S. and also attended the Nacra 15 Open World Championship in France. Versavel competes in the Nacra 15, which is the two-person boat she sails.

Ve r s a v e l said the main difference between competing in the U.S. versus in Europe is that European sailors are smarter whereas American sailors are faster.

“It’s just the vibe of competing against a different selection of people who have different talents and different skills,” Versavel said.

Versavel, a current member of the U.S. Sailing Team, said she qualified through having connections with coaches and getting good sailing results in competition.

“Being on the national team means you get invites to all the Olympic development camps,” Versavel said. “The coaches will call you and check-in and make sure you’re (attending) events.”

Similarly to Chu, Versavel said a fond memory of competing internationally is meeting people from oth-

ANDREW LIPOVSKY/USED WITH PERMISSION

“It was definitely a learning experience being in an uncomfortable environment and having to face that challenge.”

CHLOE JAPIĆ

Sports

SPORTS SPREAD

Remembering Kobe

er countries.

“We made friends with the kids from Singapore at Open Worlds and heard how their school and their training (is) different,” Versavel said. “Definitely just making international friends is really fun.”

V e r savel said managing school and sailing was not too difficult since her teachers were understanding.

“I talked to my teachers pretty early and most of them were fine with me leaving,” Ve r s a v e l said.

“I was able to get a lot of (work) done before I left. I was behind for maybe two weeks after, but then I caught up.”

In the summer, Versavel said she plans to attend Nacra 15 Open Worlds in the Netherlands and Youth Worlds in the winter, which is in Brazil.

Like Chu and Versavel, who compete internationally for fencing and sailing, respectively, sophomore Noah Adesnik has played soccer while representing the U.S. in Spain and Mexico.

Adesnik said European teams and American teams differ in the way they play.

“Internationally, they have different

Almost a month following the death of NBA superstar and four-time champion Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, Paly students reflect on his legacy both on and off the court.

PAGE C4-C5

KAREN HICKEY/USED WITH PERMISSION

Parent Coaching

Paly athletes discuss the advantages and difficulties of having a parent coach.

PAGE C6

ways of passing and dribbling,” Adesnik said. “You get to play with teams that play really different from here. It just helps the whole team because you get to adapt to the competition.”

Compared to his club team, Adesnik said he felt his connection with his international team was lacking.

“We didn’t work as well together because (we) all met each other a month before we went to the tournament,” Adesnik said.

Senior Chloe Japić competes on Bosnia’s National Soccer Team.

Japić said, in the beginning, a barrier between her and the Bosnian soccer team was language.

She attends school in the U.S. but travels to Europe to compete with the Bosnian team.

“There was a lot more strategy behind each game, and that was hard to get without knowing the language,” Japić said. “It was definitely a learning experience being in an uncomfortable environment and having to face that challenge and manage it with everything else that was going on like the pressure of the tournament.”

Although Japić has traveled throughout Europe, she said her favorite memory was from Bosnia, where her team played against Sweden and Belgium’s national teams and qualified for the next round in the Union of European Football Associations.

“(It) was definitely like a big moment for me and being able to go on to the next round is definitely a highlight of my career,” Japić said.

Japić said she felt stressed going into the competition, as she had never played Sweden and Belgium, which had really highlevel teams.

“Looking back, I wish I was a little more calm and confident (in) myself because I’ve practiced and played for so long I know what I’m doing,” Japić said.

B e i n g able to represent Bosnia is a special opportunity for Japić, who said not many people know she’s Bosnian.

“When I finally had the opportunity to play for them, I thought it was a really good way to bring out that side of myself because I say I’m American,” Japić said. “I don’t identify myself as Bosnian much at all.”

“We made friends from Singapore at Open Worlds. Making international friends is really fun.”

CHARLOTTE VERSAVEL

Sports

BENJAMIN STEIN/THE CAMPANILE

Female Coaches

Women thrive in a traditionally maledominated field.

PAGE C7

Text & Design

by Evelyn Cheng Design by Jace Purcell Art by Kiana Tavakoli

Sports

BHUSAN GUPTA/USED WITH PERMISSION

Raising the Bar

Students challenge themselves in the high jump event.

PAGE C8

The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

C2

SPORTS REPORT GOLF UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Saratoga 3/2, 3:30 p.m.

Paly vs. Los Gatos 3/3, 2:30 p.m.

Paly vs. Los Gatos 3/3, 2:30 p.m.

BASEBALL RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. St. Ignatius 2/25, W, 3-0 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Sacred Heart 2/29, 11:00 a.m.

Paly vs. Monterey 3/3, 4:00 p.m.

Paly vs. Sacred Heart 3/13, 4:00 p.m Paly vs. Serra 3/14, 3:00 p.m.

BOYS SOCCER RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Homestead 2/7, L, 2-0 Paly vs. Mountain View 2/12, L, 4-0 Paly vs. Los Altos 2/14, L, 2-0 Paly vs. Santa Clara 2/19, T, 0-0

GIRLS SOCCER RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Los Altos 2/14, L, 1-0 Paly vs. Santa Clara 2/19, W, 3-0 Paly vs. Hillsdale 2/22, W, 2-0 Paly vs. Menlo School 2/26, L, 1-0

BOYS BASKETBALL Paly vs. Milpitas 2/12, W, 71-68 Paly vs. Los Altos 2/14, W, 62-57 Paly vs. Cupertino 2/18, W, 41-40 Paly vs. Mountain View 2/25, W, 45-43

GIRLS BASKETBALL

SPORTS Boys basketball Girls basketball team looks continues streak to keep good momentum

By Claire Shimazaki Staff Writer

T

owards the end of a tremendous season, boys basketball continued their undefeated record in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and seeks to keep the momentum going into the playoffs.

“We’ve got to keep winning,” Coach Jeff Lamere said. “If we keep winning, we keep playing.”

According to Lamere, the team’s 14 wins in a row have made league history.

“This last month has been incredibly consistent,” Lamere said.

“We won all the games in league … since 2006, it’s only been three times since a team has done this. ” Junior Simon Minami said players are optimistic about their progress and look forward to continuing their winning streak.

“We’ve got three or four league games left, and obviously our goal is to win,” junior Simon Minami said. “If we do that, then we’re in the league championship, and after that we’re looking at CCS.” Despite being under great pressure, the team strives to overcome obstacles one-by-one, according to Minami.

A

s their regular season comes to a close, the girls varsity soccer team is looking toward the postseason in the Central Coast Section playoffs. The team has an overall record of 6-6-7, but is taking steps forward, head coach Armando Luna said.

Paly is coming off a 3-0 win against Santa Clara with sophomores Kat Thomsen, Mariana Kessinger and Cassie TalenoDee each scoring goals. The team snapped a streak of three games where the team was shut out by their opponents.

“It was a good result, and one of the first times in a while the scoreboard reflected what we did on the field,” Luna said.

“We’re creating chances but we’re still not always consistently finishing in our games.”

Armando Luna

Luna said he is impressed by the team’s close bond as well and how they are always supportive of one another.

“We’re like a second family,” captain and sophomore Brighid Baker said. “I’m always excited to see them.”

Many Thursdays, the team has a pasta feed, a team dinner potluck where players bring pasta as well as salads, desserts and drinks.

Paly vs. Los Altos 3/3, 4:00 p.m.

Paly vs. Monta Vista 3/5, 4:00 p.m.

Paly vs. Los Altos 3/10, 4:00 p.m.

Paly vs. Menlo 10/17, 4:00 p.m.

Paly vs. Cupertino 10/21, 4:00 p.m.

“Our ability to play as one and pick each other up when we’re down has really helped us win.”

Elif Turgut

In the past few weeks, the team has won games against Saratoga High, Wilcox, Los Altos High and Cupertino High and has lost to Lynbrook.

The team’s only loss in its division to the Lynbrook Vikings, who finished 11-1.

Paly’s ability to adapt its tactics based on the outcome of games has allowed them to effectively overcome opponents throughout the season.

In the second half of the season, the team began to shift away

from its strategies at the beginning of the year, taking a more aggressive approach to games.

“We’re focusing more on pushing the ball early in the game and scoring early,” said junior Carly Martin, the team’s starting point guard.

While maintaining its defense-oriented strategy from the start of the season, the team started to play more aggressively in the first quarter, allowing for several high-scoring games compared to the beginning of the season.

Additionally, the team consistently scored a significant number of points in the third quarter of their games, allowing for several comeback victories.

The team’s continued strong chemistry and extensive teamwork has also been a source of motivation for the team.

“Our ability to play as one and pick each other up when we’re down has really helped us win,” said junior Elif Turgut, the Vikings’ starting small forward.

In Paly’s victory against Saratoga High on Feb. 4, the team went from a virtually scoreless 10-point first half into a 24-point 3rd quarter, which essentially won them the game.

With the season finished, the

team has been preparing itself for the 2020 CCS Championship playoffs.

They plan to attack the postseason in a similar manner to their approach to the regular season.

“Just like the regular season, we’re watching videos … and scouting other teams’ offense and defense,” Turgut said.

“We’re focusing more on pushing the ball early in the game and scoring early.”

Carly Martin

The Vikings hold the first seed in their Division I bracket, meaning they get a bye during the first and second playoff rounds.

They played their first playoff game in the quarterfinals last Tuesday against Carlmont High School. The game resulted in a blowout victory for Paly, with a score of 64-35.

The team was able to win the game easily by focusing on crucial aspects of the game: maintaining a strong defense, getting ahead early and starting the second half strong.

high hopes for future

By Erin Kim

F SASHA LEHRER/THE CAMPANILE

Charge! Senior Kate O’Connor and sophomore Olivia Milne rush to steal the ball, despite the loss against Homestead High School.

It’s an opportunity for the team of 14-3-3, was a challenging to hang out and get to know each match for Paly. However, this did not intimidate Baker. other, Baker said.

“The record doesn’t matter,” “We have pasta feed and we hang out; we’re like one big group Baker said. “We need to go out of friends,” varsity captain Kaitlin there and play as a team for the last four games.”

Meyer said.

Meyer, in her final season on While the team has a good culture off the field, many players Paly soccer, is already looking tohave missed time on the field due ward the future. to injuries and sickness. Luna believes the team is only now reach“The record doesn’t ing its full potential as more and more players are available to play. matter. We need to go “We’re finally healthy,” Luna out there and play as a said, “A lot of people have been out, and that’s really hurt us.” team for the last Still, Luna understands that four games.” they need to take another step forward to face their CCS comBrighid Baker petition.

“We’re creating chances but “I’m just glad we got to CCS,” we’re still not always consistently finishing in our games,” Luna Meyer said. “And I’m hopeful for the future of this team because I said.

Hillsdale, which has a record think we have a lot of talent.”

Staff Writer

ollowing a string of losses in the first half of the season, the Paly boys varsity soccer season ended with a tie against Santa Clara High School, rounding out their rocky season.

Throughout the semester, player morale and injuries prevented the players from performing at full capacity, resulting in 16 ties and losses.

“It started rough, but eventually got a system down and in the end it was a great experience with a greater group of guys.”

Anton Tompert

The soccer team ended their unfortunate streak with wins against Los Gatos on Jan. 29 and Cupertino on Feb. 5, but were tied with Santa Clara High School on Feb. 19.

“We had a good end where we tied Santa Clara 0-0 and they were the number one team in the league,” senior goalkeeper and captain Jackson Druker said. “After we tied them, they dropped down to second place, so it was nice for us to knock the number one team out of the spot.”

The consecutive losses damaged the team’s spirit. Although they ultimately ended on a low note, Druker said that they began to improve as the winter season wound down.

“We had a good end where we tied Santa Clara 0-0 and they were the number one team in the league.”

Jackson Druker

The varsity team ended with an overall record of three wins, four ties, and 12 losses.

“At any given time, half of the roster of players on the field were from the frosh-soph team,” said sophomore Ethan Lim. The frosh-soph players expressed their excitement over the ending season, and the prospect of joining varsity.

Anton Tompert, sophomore and frosh-soph captain said that “It started rough, but eventually got a system down and in the end it was a great experience with a greater group of guys.”

“I think there’s a lot of really skilled players on frosh-soph that definitely could (have) played for varsity this year,” Druker said.

“They are really skilled players, and I have a lot of high hopes for the team next year.”

Wrestling team powers through postseason Varsity, freshman boys, girls teams show strong performances at second league conference

Paly vs. Lynbrook 2/11, L, 54-45 Paly vs. Los Altos 2/14, W, 47-41

UPCOMING GAMES

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arrying its initial momentum until the end of the regular season, the girls basketball team finished second in its division with a 10-2 record.

Now, the Vikings look to win the Central Coast Section playoffs.

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

BOYS TENNIS

Staff Writer

By Braden Leung

By Gina Bae

Paly vs. Carlmont 2/25, W, 63-35

By Ajay Venkatraman

Girls soccer advances to CCS Boys soccer to keep

RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Menlo 2/18, W, 49-44

“Honestly, we really take games one thing at a time, so we’re not that worried about stuff so far in the future,” Minami said.

While the team has multiple injured players, including junior Martín Segura and senior Connor Lusk, they pulled through and changed strategies accordingly.

During this adjustment period, the team has learned to adapt to different situations, according to Lamere.

“I think an old coach told me, ‘a season is a lifetime,’” Lamere said. “I think in any life there’s ups and downs and times when there’s great things, and other times when you fall on your face.”

According to Lamere, the players have supported each other during tough times.

“We are a pretty close group,” Lamere said. “When a kid goes down, the rest of the players give encouragement to the kid that needs to step up. One of the important things is when a player gets injured, the rest of the team needs to give them support, because that can be really tough when you can’t play. Mental health-wise, you need to throw your arm around those kids and show them how important they still are despite their injuries.”

A

fter completing the regular season with three dual meet victories and top placings at various tournaments, the Paly wrestling team and their four state qualifiers are hoping to finish the postseason strong.

“For states, we would love for our wrestlers to get on the podium,” Coach Jonathan Kessler said.

“Our program hasn’t earned many medals since there’s been a state tournament ... Our last boys CCS champion was John Hall in 2008.”

“I thought the performance of the wrestlers was phenomenal. There was a lot of success throughout the season and postseason where it counted most.”

Jonathan Kessler

Paly kicked off the postseason by dominating the leaderboard at

the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) Championships on Feb. 14-15, with the girls varsity crowned tournament champions, boys varsity placing second and boys JV placing third.

“We were a better tournament team especially when we had full strength in our line-up,” Kessler said. “(Our SCVAL results were) a great accomplishment for the program.”

At the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament on Feb. 2122, the boys were sixth out of 80 schools and the girls were 15th out of 76 schools.

In boys varsity, junior captain Adar Schwarzbach was crowned champion while sophomore Cade Creighton and senior Dara Heydarpour placed second, with Heydarpour collecting his 100th varsity win during semifinals. In girls’ varsity, freshman Kiely Tabaldo was a champion and senior Alexandra Lee placed fourth.

“I thought the performance of the wrestlers was phenomenal,” Kessler said. “There was a lot of success throughout the season and postseason where it counted most.”

Lee, Schwarzbach, Heydarpour and Creighton will be attending the California In-

terscholastic Federation State Championships on Feb. 27-29.

Lee is the second wrestler in Paly history to qualify for states twice.

“We have a lot of wrestlers dedicating their time in the offseason and that helped propel them this season.”

Jonathan Kessler

Schwarzbach has already reached part of his goal for the season by winning a title at CCS, and said he wants to complete the other part by placing at states.

“I’m working as hard as I can in the room and trusting in my coaches,” Schwarzbach said. “I think me, Dara and Cade can all place (at states), and I’m excited to go compete.”

Heydarpour is seeking to secure a place within the top eight at states. “(My) goal for state is to place top 8 because it’s been a goal of mine for a couple years now,” Heydarpour said. “(I) feel like I’m closer than ever and it’s a big deal

to be top 8 in California.”

Creighton aims even higher, setting his sights on placing first at states.

“My goal is to win states because if you go into the tournament with the goal to just place, then you’re already content with losing,” Creighton said. “Everyone who places in states goes into it with winning in mind.”

For the last week before states, Kessler plans to keep his training the same as his usual postseason workouts, other than a few travel plans.

“The training will continue to be the same as the last few weeks,” Kessler said. “We might go to Gilroy on Monday or Tuesday to train with their team. We head to Bakersfield (states) on Wednesday after lunch.”

Along with Kessler’s training, the wrestlers are taking their own steps in preparing for states.

Creighton said he is focusing on physical and mental conditioning before states.

“For preparation, I’m taking care of my body with proper nutrition, keeping weight under control, strengthening my body, and keeping my head clear,” Creighton said. “ Because mental preparation is key in all competi-

tion, let alone wrestling.”

Heydarpour said he also prioritizes mental preparation, as well as recovery and some last-minute improvements.

“(I) feel like I’m closer than ever and it’s a big deal to be top 8 in California.”

Cade Creighton

“(My plan is) mainly just recovering, watching some (videos of my CCS matches), and getting mentally prepared for the tournament,” Heydarpour said. “At this point working out a ton won’t help drastically and I’m confident that my training in the last couple years will get me to my goal.”

Kessler said he is optimistic about the teams’ prospects for the upcoming meet.

“This is one of the better teams I’ve been apart of since coaching a Paly,” Kessler said. “We have a lot of wrestlers dedicating their time in the offseason and that helped propel them this season. I don’t like to make predictions or anything, but I like our chances.”

Friday, February 28, 2020

The Campanile

SPORTS

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Senior Creighton Morgenfeld shares life lessons from football

Varsity football, lacrosse player reflects on the life lessons he learned from years as being a leader on, off the field

By Neil Kapoor News & Opinion Editor

B

etween its better understood neurodegenerative side effects, national anthem protests and political overtones, football has seen its fair share of recent controversies.

But for senior Creighton Morgenfeld, football represents something more than the ups and downs of the sport. Having played since the second grade and completed four seasons with the Vikings, he said he looks at football as an avenue full of life lessons, virtues and friendship.

“It’s a lot of hard work throughout the week,” Morgenfeld said. “It’s not always so fun.

But Friday nights in high school is the time to shine.”

Morgenfeld said football offers him a valuable longer-term perspective on life.

“It’s the idea of delayed gratification,” Morgenfeld said. “It’s harder to come by today. People want things now and are less inclined to wait or work hard to get what they want. Football teaches you a lot about the value of hard work and dedication over a longer period of time, and how the work you put in throughout the season will pay off.”

That hard work took off when Morgenfeld was a middle schooler, playing corner for the Palo Alto Knights, a youth football team that went undefeated in Northern California in the 2015 season. The Knights went on to compete in Orlando, Fla. for the national championship.

“We won one game, but we got there,” Morgenfeld said. “I didn’t play very much because I was small, but I learned a lot and had a lot of fun. I really liked football as a game.”

In elementary school, Morgenfeld also played soccer, baseball and lacrosse, settling with the latter and football during middle and high school. Morgenfeld said

this commitment has led him to forge strong friendships and has instilled in him leadership principles that guide his potential interest in entering the military after high school.

“I also really like how the (football) team is really close,” Morgenfeld said. “Everybody counts on each other to do their jobs. Everyone does their job, the team succeeds. If one person doesn’t, the team will fail. You can’t rely on just a few star players, you have to rely on everyone.”

“I learned from my coaches the best methods of leadership to motivate me and my peers.”

Creighton Morgenfeld Having started out as a physically smaller player, Morgenfeld said his willingness to work hard set him apart and positioned him to succeed.

“You might not start out as the best, but through hard work and dedication, you can make your mark,” Morgenfeld said. “I’ve gotten a lot better these past four years. I’ve moved around positions and have gotten better as a player, and I think a lot of that has to do with the coaches that I’ve had.

They’ve all pushed me to succeed and imparted their knowledge to us, and pushed us on and off the field to be the best (we) can be.”

In particular, Morgenfeld credits his football and lacrosse coaches with the lessons he has learned about leadership. He was lacrosse captain his freshman and sophomore years.

“I learned from my coaches the best methods of leadership to motivate me and my peers,” Morgenfeld said. “Leading by example, you have to show who you’re leading that you’d be willing and able

to do what you’re asking them to do. You have to show them that you care, that you’re really invested in them, their athletic career, their lives as a whole. If your team, those you’re leading, know you really care about them, they’re more likely to care about you and give it their all.”

Paly lacrosse coach DJ Shelton, who has known Morgenfeld since Morgenfeld was in middle school through summer lacrosse camps, has individually coached Morgenfeld to be a top face-off specialist — a position requiring extensive coaching and practice — in the league.

“As a leader, Creighton has grown from a tacit man of action, demonstrating personal growth and dedication, to actually requiring it of his teammates,” Shelton said. “He’s quite vocal on the field and in the weight room, encouraging his teammates to perform their best. He is, however, always able to maintain a friendly level of inspiration, encouraging rather than demanding. His positive demeanor and dedicated work ethic clearly evokes higher performances from his teammates.”

As Morgenfeld’s freshman World History teacher, Shelton described Morgenfeld’s motivation as a student and athlete as a factor in his lacrosse success.

“He is not only one of the top student-athletes at this school, but in the entire CCS lacrosse community.”

Nelson Gifford “I learned why Creighton is so successful in all that he does — he is one of the most driven individuals I have ever met,” Shelton said.

“When he makes mistakes, he is quick to inquire and then fix it.

He is not only one of the top stu-

JENNA HICKEY/VIKING MAGAZINE

Take ‘em down! Creighton Morgenfeld tackles a player from Oak Grove High School in November CCS semi-finals. Morgenfeld said, “You don’t need always have to be a recognized leader to be a great leader.” dent-athletes at this school, but in the entire CCS (Central Coast Section) lacrosse community.”

Football coach and Athletic Director Nelson Gifford said Morgenfeld’s drive has fueled his success as a football player.

“My experience with Creighton is as someone driven by an internal and unyielding standard of performance,” Gifford said. “He is highly competitive and does the necessary work to succeed and win. However, it is his deferential and humble nature that has impressed and been noted by all of our coaches. I see Creighton as someone who does well because that is what makes them happy — not to please someone else or hold it over others.”

Beyond serving as a leader on the field, Morgenfeld — who said he is interested in an economics or math major — may try to attend the U.S. Military Academy

at West Point, from which he received a likely admit letter. He said his interest in military service was sparked by his father and grandfathers who served in the military.

“As a leader, Creighton has grown from a tacit man of action, demonstrating personal growth and dedication, to actually requiring it of his teammates.”

DJ Shelton “I’ve always viewed it as something that I’ve wanted to do,” Morgenfeld said. “Wanting to be in a career field where people are

motivated, goal-driven and a tight atmosphere in the military, like on the football and lacrosse teams, the same closeness, the same motivation, people who are willing to sacrifice for each other. I think that kind of environment in the military is really appealing to me.”

Although Morgenfeld has not yet decided which military branch he would like to join, he said that he likes the fulfilling aspect of the service and the opportunities to furthermore improve oneself.

“You get a lot out of it,” Morgenfeld said. “You have a lot of leadership responsibilities that can really help you grow. The environment as a whole helps you build your character and become a better person. The caliber of the people you’re surrounded by are just higher than the average person, so it’s great people that you’re interacting with.”

Paly community disappointed after 49ers’ loss Former MIT lacrosse Students, teachers express support for popular team after Superbowl on Feb. 2 star replaces old coach

By Sasha Leher

A

Staff Writer

fter seven years of coaching the girls varsity lacrosse team, Jaime Nesbitt is being replaced by coach Ana Flooks due to her increasing professional commitments. Although she had to step down as head coach, Nesbitt will be aiding Flooks to make the transition as seamless as possible.

A former MIT lacrosse star and graduate, Flooks was recently hired as the Paly girls lacrosse varsity head coach because of her extensive lacrosse experience and skill.

“I hope my new coach is just like my last because she is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had.”

Sanaz Ebrahimi

ART BY BRADEN LEUNG

By Matthew Ho

A

Staff Writer

s the clocked ticked to the last second, freshman Ishann Batra’s face fell into his hands. While he sat on the couch with his friends after the Super Bowl, Batra realized all the San Francisco 49ers’ hard work and dedication had led to this game, only for them to lose.

“It was a tough game,” Batra said. “I really thought this was our chance to win another Super Bowl.”

Despite being considered both underdogs and overrated by many, the 49ers surprised a lot of people by winning their first eight games in the regular season. They ended up with a 13-3 record and picked up the number one seed in the National Football Conference west. And after two hard-fought playoff games, they earned a spot in Super Bowl 53.

But as the game clock expired, faithful fans like Batra felt tears swell up as the 49ers lost 31-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs.

“It hurt a lot,” Batra said. “After not making playoffs for many seasons. This team put in a lot of effort and consistent performances this season, (but) it was still not enough to win.”

But regardless of the loss in the Super Bowl, many fans recognize the achievements and progress the 49ers made this season.

Sophomore Thayer Kacher has been a passionate 49er fan since he was born, and said he recognizes the 2019-20 season as one to remember.

“Honestly I was super surprised,” Kacher said. “I thought we would be a 10 win team. But we did better. It was exciting to see how far we went although we came up short.”

Batra, too, has been a 49ers fan from a young age.

“People who stopped supporting or following the 49ers when they weren’t so good are not true fans.”

Ishann Batra “Growing up here, I feel immense pride in supporting the niners,” Batra said. “People who stopped supporting or following the 49ers when they weren’t so good are not true fans. No matter how bad they get, I’ll always take

pride in them.”

English teacher Lizzie DeKraai, has supported the Kansas City Chiefs for her whole life.

She describes the tension from supporting another team while living in the Bay Area.

“I was at Piazzas and a couple of people gave me glares, hard glares.”

Lizzie DeKraai “I was all decked out in Chiefs gear,” DeKraai said, “I was at Piazzas and a couple of people gave me glares, hard glares. But there was support from raiders fans but definitely a lot of hatred from 49er fans, a lot of shade, from my students especially.”

Not only was DeKraai supporting the opposition, but she also experienced the harsh realities of supporting a different team from where you are.

Regardless of who you support, teams go through rough and good times. But even a tough loss in the Super Bowl, many 49er fans say they aren’t dwelling on their teams’ Super Bowl loss. They are already looking onto the next season.

Many have already set their sights on next year’s Super Bowl.

“I think we’ll do even better next season,” Kacher said. “This season gives the players and the fans a lot more confidence. I think going into next year we got a good amount of free agents, so we need to resign. But if we do resign them I think we’ll be just as good, maybe even better.”

However, DeKraai has opposing views.

“I think we’ll win again next year, better than the niners again,” DeKraai said.

According to Batra, more people in the Bay Area should take pride in the 49ers, especially because they reside so close to Palo Alto.

“I think going into next year we got a good amount of free agents, so we need to redesign.”

Thayer Kacher Batra said, “We should recognize and feel the pride in having a team so close to us going to the Super Bowl.”

This season, Flooks said she is excited for the opportunity to have the same impact on the team that she felt from her coaches as a highschooler, and hopes to learn more about the league and goals the lacrosse team already has set.

“I’m sure the girls have a lot of goals about which teams they want to beat and which losses they want to avenge,” Flooks said.

“What I want is for the girls to grow individually, as a team, and as a family. I think it’s a really special group, and I believe that if they come to practice and get better each day, those more concrete goals that they have will fall into place.”

Having played the sport since 3rd grade, Flooks said she has always had extremely positive experiences with lacrosse.

“Through lacrosse, I have found a lot of really awesome female role models, as well as incredibly supportive teammates,” Flooks said. “My time on the varsity lacrosse team at MIT was one of the best parts of my college experience.”

However, Flooks said she always knew she would end her lacrosse career as a player after college.

“Professional lacrosse is reserved for the best of the best in D1, so as a D3 player it never

really crossed my mind,” Flooks said. “I also really loved mechanical engineering and knew that was something I wanted to pursue.”

Bill McIntosh, the father of Paly lacrosse player Heidi McIntosh, played a big role in the selection of the new girls varsity head coach, as he was told with a short notice that if there was no replacement coach, lacrosse would not run this season. Passionate about lacrosse, McIntosh searched and found Flooks on his own. McIntosh said he was searching for someone with the same qualities Nesbitt possessed.

“Passion, knowledge of the game and focus on skill development were all exemplified by Jamie,” McIntosh said. “She had the reputation for taking teams and dramatically improving them over the season, making them perennial challengers for the SCVAL title.”

Senior lacrosse player Sanaz Ebrahimi said she looked up to Nesbitt, and that this season will be a transition that the team will need to work through.

“I hope my new coach is just like my last because she is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had,” Ebrahimi said. “I hope the new coach is able to keep us on task and help us gain new skills.”

Junior and varsity lacrosse player Heidi McIntosh shared a similar sentiment about the former coach Nesbitt.

“A good coach is someone who creates a competitive, serious, and focused environment for the team, while also focusing on the aspects of having fun and loving the game,” Heidi said.

Heidi, and fellow junior varsity player Laney Henry joined the girls varsity team as freshmen and shared similar experiences and outlooks on what they value in their coaches.

“The most important characteristics in a coach are charisma and the ability to inspire devotion,” Henry said.

Flooks said that she is very excited for her first season as the girls varsity head coach and looks forward to her future experiences and with the team and players.

“We have a really hard-working group with strong leaders, and they all give their best when I ask for it,” Flooks said. “If we continue down that path, I think we will have a really great season!”

The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

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KOBE BRYANT

W W

Remember

Students r eminisce on basketbal

hen asked which film he preferred, “Beauty and the Beast” or “Moana,” renowned professional basketball player Kobe Bryant broke out singing the Moana theme song “How Far I’ll Go” while speaking to then 13-year-old aspiring sports journalist and sophomore Max Bonnstetter. With an invitation to interview Bryant on the Tonight Show in 2017, Bonnstetter encountered the live brilliance and kindness of the 20-year Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard for the first time.

Bryant died on Jan. 24 in a helicopter crash alongside with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others in Calabasas, Calif. Although his direct influence is now in the past, his legacy and teachings will live on and continue to inspire fans around the world, according to Bonnstetter.

In his Tonight Show appearance with Bryant, Bonnstetter said he had a dressing room adjacent to Bryant’s and met him during rehearsals before the show. Bonnstetter was invited to interview Bryant after his NCAA tournament interview with South Carolina coach Frank Martin went viral.

“He was with his wife Vanessa and his three daughters at that time,” Bonnstetter said. “He was so friendly to me and my family, easy to talk to, brilliant and funny. It was obvious that he was so much more than one of the greatest basketball players of all time.”

This unforgettable experience for Bonnstetter is one that developed from his passion for basketball and a childhood admiration of Bryant. Their first interaction sparked a meaningful friendship with the player, Bonnstetter said.

“Kobe’s mentality, work ethic, devotion and commitment are what made him such a great player,” Bonnstetter said. “Off the

court, Kobe was so smart, caring, kind and humble. He believed in hard work, achieving the impossible and inspiring others to be the best versions of themselves.”

Girls varsity basketball player and junior Annika Shah said she had been following Bryant’s career for as long as she can remember.

“When we were younger, he was pretty much the best player in the league which forced many of us to watch him play because (we) were always guaranteed an exciting game from his performance,” Shah said.

Bryant not only inspired players to have grit on the court and pursue their dreams in the athletic world, but was also an advocate for female empowerment and entrepreneurship, with firsthand experience as a father of four daughters, Shah said.

“He would take Gianna to many college and professional women’s basketball games, as Gianna followed her dad in the basketball pathway,” Shah said.

Shah said she shares a similar relationship with her father in that he supports her and they enjoy watching women’s sports together.

“I am able to experience the same bond that Kobe and Gianna had (with my father), and it’s very special,” Shah said.

Fans appreciated Bryant’s devotion to his family and his ef-

“HE SHOWED A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT EVERY LITTLE OBSTACLE THAT COMES IN YOUR WAY SHOULDN’T PULL YOU DOWN, BUT INSTEAD PUSH YOU TO WORK HARDER.”

ANNIKA SHAH

“Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving, You have to keep going, Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling. ”

- Kobe Bryant

The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

KOBE BRYANT

ing Kobe

C5

ll legend Kobe Br y ant’s legacy forts in maintaining a modest attitude in the spotlight, according to Bonnstetter.

“Kobe is one of the most genuine and giving people that I’ve ever met,” Bonnstetter said. “He was so humble, so down to earth, so kind and so caring. He was a totally devoted dad, whose family came first and meant everything to him. He loved his family.”

After tearing her ACL and meniscus a couple months ago, Shah struggled with regaining her physical and mental strength to push herself through the recovery process, similar to Bryant’s achilles injury in 2013.

“Sometimes injuries can stop you from moving forward,” Shah said. “But knowing that Kobe recovered and came back strong from his achilles injury assured me that I can come back even stronger, just like Kobe did.”

Shah said she vividly remembers watching the game where Bryant tore his achilles but continued to fight for his team, stumbling off the court.

“I remember him hobbling out to the free throw line because he wanted to shoot his free throws after being fouled,” Shah said. “His fierceness and toughness he showed in every game, but this one especially inspired me to play every game like it’s my last and to never show weakness on the court.”

Five years after his achilles injury and two years past his retirement from the Lakers, Bryant published his autobiography “The Mamba Mentality” in October 2018. In it, he explains his philosophy surrounding the game of basketball and his principles for everyday life.

“He showed a lot of people that every little obstacle that comes in your way shouldn’t pull you down, but instead push you to work harder,” Shah said.

Through several more interviews and private interactions spent

with Bryant, Bonnstetter said he also gained wisdom from him as a player and family man.

“Kobe encouraged me to follow my dreams,” Bonnstetter said.

“He always told me to take risks and when in doubt, to go for it.

He was such an inspiration to me — I was fortunate to have known him.”

Bryant’s statistics throughout his 20 years in the NBA and his perseverance make him stand out as a national hero, varsity basketball player and senior Will DeAndre said. Along with his inimitable athletic ability, Bryant is also remembered for his game intellect.

“He was a role model in his work ethic,” senior and avid fan Teddy Butler said. “He not only worked on his game physically, but he played the game mentally, too. By taking advantage of rules or reading his opponents and guessing their next move, the game became easy for him.”

Bonnstetter also said Bryant’s impact off the court is what made him so special.

“He single-handedly changed the game of basketball,” Bonnstetter said. “His goal in retirement was to create entertainment that brought education and inspiration together and he was a role model for kids all over the world, especially me.”

As fans from across the world mourn the death of Bryant, Shah said she hopes to preserve and honor his life through stories and lessons.

“I hope his legacy lives on by people seeing him as one of the best players to play the sport of basketball,” Shah said. “A loving husband who made mistakes but fought to regain his relationship, a father of four beautiful daughters, a strong supporter of women’s sports, an idol to many young basketball players and, most importantly, a girl dad.”

“OFF THE COURT, KOBE WAS SO SMART, CARING, KIND AND HUMBLE. HE BELIEVED IN HARD WORK, ACHIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE AND INSPIRING OTHERS TO BE THE BEST VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES.”

MAX BONNSTETTER

TEXT & DESIGN BY LEILA KHAN ART & DESIGN BY REBEKAH LIMB & SASHA LEHRER

Friday, February 28, 2020

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SPORTS

Athletes share experiences, thoughts on having parents as coaches Students discuss how parent-coaches have impacted treatment, performance, family dynamics, relationships at home, on court

By Kaitlyn Lee

Art & Photo Director

J

unior Emma Stefanutti’s shoulders droop as she heaves a sigh and walks off the court to sit down. Once again, she spends her time at her volleyball match cheering on her teammates as she stays on the bench, yearning to play. With disappointment boiling up inside of her, she glances at the person who made the decision to bench her — her father.

After being coached by her father in volleyball for the past four years, Stefanutti said she has experienced all the ups and downs associated with being the coach’s daughter.

“There are definitely a lot of benefits and downsides to having been coached by my dad,” Stefanutti said. “It definitely made him easier to approach compared to other coaches I had in the past since there was obviously no need to establish rapport with him first.”

“I know some parents make it harder on their kids when coaching them because they are so scared of their kid getting special treatment and another kid’s parent getting upset.”

Emma Stefanutti However, according to Gunn graduate Ashley Kim, whose mother coached her in gymnastics for two years, some parents are careful not to give their child any favoritism on the team and end up being harsher on them.

“I know some parents make it harder on their kids when coaching them because they are so scared of their kid getting special

treatment and another kid’s parent getting upset,” Kim said.

Stefanutti agrees and said being the coach’s child can be difficult. She said her father took precautions to make sure she was not given more playing time than her teammates.

“One important downside was that my dad tried really hard to make sure he wasn’t playing favorites with me compared to other players, which resulted in me getting benched a lot or not getting enough playing time.”

Emma Stefanutti “One important downside was that my dad tried really hard to make sure he wasn’t playing favorites with me compared to other players, which resulted in me getting benched a lot or not getting enough playing time,” Stefanutti said.

However, Paly graduate Esme Stotland said being coached by her father in water polo helped her progress.

“I love being coached by my dad, though it can be a little difficult at times,” Stotland said. “He puts so much effort and time into getting to know the sport so it really pays off and has definitely made me a better player.”

But, Kim said she did not like being coached by her mom because of the intersection between home life and sports that it created.

“Gymnastics was a sacred place that was just for me,” Kim said. “It was my time of the day where I didn’t have to think about school or chores or family problems.

Don’t get me wrong, my mom is probably my favorite person on this planet, but I needed the sepa-

BONNIE SANDERS/THE CAMPANILE

Victory! Gunn graduate Ashley Kim is congratulated by her mother and teammates as she steps off the mat. Kim said, “I think she was good about it because she knew I really despised the idea of her treating me specially or differently, so she really did try to make it as fair as possible.”

ration.”

Not only did this dynamic bring her home life to gymnastics, but it also altered her relationship with her mom at home.

“It made me more frustrated with her because I was almost spending every second with her, other than when I was at school,” Kim said. “I got more easily annoyed with her than before even though she wasn’t doing anything wrong.”

Additionally, at the time her mother coached her, Kim was experiencing family problems, causing her to further dislike the dynamic that was created.

“A lot of family stuff was happening (when coached by my mom), and I had recently just been living with my mom instead of my sister and dad as well,” Kim said. “I was already kind of getting sick of her, so it was harder for me to have her in the gym too.”

Stefanutti said she also experienced a change in the dynamic between her and her father on and off the court.

“At times, it definitely felt like having my dad as a coach was affecting our dynamic at home,”

Stefanutti said. “I remember after tournaments we would sometimes argue at dinner about what had happened during one of the games or why he had benched me, and it would feel just like any other argument between father and daughter. The issues we had on the court definitely began to cross over into our lives at home, which was definitely an unusual dynamic.”

“I couldn’t override the fact that she was my mom, so it was impossible for me to not treat her like my mom.”

Ashley Kim On the other hand, Stotland said she found being coached by her father in water polo strengthened their bond.

“I feel like my relationship with my dad is even strong because of the time we spent to-

gether,” Stotland said. “Because I saw him at home and on the pool deck, we got to spend a lot more time together which I loved.”

With Stotland’s strengthened relationship with her father, she said she respected him on and off the pool deck and treated him the same as she would other coaches.

“I think I treat my dad as a coach for the most part,” Stotland said. “I feel safer and more comfortable with him as a coach but still respect him and listen to him.

He puts a lot of time into practices and coaching so disrespecting him in front of players is just not something I would want to do.”

However, Kim felt that she could not treat her mom as she would treat other coaches since, at the end of the day, she was still her mother.

“I couldn’t override the fact that she was my mom so it was impossible for me to not treat her like my mom,” Kim said. “I still listened to her corrections and everything and took her seriously, but in my head it wasn’t the same as having a non-parent coach.”

Despite having disliked it when she was coached by her

mother last year, she reflected on the experience and concluded that now, as she’s thousands of miles away from home, she would be happy to be coached by her mother.

“I feel like my relationship with my dad is even stronger because of the time we spent together. Because I saw him at home and on the pool deck, we got to spend a lot more time together, which I loved.”

Esme Stotland “Now that I’m in college, I would actually love to have her as my coach,” Kim said. “It would give me the opportunity to stay active and productive while seeing her.”

School sports help prepare students for possible college recruitment

Athletic training techniques, time management skills, scholarship opportunities benefit players in college admissions process

By Parker Wang

T

Staff Writer

he alarm for 4 a.m. wakes up sophomore Eric Gabbassof, who immediately grabs his swim bag, gear bag and school backpack before running out the door.

Every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday morning, he swims in 40 degree weather at the Stanford University pool with his club team, Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics.

At 6:45 a.m., he leaves the pool and travels straight to Paly.

He heads to the weight room and cranks out hundreds of reps even before the first bell has rung.

“My main takeaway in doing school sports is building connections with other athletes and our work ethic.”

Eric Gabbassof

During Paly’s swim season, Gabbassof transfers his year-round club swimming and training to his high school dual meets and invites.

He continually improves his times and strives to outperform the best swimmers on competing teams.

Many students like Gabbassof rely on being recognized in high school sports to help get them into college.

No matter their financial background, all student athletes can use sports to help them with time management which sets them up for success in all aspects of life, according to boys varsity basketball head coach Jeff LaMere.

Gabbassof is an athlete who is full of determination, even during the rough and irregular times, managing his academic work, his extracurricular training and playing the piano.

Before the swim season began, Gabbassof trained full-time with PASA and attended off-season weights training with the high school swimming team.

“My main takeaway in doing school sports is building connections with other athletes and our work ethic,” Gabbassof said.

PHOTO BY HERB SZETO / THE CAMPANILE

Cheese! Ben Szeto (second from right) smiles alongside his teammates as they pose for a photo after winning the 13-15 year old Babe Ruth All-States 2019 State Championship.

“I think you should only do sports if you actually have interest in it because there are easier ways to improve your resume,” said Szeto.

Participating in high school sports can give people a substantial opportunity to be recruited for colleges, according to Gabbassof.

“I’m too broke to get into college on my own, and my grades are not that great,” Gabbassof said. “So I need to make it in swimming to get a scholarship.”

“As far as trying to get our athletes ready, for Division I, or for any division of college recuitment ... we want to have a schedule that will help them improve as much as they can.”

Jeff LaMere

Gabbassof was close to placing top 20 last year in his events, and believes he can place this year at

Central Coast Section.

“I know that college coaches around America watch the top swimmers at CCS, so placing will probably put me in a good spot when college coaches are recruiting swimmers,” Gabbassof said.

Last year, Gabbassof had multiple CCS swimming cuts and was on the States team for the 200 yard free relay. He said he hopes being on the States team, as well as future titles he might obtain, will assist him in being recognized by college coaches.

LaMere said he constantly prepares his athletes for college recruitment by applying similar college sports training techniques and coach expectations to the Paly environment.

“As far as trying to get our athletes ready, for Division I, or for any division of college recruitment … we want to have a schedule that will help them improve as much as they can,” LaMere said. “I can also convey to the players the work ethic and commitment that is necessary in or-

der to play at the next level.”

Sophomore Ben Szeto, who has been playing baseball for 10 years, said playing sports at an early age can help student athletes who want to be recruited for college.

“I’m too broke to get into college on my own, and my grades are not that great.

So I need to make it in swimming to get a scholarship.”

Eric Gabbassof

However, there are some obstacles for athletes who depend on high school sports for college recruitment.

“In general, sports are a huge time commitment and can hurt other academic prospects,” Szeto

said. “But at the same time, colleges see that and it may give you an edge when applying.”

Szeto said he plans to continue playing baseball throughout college.

Although he does not struggle financially, he said he still wants to be recognized by colleges so he can get recruited.

“Although I don’t really have financial limitations, I feel like being recruited will help make admissions less stressful,” Szeto said.

Like many Paly athletes, including Gabbassof and Szeto, being able to manage their daily schedules throughout the year will set them up for a smooth transition for adapting to college environments during recruitment.

LaMere said, “I think (Paly) is a great environment to prepare (athletes) for college even if they don’t go on and play a sport because of all the time demands that are on them.”

The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

C7

SPORTS

Despite more female players, coaching remains male-dominated Student athletes share experiences playing for different coaches, notice significant lack of gender diversity There is a clear underrepresentation and a decline in female coaches, specifically at the collegiate — and most competitive — level.

“I think that a lot of women have different obligiations than men. When I coached, and my son turned 2, it was too hard to keep having a babysitter running around the field.”

Kathleen Bowers

BENJAMIN STEIN/THE CAMPANILE

Reaching new heights! Paly high jump coach Chamique Francis smiles next to the jumping mats. She is the only female coach on the track team, which has four male coaches. Francis said,“My favorite thing about coaching is working each and every day and seeing improvement.”

By Bruno Klass

Board Correspondent Early this February, the NFL’s Washington Redskins hired their first female coaching intern, Jennifer King, who earned her master’s in sports administration from Liberty University.

“I do think women coaches are underrepresented at Paly. But I also think teachers on campus who coach are underepresented.”

Jenny Crane

She is now part of a group of women breaking gender barriers in coaching professional athlet-

ics, along with Jen Welter, the first female coach in the NFL, Becky Hammon, the first female assistant coach in the NBA, and Dawn Braid, the first full-time female assistant in the NHL. Still, the ratio of female and male coaches shows a clear imbalance of genders.

According to a survey conducted by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association in 2015, out of more than 6.5 million adults who coach youth teams up to age 14, only 27% are women.

Junior Annika Shah, a basketball athlete, said that she has played her entire life under male coaches.

Shah said that she has never been coached by a woman but that has not made a difference.

“Most people might assume that male coaches are more intense, and female coaches are more backed off, but that is never the case,” Shah said. “If you love

the sport you play, you have to be able to take criticism from anyone, and have to focus on listening and learning how to improve.”

Like Shah, many female athletes do not get to experience a female coach as a role model which could lead to them not even considering coaching as a career.

Evidently, coaches have a significant and long-lasting impact on the athletes they coach.

“From all the coaches I have had, they all have had an impact on my game and life,” Shah said.

Now, the lack of female coaches in youth sports and secondary schools is receiving attention, in particular among students and coaches at Paly.

“I do think women coaches are underrepresented at Paly,” field hockey coach Jenny Crane said. “But I also think teachers on campus who coach are underrepresented.”

There are seven mixed-gender

teams at Paly, which includes cross country and track, golf, tennis and wrestling.

“I have never been coached by a woman.

My trainer right now used to coach me from fifth to eighth grade.”

Annika Shah

Paly offers 26 sports with nine boys teams, 10 girls teams, and seven co-ed sports.

According to Fatima Giffen, the assistant athletic director, there are 21 male coaches and 4 female coaches for varsity teams, which includes coed teams.

For junior varsity there are 15 male coaches and four female coaches.

Title IX, passed in 1972, was created to disallow any discrimination based on gender in any educational program or activity that is federally funded.

This was considered to be a notable contributor to the decline of female coaches.

Title IX was a significant event in history, and its legislation denied discrimination based on the gender in any program that receives federal funds.

The passing of this legislation urged universities to increase the number of athletic

teams for girls to match what they offer for boys.

In response to Title IX, many universities combined male and female athletic departments, which meant that many men would supervise both men's and women’s teams.

According to the Atlantic these events, alongside others, led to a systematic exclusion of women from coaching.

The Atlantic also mentioned that while Title IX has led to more girls playing sports, the proportion of women coaching female teams dropped substantially: from 90% in 1972 to 42% in 2014.

According to math teacher Kathleen Bowers there is more than just Title IX that is contributing to the lack of female coaches.

“I think that a lot of women have different obligations than men,” Bowers said. “When I coached, and my son turned two, it was too hard to keep having a babysitter running around the field.”

Bowers said the bell schedule also prevents many teachers from coaching.

If the school day ended at 3:35 p.m. and the games were at 4 p.m., it would be difficult for teachers who teach during sixth or seventh period to attend games and coach teams.

Bowers said, “When I was athletic director, I know that we did not have very many women applying for these jobs.”

The Campanile

Friday, February 28, 2020

SPORTS

RRAAIISSIINNGG TTHHEE BBAARR LEAPING INTO THE LESSER KNOWN EVENT OF HIGH SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD: THE HIGH JUMP

A

s former Paly student Eden Hagen prepares for her run up to the bar, she mentally prepares herself to take on the highest jump she has yet to successfully complete.

Hagen is trying to pass her personal record and jump over a bar 5 feet high.

Hagen competes in high jump, a track and field event in which the goal is to jump over a horizontal bar that increases in height each round.

In competition, the bar starts at a relatively low height that everyone is supposed to be able to clear, such as 4 feet.

According to Hagen, the competitor can join at whatever height they feel comfortable at, which is usually an easier height for the person.

“You determine what height you start at,” Hagen said. “Usually jumpers will start 4 to 6 inches below their personal record, as sort of a warm up for higher heights.”

For example, if the bar starts at 4 feet 6 inches, but you know you can jump 5 feet 2 inches, you may want to come in around 4 feet 10 inches.”

Hagen said it is important for a jumper to start at a low height and gradually reach the higher heights so their body has a chance to warm up.

“Because you can join at whatever height you feel comfortable, there’s always the risk that you won’t pass a height at all, especially if you come in at a height that is challenging to your ability,” Hagen said.

Participants in high jump competitions have three tries to get over the bar. If they don’t make it, they are eliminated from the competition.

According to Hagen, the competition continues until no one is able to jump over the bar and the jumper who can clear the tallest

height is crowned the winner.

While competing against others is a major part of the sport, one aspect that many of the jumpers enjoy is the fact that you are also competing against your records.

“Though you do technically place in high jump, it is really a competition against yourself more than against the opponent, as you are jumping to surpass your personal record,” Hagen said. “That’s the thing I like most about track and field: in the end, you’re really your own opponent.”

“In order to be a good high jumper, you must be explosive, balanced and have mental toughness.”

RAS KEBEBEW

According to sophomore Natalia Cossio who has been high jumping since eighth grade, one of the hardest parts about high jump is its mental aspect.

“I think high jump is hard because there are a lot of mental hurdles,” Cossio said. “At each new height, when the bar is raised, you have to imagine yourself going over the bar without thinking about the daunting new height.”

Junior and high jumper Ras Kebebew said he is able to remain focused by being mentally strong.

“In order to be a good high jumper you must be explosive,

balanced and have mental toughness,” Kebebew said. “(You need) mental toughness since it is a sport where you are in control of what you are capable of. If you miss a jump, you have to believe you can still make it.”

One way junior and high jumper Aaron Kim said he keeps mentally strong is through individual goals and targets that he aims to reach throughout the season.

“It’s really easy to get in your own head, so setting goals for yourself and staying focused is crucial,” Kim said.

However, along with being mentally strong, athletes must also have the physical traits and abilities to be a successful high jumper, according to Cossio.

“High jumpers tend to be pretty tall and skinny, which I am not, but that aside it’s important to have strong legs and a solid core to get yourself up and over the bar,” Cossio said.

Often, one of the most overlooked parts of the sport is the run up to the bar, according to Kim. But according to Paly’s high jump coach Chamique Francis, who has been working with Paly for six months, the run-up can be one of the most crucial parts of finding success in this event.

“The quality of an approach is just as important as the jump itself,” Francis said. “It requires consistency, counted steps and confidence. Our high jump crew spends a lot of time on approaches.”

Every high jumper has a different approach to the bar, which requires lots of technique and practice.

“I have a nine-step run-up to the bar before I jump, but I’ve seen people with as few (steps) as four and as high as 14,” Hagen said.

“The side from which you start your run-up is also important, as that determines which foot you jump off on, which can greatly affect your height.”

After the run-up is when the jump takes place, and what many high jumpers try to improve the most on.

“We only jump around two times per week, so we spend most of our time at practice building strength.”

AARON KIM

For example, Kim reached his personal record of 5 feet 6 inches during his sophomore year. This year, he is striving to jump 4 inches higher, which would put him at 5 feet 11 inches.

However, Kim said this cannot be done without a significant amount of practice and hard work everyday.

“We only jump around two times per week, so we spend most of our time at practice building strength and stability,” Kim said.

“The work we have to put in on the track can be pretty tough.”

Francis explains how each day of practice focuses on something different, not solely jumping.

“Each practice includes a warm-

up, drills, hip mobility exercises and abdominal exercises,” Francis said. “Our workout schedule is as follows: Mondays are our interval training days, Wednesdays and Fridays are typically our jump intensive days which includes high jumping and/or plyometrics, and Tuesdays and Thursdays are our rest and light activity days.”

While track and field is a popular sport as a whole, high jump tends to be an event that many athletes stray away from, Kebebew said.

This may be because many athletes fear they would not be skilled enough to do well in the event, according to Kebebew.

“People have to start with a decent amount of bounce or vertical to do a good job,” Kebebew said. “People only want to do something they are good at.”

Additionally, Kim said there may not be enough publicity around the event due to the hit-or -miss nature.

“We don’t get much recognition at all,” Kim said. “Usually, the sprinters get the most attention due to the fast-paced and exciting nature of the event. High jump can be somewhat of a drag depending on the skill of the athletes. If most of the competitors aren’t jumping very high or not clearing the bar, it’s not that fun to watch. In other words, I guess high jump can be inconsistent.

Sometimes it can be really exciting, but other times it can be kind of boring to watch.”

Despite this, the members of the high jump team truly love the sport and all the support that comes with it.

“One of the best parts of high jump isn’t the exhilaration of clearing a new height,” Hagen said. “It is the feeling of community among teammates that really makes the event worthwhile.”

TEXT AND DESIGN BY EMILY ASHER DESIGN BY SARAH O'RIORDAN AND CLAIRE SHIMAZAKI ART BY NOA LEHRER