The Campanile
Friday September 6, 2019
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
Palo Alto High School, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Vol. CI, No. 1
www.thecampanile.org
Unfounded threats of shooting at Gunn Mixed feelings over new bell schedule
Palo Alto Police respond to a threat from an anonymous student on their Instagram
brought against the student. Despite the threats, Gunn held classes the next day. Gunn Principal Kathie Laurence did, however, inform students’ families about the situation in a letter early Friday morning before school started. The letter stated Gunn staff members “continue to work on building a positive school culture at Gunn as we know that it has a direct relationship on wellness and safety.”
“It definitely makes school feel like a less secure place than it did in the past.” Ori Spector
ASHLEY ZHANG/THE CAMPANILE
Just two years ago, Gunn students participated in the nationwide protest against gun violence. Last week, the issue hit close to home when a student posted a threat on the Palo Alto Police Department instagram. comments on their Instagram place the student on a 5150 hold, By Sarah O'Riordan page posted by an anonymous which, according to the Family Senior Staff Writer user who threatened to carry out Education and Resource Center, a school shooting at Gunn High is a mandated 72-hour psychiThe Henry M. Gunn High School the next day, a Friday. The atric hospitalization ordered for School community can now em- person stated in the post that people who are believed to be a pathize with the terror sweeping they wanted to “shoot up” the danger to themselves or others. the nation after a student ex- school. pressed an intent online to “shoot The account allegedly also “We all felt pretty up” the school, just two years af- posted photos of guns on Inster a shooting threat resulted in tagram with a caption that led nervous when we a midday code red lockdown at students, Gunn district adminisPaly. heard the news about trators and police to fear that the student planned to orchestrate a the threat.” school shooting. “We (Gunn staff) Ori Spector In less than three hours, decontinue to work on tectives and school resource officers pinpointed the identity According to a police press building a positive of the student behind the com- release issued early Friday mornschool culture at Gunn ments and established contact ing, a search of the student’s with the student at their home in home revealed no weapons or as we know that it has Palo Alto. guns in the house. The police do Police took the student into not think the student had a legita direct relationship on custody that Thursday night. The imate plans to carry out a school wellness and safety.” police have not released the sus- shooting. pect’s name and they have not Palo Alto Police, the release Kathie Laurence charged the suspect with any said, are working with the Santa crimes, according to Police Sgt. Clara County District Attorney's During the early evening of Craig Lee. Office and the Juvenile Probation Aug. 29, the Palo Alto Police Instead, the police officers and Department to review which, if Department responded to online guidance counselors moved to any, criminal charges should be
Paly Principal Adam Paulson said he was happy with the efforts and quick response of all parties involved in resolving the issue in an appropriate manner. “I talked with Mrs. Laurence from Gunn and offered any assistance from Paly that was needed,” Paulson said. “She and her team did a fantastic job of communicating with their students and school community to provide information and support.” With more reported shootings this year than there have been days, according to the gun violence archive, gun violence in America has impacted students’ confidence in their safety throughout the day, Gunn senior Ori Spector said. The recent increase in school shootings is stressful,” Spector said. “It definitely makes school feel like a less secure place than it did in the past.” However, this particular threat, and the timely manner in which the police handled it, reassured students and staff at Gunn that there was no imminent danger, he added. “We all felt pretty nervous when we heard the news about the threat,” Spector said. “But we were pretty sure that it was nothing more than a prank.”
By Ben Stein
A
Staff Writer
s the bell schedule reaches its third iteration in three consecutive years, students and faculty alike have mixed feelings regarding the benefits and drawbacks of the new schedule. This year’s schedule features a rotation between even and odd days on Monday and a fixed schedule for the rest of the week. This results in two even days in a row on alternating weeks and consistent end times Tuesdays through Fridays. According to economics teacher Debbie Whitson, this consistency makes it easier to plan the rest of the week. “I like the fact that if I'm trying to make an appointment after school or plan an activity … I know that Tuesdays here's what I'm doing and Wednesdays here’s what I’m doing,” Whitson said. Whitson also said consistent end times are beneficial to students who work after school, making it easier for them to commit to work or extracurriculars.
“For four days of the week I know when school ends so it is easy to make plans for the future.” Joyce Lin
Junior Joyce Lin agrees. “For four days of the week I know when school ends, so it is easy to make plans for the future,” Lin said. However, this increased consistency comes at a cost. Both students and faculty have voiced concerns over the two consecutive even days that occur Monday and Tuesday on alternating weeks. “Sometimes for even classes, I will have (homework) due the next day, whereas last year we had at least a day … between the two classes where we could work on the assignment,” senior Prahalad
Mitra said. Other students worry about the additional stress that backto-back even days could cause by reducing the time that students have to complete homework.
“It creates a lot of stress because you need to cram all of your homework and extracirricular activities into one night.” Austin Xiang
“It creates a lot of stress because you need to cram all of your homework and extracurricular activities into one night,” said sophomore Austin Xiang. Because of this, Whitson said it may become necessary for teachers to alter lesson plans to accommodate the back-to-back class periods. “I haven’t adjusted anything yet, but I could foresee thinking through Monday and Tuesday differently,” Whitson said. This new schedule is the result of several years of calendar-related turmoil. The schedule created by the Innovative Schedule Committee (ISC) during the 20172018 school year, spearheaded by former Principal Kim Diorio, contained consistent end times, the elimination of C days (days with all seven classes), the introduction of late-start days, and did not have any classes that occurred on consecutive days. Although these changes were met with widespread approval among the Paly community, the schedule was rejected by a state auditor on the grounds that it did not contain a sufficient number of instructional minutes. This led to an alternate schedule being implemented, at the last minute and after Diorio’s resignation, for the 2018-2019 school year. While the ISC incorporated student input in their delibera-
Bell Schedule
A3
10 teachers and administrators join Paly for the 2019-20 year New staff members share their backgrounds in education, unique talents with Paly community, hoping to elevate their roles
Tracey Atkinson
Clarisse Haxton
Visual Arts Teacher
Assistant Principal
Michael Mishali
Jonathan Kessler
Kelly Slaughter
Jing Xu
Science Teacher
Sheila Morrissey
Science Teacher
Laura Heslop
English Teacher
Science Teacher
P.E. Teacher
World Language Teacher
In-depth information on each new staff member can be found on A3
INSIDE the edition
News. . . . . . . . . A1-A4 Opinion. . . . . . . A5-A7 Editorials. . . . . . . . . A8 Lifestyle. . . . . B1-B4 Science & Tech. . . C7-C8 Sports. . . . C1-C3, C6 Sports Spread. . . . . C4-C5
Opinion
PHOTO BY MARCEL OOSTERWIJK/CC BY 2.0
Climate Change
Political intervention necessary for mitigating pollution. PAGE A6
Lifestyle
PHOTO BY THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS / CC BY 2.0
Outside Lands
Students share experiences of the popular three-day musical festival. PAGE B1
Sports
PHOTO BY STUART SEEGAR/CC BY 2.0
Fresno State to NFL
A look at many Paly football players' journeys to the big leagues. PAGE C4-C5
Science & Tech
ART BY ANDREW TOTEDA
Gambling Mechanics
Addictive elements in children's video games create gambling habits. PAGE C7
Friday, September 6, 2019
A2
The Campanile
NEWS
College & Career Center recruits volunteers to assist students
Forty trained parent volunteers take turns working shifts, providing help at front desk of the relocated center in library By Johnny Yang Sports Editor
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he College & Career Center lost one of its college advisers this year, but has a whole new look with bigger and better facilities in the library and a raft of eager parent volunteers on hand to support the students. Due to a lack of funding, college counselor Andrea Bueno is no longer in the CCC, and the students she was advising were distributed to the remaining two advisers. Fortunately, as seniors begin looking at their ideal colleges and tackling the application process, the CCC has recruited 40 parent volunteers, all of whom have gone through training on general tasks and rules to provide better assistance to Paly students. The volunteers now have a front desk to greet visitors that is separate from the private offices for the two advisers for four-year colleges, and one for community colleges. The CCC has moved from the Tower Building to the library, allowing it to have a more spacious and private workplace, complete with newly installed furniture but still adorned by dozens of college flags. College Adviser Sandra Cernobori said the new workplace provides a more comfortable environment for meeting with students, and assures enough space for college visits. “Meeting with students in an individual room is definitely better,” Cernobori said. “The college visit no longer distracts us. The larger conference room also guarantees enough space for the visits to take place; after all, there could be over 50 students attending a college visit sometimes.” According to Gretchen Harding, one of the parent volunteers at the CCC, there are four volunteer shifts everyday, each lasting for two hours. Each shift is taken care of by two volunteers, and they rotate every week, making a total of 40. Moreover, Harding said the
JOHNNY YANG/THE CAMPANILE
A parent volunteer works in the recently moved College & Career Center helping students make college counselor appointments. Despite being unable to offer college advice to students, volunteer Cindy Roberts enjoys the work.“I chose to volunteer at the CCC because I feel like it is relatively understaffed with paid staff (members),” Roberts said. managers will always pair a new volunteer with a more experienced one so people can get used to their tasks more easily. The most common tasks of parent volunteers involve taking care of students who come in for simple requests, such as signing up for a meeting with the counselors, Harding said.
“Meeting with students in an individual room is definitely better. The college visits no longer distract us.” Sandra Cernobori “We help students make an appointment, log into Naviance, ac-
cess their teacher adviser surveys, etc.,” Harding said. “We are trying not to let these things disrupt our counselors, so they can focus on providing help for our students with their college choices.” Despite their passion for helping the students, parent volunteers cannot give students advice about colleges during their shift. “The parent volunteers are not supposed to give advice in our capacity here,” Harding said. “Outside of here, we will all be full of advice for young people, but while we are in, we are not supposed to do anything beyond giving basic instructions and direct them to more credible people.” Harding said that she chose to become a volunteer because she felt like the CCC needed more support, and she wanted to provide help within her ability. “I knew other parents who
had volunteered in the past, and it sounded like something that was really needed,” Harding said. “We obviously want to make sure our students get into amazing colleges that are great matches for them, but there just isn’t an administrative budget for it here. By volunteering, the school can focus their budget on the actual counselors, instead of the services that we can easily provide.” Cindy Roberts, another volunteer at the CCC, agreed that parents should step up to provide help for the local public school. “I chose to volunteer at the CCC because I feel like it is relatively understaffed with paid staff (members),” Roberts said. “And I think it is a really critical role for the school to help the students with their next step after high school.” In addition to helping the stu-
dents, Roberts has another motivation for volunteering, which she has done for several years.
“We help students make an appointment, log into Naviance, access their teacher adviser surveys, etc.” Gretchen Harding “I have to say, another reason why I want to work here is that I feel as a volunteer, you are just familiarizing yourself with the process (of applying),” Roberts said. “So many colleges would come and visit, and you just get a chance to know more about them and understand what’s available.”
Science building renovation to finish in 2020
UPCOMING EVENTS
New classrooms will allow teachers, students to collaborate in less crowded setting By Adora Zheng
C
Lifestyle Editor
ramped, harshly-lit portable classrooms, dated teacher collaboration spaces and crowded lab prep spaces are about to be replaced with modern, bright new classrooms and streamlined meeting spaces. Funded by the $368 million “Strong Schools” bond passed in 2008, the final project is the addition of four new classrooms to the science building. Other constructions financed by this bond include the renovation of the library, construction of the Performing Arts Center and the remodel of the Spangenberg Theater at Gunn. These classrooms will replace the temporary labs in the portables near the building and will extend toward the Peery Center. According to Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson, construction is expected to end in September 2020. “Having us all in the building is really going to be helpful,” said Erik Olah, the science department instructional leader. “You get kind of isolated out in those portables if you're out there all the time. It really helps us collaborate together.” Berkson states that the building was in need of expansion because it did not have enough rooms to accommodate all of Paly’s science classes and teachers.
“The money was set aside for (the project) in 2008, but we didn't get around to doing it until 2019.” Erik Olah “I’m looking forward to having a little more room to work with,” chemistry teacher Aparna Sankararaman said. “We have so many good teachers in this department, (and) I would love for us to have a little more space to move around and prep.” Teachers are also anticipating the expansion to open up potential for new classes and the revival of a course that has not been taught at Paly for a few years. “One of the classrooms is really nicely set up for biotech class,” Olah said. “We have previously offered a biotech class, and we’d really like
Volunteer Jeanese Snyder said that the training session also helped her become more familiar with the many college resources that students can access. Additionally, the volunteers have a role in making presentations when colleges come to the CCC for their visit. “We will also need to take notes at every college visit and post them on Naviance so everyone who couldn’t come to the visit can access it,” Harding said. Though the workload can sometimes be heavy, Roberts said working as a CCC volunteer is a rewarding experience. “What I like the most is really getting to have a personal interaction with the college advisers,” Roberts said. “And it is great to meet all the students who stopped by and are really excited about going off to college.”
SEPT.
PARKING ENFORCEMENT STARTS Move out sophomores.
SEPT.
FIERY ARTS GLASS SALE
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SEPT.
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SEPT.
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Be artsy!
CLUB DAY Sign up for 10 clubs that you'll never go to.
STUDENT/STAFF PHOTO RETAKES Because you look much better now than you did three weeks ago.
ADORA ZHENG/THE CAMPANILE
The science building renovation will include four new science classrooms that will replace portable classrooms. “Having us all in the building is really going to be helpful,” science teacher Erik Olah said. to try to ramp that back up again.” The new rooms will have a similar layout to the existing classrooms in the building and will be multi-purpose so that biology, chemistry or physics can all be taught in them. “Some rooms are really nicely laid out for a chemistry class — good lab space, new equipment,” Olah said. “We’re going to have those the TVs in the rooms rather than projectors and those last longer, so it’ll be a lot of nice little improvements.”
“You get kind of isolated out in those portables if you're out there all the time. It really helps us collaborate together.” Erik Olah According to Olah, part of the budget will also be allocated towards more minor renovations in the internal lab preparation and teacher area, as well as the addi-
tion of teacher meeting spaces. “We had originally in our plans more renovations on the teacher desk area in here,” Olah said. “The money was set aside for (the project) in 2008, but we didn't get around to doing it until 2019. So I don’t think the money went as far as (the District) thought (it would).” Despite the many aspects to look forward to, the construction has posed inconveniences for some teachers and students. The existing entrances to classrooms 1703-1706 are blocked from the outside, and those rooms must be accessed from the internal prep area. Aside from the issue of accessibility to her classroom, the biggest problem Sankararaman expects to face during the development of the project is finding ways to circumvent the distracting construction noise. However, workers have been halting construction during class time in an effort to help classes run more smoothly without distractions. “I see them picking it up at other points — but when I’m
teaching class, I’ve never had to raise my voice more than I (have in the past) to have students hear,” Sankararaman said.
“Construction can be inconvenient at times, but in the long term it makes for a better school.” Jerry Berkson The main bike rack area by the science building is being occupied by the construction — students can park their bikes at a temporary location between the Peery Center and the baseball field, or at any of the various smaller rack areas around campus. “Bear with us — construction can be inconvenient at times, but in the long term it makes for a better school,” Berkson said. “Take a look at all the new construction we’ve had over the last 12 years: it’s definitely made the school a better place.”
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OCT.
FRESHMAN PARENT NIGHT Don't ask about college.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL JOINT CONCERT
OCT.
FINANCIAL AID PRESENTATION Because seniors aren't stressed enough.
OCT.
PALY JAZZ ORCHESTRA CONCERT Go listen to some music.
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Two bands are better than one.
Friday, September 6, 2019
The Campanile
A3
NEWS
ASB hosts Pajama Day, makes plans for the whole year
Body plans monthly Pajama days, promoting freshman, sophomore participation its annual first spirit rally on Sept. 6 during lunch. Though ASB has previously held the rally on the first Friday of each school year, in an effort to make it better allow the freshman class to become more accustomed to their school environment first, ASB has decided to push back the event.
“We wanted to make the rally more exciting for the freshman class to see, so we chose to push back the rally to make it the best it can be..” Emma Lin PALY ASB/USED WITH PERMISSION
Then-freshmen Emilia Ivey, Kayla Shepard, Siena Adwere-Boamah, and Alyssa Madrigal wear their pajamas to school.
By Shiva Mohsenian Staff Writer
F
ollowing the start of the school year, members of the Associated Student Body have begun preparing events for the upcoming weeks, including a new monthly tradition of Pajama Days, and a spirit rally on Sept. 6.
This year, ASB is reserving the last day of each month for a Pajama Day in response to requests from students to host the previously annual event on a more frequent basis. According to ASB President Pooja Akella, ASB encourages students to participate in Pajama Day by coming to school in comfort-
able apparel in an effort to reduce the stress levels. “We wanted to implement a more frequent way for students to reduce their amount of stress in a fun way,” Akella said. “It’s our goal to make Pajama Day a monthly occurrence, and it will most likely be towards the end of each month. Additionally, ASB is hosting
In addition to this change, ASB will also be counting the events occurring during the traditional First Friday Spirit Rally for Spirit Week points this year, which will hopefully incentivize students to attend, according to Lin. Junior ASB Spirit Commissioner Emma Lin said, “We wanted to make the rally more exciting for the freshman class to see, so we chose to push back the rally to make it the best it can be.”
Paly welcomes additional staff members to the campus By Emma Todd Staff Writer
Tracey Atkinson, Visual Arts teacher
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isual Arts teacher Tracey Atkinson has loved art as long as she could remem-
ber. "Helping students to find ways to express themselves and gain confidence in their abilities to think creatively is very rewarding,” Atkinson said. Atkinson taught art in Pennsylvania and then at Santa Clara High School. A reason she wanted to teach at Paly was because she believes in the school’s values. “Both encouraging creativity and independent thinking, and fostering growth and learning as an essential part of life are both important to me,” Atkinson said. In addition to loving drawing, painting and creating digital art, the artistic Atkinson loves traveling.
Clarisse Haxton, Assistant Principal
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ssistant Principal Clarisse Haxton grew up on Guam. Her dad was Chamorro, Japanese and Filipino, and her mom was white. “Growing up multiracial taught me to appreciate multiple perspectives and to care about getting to know people as individuals,” Haxton said. Before coming to Paly, she worked in District Office as a program evaluation coordinator . “I enjoyed my role at the District Office but missed being at a school and working with teachers and students every day,” Haxton said. “I am excited to grow and make an impact at Paly, working with the leadership team, teachers and students to create systems that support equity and excellence on our campus.”
Laura Heslop,
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Science Dept.
efore coming to California, teacher Laura Heslop lived on Oahu for two years and majored in Dance Performance in college. “I teach biology, and I enjoy teaching this subject because it is exciting to guide students through understanding life and phenomena that surround us,” Heslop said. “I was thrilled to return to PAUSD after completing my master’s degree, as I greatly enjoyed the students, colleagues, and families I previously worked with in the district.” Heslop also previously taught at Greene Middle and Gunn High School.
Jonathan Kessler, P.E. Dept.
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onathan Kessler splits his time working at Paly as a wrestling coach and teaching zero period PE class with being a PE teacher at Addison Elementary. Kessler began as a Paly wrestling coach in 2015. “Luckily the next year kindergarten opened up to a full day and there was a need for an elementary PE teacher,” Kessler said. “I received the position and it’s been an amazing experience.” Before working at Paly and Addison, he worked for 1 year as an elementary PE specialist in the San Francisco Unified School District.
Michael Mishali, Science teacher
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ichael Mishali taught at Greene Middle School from 2013-2017 before coming to Paly. “I know chemistry can be really heady and nuanced, but I think it’s fascinating. I hope that I can help kids feel successful and interested in Chemistry,” said Mishali. “Of course I find the content itself to be interesting, but I like that I can (hopefully) be a part of a kid’s positive educational story, a story in which that student feels good
about themselves as a person and a student in science class." Mishali compared high schoolers and middle schoolers. “Like middle schoolers, high schoolers are complex and interesting, but because they’re older, we get to have different, bigger, deeper conversations about life and science; I think that’s really special.”
Sheila Morrissey, Science Dept.:
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long with many other teachers, physics teacher Sheila Morrissey taught at Greene last year. “It’s been fun to see some of my former students at Paly,” said Morrissey. Growing up in going to the Palo Alto schools, she has always enjoyed learning about the natural sciences. “I came to Paly because I enjoy working with our community. “The students, teachers, aides, custodial staff, counselors, administration, tech team-everyone- has been so welcoming.”
Caterina Porcella, World Lang. Dept:
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he first time Caterina Porcella ever learned Spanish was in 7th grade when she attended Greene middle school, where she would end up teaching there for 14 years. “I remember the first time I understood something in Spanish back in Ms. Bryson’s Spanish 1A class,” Porcella said. “I was very excited that I could say and understand something in Spanish.” Porcella attended both Paly and Greene when she was a student. Porcella also loves traveling and learning about other cultures with different culinary traditions. She started teaching at Paly due a shift in the number of students at Greene and Paly. “I wanted to work only 60% because I was also taking care of my elderly mother and Paly had a 60% Spanish position so I was transferred over to Paly,” said Por-
cella.
Kelly Slaughter, English:
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efore teaching at Paly, Kelly Slaughter taught 7th grade at Fletcher Middle School. She loves teaching English because of the creativity that comes with Project Based Learning. “I wanted to grow professionally and Paly’s English department is well received in our community,'' Slaughter said when asked about her reasons for coming to teach in Palo Alto. “Also ," she said, "the students are simply amazing.” She has two daughters at home, Sophia and Bella. When she’s not teaching, Slaughter likes to volunteer in schools. “I also am a Barry’s Bootcamp Ambassador at the Stanford Mall,” said Slaughter, enjoying pilates.
Jing Xu, World Lang. Dept:
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efore coming to work here, Xu taught in the Sequoia Unified High School District after graduating from the teacher education program at Stanford. Mandarin teacher Jin Xu is not only passionate about the language, but also the culture surrounding it. “It’s the language I speak and the culture I’m passionate about,” said Xu. Besides teaching a language at Paly, Xu teaches vinyasa and restorative Yoga at Yoga Wave Cupertino. She also owns an electric unicycle and skateboard. Xu loves Paly because of the community. “I like the students, my lovely colleagues in the World Language Department, the friendly staff at school, and the convenient access of various yummy food and Boba across the street.” Editor's note: Two new staff members did not respond to our request for photos and/or interviews.
Bell Schedule
Continued from A1 student input in their deliberations by sending out surveys and including student representatives on the committee, the subsequent schedules have only utilized surveys, with no students involved in another way.
“I don't envision changing the schedule soon, but I would like to get feedback, synthesize it, and put it into action.” Adam Paulson “We sent out a survey to students, parents, and staff members about what we should tweak this year,” principal Adam Paulson said.
“I would like students to have a bit more of a say because we are the ones actually experiencing the days.” Prahalad Mitra Regardless, Mitra felt students should have a more significant say in the creation of the new schedule, similar to the ISC model of student representatives in addition to surveys. “I would like students to have a
bit more of a say because we are the ones that are actually experiencing the days,” Mitra said. “We know what we like and don't like." Overall, Lin was appreciative of the new schedule.
“Any schedule created is not perfect, but this one does address a lot of needs found while adhering to both California Education Code laws and auditor feedback.” Andrea Struve “I’m not complaining that much because I don’t see a better way to improve it,” Lin said. Andrea Struve, a history teacher and former representative to the ISC, agrees. Struve said, “Any schedule created is not perfect, but this one does address a lot of needs found while adhering to both California Education Code laws and auditor feedback.” Paulson said that the schedule is likely to remain the same. “We plan on sending out more surveys this year to see if there is anything we can change,” Paulson said. “I don’t envision changing the schedule soon, but I would like to get feedback, synthesize it, and put it into action.”
Beloved bakery closes after 40 years of service By Anna Meyer
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Science & Tech Editor
ozens of people lined up outside the long-time Palo Alto go-to for cakes on Prolific Oven’s final day in business last Saturday.
“When I first heard the news that Prolific Oven was closing soon, I was enraged, and then in denial, thinking 'this can't be true.'” Kate Milne Though a sad occasion for many Palo Alto residents who depended on Prolific Oven for
their high-quality cakes and pastries throughout it's 39 years in business, the waitstaff remained cheerful and committed until the very end. According to the Prolific Oven website, they “have tried to endure the continual rising costs of doing business in the ever-changing Bay Area, while battling a severe and rising shortage of skilled employees.” Several of the bakery's regular customers were shocked and disappointed by the sudden announcement. “When I first heard the news that the prolific album was closing soon, I was enraged, and then in denial thinking, ‘this can't be true, it can't be closing,’” senior Kate Milne said “When I realized it was true, I was quite sad and very nostalgic about going there when I was little.”
The Campanile
Friday, September 6, 2019
NEWS
A4
Community plans to participate in annual Moonlight Run
Students, staff, community members set to walk, run along lamplit Palo Alto Baylands paths during event on Oct.11 By Alex Liu Senior Staff Writer
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s night falls and runners take their places, excitement brews for the race known as the Moonlight Run and Walk. In this annual event, people have the opportunity to run in the darkness with friends and family on one of the largest undisturbed tracts of marshland in the San Francisco Bay. This year, the Moonlight Run and Walk is set to take place on Oct. 11 at the Palo Alto Baylands Athletic Center. Marking the 35th time the City of Palo Alto and the Palo Alto Weekly have hosted this event, many runners are looking forward to the event. According to Paly senior and varsity cross country athlete Wolfe Pickett, participating in the run is a great way to exercise and socialize with friends.
“I love the uniqueness of the race. Most races are in the morning, so it’s quite a novelty to have a nighttime race.” Cynthia Chen “(The Moonlight Run is) a great way to be physically active and to spend time with family and friends, as well as being able to support a good cause and to be active in your community,” Pickett said.
Onsite registration for the Moonlight Run and Walk will open at 5:30 p.m., with the first race beginning at 7:00 p.m.
“In total, the Holiday Fund generated $411,00 in grants last year, which was distributed to 57 nonprofits.” Kali Shiloh A registration fee of $50, $60 for the Half Marathon, or $35 for kids, is required to attend. Additionally, runners or walkers under the age of 18 must bring a signed waiver and an accompanying adult or guardian. Participants will have the opportunity to choose to race in either the 5K Walk, the 5K Run, the 10k Run, or the Half Marathon. According to the Moonlight Run and Walk website, the 5K walk begins at 7:00 pm, followed by the Half marathon at 7:30, the 5K run at 8:15, and the 10K run at 8:25. All proceeds earned from the event will be donated to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund which provides its funds to local nonprofits serving Palo Alto families and children. “The Moonlight Run kicks off our fundraising effort for the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund, with the proceeds ultimately being used as grants for local nonprofits serving children and
PALOALTOONLINE.COM, MOONLIGHT RUN /USED WITH PERMISSION
And the race is on! Causal participants and athletes alike cross the starting line at the annual running event during October of 2018. Last year’s run previews the general turnout of the function, where people of all ages and athletic abilities are encouraged to join in on the fun. families, so our goal is always to raise as much money as we can,” said Moonlight Run Coordinator Kali Shiloh. “Last year, the event brought in $69,110, so a primary goal is to raise even more this year. In total, the Holiday Fund generated $411,000 in grants last year, which was distributed to 57 nonprofits.” Runners are recommended to arrive one hour earlier before their respective events and bring headlamps to illuminate the path. Dogs are not permitted on any of the runs, but will be permitted on the 5K walk to accompany participants. Similarly, runners with strollers are welcome on the 5K walk,
but are expected to stay at the back of both. The run, taking place at night — hence its name — offers a uniqueness not seen in other races, according to Palo Alto High School math teacher and former Moonlight runner Cynthia Chen. “I love the uniqueness of the race,” Chen said. “Most road races are in the morning, so it’s quite a novelty to have a nighttime race. I like that it is a low-key event where families can come out and run or walk together.” Chen, who participated in the Moonlight Run and Walk in 2015, 2016 and 2018, initially heard about the run in high
school, when she was an athlete on the Gunn High School Cross Country team. “The Moonlight Run typically coincides with the cross country season, so some of my teammates and I would participate in the race for fun when we were younger,” Chen said. On the other hand, Pickett first heard of the run when his dad mentioned it to him. “My dad suggested we run the race together, and I agreed to try it out with him,” Pickett said. According to Pickett, the Moonlight Run was a refreshing change from the traditional races he had competed in. “The Moonlight Run was
more casual and less stressful than the traditional races I competed in,” Pickett said. “When I ran the Moonlight Run, it comprised of several different events: the 5K run, 5K walk and a 10K run ... I ran in the 5K run for fun.” Pickett had worries about running at night, but quickly saw that the run was safe by design. “Because the run was at night, it was sometimes difficult to see where I was going,” Pickett said. “Luckily, there were always people in front of me or next to me that I could run with. Although the charity component of the Moonlight Run was inspiring, my favorite part was just being able to run and have fun.”
Proposed Castilleja expansion, change to APs spark conflict New ‘AT’ courses may substitute current AP classes, expansion proposal may cause increased traffic on Palo Alto streets By Shiva Mohsenian and Krista Robins
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Staff Writers
or the past six years, Castilleja has been waging a high-profile fight against neighbors who want to stop its plans for new construction. But behind the scenes, the private girls’ school is undergoing an equally important rebuilding project — Castilleja is moving to eliminate most, if not all, Advanced Placement classes from its curriculum and replace them with alternative courses it developed itself. These ambitious reconstruction projects — one externally facing and one focused inward — could potentially reshape the school in ways that cannot yet be foreseen. Yet while the building plans have been aired and debated publicly, it won’t be until this fall that the Castilleja administration will release an official statement regarding its new academic plan. Nevertheless, the tentative plan to create so-called “Advanced Topic” courses as a replacement for most AP classes has made its way throughout the campus community through Castilleja’s student body. According to Castilleja junior Liah Nudell, the shift in academia is meant in part to help reduce stress and toxic competition among students.
“With (Castilleja’s) current population of over 400 students, they already have a large impact on the community with traffic and noise.” Joe Rolfe “Although I understand the mission behind removing the title of AP, I don’t believe much will come from this,” Nudell said. “They plan on renaming those formerly AP courses to AT; they are more or less the same thing. The newly implemented course will just regress back to their competitive AP nature.” In addition to impacting the student body, this shift would also give more freedom to the school’s teachers who wouldn’t have to follow a set AP curriculum geared to a test. “The administration doesn’t want the teachers to have to teach
solely for one test because it’s super binding for them,” Nudell said. “The only part about this shift that I’m slightly worried about is the fact that colleges might not find ‘AT’ courses as credible as ‘AP’ courses when deciding who to admit.”
“Although I understand the mission behind removing the title of AP, I don’t believe much will come from this (change).” Liah Nudell In addition to the removal of AP courses from Castilleja’s curriculum, the school continues to advocate for its expansion plan to increase student enrollment. Proposals to modernize the Castilleja campus and expand enrollment have polarized the neighboring community. The Old Palo Alto neighborhood surrounding the private school is dotted with expressive and divisive yard-signs. Castilleja Reimagined, Castilleja’s proposed project, aims to increase the capacity of the campus as well as student enrollment by creating an underground parking space and reconstructing multiple buildings on the campus while keeping the middle school and high school at the same location. A recently released Draft Environmental Impact Report concluded that the proposed expansion would create “significant” and “unavoidable” traffic problems, according to Palo Alto Online. With Castilleja’s aim to gradually expand its student population from 415 to 540, many believe that traffic will become unavoidable even though Castilleja would have to commit to a capacity on vehicle trips during drop-off and pick-ups hours. Yet amid the criticism, many surrounding neighbors and students have lauded the school’s efforts to reduce traffic. According to Joe Rolfe, who lives near the school, the expansion would not only be disruptive to neighboring residents but to students at Castilleja as well. Rolfe has been an advocate for prohibiting the expansion of Castilleja in its current location. He, like many other residents in the area, are concerned that Castilleja’s expansion plan coupled with Stanford’s plan to build more
housing would overwhelm local streets with traffic. “With [Castilleja’s] wish to expand, one of the densest campuses in Palo Alto will become even more concentrated with students,” Rolfe said. “Even with their current population of over 400 students, they already have a large impact on the community with traffic and noise. Expanding the school would only increase this. They have reached out to residents like me, but their responses have not been cooperative or transparent.” According to Castilleja junior Violet Glickman, the expansion plan would leave students to study in portables and prevent them from using their complete campus for the duration of the multi-year project. “We are going to be seniors next year, and we want to have all the same privileges and traditions that come with our school, and if we are under construction, you can’t do them,” Glickman said. “As far as I know, a lot of Castilleja girls are not in favor of the expansion. It seems like a hassle that would affect not only us but the community as a whole.”
“A lot of Castilleja girls are not in favor of the expansion. It seems like a hassle that would affect not only us but the community as a whole.”
CASTILLEJA.ORG/USED WITH PERMISSION
This maps from Castilleja’s website show the schools’ proposed expansion. The “Castilleja Reimagined” project would expand the school’s student population by constructing an underground parking space for the use of students, faculty and administration on the campus, hopefully mitigating the amount of traffic the school produces. many of her neighbors who also live near Castilleja are against the expansion plan, while she believes it is necessary to better the educational system. “The potential traffic and parking issues are just a part of our lives,” the neighbor said. “We live in a semi-urban metropolitan community with some density, and we have students all around us. Just deal with it. I like being surrounded by students. I think it is what makes our daily life in Palo Alto feel very vibrant.” Potential solutions to the
controversy suggested by local residents, like Rolfe, involve a possible land-swap with the Stanford campus. Essentially, the idea would give Stanford the grounds of the current Castilleja School, and in return, Castilleja would receive about 10 acres of unused Stanford area. This would mitigate the amount of disruption the expansion would inflict onto the neighboring community, and offer better utilization of Stanford’s land, the advocates believe. According to Rolfe, the swap proposal would allow Castilleja to
expand its campus without further crowding the already overpopulated streets of Palo Alto. “The obvious solution is to move the campus,” Rolfe said. “(Castilleja’s) response is that a suitable site is not available, but I have been advocating for years for Stanford to trade their land for Castilleja. Stanford has over 1,200 acres, and I know that they can spare 10. I’m sure Stanford would also love to get six-and-ahalf acres in a residential neighborhood, especially considering our housing crunch.”
Violet Glickman According to Glickman, one of the most prevalent misconceptions about the expansion plan is that students are working together with the administration to make it a possibility. “People kind of just associate the students with the administration’s idea to enforce the expansion, which makes the students appear badly to people for the expansion,” Glickman said. Residents in favor of the expansion program say in order to further advance Palo Alto’s education, supporting local schools, public or private, is a necessity. According to one resident who lives near Castilleja, who agreed to be interviewed only if she remained anonymous, living in a community where education is highly valued is one of the most desirable aspects of Palo Alto. She asked to remain anonymous as
CASTILLEJA.ORG/USED WITH PERMISSION
This graph from Castilleja’s website explains that traffic produced by students in the past seven years has reduced significantly. However, not everyone believes this analysis and opponents` continue to counter it.
The Campanile
Friday, September 6, 2019
A5
OPINION
Admin ought to publicize Paly’s state-of-the-art resources
ART BY NOA LEHRER
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By Siddhartha Sahasrabuddhe Business Manager
aly oozes privilege. From our top-tier athletic equipment to a new library, various facilities are significant contributors to Paly’s reputation as one of the best high schools in the nation.
The school should better advertise and inform students about the functions of counselors and the Wellness Center. Paly offers more resources than just the aforementioned. The school has a myriad of facilities that often go unused by many students, having not been provided with the requisite knowledge to take advantage of them. Three par-
ticularly under-promoted facilities are the Wellness Center, the weight room and the Peer Tutoring Center. The Wellness Center was initially established to be a resource for students facing difficulties. However, to many students, it’s unclear which issues they ought to go to the counselors or the Wellness Center for. For example, junior Evan Huang had believed that all counselors do is fix schedules. The mental health struggles of Paly students are well documented, with an allegedly toxic academic and social environment dominating the campus. The school should better inform students about the functions of the guidance counselors and the Wellness Center, perhaps through an advisory lesson or a dedicated time slot during class, in order to better the health of its
students, several of which who currently don’t have a good understanding of the counseling system. The second facility provided by the school that ought to be better advertised is the weight room, one of the most useful resources provided at Paly. Students can go during their preps, at tutorial and before and after school in order to work out and get in better shape. However, some students feel intimidated in the weight room, as they are not sure how to utilize the machines nor what they are actually able do in the room. Throughout P.E. in my freshman and sophomore year, we did not use the weight room, and as such, my class and I were effectively lost inside. To remedy situations like mine, mandatory basic weight room training should be introduced in freshman P.E., thereby en-
suring that students know how to use all of the equipment safely. This will allow students to feel confident working out by themselves in the weight room. The third and perhaps most important resource that goes underused due to lack of information is the Peer Tutoring Center, where students tutor their peers for free in exchange for community service hours. However, the center is unknown to many students, who may be able to benefit from the academic help. For example, Huang, who struggled through Analysis Honors last year, says that he could have used assistance after doing poorly on his first quiz. In this case, the Peer Tutoring Center would have aided Huang, as he could have received help from someone who knew more about what the class consisted of.
Personally, I had some difficulties in Chemistry Honors last year, and the assistance of free tutors who were familiar with the content of the course would have been very helpful to me. In order to better inform students about the Peer Tutoring Center, there should be some time devoted during Safe and Welcoming Schools Day or in a designated class period during the beginning of the school year. Another potential solution to better advertise the Peer Tutoring Center would be a quick 10 to 15 minute class trip. For example, when I was at Greene Middle School, we visited the library for 15 minutes so that we could understand how to utilize it. Something like this would be helpful for not only the Peer Tutoring Center, but also the Guidance department, perhaps
during freshman advisory. It is clear that the counseling system, the weight room and the Peer Tutoring Center are great assets of tremendous importance to the school. However, students being unaware of how to properly use them has led to their underutilization, and students have not gotten the help they need. Paly should provide all students with a rundown of its facilities at the beginning of the year, with explanations on how to properly utilize them.
If students are unaware of how to take advantage of these resources, is there really a point to their existence? After all, if no one is using the resources, what is the point?
InFocus time should not be utilized for instuctional minutes By Sarah O’riordan Senior Staff Writer
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t’s a week before school goes back into session, and schedules have just come out. Of course, everyone begins to compare. It’s commonplace to try and meet up with friends during preparatory periods, and for many, it’s clear that the most prized of these preps are during fifth and sixth period. This is because the aforementioned periods are the longest of the school day — while every other class runs for 90 minutes, these two last for 100. This is due to InFocus, Paly’s news broadcasting publication, which tacks an extra 10 minutes onto the end. Teachers, after the allotted 90 minutes of class time, are required to stop instructional time and dedicate the last part of the period to watching the InFocus broadcast. However, most of the time this is not the case. Instead of allowing students time to decompress after the lesson and to observe a school publication’s creation, many teachers use InFocus time to continue teaching their lesson plan.
It is also disrespectful behavior to see from a mature adult — to ignore and overlook the work of a school publication. “A lot of the time, my math teacher will ignore InFocus to continue on with the lesson plan,” an anonymous senior said. “It sucks not only because we have to do more math, but because we also miss out on school announcements that we’d actually like to hear.” This is a prevalent issue for reasons more serious than the obvious: students don’t want to do work for
ART BY ZANDER LEONG
10 minutes more than they have to. In fact, compared to those who don’t teach fifth and sixth period classes, teachers who disregard the broadcast get to teach for 10 more minutes every time they see that class, which adds up to a combined 30 minutes more class time per week — enough time to cover almost a whole lesson, depending on the course. This is a disadvantage for teachers who fit all their lessons into the regular allotted time, as well as to classes other than fifth and sixth period.In addition to this inequality among teaching times, the more laughable reason, which is students’ perceived “laziness,” is not laughable at all. In fact, the necessity of breaks for teenage learning should not be discounted. In short, it is unfair to force already over-stressed students to continue doing
work after 90 continuous minutes, which is the agreed upon amount of class time for each period by the student body, their families and teachers. Endorsed by the National Education Association, including Prisoners Of Time, a report by the National Education Commission states that the regular 90-minute block period is already too long for the average teenager to be able to focus unremittingly. If there is already controversy in the scientific community about whether the 90–minute periods are too long to encourage concentration, it is undeniably unjustifiable for teachers to independently decide that their class can be pushed for an additional half an hour each week. Not only are there administrative and potentially legal reasons to crack down on teachers who misuseschool announce-
ment time from its purpose, but it is also disrespectful behavior to see from a mature adult — ignoring and overlooking the work of a school publication. While InFocus often encounters technical difficulties and does not start its broadcasting schedule until September, these are not valid excuses to ignore not only the efforts of the publication, but also the rules that are endorsed by the scheduling committee and administrators. Even if InFocus isn’t working, teachers should not be allowed to continue to teach. In an instance where the broadcast cannot be watched for whatever reason, teachers should designate the last 10 minutes of fifth and sixth period for work time, or a short break before their next class or tutorial. To help fix this issue, admin should make it clear
that the last 10 minutes of fifth and sixth period can’t be used for teaching, regardless of whether or not InFocus is airing. However, it may be the case that a generalized announcement will not be effective. If so, there should be an anonymous way for students to report teachers who misuse InFocus time, as many students fear repercussions that may come from disagreeing with or challenging their teachers. This being said, this plan is contingent upon the action of the administrators. If admin receive reports from students that their class does not get the opportunity to watch InFocus, it is their responsibility to enforce the rules with teachers and to stop them from neglecting the broadcast. If admin don’t follow through with the reports they receive, students will lose confidence in the ability
of the administrative figures to intervene in situations that are deemed unfair to students.
Admin should make it clear that the last 10 minutes of fith and sixth can’t be used for teaching.
By implementing this system, we can stop the misapplication of InFocus time. This would allow students the time they deserve to watch the school broadcasting or to relax after a packed lesson plan, which can ultimately result in happier, less stressed students at the end of the period. (Editors’ Note: One of The Campanile’s advisers also advises InFocus, but he did not have any role in generating this story idea nor did he influence the author’s opinion.)
Friday, September 6, 2019
The Campanile
OPINION A6 Climate change entails more regional, federal reform By Neil Kapoor News & Opinion Editor
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hortly after the turn of the 20th century, American muckraker W Sinclair published “The Jungle,” a searing account of the savage working conditions in Chicago’s meatpacking industry. Such a mind-boggling exposé of exploited workers laboring amid rotten, contaminated and diseased meat, he thought, would shake America to its core. It did. Public outcry was swift, and within a year, Congress passed two landmark measures, creating federal food inspection standards in slaughterhouses, as well as the Food and Drug Administration, which became America’s chief food regulator among other consumer protections. Today, this textbook example of mass mobilization in response to a public health crisis may seem outof-touch, but it reminds us of a persistent government habit: until a tangible, imminent crisis looms — like the one illustrated by Sinclair — it is a safe bet that little action will be taken on even the most pressing problems, climate change included.
We must universally seek to implement the reforms put forth here through regional and federal approaches. However, this tendency of governments is especially dangerous given the slowbut-sure nature of climate change — and precisely why a new approach is needed. While the 2015 Paris Accords marked a watershed moment in global diplomacy, 2018 reports from the United Nations show most countries are not on track to meet their upcoming 2020 pledges. Coupled with President Donald Trump yanking the United States from the agreement — not to mention skipping climate talks at the G7 summit — a diminished impetus from the West
to meet those pledges paints a gloomy outlook. However discouraging these prospects, a strong case can be made for a threefold approach spanning social, economic, political, academic and public-private lines. The first tenet follows an age-old aphorism: what gets measured gets fixed. One reason economies today don’t favor many common sense climate change proposals is because current economic indices, namely Gross Domestic Product, are too narrow. They give little consideration to the long-term necessities and benefits of climateconscious proposals, favoring short-term economic growth at the environment’s expense. Instead, we must use a more comprehensive measurement of economic health that factors in climate impact. One possibility is the Gross Progress Index, popularized in the early 1990s with the intention of subtracting “costs” — ranging from crime to family breakdown to pollution — from “benefits,” which GDP solely measures. Non-profits have calculated GPI time-series for America and a smattering of countries including Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, but just four U.S. states have passed legislation to consider GPI. The European Union’s “Beyond GDP” initiative has garnered attention among European think-tanks, but by and large, alternative GDP indicators have not dominated the mainstream political conversation. That must change. GPI will need policy support from governments due to a default preference for GDP, but a global effort to universally adopt GPI with an established methodology can standardize its use for all. Antagonists of GPI contend it is too vague given its social well-being origins, and higher GPI often would not indicate a true increase of a nation’s wealth. Yet these objections are short-sighted for two reasons. First, a climate change-oriented GPI would
ART BY GINA BAE
primarily be focused on environmental impacts, not ambiguous factors like happiness. Second, GPI would be used alongside GDP as a coequal economic index, not as a replacement or a shortterm growth metric. The second set of measures is aimed at public opinion, modeled after food labeling requirements. Researchers at Tufts University found in a 2019 meta-analysis that nutritional labels reduce consumer intake of fats and other unhealthy foods by 23.6%, while increasing consumer vegetable consumption by 13.5%. The intent behind replicating the food labeling model is that if the carbon footprint of a consumer item is reported front and center to consumers like nutritional value is for food, the public is far more likely to understand the direct impact it has on the environment. For example, many are shocked to learn that both a pound of beef and almonds each requires a whopping 2,000 gallons of water to produce. Worse, livestock farming generates 18% of
the world’s human-produced greenhouse gas emissions. The beef and poultry lobby will fight these facts being reported on their products, but perhaps such a measure will cause people to think twice before consuming environmentally unfriendly foods and shift more attention to environmentally friendly policies at the ballot box. Third, a renewed publicprivate partnership is necessary. This matters because the main obstacle to implementing new carbon capture and storage technologies is cost. A two-pronged approach is suitable: first, governments must reduce the gap between the price of carbon (around $20 per ton currently) and the cost of carbon capture techniques (around $200 per ton) by ensuring ordinary people — not just government and corporations — become a stakeholder in the decarbonization process. For example, Canada recently announced an ambitious tax on fossil fuels, where most revenue will be awarded as a tax credit to Canadians.
Another option is a capand-trade system, like in California, where dirty utility companies buy carbon credits from cleaner ones like Tesla. The second prong incentivizes private sector investment in CCS and other technologies through significantly increasing tax credits. According to Jesse Jenkins, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative, America’s modest increase in CCS tax credits in 2018 makes innovation far more viable: high costs of CCS precluded companies from investing, which kept CCS technology expensive. By aggressively promoting research and development schemes, reducing the cost of CCS and distributing the tax benefits across society, governments can accelerate progress toward the crossover point when the capitalistic virtuous cycle favors financially viable and sustainable business models. Climate change is arguably the biggest crisis mankind currently faces. It requires global cooperation,
innovation and diplomacy. But rather than sow blame or point fingers at carbon laggards, we must universally seek to implement the reforms put forth here through regional and federal approaches. With the right investments, there will be a point when government support is no longer needed and the private sector can take over an industry of highly lucrative potential, harnessing the beauty of capitalism.
This tendency of governments is especially dangerous given the slow-but-sure nature of climate change—and precisely why a new approach is needed.
Yet ensuring the public has a fair stake in progressive economic and political reforms is still a crucial matter — one that can turn the tide of government intransigence into a catalyzing force — and one that Sinclair might approve of.
Friday, September 6, 2019
The Campanile
OPINION A7 Debate culture should accommodate all students By Kai Vetteth
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Online Editor
t wasn’t until my first debate tournament, as I argued emphatically before a panel of strangers, that I understood why Americans fear public speaking more than death. Yet the apprehension I felt paled in comparison to the nervousness experienced by my peers unable to afford one of the outdated trappings of debate tournaments — suits. Like many other extracurricular activities, participation in debate requires money. However, unlike robotics, which needs tools and supplies, or water polo, which requires various specialized equipment, a suit is not intrinsic to the activity.
The low-income students currently precluded from participation in debate would benefit greatly from the skills the activity develops. At most Bay Area debate tournaments, wearing suits or other expensive formal clothing is the expectation, a holdover from when participation in high school debate equated to a career in law. As a result, students who deviate from that expectation are ostracized. According to Camila Vasquez, vice president of debate in the California Coast Forensic League and former Paly Debate
coach, debaters who dress casually at tournaments often receive lower marks from judges due to a perceived lack of professionalism. This disproportionately affects students from low income households as suits are prohibitively expensive, and students must purchase multiple suits as they grow. Jennie Savage, the director of the Paly Speech and Debate Team, said receiving negative feedback based on what they can afford to dress exacerbates debaters’ feelings of otherness and creates another hurdle in an already high-pressure activity. Meanwhile, the students currently precluded from participation in debate would benefit greatly from the skills the activity develops, especially in schools where access to extracurriculars is limited. According to the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League, an organization that works with schools to increase students’ access to debate, skills developed through debate — like critical thinking, public speaking and even English literacy — are critical to increasing students’ academic and vocational success. Of the students who participated in the SVUDL during the 2016-17 school year, 100% graduated high school and 100% attended college. Thus, de-facto formal clothing requirements must be eliminated to encourage more students to take advantage of the
ART BY NOA LEHRER
SVUDL and similar programs. Students that have traditionally dressed formally ought to opt for casual clothing. Additionally, tournament administrators should remind judges that a competitor’s dress is not a judging criteria. In fact, during her tenure managing tournaments, Vasquez said she helped implement a similar practice to prevent discrimination based on lack of formal dress, albeit in a less formalized manner. Some proponents of the current norms say wearing suits serves as practice for the workforce, thus teaching students professionalism. Howev-
er, junior Ethan Hwang, who has participated in debate tournaments both with and without a de-facto formal clothing requirement, said the difference between the two types of tournaments is not whether debaters wear suits — the ones who want to wear suits do so in both types — but whether low-income students feel comfortable competing without them. Eliminating the expectation of formal clothing does not mean those who want to wear suits cannot still wear them and practice their version of professionalism. Hwang said in tournaments with inclusive cul-
tures, the judges focused less on his clothing and more on the content of his speeches. If this pattern holds true, normalizing casual dress will considerably improve debate culture. This proposed solution, however, would likely be implemented gradually and require not only significant coordination among tournament administrators, but also time for debate’s cultural standards to shift towards inclusivity. In the shortterm, people should donate their used formal clothing to low-income debaters through community organizations. Ultimately, students
should never feel ostracized due to what they can and cannot afford. All anyone should need to bring to a debate tournament is themselves.
Eliminating the expectation of formal clothing does not mean those who want to wear suits cannot still wear suits and practice professionalism. Editors’ Note: In January 2018, the author founded Suits For Teens, an organization which provides suits to debaters who cannot afford them.
Friday, September 6, 2019
The Campanile
A8
EDITORIALS
Paly facilities should be more Scheduling decisions require accessible for physically disabled more student involvement
O
ne of the most gratifying benefits of attending Paly is the myriad facilities students can utilize, from the extensive gymnasium to the multistory Media Arts Center. However, many Paly buildings currently lack automatic push buttons for doors, with the exception of the recently constructed library. Although not mandatory under the Americans with Disabilities Act or the California Code of Regulations, push buttons can play an integral role in granting more accessibility for students with physical disabilities.
The Campanile believes Paly ought to allocate funding to install push buttons in buildings throughout the campus. The Campanile believes Paly ought to allocate funding to install push buttons in buildings throughout the campus to improve accessibility. According to Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson, as required by state law, Paly offers
numerous accessible facilities for students with physical disabilities, including a pool lift, elevators and ramps. Additionally, special education teacher Celeste Jauregui said students with disabilities in the Palo Alto Unified School District Future program are provided aides to help them navigate around campus. Not only will installing push buttons provide convenience for those unable to physically open doors, but push buttons will allow students with disabilities to gain greater independence. According to Jauregui, with push buttons, these students will be able to access facilities on their own without needing an aide to open doors, allowing more freedom for these students while also saving them time. While installing push buttons might be costly when applied to every entrance at the school, at a minimum, these utilities should be added to the doors of the Futures program classrooms, which would allow Futures students to more easily access their own classrooms on a daily basis. Furthermore, the entrance doors to the gym, Media Arts Center and the Performing Arts Center should also have push buttons, as these facilities are commonly used and the location for many events.
In addition to the lack of push buttons, transportation across campus for students with disabilities can also be difficult. According to Special Education Classroom Aide Donna Alkadri, when students are dropped off by their bus in the morning, getting to the Futures classroom involves hectic navigation through bikes, cars and, now, construction vehicles.
In addition to the lack of push buttons, transportation across campus for students with disabilities can also be difficult. In order to provide Futures students with safer means of traveling to their classes, The Campanile suggests adding designated student walkways in the parking lot, which will not only benefit those with physical disabilities, but also anyone walking there in general. However, since this might prove to be a difficult addition logistically, these paths can simply be painted or clearly defined.
P
aly’s new bell schedule, featuring a Monday that alternates between even and odd periods every other week and a fixed schedule for Tuesday through Friday, has been met with controversy. The back-to-back even days on Monday and Tuesday every other week has led to concern among students and teachers when it comes to the buildup of work and the fact that odd periods don’t meet for four calendar days on these weeks. Possibly even more troubling, though, is the lack of student involvement in the schedule’s development. The Campanile thinks the Palo Alto Unified School District should have allocated funds to continue the Innovative Schedule Committee that was used to choose a schedule for last year. This committee involved both students and administration. Additionally, more feedback should have been collected from the student body before enacting this change. This feedback could have been collected through publicized meetings with administrators and more detailed surveys administered to the student body. Last year, both administration and Paly students were given a large voice in what the year’s schedule would look like, as the ISC had been introduced to make the decision.
According to Paly senior and former ISC member Nathan Strope, students were included in the decision-making process for the 2018-19 schedule, from sending out surveys to allowing student representatives to voice their opinions and concerns to administration in frequent meetings.
The Campanile thinks the Palo Alto Unified School District should have allocated funds to continue the Innovative Schedule Committee that was used to choose a schedule last year. However, for this year’s schedule, administrators choose not to include input from the ISC in the development of the new schedule. According to Principal Adam Paulson, the schedule was changed this year based on survey responses from parents, students and staff who favored the rotating Monday schedule over other
options. This survey was administered at the end of the 2018-19 school year. Additionally, Paulson said that the summer break window for changing the schedule and a lack of funding made reestablishing the ISC for nearly impossible. Although potentially inconvenient and expensive, the inclusion of the ISC in the decision to alter Paly’s standardized schedule is crucial to the positive involvement of the student body. Students involved directly in ISC would be better able to understand the ins and outs, pros and cons and feasibility of the different schedule options. The new rotating Monday schedule was apparently, according to Strope, a favorable option in ISC meetings last year. Whether or not this schedule is more favorable to the student body, though, isn’t clear since students weren’t as involved in the schedule-changing process through an established committee this year. The Campanile understands that a lack of funding and the short window of time allotted were limiting factors on student inclusion on the process, however, we think in the future the district administrators should prioritize direct student involvement when contemplating changes to the school schedule.
Admin should fund additional college and career counselor
J
ust a few days after the start of the school year, the College & Career Center sent out an email informing the Paly community that due to a lack of funding, Andrea Bueno’s position as one of three college advisers was terminated. The College & Career Center is a universal resource for all students attending Paly to seek guidance regarding standardized testing, college applications and alternative post-high school plans. The Campanile thinks additional funding must be allocated toward the CCC in order to provide it with the resources necessary to serve students effectively.
The College & Career Center is a universal resource for all students attending Paly to seek guidance regarding standardized testing, college applications and alternative high school plans. The position of a third college counselor was created at the end of the 2017-18 school year after being a topic of discussion among administrators for several years. However, for this school year, admin decided it was not sustainable to fund a third college counselor, and felt that it was a necessary change, according to Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson. According to College & Career Counselor Sandra Cernobori,
having a third adviser is essential for the CCC to improve its reach to the student body and accomplish its standard of meeting with every student at least once in the spring of their junior year to ensure they are on the right track and receiving the help they need.
Insufficient funding for the College & Career Center ultimately means that students are not being set up for success. After her termination, the CCC distributed Bueno’s caseload of students with last names N-Z to the remaining college advisers, Cernobori and Stephanie Mendoza. Not only did this force hundreds of incoming seniors to rebuild their student-counselor relationship with a new adviser, but it reduced the capability of the CCC to meet with as many students. According to Cernobori, the current understaffing of the CCC makes it physically impossible for all juniors to have appointments in the spring because advisers are occupied with aiding seniors through the final stages of the college admissions process, as well as managing the scholarship and awards night programs. Insufficient funding for the CCC means that students are not being set up for success. The CCC’s sole objective, along with the purpose of high school as a whole is to help students form their futures, whether
this be pursuing college, a gap year, job or an alternative postsecondary path. Funding for areas of focus at Paly such as the CCC come from Partners in Education, and is allocated by Paly admin into subsections. Under these subsections, each department is allotted a different amount of funding, with about 20% going towards STEM education, 20% towards the arts, 10% towards technology electives and 50% towards the guidance program, which encompasses wellness as well as college and career counseling.
The College & Career Center’s sole objective, along with the purpose of high school as a whole is to help students form their futures, whether this be pursuing college college, a gap year, job or an alternative secondary path.
LUCY NEMEROV/THECAMPANILE
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 and Opinion Editors
Lifestyle Editors
Neil Kapoor • Sophia Moore
Maya Rathore • Adora Zheng
Science & Tech Editor
Sports Editors
Anna Meyer
Rebekah Limb • Johnny Yang
Multimedia Editor While The Campanile acknowledges the importance of supporting various under-funded programs for specific subjects, we maintain that the CCC is a resource pertinent to all students on campus. Because of its all-encompassing nature, it is imperative that more funds must be allocated for college and career counseling at Paly, so that students will be prepared for whatever path they choose to pursue.
SEPTEMBER'S TOP TEN LIST Top Ten Reasons to Come to School 10) Your parents tell you to 9) The joy of learning 8) What else are you going to do? 7) Hang with the homies 6) dat cute boy 5) So you have something to change for second semester 4) Government mandated (unless you want to be truant) 3) Suck up to your teachers and get a good letter of rec 2) Cookies on the Quad 1) Knowledge is POWER
- SHIVA MOHSENIAN & SARAH O'RIORDAN
Business Managers
Paige Knoblock
Siddhartha Sahasrabuddhe • Kiana Tavakoli
Art & Photo Directors
Board Correspondent
Kaitlyn Lee • Tien Nguyen
Olivia Ericsson Alex Liu Shiva Mohsenian Sarah O'Riordan
Bruno Klass
Staff Writers Jace Purcell Kris Risano Krista Robins Hyunah Roh
Emma Todd Andrew Toteda Andy Wang Sloan Wuttke
Photographers Emily Asher • Olivia Ericsson • Kaitlyn Lee Shiva Mohsenian • Jace Purcell • Hyunah Roh Ben Stein • Emma Todd • Andrew Toteda Johnny Yang • Adora Zheng
Illustrators Gina Bae • Kailyn Lee • Noa Lehrer Zander Leong • Braden Leung • Rebekah Limb Sophia Moore • Lucy Nemerov • Tien Nguyen Frida Rivera • Hyunah Roh • Kiana Tavakoli Andrew Toteda • Sloan Wuttke
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. Advertisements: Advertisements with The Campanile are printed with signed contracts. 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!
Our Vision Statement: The Campanile has upheld the highest standard of student journalism for the last century by engaging the community through various mediums of storytelling. Our coverage of news, culture and athletics aims to represent the diverse perspectives of our student body.
The Campanile
L FESTYLE
Text, Design & Art by Kaitlyn Lee
Friday, September 6, 2019
Design by Krista Robins
s the new school year lurks around the corner during the last weekend of summer, many students across the Bay Area are thirsty for one last drop of summer freedom. The solution: Outside Lands, an annual outdoor festival with music, art and food, held in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
utside Lands, a three-day fes- his music are very powerful and hard for tival from Friday, Aug. 9, to any other artist to replicate.” Sunday, Aug. 11, offers a wide Senior Olivia Ramberg-Gomez, variety of artists performing each day. who also went to Outside Lands SatThis year, Friday headliners included urday, liked Childish Gambino as well Twenty One Pilots, the Lumineers, as Flume. Blink-182 and Lil Wayne; Saturday “I listen to their music, so it was pretshowcased Childish Gambino, Flume ty cool to see them live and experience and Hozier; Sunday concluded the fes- the music in a different way,” Rambergtival with Paul Simon, Kygo, Anderson Gomez said. Paak & the Free Nationals, Leon While music is obviously an imporBridges and Kacey Musgraves. tant factor for any festival, Daniel beSenior Zoe Baghaie, who attended lieves that another important aspect to the festival on Friday and Saturday, en- Outside Lands is the atmosphere of the joyed seeing headliners as well as DJs concert. that she wasn’t as familiar with. “I’d describe the atmosphere of Out“My favorite artists this year were side Lands as both chill and overwhelmmainly the headliners because I knew ing at the same time,” Daniel said. “It’s the most songs, like Blink-182 and the super fun and everyone is there to have Lumineers,” Baghaie said. “However, I a good time, so there’s a feeling of unity really enjoyed watching the DJs because in that sense.” the music is so upbeat, and it is more Baghaie agrees, and said people at likely for people to still get into it and the festival are friendly and easy to condance, even when verse with. they don’t know a “My experience song.” “Even when you’re not was really great beSenior Summer cause everyone is so in the midst of all the Daniel, who attendnice and welcomaction, you are able ed the festival on ing,” Baghaie said. to enjoy the music, the Saturday, said seeing “Especially when Childish Gambino people and the beauty waiting in lines or was especially excitbeing smushed all of Golden Gate Park.” ing because of his together in a crowd, unique performance. you get to make Summer Daniel “My favorite artconversation with a ist of (Saturday) was bunch of fun people. definitely Childish Gambino because he And even when you’re not in the midst is more than just a musical artist, he is a of all the action, everywhere you are, you performer,” Daniel said. “Not only does are able to enjoy the music, the people his music tell a story, but the visual ac- and the beauty of Golden Gate Park.” companiments and his interaction with However, even though most people
at the festival are friendly, Daniel ex- way to get home because an Uber back plained that some people at the concert to Palo Alto cost around $400, and we can be hostile when it comes to getting were not willing to pay that amount.” Along with finding a method of good spots to see the performers. transportation back “People can get home, attending the kind of aggressive festival can be expenwhen you try to get sive. your spot in one of “I listen to their music, “(While) I love the more crowded so it was pretty cool to Outside Lands, the concerts and that’s see them live and only thing that can when it gets more experience the music be somewhat difficult cutthroat,” Daniel in a different way.” is the cost of food said. and transportation,” Another promBaghaie said. “We inent aspect of Olivia Rambergtook the early train Outside Lands is Gomez and got to Oracle the drinking and Park at around noon, drug culture. “(Alcohol and drugs are) present then had to catch an Uber to Golden there, and the fact is that at Outside Gate Park, which was somewhat costly. Lands, they do have bars and dispensa- Then, once you’re in the park, you buy ries,” Baghaie said. “It’s very normal for water, lunch and dinner, which racks the majority of the older audiences to be up … Then, at the end of the night, atunder the influence. Because there are tempting to find an Uber home while so many people, you can’t really tell who everyone else is leaving is very difficult is and who isn’t (under the influence), and extremely expensive.” According to Ramberg-Gomez, the but for the most part, everyone kind of tickets for Outside Lands contribute to just minds their own business.” A downside to Outside Lands that the high cost of attendance. “Price wise, I would say it was pretty Daniel voiced is that it can be difficult to leave the festival at the end of the expensive, coming from a student perspective,” Ramberg-Gomez. “I paid night. “If there was one thing I didn’t enjoy almost $200 for one day, because there about Outside Lands, it would probably were additional fees.” Altogether, Baghaie has come to have to be trying to get home after the concert in the cold San Francisco night truly appreciate the culture of Outside because Uber was getting too congested, Lands and the fun experiences that it and we weren’t able to call a ride,” Daniel brings. Baghaie said, “Overall, I think that said. “Because of this, (my friends and I) missed the last train of the night. How- Outside Lands is such a fun tradition ever, we luckily figured out an alternate that I will continue as long as I can.”
Lifestyle
SCIENCE & TECH
Beekeeping
Paly students work towards helping the local bee crisis by hosting swarms on their own properties.
PHOTO BY LUFA BAY / CC2.0
PAGE C8
RICH MCFADDEN / PUBLIC DOMAIN
Workout Classes
Two new fitness chains offer alternative methods of working out. PAGE B2
Lifestyle
PHOTO BY STOCK CATALOG / CC2.0
Underage Rideshare Usage
Teenagers use Uber and Lyft despite the illegality. PAGE B4
Sports
PHOTO BY HARARIS WALKER / CC2.0
Reffing Culture
Students share their experiences with sexism in reffing. PAGE C3
The Campanile
Friday, September 6, 2019
LIFESTYLE B2 Students pursue alternatives to high school
Overburdened Palo Alto, local teenagers opt for a unique educational experience at Foothill Middle College By Bruno Klass Board Correspondent
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mma Stayte was drowning in homework and with club volleyball, and felt like she couldn't catch up. In addition to this stress, her learning disability was digging her into a deeper hole. Stayte had a decision to make — stay on the traditional fouryear track at Paly or choose the path less traveled and attend a Middle College program. After much debate, Stayte opted to enroll at Foothill Middle College, where she plans to start her senior year on Sept. 9. “I decided to go to Middle College because Paly wasn’t really working out for me,” Stayte said. “I became very stressed and wasn’t enjoying my time at Paly. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I’m glad I made it.” Middle College offers students the opportunity to complete high school graduation requirements by taking both high school and college courses on a college campus. This creates a learning environment where students are able to take control over their own education, and puts students on the track for advanced placement courses at Foothill following their h i g h - school graduation.
“I think the applicant pool will continue to grow and that in the next year or two the program will grow as well.” Michael Wilson Stayte will have much more freedom and flexibility with her schedule, which she says helps students become more independent. Additionally, Middle College offers the choice to take classes online, which Stayte views as a huge advantage, as students don't always have to physically go to class. Furthermore, the option to take college classes, either online or on campus, can assist students with discovering their interests and potential career paths. “I’ve learned a lot about myself and defined my interests in just one year, ” Stayte said. While Stayte was initially concerned about being separated
Column: Long-Lost Paly Traditions By Sarah O'Riordan Senior Staff Writer
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FOOTHILL MIDDLE COLLEGE/USED WITH PERMISSION
Foothill Middle College students work on assignments for Child Development and Education class, a new offering available in their courses. The school offers a variety of classes that typical secondary education does not provide, making it an attractive alternative to traditional high schools. from her Paly friends by studying on different campuses, she said Middle College offers a welcoming, tight-knit community. “My main concern going into Middle College was the friend situation,” Stayte said. “I knew no one going into it, but Middle College is a little community where everyone gets along.” Although Stayte considers a smaller community an advantage, Ilai Beth, who will start his first year of Middle College this fall, believes the smaller community could be a disadvantage depending on the person. However, Beth appreciates the community size as it fits his learning style. “I enjoy being part of a smaller community because I feel like being comfortable with everyone around me helps make it a healthier learning environment in which people are not afraid to speak on their opinions,” Beth said. Other benefits of Middle College include various student ser-
vices, such as college counseling and health services, as well as access to the library, bookstore and technology center.
“Being able to take whatever Foothill class you desire, there's an opportunity for you to learn about whatever you're interested in.” Emma Stayte
Although pursuing Middle College offers many advantages, the uncertainty that comes with choosing unconventional paths concerns Beth. “My only fear is that doing something out of the norm is always difficult, and there’s a chance that I may not enjoy it,” Beth said. Students like Beth and Stayte have been benefiting from this
program for 20 years according to Michael Wilson, one of the managers of the Middle College program. With each passing year, the flexibility that Middle College offers becomes more appealing, and the number of applicants is steadily increasing. “We've had an increasing number of applicants since 2014 such that this year we admitted 32 students and have 65 on the waiti n g list,” Wilson said. “I think the applicant pool will continue to grow and in the next year or two the program will grow as well.” While the program has been attracting more students, the application process includes many requirements students must fulfill to be selected and enrolled. “The application is a rigorous process: you have to fill out a five page application, two letters of recommendation, transcript, essay and a personal statement,” Wilson said. Additionally, applicants must
pass a matching system that evaluates if they should be considered for further review. According to Wilson, Middle College is looking for a match between what the program offers and what a student needs to be more successful and engaged in their education.
“My only fear is that doing something out of the norm is always difficult, and there's a chance I might not enjoy it.” Ilai Beth
Stayte said, “Middle College has definitely broadened my horizons. By being able to take whatever Foothill class you desire, there’s an opportunity for you to learn about whatever you desire."
Youth joins in on trending workout classes Rather than working out at traditional gyms, students explore alternative methods of staying in shape By Olivia Ericcson
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Staff Writer
ith popular fitness chains like Barry's Bootcamp and Soul revolutionizing the concept of making working out enjoyable, Palo Alto community members are moving from training at traditional gyms to two new fitness locations that recently came to the city. SoulCycle, which opened at the Stanford Shopping Mall one year ago, and Barry’s Bootcamp, which opened this past June, have become popular attractions among Paly students. Junior Leslie Aboytes, who often takes classes at SoulCycle, believes that SoulCycle brightens the experience of working out. “I really enjoy going to SoulCycle classes because not only is it a different way of working out, but it’s also more fun than traditional workouts that can be done at the gym,” Aboytes said.
“After going through some difficult times in my personal life, I went to a Barry's class one evening and fell in love. It was more than just an intense workout.” Katie Wong While SoulCycle and Barry’s Bootcamp are both relatively new to the fitness scene, they have developed different approaches to exercise for their customers. According to their website, Barry’s Bootcamp uses techniques of both running and strength training in its classes. Half of the class pushes attendees to run at different speeds and inclines on the treadmill, while the other half consists of strengthening the up-
per body or core. Additionally, each weekday class focuses on strengthening a different part of the body — arms and abdomen on Monday, a fullbody workout on Tuesday, chest, back and abs on Wednesday, abs on Thursday, total body on Friday, full body upper focus on Saturday and total body on Sunday. Barry’s Bootcamp classes cost $35 per session. With this wide range of practices each day, attendees can choose a day that works best for their preferences. Barry’s Bootcamp Instructor and Bay Area native Katie Wong said she has always had a passion for working out. “I fell in love with group fitness when I started teaching at Pure Barre,” Wong said. “After going through some difficult times in my personal life, I went to Barry's class one evening and fell in love. It was more than just an intense workout. It truly became a mental escape for me, and I crave the endorphins and strength it provided me during those darker days.” Though Wong said she often found working to be a form of mental escape, teaching her favorite classes has been even more motivating and inspiring. “You really get to know the people that come in regularly, you learn about their life and you look forward to seeing them week after week,” Wong said. “It’s inspiring to see the people in the room motivating each other to run faster, (and) lift heavier, so with that in mind, my 5:30 Monday ‘Arms & Abs’ in Palo Alto is probably my favorite time slot.” While people often find working out to be an obstacle, Wong said Barry’s accessibility makes it easy for customers to stop by. “When you're working out purely for aesthetics, it's easy to lose motivation or hit walls,” Wong said. “When you work out because you look forward to
OLIVIA ERICCSON/THE CAMPANILE
Along with the ability to choose the workouts, Barry's Bootcamp has group programs of strength training and cardio. Because of these factors and more, chains like Barry's Bootcamp and SoulCycle have gained popularity.
the music your favorite instructor plays, or because you have to release some anxiety you're holding onto, or you want to see your friend who always runs on the tread next to you, it creates a whole new level of accountability and keeps you coming back for more even when you don't feel like it.”
“It's inspiring to see the people in the room motivating each other to run faster (and) lift heavier.” Katie Wong In addition to Barry’s Bootcamp’s wide range of workout classes, they also have a “Fuel Bar,” which has over 20 different
smoothies with flavors ranging from vanilla to green kale. In contrast, SoulCycle consists of one activity — cycling. In a dimly lit room of about 30 bikes, it is more than just a workout class. Pushing towards the finish line and moving with the rhythm of the music, SoulCycle offers an intense workout in its 45-minute class. According to the SoulCycle website, it “is a space to come as you are and celebrate who you are; to emerge feeling stronger and inspired. Because moving your body and working your mind changes your Soul.” Controlling the speed and tempo enables everyone from different athletic backgrounds to push themselves at which they are comfortable with. The new concept of Soul Cycle and Barry’s Bootcamp has become popular to many students at Paly.
While SoulCycle is a full body workout, Aboytes said this allows for her to work off her stress while having an enjoyable time doing it.
“I really enjoy going to SoulCycle classes because not only is it a different way of working out, but it’s also more fun than traditional workouts that can be done at the gym.” Leslie Aboytes
“When I go to Soul Cycle, I’m able to relieve stress and have fun,” Aboytes said. “It feels like I’m not even working out because the loud music and the energy of the room distracts me from the exercises.”
hatever happened to good old school spirit and town traditions? It seems that with every passing year at Palo Alto High School, school spirit and Spirit Week point levels drop lower and lower. Just last year, the freshman class elected “NASA” for their ORANGE class theme. Like, sure, I guess some space suits are orange, but this half-baked idea (hinging on a single picture of a man in an orange spacesuit) made already insecure freshman too afraid to dress up, fearing that they would end up looking like a convict instead of an astronaut in their prison colored jumpsuits and could be mistaken by admin for a dangerous criminal. Where are the themes like those of the past, the ones that classes can rally behind — like the genius ‘Eye of the Tiger’? Where are the 14-year-olds drenching themselves in orange body paint (that definitely does not stain skin) like they did just a few short years ago? Where, for the love of God, are the noble cries of seniors as they run over as many underclassmen as possible on their way to class? With the graduation of the current senior class, will Spirit Week even remain a part of Paly culture? Who will shout “Can I get a ‘SKO VIKES’ from the bottom of the bleachers? Will the spirit week stands just become a sea of silent, apathetic, camo-less students from here on out? Forget the lame, beautifully crafted floats. Disregard the ridiculous, intricately choreographed spirit dances. And please don’t be fooled by the stupid, die-hard, creative dress-up we’ve seen in recent Spirit Weeks, because the true Paly loyalists can see through this smoke and mirror show — and know the true school spirit and best traditions are on their way out. Just one question: whose idea was it to outlaw streaking? What’s the issue with middle-aged adults watching pubescent students sprint naked across the football field? It’s not like we’ve ever had a looming issue with the sexualization of students. Plus, it’s not like these misguided, voyeuristic actions could land any otherwise responsible students in legal trouble. And why did we ever stop Freshman Friday? Everyone knows the best way to welcome ex-middle schoolers, nervous out of their minds, to a big and scary environment is to terrify, haze and physically hurt them. A little frozen egg never hurt anybody, and the lockers are actually much more spacious than they look from the outside, I promise. Seriously, admin these days just don’t know how to have fun. Ask the freshmen, they’re fine with it. Seriously, test them. They know what to say. Now, the loss of this next tradition is more recent and is a relatively sore subject for the seniors, who had it ripped away from them after only one year at Paly. Listen. We still do not understand why night rallies were shut down. What teacher doesn’t want to spend their Wednesday night and early Thursday morning away from their family, being screamed at by neonclad, paint-covered, uncontrollable highschoolers that for some reason all reek of fermented La Croix? Staff seemed to get the hang of it too, a few chaperones were even able to inspect and search two students at once, a breathalyzer in each hand. To say the least, we keep things just as interesting at night rallies as we do at the lunch ones. Who on earth would want to shut that down? What probably hurts us true Vikings the most, though, is the fact that senior pranks have become a city-wide embarrassment. Water balloons? Man, that sure is some exciting stuff. Watermelons in Mr. Berkson’s office? Thrilling. Honestly, where did the good old fashioned fun of the past go? No one has set off fireworks in the middle of the Quad or put a cow in the tower building in years! Class of ’24, we’re passing the torch to you, so I just want to say good luck. We’re all counting on you.
Friday, September 6, 2019
The Campanile
LIFESTYLE
B3
New trends on social media provide students with artistic outlet
The increasing popularity of younger influencers on entertainment, social media applications provides path to fame By Tien Nguyen
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Art & Photo Director
ollowing the death of Vine and its successor, Musical. ly, the lack of a platform for 14-year-olds to post short clips of themselves lip-syncing fueled the craze of TikTok. But there is much more to TikTok than casual lip-syncing. The platform has given artistic and comedic hopefuls an outlet to create fun content as well as build their social media followings.
The validation void can’t be filled with enough likes or comments, ever, and that is not healthy.” Eve Donnelly The app that aided in the creation of VSCO girls, e-boys and catchy, challenge-style dances represents the changing culture of social media influencers. The fame that used to be saved for the big screen is now moving to handheld screens due to increased accessibility. No longer a matter of celebrities setting trends, social influencing has moved online and is open to anyone who would like to pursue it. “I think people are definitely not watching as much T.V. and a lot more kids spend time on phones, tablets and Youtube, so it’s changing a lot to where these are the celebrities, like the TikTok boys are literally so big and they blew up,” said a former Gunn student, with 36,000 followers on TikTok, who asked to remain anonymous. “I think that it is cooler because usually celebrities, for example, the Kardashians, were born into fame and it was kind of given to them. Some people on TikTok are famous because they’re hot but for the most part, I feel like it’s giving people that wouldn’t normally be famous a platform.” With a following of over 330,000 people on Instagram, Eve Donnelly, a former Paly student, started her Instagram account with the spontaneous decision to record herself eating honeycomb,
a popular food used for autonomous sensory meridian response videos. At first, she used ASMR — a current internet trend which involves creating “satisfying” sounds, such as eating or whispering, to induce a tingling sensation in the listener — to record her eating. Then she moved on to making YouTube videos with a wide variety of topics, including Omegle chats and wedding reaction videos. The responses were not all positive, but that only fueled her fire. “Most of the comments were negative and it just egged me on, how people could get so angry over something as simple as me eating honeycomb and I wanted to get a rouse out of people,” Donnelly said. As Donnelly gained followers, the material featured in the Instagram videos she posted became stranger and stranger, ranging from eating an entire raw egg to licking condiments off her friend’s foot that raked up more than three million views.
“I think people are definitely not watching as much TV and a lot more kids spend time on phones, tablets and YouTube.” Former Gunn Student
Because of the simplicity of this content, sophomore Hailey Callan said that she believes while celebrities gain their fame through talent, luck is more applicable for social media influencers. “I personally think that celebrities should continue to mainly be actresses, actor and singers, because they tend to be famous for more clear reasons,” Callan said. “I personally don’t understand why social media ‘influencers’ have so much fame, because I feel like they tend to get recognized more randomly and it’s more by luck than by being talented in one specific area, such as music or acting.” Though to Callan, posting on social media shouldn’t necessarily beget fame, she acknowledges that it still allows the influenc-
EVE DONNELLY/USED WITH PERMISSION
Former Paly student Eve Donnelly films a video of her eating a giant gummy bear for her Instagram ASMR page. Donnelly said she was inspired to use food in her ASMR videos because of hateful comments she received about her previous videos where she eats inedible objects like makeup. ers on the platform to be able to communicate and make a positive difference. “However, I still think social media influencers can have a good impact online if they use their platform to spread positive messages to their followers, as many of them are young and still figuring out the world,” Callan said.
“It’s pretty cool to think about just a bunch of random people a million miles away who watch my stuff.” Eve Donnelly Donnelly and the former Gunn student see many benefits to the role of influencer. The former Gunn student said that he enjoys how an influencer can grow
alongside the audience’s shifts in interests, giving the creator flexibility, while Donnelly appreciates the reach of her channel. “The high points are definitely meeting people in real life who watch and like my videos or just hearing about how my friends know people who found me on their own without knowing me,” Donnelly said. “It just shows you how far your content can reach. For instance, my friend told me that her friend from Israel said her whole school knows about my videos. It’s pretty cool to think about just a bunch of random people a million miles away who watch my stuff.” As the accessibility of social media apps grows, so does the number of younger viewers. According to Hootsuite, 96% of 18to 24-year-old American internet users use YouTube. As a consumer, Callan thinks this could be beneficial as it allows for the influenc-
ers to be able to produce content that relates to their audience.
“I personally don’t understand why social media ‘influencers’ have so much fame, because I feel like they tend to get recognized more randomly and it’s more by luck.” Hailey Callan
“I think having younger kids on social media platforms benefits the audiences because they create more ‘relatable’ content, but it could also be dangerous as the internet is very public and anyone technically has the ability to see your profile and what you post online,” Callan said.
However, for Donnelly, the accessibility brings not only benefits, but can also bring some drawbacks. “It’s giving more people the opportunity to have an influencer position,” Donnelly said. “And I guess it’s good sometimes because it can give people an outlet to express themselves and show their art and create for other people.” Yet at the same time, Donnelly said, people may grow addicted to their fame. “This validation void can’t be filled with enough likes or comments ever, and that is not healthy,” Donnelly said.“I think it could be a power trip on the one hand and if it doesn’t go well, we can see a lot of problematic e-boys and such. If it falls in the wrong hands, it sucks and it’s not a good thing. But for the people, the free world, everyone has the right to try and get famous. And if they did, it was for a reason.”
The Campanile
Friday, September 6, 2019
L FESTYLE Students facing transportation difficulties turn to underage usage of Uber & Lyft
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“I think you’re concerned about that allowed to, but, regardless, they esitantly stepping into the in any instance, and it doesn’t need still let me go anyways,” he said. dark abyss, or rather, a 2012 to be an Uber or Lyft driver. It can Students battle with the moral grey Prius, a Paly junior, who be anywhere in your life. And genudilemma of dishonesty, espeagreed to be interviewed only if his inely, I sort of trust people, so I feel cially when making the choice name wasn’t used because he fears like there’s not a big risk there,” the of whether or not to violate ridetermination of his rideshare apps, parent said. share apps’ policies. greets the driver with a simper, hopFor many parents, Uber provides “Honestly, it’s kind of frustrating that his particularly young age services to their children that they ing that this (rideshare apps) is is not apparent to the driver, whose can’t offer, often saving hours upon what I have to resort to,” he said. wary glance unnerves him. When hours of what would’ve otherwise “I’m not even going the driver asks for been wasted time. to lie, I feel pretty his age, he falters “By large, the amount of time guilty whenever before following and energy I had to put into drivI do ride these with an exclama“I feel pretty guilty ing my kids around versus having services betion that he’s 18. whenever I do ride a service do it was a fairly significause I feel like Unperturbed, the cant benefit,” the parent said. “It I’m straightdriver speeds off, these services was pretty crippling when we had up lying as a carrying the stuyounger kids and they had various front.” because I feel like dent alongside after school activities having to take Another him. I’m straight up lying time off work to take them places Paly junior who Students ofand do things was bad for everyone would only be ten face a myriad as a front.” involved.” interviewed of dilemmas over The popularity of Lyft and Uber if her name the intricacies among minors remains prevalent wasn’t used of transportadespite alternative rideshare options since she also tion. Whether it specifically designed for minors existfears revocation be over the Caling. of her rideshare train, the bi-hourly “There might have been other serapps, said she faces the shuttle system or the vices, but we (them and their spouse) same transportation issue, often Valley Transportation weren’t made aware of them at the having to use Lyft whenever in Authority Bus, many time and they were hard to figure dire need. students don’t find out,” the parent said. “A lot of people think I’m older most of the available Kidzjet, a rideshare app designed than I actually am, which doesn’t options feasible. Unaware of any and tailored for children, was foundalways go well, but I haven’t reother methods that are both safe ed in 2013 and operates in the San ally felt unsafe in a Lyft,” she said. and convenient, they turn to rideFrancisco Bay Area as well as the Los “But there have been drivers who share apps like Uber or Lyft. Angeles area. Distinguishable by the have been flirting with me and I “I started using them (rideshare big white van they use alongside their can’t tell them that I’m under 18 apps) because my parents found it plastered green and yellow logo, they because I’m not allowed to be unconvenient for me whenever they can be seen across Palo Alto, espeder 18.” couldn’t pick me up,” he said. “They cially around elementary and middle The possible risks of safety work very far from home, and they schools. involved while using rideshare work pretty late, so they just found When the student was first introapps are taken into consideration, it convenient for me to get home duced to the service, but the pros often early and relax.” she noted that it outweigh those Despite the volume of minors lacked the same aprisks. utilizing these apps, the rideshare peal as other apps. “My parapp companies continue to abide by “There have been “I feel like it’s ents have very their policies. Uber explicitly states drivers who have different as a midfew concerns in its terms and conditions that, “A dle schooler than because they rider must be at least 18 years of age been flirting with as a high schooler want me to to have an Uber account and request me and I can’t tell as kids don’t really be safe, but rides. Anyone under 18 must be acwant to be seen they know I companied by someone 18 years of them I’m under 18 getting into a big can take care age or older on any ride.” white van that of myself,” she It’s not Uber or Lyft’s responsibecause I’m not says KidzJet,” she said. “I usually bility to ensure that each user is of allowed to be said. keep a knife on age. According to Uber and Lyft’s When adme whenever policies for its drivers, the onus is on under 18.” dressed with all I’m going in a the driver to determine the validity available modes Lyft car. It just of each passenger’s age. Uber states of transportation makes me feel on its website, “As a driver-partner, for minors, many safer to have you should decline the ride request face the moral something to if you believe the person requesting plight of violating protect myself.” the ride is under 18. When picking policies in the face of A father of up riders, if you feel they are underconvenience, timeliformer Menlo-Ather- t o n age, you may request they provide a ness and economic reaHigh School students, who driver’s license or ID card for consons. But through an agreed to be interviewed only if firmation.” emerging culture, the his name wasn’t used because he However, some minors choose to policies are being renallows his underaged children to simply lie, telling their drivers that dered futile and even illogical given use rideshare apps, said he wasn’t they are 18. how many minors rely on this app as too concerned about his children’s “One time, someone (a rideshare their mode of transport. safety because they were already driver) was making sure that I was Often having to find a balance relatively old when they started old enough,” he said. “Obviously, I between convenience and disusing the rideshare services. lied.” honesty, students find themselves “There were some awkward Many students and parents questioning their morals and how situations that obviously weren’t aren’t aware of these policies and to make do with the given circumgreat,” he said. “They would do use rideshare apps unknowingly. stances. the Uber Lines or Lyft pools and “My parents weren’t made aware (of “I definitely feel a sense where it’s get some other people in the car rideshare apps’ policies against un(using rideshare apps as an unaccomas some drunk guy got in the car accompanied minors) in the bepanied minor) unethical,” he said. “I one time.” ginning, but we had this conwish there was something else I could Despite safety concerns, many versation at one point, and use instead.” parents still utilize rideshare apps. they realized I’m not
18% of Uber/Lyft drivers ask for passenger I.D.
Paly Junior
74% of students use Uber/Lyft as a minor
40% of students use Uber/Lyft monthly
Paly Junior
Survey results: 68 Paly sophomores, juniors, and seniors randomly surveyed through Google Forms
28% occasionally 8% once 8% biweekly
Design by Adora Zheng
Text, Design & Art by Sloan Wuttke
The Campanile
Friday, September 6, 2019
SPORTS
A look into how relationships between players and coaches impact teams
Design BY Kris Risano & Kai Vetteth Art By Kiana Tavakoli & Tien nguyen
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o junior lacrosse to Thomas, a healthy player Will relationship between Thomas many players and their coach components create a usually takes time to successful team, one of develop. Players need the most crucial being time to see that the maintaining a healthy coach’s guidance can relationship between lead the team to success. player and coach. “The ideal relationThomas believes that in order for a team ship is built naturally throughto be sucout the cessful, it season, is essential as playfor players ers and to respect coaches their coach, get more their coach's comfortknowledge able and of the sport gain more and each trust in other. Paly one anboys varother, ” sity lacrosse Thomas coach DJ said. Shelton said A c it is imporcording to tant for both Will Thomas Thomas, the player each relaand coach tionship to respect will have each other's good moefforts and ments as talents in order to build a strong well as some periods where players may not relationship. “Players must re- understand the coach's spect the (supposed) vision. Despite this, it knowledge and dedi- is important to maincation of their coach tain trust in the coach. “There are going to and appreciate the hard work that’s required for be some high and lowmanaging a team and points in the relationall of its components,” ship, but it’s important Shelton said. “Coaches that everyone rememmust respect a player's bers the team’s comability to participate, mon goal to be successand adjust their coach- ful,” Thomas said. It becomes espeing to either embrace and or enhance the cially difficult for teams given talent on their when a player and the coach begin to have team.” According public conflicts. These moments test a team’s chemistry and desire to win. Varsity girls soccer coach Ernesto Cruz says pub-
"There are going to be some high and low points in the relationship."
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them why their behav- even the school, it is paramount that I tread ior was problematic. “The most impor- lightly around their tant part of resolv- (children) in order not ing any conflict with to inflame the situation. a player is to ensure I do my best to separate that they understand players from their parthe issue is with the ents, and would never behavior, not the indi- take retribution on a vidual," Shelton said. player for their parents’ "Behaviors can always actions.” Every player has be explained, analyzed and changed (if neces- a different relationsary). Solutions, there- ship with their coach. fore, should also focus For some players, their purely on the behavior coach is the most imor perception, never a portant role model in dramatic shift in that their life. For others, their players being.” A problem high coach is just someone school coaches often who guides them in face is parental inter- athletics. Shelton said no ference throughout the matter what the situseason. According to ation, a player must Thomas, a parent has understand the power dynamic, no place and not to get inbecome volved in overly the coach's c om f o r t decisions able with at the high t h e i r school levcoaches. el, unless “ I t a player's must be safety is at underrisk. s t o o d S helton by both said he has parties dealt with that they negative DJ Shelton are not parental inf riends. volvement No relain many diftionship ferent forms with an during his time at Paly, but does unequal power dynamic his best to treat the can ever be friendship,” player the same without Shelton said. “Cordial escalating the situation. kindness is expected, “Parents have defi- but neither coach nitely impacted the or player relationships I have should had with certain play- forget ers over the years, and t h e i r it is quite unfortunate,” role." Shelton said. “When parents threaten me, the coaching staff, or
New AD
SPORTS SPREAD
The Palo Alto Pipeline
lic conflict on a team often leads to decisions coaches do not want to make. “One time I found out that a player of mine was talking behind the back of another player, and causing the team to split into two sides,” Cruz said. “I ended up needing to tell the girl to leave the team and addressed the situation with the team. They understood, and we went on to have a good season.” When dealing with conflict between himself and a player, Shelton said he tries to avoid putting extra attention on that individual during practice. However, he realizes the importance of communication in these instances and encourages open discussion between the coach and player. “It's inherently awkward sometimes with a player after a serious issue has arisen, however, it is part of my duty as a coach to model professional and respectful behavior to all my athletes,” Shelton said. “Personally, I do my best to not draw any extra or different attention to that player beyond my normal coaching. I am also sure to check in with them after a few sessions to see how things are going– I never want to give the impression of ‘sweeping it under the rug.’ Shelton said a coach should not ask players to drastically change who they are because of conflicts, rather teach
Senior Jamir Shepard commits to Fresno State University, solidifying the link between Paly wide receivers and Fresno State. Shepard is looking to be the third Paly receiver to make it to the NFL from Fresno State. PAGE C4-C5
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Welcoming New AD
Paly Athletes Get Recruited
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Head football coach Nelson Gifford becomes new athletic director.
Design BY JACE PURCELL
“It must be understood by both parties that they are not friends.”
Recruiting
THE CAMPANILE
Text By Kris Risano
Several colleges begin recruiting athletes from Paly.
Seniors
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Senior Season
Examining how senior athletes feel about their final high school seasons. PAGE C6
Friday, September 6, 2019
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SPORTS REPORT FOOTBALL
RECENT SCORES
Paly vs. St. Ignatius 8/31, L, 23-7 UPCOMING GAMES
Paly vs. Overfelt 9/6, 7:00 p.m. Paly vs. Pioneer 9/13, 7:00 p.m. Paly vs. Carlmont 9/20, 7:00 p.m.
TENNIS
RECENT SCORES
Paly vs. Lick Wilmerding 8/22, scrimmage Paly vs. Aragon 8/26, scrimmage Paly vs. Castilleja 8/28, scrimmage Paly vs. Sacred Heart Prep 8/29, scrimmage
BOYS WATER POLO
SPORTS Football team looks to repeat past success Despite having a small roster, the team is encouraged and fueled under great leadership By Jace Purcell
UPCOMING GAMES
Paly vs. Santa Cruz 9/6, 5:30 p.m.
GIRLS WATER POLO RECENT SCORES
Paly vs. Castilleja 8/31 UPCOMING GAMES
St. Francis Tournament 9/6, TBA St. Francis Tournament 9/7, TBA Paly vs. Homestead 9/12, 3:30 p.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
RECENT SCORES
Gunn Alumni Meet 8/23 UPCOMING GAMES
Lowell Invitational 9/7, TBD SCVAL Meet #1 9/24, 3:15 p.m. SCVAL Meet #2 10/8, 3:15 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL RECENT SCORES
Paly vs. Valley Christian 9/3, W, 3-2 Paly vs. Archbishop Mitty 9/5, W, 3-2 UPCOMING GAMES
Elite Eight 9/7, TBA. Paly vs. St. Francis 9/9, 7 p.m. Paly vs. Mountain View 9/12, 6:45 p.m.
GOLF
RECENT SCORES
Paly vs. Valley Christian 8/28, W UPCOMING GAMES
Paly vs. Mountain View 9/10, 3:15 p.m. Paly vs. Lynbrook 9/12, 2:30 p.m.
Staff Writer
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fter a successful 2018 season, the Paly football team is looking to continue improving and advancing in the Central Coast Section competition. Coach Nelson Gifford joined the team last year, causing significant improvement. Under his guidance, the team had a great season and made it to the CCS semi-finals. According to senior captain Louis Passarello, Gifford brings good energy to the team and works hard for their success.
“We got 28 on our roster. It’s gonna be 28 key players. We are a team, we are a unit, that’s the reality.” Louis Passarello “I don’t think there’s anything negative about Coach Gifford,”
JENNA HICKEY/USED WITH PERMISSION
Under Coach Nelson Gifford, scanning for an open player, senior Kevin Cullen prepares to throw the ball in a game against St. Ignatius. Passarello said. “He’s an awesome guy (and) shows up everyday. He goes above and beyond. In the offseason, he’s in the weight room at 6 a.m. He’s dedicated, this is what he wants to do.” According to sophomore running back Josh Butler, Gifford is extremely effective not only because he has great leadership, but also because he keeps football fun for players and does not get
caught up in all the pressure. “The main thing with our coaches is that they make it a sport, not a job,” Butler said. “They make a great atmosphere to work extremely hard and make us compete at our best, but at the same time they keep it as it should be: fun.” For Paly football, a main component of their success is the amount of effort put in during
both practices and games. Both Gifford and the team recognize that effort sets Paly apart and is what led to last year’s success. “What makes us special is the fact that no matter the talent we have, with the guidance of our coaches, we all know that we are going to have the most effort out of anyone on the field,” Butler said. Gifford shares this view with Butler. “There’s no such thing as extra work,” Gifford said. “We do the work that is necessary, no more, no less” This year, Paly football has the smallest team they’ve had in many years, with their roster down to 28 players. This means many players will have to play both offense and defense, posing a great challenge to the team. However, this will also serve as an opportunity to give players experience in different positions. “Our team is smaller this year, which means a lot of the guys will have to step up in ways they didn’t have to last year,” Passarello said. “Last year, we only had one player
going both ways. Now we have more but that’s not a bad thing — we’re still working hard.”
“There’s no such thing as extra work. We do the work that’s necessary, no more, no less.” Nelson Gifford Another challenge the team will face is the tough competition coming from other schools. “The challenges this year are the same as any year,” Gifford said, “We have strong opponents, we have to learn how to play together, we have to stay healthy, and we have to be able to adjust.” All in all, prospects are looking successful for Paly football this year and the team is excited to show off their hard work and play their hearts out. “We got 28 on our roster,” Passarello said. “It’s gonna be 28 key players. We are a team, we are a unit, that’s the reality.”
Girls volleyball hopeful under new leadership With a new coach, the team seeks to improve and implement new strategies and adjustments By Sloan Wuttke
RECENT SCORES
Paly vs. San Lorenzo 8/24 Paly vs. Carlmont 8/27, W, 22-9 Paly vs. Cupertino 8/30, W, 15-3
The Campanile
G
Staff Writer
irls varsity volleyball strives to improve under new leadership. Following the loss of their previous coach, Benji Saetong, the Paly varsity girls’ volleyball team has been working to build connections with their new coach. The athletes are aiming towards perfecting their mentality, technique, execution and teamwork: all essential components to a successful team. With the addition of their new coach, Chris Crader, the team must also acclimate to his intended goals for the season. Most importantly, they will need to strategize on how to qualify for the Central Coast Section open division finals, Crader’s goal for the season. Crader, a renowned volleyball coach who previously coached at Claremont, Menlo School and Presentation, had noteworthy successes throughout his volleyball coaching career and plans to do so at Paly. “We (the coaches) talked to the girls (the players) about if we just worry about being the most improved team in CCS, everything else will just take care of itself,” Crader said. When asked about his personal contributions and assets to the team, Crader suggested that he would be a testament to the
HYUNAH ROH/THE CAMPANILE
Smash! Jumping above the net to hit the ball over to the opposing side, junior Sophia Krugler gets a kill at the team’s first non-league away game against Valley Christian to help it take the win, 3-2 sets. This success early in the season sets Paly on a path to perform well in the league. team’s future growth. “I’d like to think that I can help the girls improve their technique a lot, improve their mental game a lot,” Crader said. “I do a good job in matches by helping them make adjustments, so those are some of the big areas where I’m going to try and help them improve and execute in big matches.” Trisha Razdan, a junior who’s been on the varsity team since her freshman year, is impressed with Crader’s past successes.
“He (Crader) has a history of success in the sport of volleyball as he’s won CCS titles and even medals for club volleyball,” Razdan said. “I think adapting to his style and him adapting to our team is what we’re mostly working on.” However, difficulties are bound to happen. Crader always considers the possibility of difficulties arising. “One of the things I always say is ‘volleyball is hard,’ so the
game itself is always going to provide some amount of problems,” Crader said. “For varsity, when you have fifteen people in a fairly cramped space, fifteen competitive, pretty intense people, at some point, something’s not going to be perfect.” Crader plans to create a safe social environment to foster team relationships and hopefully prevent any miscommunications within gameplay. “The girls (players) actually
did a team bonding event this past Sunday, so they’re hanging out together and we’ll try to do some more of those things and try to be as cohesive as we can,” Crader said. The team is confident in the successes Crader will bring. Razdan said, “I have faith in Crader simply because of his history of success, and I think we (the team) have a really good shot of going far this year given the addition of his knowledge and expertise in volleyball.”
Girls golf hopes to Cross Country team begins win CCS and states season with strong preparation By Andrew Toteda Staff Writer
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eturning from a successful season last year, which included winning Central Coast Section and placing fourth in the Northern California Championships, the girls golf team heads back to the green for practice before the first official matches of the year.
“All of our top players are returning and we only lost one senior last year while taking on new freshman and junior talent.” Doyle Knight “We had our first scrimmage last Wednesday,” Head Coach Doyle Knight said. “It wasn’t really a real match, but they are always great practice.” While practice is the best way for any team to hone in on its skills, the girls golf team is not lacking experience or talent this year. “All of our top players are returning and we only lost one senior last year while taking on new freshman and junior talent,” Knight said.
Knight does not doubt his girls golf team’s ability and is confident that the team has the potential to successfully compete and make it to states this year. “The last time I took a team to states was in 2013, but we have come within making states multiple times since then, each time missing by just a few strokes,” Knight said. This year, the girls golf team plans on splitting their practice time between the Palo Alto Baylands range and the Palo Alto Hills course. “Usually the A team splits between Stanford and Palo Alto Hills,” Knight said. “But I’ll make sure that we play as a full team at least twice a week at the Baylands this year.” Knight isn’t the only one enthusiastic about the girls golf team this year. Junior girls golf player Marina Mata is excited for the season to commence. “My goal is to make states this year,” Mata said. “If not with the team, then individually.” States isn’t the only important thing for the team this year, though. “We have to maintain the CCS winning streak this year,” Mata said. “Personally, I’m excited to play the match against Harker,” Mata said. “They don’t play in our local league, but they play at CCS and are looking really good this year.”
By Emma Todd Staff Writer
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he cross country team started the season with a scrimmage on Aug. 23 against Gunn, and its first official race will be the Lowell invitational in San Francisco on Sept. 7. Senior varsity runner Kai Douglas says that although their first race was a small scrimmage, that the team is still starting out pretty strong. “All of the grade levels are strong on the girls team this year, which makes me really hopeful about our chances at the bigger races later in the season,” Douglas said. Additional freshmen and
“To prepare for meets, there are specific workouts we will do to try and train our bodies to quicken in pace even when tried and fatigued.” Sasha Lehrer sophomores who joined the team and trained very hard throughout the summer have made a significant impact on the team, according to junior Alex Selwyn.
“We’re hoping to once again make it to states and improve on our past achievements as a team,” Selwyn said.
“All of the grade levels are strong on the girls team this year which makes me really hopeful about our chances at the bigger races later in the season.” Kai Douglas Varsity athletes on the team will run about 50 miles a week, or 8 miles a day, and the junior varsity team will run about 40 miles a week. “As the season goes by, however, our mileage will decrease as we incorporate shorter, faster workouts into our training,” Selwyn said. In cross country, hill training is also an important piece of preparing for a race, or improving your skills. “We try to incorporate hills into both our daily runs and our workouts, as the majority of courses that we race are hilly,” Selwyn said. “We also work a lot on improving speed, as finish-
ing fast is especially important in races. This means that we will often finish our runs with a couple strides (fast but controlled 100m sprints).” The cross country team’s group workouts include various exercises, such as speed and pace training, core workouts, lower body strength training and upper body strength training. Junior Sasha Lehrer’s first season of cross country so far has been enjoyable, with the first race of the year being a scrimmage against Gunn. “To prepare for meets, there are specific workouts we will do to try and train our bodies to quicken in pace even when tired and fatigued,” Lehrer said. “We focus on finding our pace as well as kicking to have a strong start and end to each race.” Editor’s Note: Due to a change in the layout of The Campanile, girls tennis, boys water polo and girls water polo beats will be published online on our website (thecampanile.org) for this cycle. Beats will be alternated in print and online for future cycles.
The Campanile
Friday, September 6, 2019
SPORTS
C3
New Paly athletic director plans to diversify coaching staff
Previous athletic director passes forward role to football coach in order to pursue doctorate degree in educational leadership By Jace Purcell Staff Writer
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s the new year rolls around, former Athletic Director Therren Wilburn passes his important role onto Paly football coach Nelson Gifford. Wilburn worked at Paly for four years, starting out as the assistant athletic director. After two years in that role, Wilburn said he wanted to make a greater impact on the school and community he loved, and knew he could step up and change the program for the better. Thus, at the start of the 201718 school year, Wilburn took on the position of athletic director. As the athletic director, his job was to hire and assess new coaches, set policies about player eligibility and preside over the athletics program as a whole. According to Wilburn, one of his greatest accomplishments was adding three new sports to Paly. “When looking back at the years I served at Paly, I am most proud of the sports that we were able to incorporate to the athletic program (cheer, boys volleyball and field hockey),” Wilburn said. “Just adding three sports added around 60 student athletes to the athletic program. Offering more opportunities for students to be involved with athletics was always my goal, and we were able to do that.” Wilburn believes that being an athlete is extremely beneficial for teenage development, which is why he ensured every student who wanted to play a sport could, by making at least one sport no-cut per season. Wilburn’s talents, however, extended far outside of his job description. Whether it was wandering the campus and connecting with students or coaching his colleagues, he was a great mentor for his co-workers and students. Assistant Athletic Director
Justine Longi recalls her time with Wilburn as being both enjoyable and efficient, as he was able to run a successful program while still maintaining a positive athletic atmosphere. “He was a very laid back boss, (and) let me figure things out, but definitely taught me valuing academics in athletics and how to run the department as a whole,” Longi said. Despite loving his job at Paly, Wilburn decided to leave to pursue some of his other goals. Since the beginning of his career in high school athletics, he knew he wanted to pursue higher education. He spent many nights deciding if it was worth giving up his role as athletic director after working so hard to get it. He was in a very stable position, being able to settle down. After trying to make it work, it became clear it would be impossible to work full time and study for his doctorate. Wilburn knew it was necessary to risk it and leave in order to go after his dreams and goals.
“What I’ll miss the most are the daily interactions I had with people on campus.” Therren Willburn “In April and May, I had a feeling that it was time to go back to school and get a doctorate degree (in educational leadership). I weighed the pros and cons, and the biggest pressure was thinking about being a present AD and a present applicant and student,” Wilburn said. “I finally settled that I could not maintain the 50 to 60-hour work week and be a ED.D (Doctor of Education) student, thus stepping down in my role. I am excited to dive into research regarding education and
JENNA HICKEY/USED WITH PERMISSION
Score! Football coach Nelson Gifford wears a huge smile as he offers a celebratory fist bump to a player following a win over Los Gatos in a CCS Playoff game last season. The team made it all the way through to the semifinals. Gifford replaces previous AD Therren Wilburn. athletics at the high school level.” Wilburn will be heading down south and serve as the assistant athletic director at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego. According to Wilburn, he is ecstatic to learn from the school’s athletic director, who has been there for 30 years and directs about 1,500 school athletic directors. From him, he can improve on his craft while studying for his doctorate. “My goals here is to learn as much as I can from the athletic director,” Wilburn said. “He has been in the role for 30 years and is the President of the California State Athletic Directors Association (1500 schools). Learning from him was the biggest intrigue to the job and my goal is to be like him one day.” According to Wilburn, he will greatly miss his time at Paly. It is clear that the school will miss his presence and great influence on the athletic program.
“What I'll miss the most (about Paly) are the daily interactions I had with people on campus,” Wilburn said. “I was able to build genuine relationships with many of the coaches outside of just the coach and athletic director role. I still text with them, but not seeing them as frequently has been an adjustment.”
“I have no doubt there are really talented female coaches ... that simply have not had the chance to showcase their skills.” Nelson Gifford Looking forward, a new chapter of Paly athletics will begin with Gifford, who has been the football
team’s coach for a year and is aiming to keep improving the sports programs. Gifford brings many new ideas and enthusiasm to the program. “I am most excited to help the programs grow. I understand what coaches need to feel supported, and I want to provide that help,” Gifford said. “I also know how important the sport experience is to our students, and our goal is to create a culture were all of our students are excited about playing and competing. I wanted a chance to help all of our student athletes maximize their opportunities. ” Additionally, he plans to increase diversification among coaches. According to Gifford, in the past, the program had a lack of female coaches — in the last four years, there have only been three. “I have no doubt there are really talented female coaches, or aspiring coaches, that simply have not had the chance to showcase their skills,” Gifford said. “In that
way, it is important that I do more in order to exhaust all avenues to attract the best coaches irrespective of gender. Additionally, a diversity of personal experiences, viewpoints, and approaches matters. It makes any organization better when multiple perspectives are brought to the table. Finally, having different types of people in leadership positions broadens our students’ view of what a leader is and is not.” Wilburn is supportive of Gifford taking on the role of athletic director, and is excited to see where the athletic program will go. “I think the new Athletic Director (Gifford) is an influencer by nature and will be great for the Paly athletic program,” Wilburn said. “When I hired Coach Gifford to be our football coach, I knew we hired a ‘lifer,’ and the transition between us seems like a passing of the baton in a relay race we call Paly athletics.”
Students share experiences facing sexism in various athletics
Referees often make more calls more frequently against female players than male players for being physical By Emily Asher
F
Managing Editor
or decades, the U.S. Tennis Open has been one of the most highly anticipated tournaments in the tennis community. Thousands of people from all over the world gather around the courts, their eyes glued to the players, watching every step and swing they take, rooting for their country’s victory. However, in the 2018 women’s finals, the attention was not on the game, but rather on the argument between 23-time champion Serena Williams and umpire Carlos Ramos. Williams stated that Ramos was being sexist after she received a number of violations she claimed were inaccurate. She received a point penalty for smashing her racket against the ground, and a game penalty for calling Ramos a “thief ” for “stealing a point.” After the game, Williams spoke at a news conference, sharing her thoughts on her violations. “For me to say ‘thief ’ and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark,” Williams said. “He’s never taken a game from a man because they said ‘thief.’ For me, it blows my mind. But I’m going to continue to fight for women.”
“A good number of them have been called due to refs thinking that girls can’t take any physical hits in a game.” Annika Shah
For decades, athletes have noticed that referees make more calls on women than men. These occurrences are not only specific to professional sports; some Paly athletes say they are seeing sexist treatment at the high school level as well. Junior Annika Shah said she has experienced similar situations while playing basketball for her club and high school teams. “I would never say that all my fouls shouldn’t be fouls, but a good number of them have been called due to refs thinking that girls can’t take any physical hits in a game,” Shah said. “So they call these fouls when I have barely even touched
DAVID HICKEY/USED WITH PERMISSION
High hops! Junior basketball player Annika Shah soars toward the net with Los Gatos players behind her at a game in the fall of 2018. Shah said she’s had her fair share of bad experiences with sexist referees and bad calls. She said, “The boys can swear and say many things but they won’t get called because a ref can handle it from a boy but not girl.” my opponent.” Shah said this may stem from the long-held belief that women are not as physical as men. “Refs are just not used to seeing girls take contact, and that’s a reason why there isn’t a sport like women’s football,” Shah said. “I don’t blame them just because if you look at history, how often would girls get into something physical, almost never.” Shah said she sees the calls carry on to verbal fouls as well. “In a boys game, they can talk a load amount of trash talk to their opponents and some to the refs,” Shah said. “When it is directed to a ref, they most likely would just let the boys talk and continue on with the game and maybe give them a warning, but when it comes to the girls game, it almost feels like they don’t allow any sort of trash-talking made from each of the teams to the other, or a statement from a player to them.” Senior boys soccer player Ilan
Toussieh can account for this in his games. Toussieh notices the referee’s give warnings before giving out a card a majority of the time. “If what you say to the referee is insulting or something then yes, you can get a yellow (card),” Toussieh said. “Mostly you get a warning first though.” Christine Meyer, a parent of a Paly senior girls soccer player, said she has witnessed this kind of officiating countless times when watching her daughter and her daughter’s team play from the sidelines on her club and high school teams. “When a girl gets vocal, I’ve seen it evoke a quick response from the referee in the form of a yellow card,” Meyer said. Meyer said she thinks this creates a toxic environment. “I’m not saying that all refs react the same way, but there have been refs that have created a very uncomfortable playing environ-
ment where the mentality has felt like the girls needed to ‘mind their place’ and keep their mouths shut,” Meyer said. “There have been times when a player respectfully asks for clarification on a call and is told to be quiet for fear of penalty.” Former Paly student and soccer referee Eden Hagen said some referees have bias based on assumptions they hold about each sex. “One ref told me that while he noticed boys to be more ‘dramatic’ on the field, such as flopping; girls exhibiting the same dramatic tendencies aren’t taken as seriously as their male counterparts and thus won’t be called, assuming they want the call,” Hagen said. “Because of this, not making a call carries just as much power as making one when it comes to sexism in refereeing. In the end, though, any sexism brought to the game depends on the character of the referee themselves.”
Hagen said she tries her best to make fair calls, no matter what age, rank or gender the players are. “As a ref, especially on the sideline, I tend to put myself in the position of my center ref and consider whether his or her calls are truly impartial, or if they’re influenced by some other factor brought by the players, one being their gender,” Hagen said. In order to prevent this issue, Hagen believes the first step is acknowledge that sexism exists in the sports. She believes this can change so that we can tackle the problem head on. “Before a referee makes a call that might pertain to a player’s gender and not their playing, they should consider if the call is being affected by sexist stereotypes at all,” Hagen said. “Understanding that these stereotypes exist should at least make referees more aware that their calls might not be totally impartial.” Another solution is allowing
the game to go on and to stop calling small fouls as frequently, according to Shah. “Less ‘baby’ calls leads to less stoppage of time and a quicker and more exciting game,” Shah said. “We still want them to call fouls, because we never want players to get hurt from serious contact, but the ‘baby’ calls, on the other hand, have to go.” As a parent, Meyer said she hopes for the girls on her daughter’s soccer team to continue to use their voices to fight against inequalities. “Ultimately, I see the soccer field as an extension of the classroom in many ways, and there are a lot of lessons that can be learned on it,” Meyer said. “My hope for the girls that I watch play soccer is that they are learning to connect not only to the strength of their bodies, but also the strength of their own voice, especially when it means speaking up for something they care about.”
Friday, September 6, 2019
The Campanile
FRESN
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THE PALO ALT A
BACKGROUND
s three-star national recruit senior Jamir Shepard props up his phone against a white board on a Thursday afternoon, hundreds of Instagram followers watch his live stream in excitement as he slips on a Fresno State quarter zip and announces the biggest commitment of his high school life: where he will play college football. It seems that every couple of years, a Paly football wide receiver commits to Fresno State Football and another gets drafted to the National Football League. As of 2019, nothing has changed. The journey from Paly to Fresno State to the NFL has been taken before, as Shepard follows former Paly wide receivers Davante Adams and Keesean Johnson to the coveted Bulldog Stadium. “I wanted to go somewhere where I could build a legacy and win a championship,” Shepard said. “I also liked how Fresno State is closer to home so that my family and friends could watch me play. I also have a great relationship with all the coaches.” The Paly legacy has held true at Fresno State as both Adams and Johnson were integral pieces of their respective Fresno teams. They each broke multiple records at Fresno State, with Johnson surpassing the school’s all-time record for receiving yards and receptions, which was previously held by Adams. “Davante and Keesean’s success at Fresno State has influenced
me because we all came from the same place,” Shepard said. “They both went to Paly and Fresno State, both broke records and both were drafted to the NFL. I feel I can be the next one and I know Fresno can see that in me.” Adams, Paly Class of 2011, only started playing football his junior year, according to former defensive Paly football coach and current P.E.. teacher Jacob Halas. A two-star basketball recruit as well as two-star wide receiver recruit, Adams led the Paly football team to the 2010 California Interscholastic Federation Division I State Championships. “Athletically, he was a freak,” Halas said. “I mean he could jump through the roof. But what I noticed was his quickness and shiftiness. He’s real twitchy. Davante got better every season, every game, and it was no surprise that he did well at Fresno State. Great kid.”
Adams was later selected in the 2014 NFL draft in the second round by the Green Bay Packers, and with a couple of seasons under his belt, he found his way to the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2019. According to ESPN, he is regarded as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. Meanwhile, Johnson, who graduated from Paly in 2015, was also an explosive player for the Paly football team, according to Halas. Though his brother was a star player at St. Francis High School at the time, Johnson kept grinding at the sport until he got the scholarship to Fresno State. “Very similarly, Keesean Johnson, was a very nice kid, polite, humble and quiet,” Halas said. “But physically, Keesean was smooth. That’s the best thing I could say about Keesean, very smooth runner, big hands.” Johnson led all Football Bowl Subdivision players in consecutive games with at least one caught pass.
“Obviously, (Fresno State)
hit it out of the park with the
previous two players that they recruited there. So I think they felt a certain level of trust
coming in recruiting Jamir.”
NELSON GIFFORD
DESIGN BY NEIL KAPOOR
TEXT, DESIGN & ART BY REBEKAH LIMB
DAVANTE ADAMS
KEESEAN JOHNSON
JAMIR SHEPARD
GREEN BAY PACKERS
ARIZONA CARDINALS
PALO ALTO VIKINGS
#17
HEIGHT: 6’1’’ WEIGHT: 215
AGE: 26 POSITION: WR
#19
#3
HEIGHT: 6’1’’ AGE: 22 WEIGHT: 201 POSITION: WR
HEIGHT: 6’2’’ AGE: 17 WEIGHT: 190 POSITION: WR
TOUCHDOWNS SCORED IN PALY VARSITY CAREER DAVANTE KEESEAN JAMIR
2 touchdowns = Source: maxpreps.com
# OF PALY PLAYERS CURRENTLY IN THE NFL
2
P
BU
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GS O D
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Friday, September 6, 2019
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TO PIPELINE FRESNO
ADAMS
JOHNSON
15
3
Two time AllAmerica selection in 2012 and 2013
Program all time leader in receptions and receiving yards
THE RELATIONSHIP
alas said the success of Adams and Johnson had some effect in Fresno State wanting more players from Paly. With Adams and Johnson both being leading players for the Bulldogs, he said the schools have developed a type of relationship. “When Fresno State took Davante, and he had such a good career, it was Keesean that was next,” Halas said. “Then they took Keesean, and he had a good career, and now they just got our guy here. Yeah, so we have developed a kind of a pipeline, if you will, to Fresno State.” Current Paly varsity football team coach and athletic director Nelson Gifford recently joined the program, and has seen Shepard evolve into the player he is today. Gifford noted that along with Fresno State being familiar with Paly, it was great for Shepard to have two other Paly alumni as mentors in his big recruitment decision. “I think having a previous relationship is always a good thing,” Gifford said. “Obviously, they (Fresno State) hit it out of the park with the previous two players that they recruited there. So I think they felt a certain level of trust coming in recruiting Jamir. Certainly, I think it went the other way, with Jamir having known those guys, and being able to reach out to them and get their
feedback on their own experience played a role in his commitment to the school.” Although Gifford did not coach Adams and Johnson during their time at Paly, he said Shepard is regarded to be just as skilled as them. “There are staff members here who have coached those two guys, David Duran and Jake Halas, and they’ve said that in terms of physical ability and talent and what he’s (Shepard) done so far, he’s at the same level with both athletes,” Gifford said. Gifford has great faith that Shepard will have a successful career at Fresno State and believes that he made the right choice to be a Bulldog. “I think he will do great,” Gifford said. “I think it’s a great fit for him. I think that when he went there, he saw an environment where he knew he could be successful. He had a connection with the coaches, with the community, and I think the sky’s the limit.” As the former Paly superstars found their way from Palo Alto to Fresno State to the NFL, Shepard said both Adams and Johnson have inspired him to follow in their footsteps. Although he finds himself in a similar position, he hopes to leave an even bigger mark. Shepard said, “It feels great to be in an elite group coming from Paly to Fresno State because I know how they (Adams and Johnson) were at these two schools and I’m going to be the next but better, and I just know it.”
SHEPARD
? Coming soon ...
1573+
1578
“I mean it feels great to be in an elite group coming from
Paly to Fresno State because I
1281
know how they were at these
two schools and I’m going to be the next but better, and I just know it.”
BULLDOGS
DAVANTE ADAMS
VIKINGS
JAMIR SHEPARD
JAMIR SHEPARD
KEESEAN JOHNSON
H
STATE
PALO ALTO WIDE RECEIVERS
TOTAL RECEIVING YARDS IN PALY VARSITY CAREER
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SPORTS
Top-tier collegiate athletics teams recruit athletes from Paly
Standout student athletes work with coaches, compete with others to earn the opportunity to participate in college athletics By Hyunah Roh
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Staff Writer
oal after goal, senior Chloe Japic couldn’t stop scoring for her American Youth Soccer Organization soccer team, the Green Dragons, when she was in kindergarten. Eventually, her coach restricted her from crossing the halfway line, but she still managed to dribble up to the halfway line, take a shot and score. “This is where my love of scoring grew from,” Japic said. As Japic had been playing soccer since she was two years old , with a dream to continue her soccer career since sixth grade, her college recruitment process began shortly after attending a winter showcase in Florida during her junior year. Japic committed to play Division I soccer at Baylor College in February of her junior year, but before doing so, she spent a few months touring colleges and going on official and unofficial visits.
“They told us what they expect of us as a student and an athlete, along with what practice looks like during the season and the offseason.” Aiden Chang
According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, any visit to a college campus by college-bound student-athletes or their parents that is paid for by the college is an official visit. Visits paid for by student-athletes or their parents, on the other hand, are considered unofficial visits. When Japic received an invitation for an official visit from Vanderbilt University and Baylor College, she was excited to not only tour the school campuses, but also to meet the coaches from both schools after having commu-
nicated with them through email for some time prior. “I was really excited about all my visits because they all meant that those colleges were really interested in me,” Japic said. “I also felt very proud to be recognized after all the work I put in on the field and at school.” During her official visits, Japic said that both the soccer coaches gave her a tour around the campus, where she was able to view the classrooms, dorms and all the athletic facilities. She also got to meet the players and the staff members that were part of the athletics program. “(Both colleges) took a lot of time to make sure that I had a great experience at their school,” Japic said. Although other athletes who went on official and unofficial visits had somewhat comparable experiences, each one differed depending on the college and the sport. Recent Paly graduate Aiden Chang is continuing his football career at Carleton College. Before committing, Chang officially visited Carleton College and Claremont McKenna during his senior year, which he claims gave him the opportunity to get closer with the coaches.
“I couldn’t hear back from coaches until June 15 before my junior year. I would email schools, and they couldn’t respond because of the rules.” Chloe Japic
“The highlight of the visit was meeting the players and getting to know them and also the feel of the atmosphere,” Chang said. Similar to Japic’s experience, Chang received a tour around the campus and the facilities of
DAVID HICKEY/USED WITH PERMISSION
Break away: Senior Chloe Japic plays for the girls varsity soccer team her freshman year. This game was against Homestead High School. Japic recently committed to play at. “(When I visited Baylor) I knew that was where I wanted to spend my next four years,” Japic said. the football program at both institutes to experience the culture, team and dorms. “They told us what they expect of us as a student and an athlete, along with what practice looks like during the season and the offseason,” Chang said. Although the visits are labeled differently, athletes usually get the same experience during both official and unofficial visits. After being in contact with the coaches through Twitter, senior football player Jamir Shepard went on unofficial visits to Arizona State University, Oregon State University and Fresno State University. Shepard said one of the highlights from visiting these colleges was having photoshoots wearing the school team’s jerseys. “During the photo shoot, it felt like I was home and the coaches complimented me how it
was a good look on me,” Shepard said. “It was the best feeling.” Almost a month after his visit, Shepard committed to Fresno State in mid-August of his senior year. Shepard said seeing the school campus and meeting the coaches in real life convinced him to finally commit. Although visiting colleges may seem like a simple, straightforward process, all athletes and coaches must follow the recruiting calendars strictly. These calendars define the periods when coaches can and can’t watch the collegebound student-athletes compete and have face-to-face contact. Japic believes that her communication with the coaches was stalled because of these restrictions, especially when she wanted to inform the coaches of her game schedules. “I couldn’t hear back from
coaches until June 15 before my junior year,” Japic said. “I would email schools and they couldn’t respond because of the rules.”
“I was really excited about all my visits because they all meant that those colleges were really interested in me. I also felt very proud to be recognized after all the work I put in on the field and at school.” Chloe Japic
The NCAA states that these recruiting rules are designed to
limit the amount of communication elite athletes receive from coaches and give student-athletes time to make an informed decision about where they want to go to college. Despite the challenges from the restrictions and competition against other athletes for these offers, Japic was finally able to commit to her dream school. As this process required her to constantly email coaches, attend showcases and go on visits, Japic emphasized how visiting schools was the best part. “The most memorable moment was when I toured Baylor because I knew that was where I wanted to spend my next four years,” Japic said. “From going on these visits, I gained a lot of confidence knowing that my dream of playing Division 1 college soccer was coming true.”
Senior athletes demonstrate leadership, improve team dynamics As players reach their last year at Paly, many decide to step up as team leaders and push their respective teams to the next level By Paige Knoblock
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Multimedia Editor
Class of 2020 Fall Season
s senior Sanaz Ebrahimi reflects on her lacrosse career at Paly, she remembers when the sport was just a hobby. However, after joining a club, everything changed. Lacrosse has become more than a sport to Ebrahimi, who is going into her senior year. She knows that she has a community of people with the same goals: wanting to help one another. Fall kicks off the start of Paly seniors’ last year of sports as they prepare for their final season of high school competition and the camaraderie that sports bring. After three years of intensive practice schedules, dedication and hard work, their senior year serves as a culmination of their devotion and skills. Paly’s class of 2020 has played an integral role in the introduction of several inaugural sports, including the first boys volleyball team and first field hockey team. Vikings have shown their athleticism, whether it be on the court or on the track. As they enter their final year of high school athletics, many seniors plan to continue their sporting career in college and beyond.
“He motivates me to get our team hype and have spirit. When we are hype and have spirit it gives us energy to win every game in every situation.” Teddy Butler
According to Ebrahimi, who is a girls lacrosse defensive player, Paly boys and girls lacrosse teams are leaving the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and entering the Central Coast Section, a more competitive league which requires more teamwork and effort from players. “I definitely think our team will have to really come together
HYUNAH ROH/THE CAMPANILE
and learn to play with each other fast so that we can have a chance at the championship,” Ebrahimi said.
“My mindset has definitely changed for the better. I’m doing a lot more training than I was in freshman year, and it’s just something that I feel I want to do for the rest of my life.”
Bryon Escarsega-Calderon The boys lacrosse team also feels the impact of changing leagues and acknowledges the
value of new and elevated competition. Senior boys lacrosse offensive player Quintin Dwight hopes to score more for his team by improving offensively. “The competition near the end of the season is going to increase dramatically,” Dwight said. “My goal is to provide a consistent (number) of goals in these more difficult games. I hope that I can also slow down the tempo on offense when required so that our defense can catch a break.” Performing well and winning games seem to be the greatest motivators for teams to improve this year, as is for senior Teddy Butler, who is on the two years old boys volleyball team. Especially as a senior on the team, Butler recognizes his additional responsibilities as a leader and is focused on prioritizing the
team’s goals over his individual aspirations.
“I definitely think our team will have to really come together and learn to play with each other fast so that we can have a chance at the championship.” Sanaz Ebrahimi
“My goal is to come together as a team so we can win as many games as possible,” Butler said. “Winning as a team is more important than my individual achievements.” After three years of sports, the
now senior class has had many experiences that have helped them grow and learn as both players and people. Senior football lineman Bryon Escarsega-Calderon said he learned the importance of training and a positive mindset through his experience on the football team. “My mindset has definitely changed for the better,” Escarsega-Calderon said. “I’m doing a lot more training than I was in freshman year, and it’s just something that I feel I want to do for the rest of my life.” Butler said that throughout his sporting career, the biggest impact on him has been from Dan Starrett, or “Superfan Dan,” whose cheers and support at nearly all the games have been widely appreciated among the Paly sporting community.
“He motivates me to get our team hype and have spirit,” Butler said. “When we are hype and have spirit it gives us energy to win every game in every situation.” While some athletes opt to play their sport for fun after high school, others plan on entering college at either the Divisions I, II or III. Senior pitcher Dean Casey hopes to play baseball at the collegiate level. “I plan on either playing D3 or Ivy D1 in college, depending on where I get recruited,” Casey said. Whether playing after high school for collegiate teams or not, these athletes hope to continue their sports in one form or another. “My goal is to keep lacrosse in my life because it has helped me develop into the person I am today,” Ebrahimi said.
Friday, September 6, 2019
The Campanile
SCIENCE & TECH C7 Youth harmed by addictive mechanics in video games Companies intentionally design children’s video games to entice players, causing them to spending large amounts of money By Andrew Toteda
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Staff Writer
nce restricted to the Las Vegas Strip, slot machines and other forms of gambling now have a foot in the door to the video game industry, and players are expressing the negative effects. “It was pretty bad,” an anonymous source said. “I’d ask my friends to give me iTunes gift cards for my birthday, then pool the money and buy high-worth chests in Clash Royale. Over time, I probably spent $400 on the game.” Using gift cards to purchase gaming upgrades is a routine practice among younger kids, but for gaming companies, the far more lucrative demographic is comprised of those with online banking through their first bank or ATM cards — most high school students. Currently worth $30 billion, the “loot box and skin gambling” industry in the US is expected to exceed $50 billion by 2022, according to Juniper Research, a digital tech analyst firm. Fueling this growth is the addition of microtransactions to countless of online games, including Overwatch and Counterstrike. A recent Pew Research Center poll showed that 97% of teenage boys and 83% of teenage girls in the US played video games
in 2018. These teens are familiar with the “freemium” model associated with games they may have played when they were younger, like Club Penguin and Candy Crush, as well as multi-player games such as Clash Royale.
“The enjoyment you get from addictive behavior slowly destroys the pleasure centers in your brain until that behavior is compulsive. Either you give in or run the risk of feeling depressed until engaging in that behavior again.” Neel Fulton
As the name suggests, “freemium” games are free to download and play, but any real advancement comes with the option for the player to buy their way ahead. Kids often spend real money — it’s not unusual to make an initial investment of hundreds of dollars — either to maximize winnings or simply to play in the same league as their friends. “I had to be better than my friends, and that meant hav-
ing all the paid legendaries,” the anonymous source said. “It sounds dumb looking back at it now, but at the time, was really important to me.” Freemium games still exist, but the addition of the casino-like element comes in the form of microtransactions, small (often $5), frequent games of chance, that pop up throughout a game in the form of “loot crates.” These crates are colorful digital gift boxes designed to appeal to young children, which players can pay to open in hopes of winning desirable “loot,” often in the form of new characters, customization or other powerful items. In other words, gaming companies have designed a way to move players from a “pay to play” model, to that of an online casino with very little investment on their part. For gaming companies, including Nintendo and Supercell, these highly lucrative elements are legal because gambling mechanics are not held to the same legal standard as traditional casino-style gambling, which is highly regulated and restricted by California law to those over 18 years of age.
“I’d ask my friends to give me iTunes gift cards for my birthday, then pool the money and buy high-worth chests in Clash Royale. Over time, I probably spent $400 on the game.” Anonymous
ART BY BRADEN LEUNG
A 2017 study conducted by the Gambling Commission, a public government body for the United Kingdom, revealed that 11% of 11 through 16 year olds in the UK (500,000 underage children in total) have used “skins” to gamble at some point, contribut-
ART BY ANDREW TOTEDA/THE CAMPANILE
ing to the $1 billion expected to be placed in bets through video games by 2022. Paly computer science teacher Christopher Kuszmaul, who used to teach video game design, describes publishers of popular video games as under serious pressure to release new content as fast as possible. The content is then locked behind loot crates to maximize profits. “Companies need to hit a spike (in revenue). I couldn’t tell you exactly what this timeframe is, but it’s on the order of three to four weeks,” Kuszmaul said. “If they aren’t making an impact after four weeks, that content becomes pretty much worthless.” By understanding the financial urgency, companies have to maintain popularity by bombarding players with the new content they crave, it’s not difficult to see how the inherently sticky gambling element has become a lucrative component of online games, according to Kuszmaul. “If you are running gambling in a game, time is money. So, if that thing (loot box) is going to
increase your revenues by 0.1%, then you’re losing 0.1% of revenue if there is a delay, which is significant,” Kuszmaul said.
“Companies need to hit a spike (in revenue). I couldn’t tell you exactly what this timeframe is, but it’s on the order of three to four weeks. If they aren’t making an impact after four weeks, that content becomes pretty much worthless.” Christopher Kuszmaul
But the odds are rarely fair. In the hit mobile game Brawl Stars, $5 will net the player an astonishingly low 0.096% chance of pulling a “legendary” character. A standard slot machine has higher odds, at 0.1% chance. While casual players may be deterred by the amount of luck and money re-
quired to advance in a game, many are not put off and spend their allowance and sometimes savings, into video games designed to keep them invested. Critics of gambling elements in games targeting children argue that the potential long term effects of the powerful mix of gaming and gambling can be harmful to brain development and have far-reaching consequences. Junior Neel Fulton is one of many students who took the required Living Skills course over the summer, which devotes a large portion of the class to teaching about the risk of addiction. “They focused a lot of class time on brain development and the increased risks of addiction before the brain finishes developing at age 25,” Fulton said. “A good portion of the class was dedicated to how the enjoyment you get from an addictive behavior slowly destroys the pleasure centers in your brain until that behavior is compulsive. Either you give in or run the risk of feeling depressed until engaging in that behavior again.”
Placebo effect impacts students’ academic performance
While the phenomenon is known for its role in developing new medicine, research links it to improved collegiate aptitude By Andy Wang
T
Staff Writer
he notion that the mind can act as a healing power has long been thought of as a myth. However, a clinical drug trial conducted by Harvard Medical School shows that this phenomenon, known as the placebo effect, can have the same healing results as traditional medicine, demonstrating that it is possible for the brain to convince the body that a fake treatment is authentic. A placebo is a treatment or medicine that appears to be real when it is in fact fake. Pursuant to the study, the placebo effect is commonly employed for medical uses, in which patients receive a placebo instead of medicine. The patient, believing in the “treatment,” gains health benefits due to the assumption that they are being cured. “The placebo effect is the effect of an inert substance on your brain and behavior,” psychology teacher Melinda Mattes said. “It’s when you have a belief that something will work, not because of the actual thing.” The Harvard study reveals that the placebo effect involves a reaction in the brain which can cause a release of chemical substances including endorphins and dopamine. This can subsequently affect brain regions that are related to mood, behavior and self-awareness, all of which can have therapeutic benefits.
“The placebo effect is the effect of an inert substance on your brain and behavior. It’s when you have a belief that something will work, not because of the actual thing.” Melinda Mattes
According to Ted Kaptchuk, a Harvard professor whose studies concentrate on the placebo effect, this reaction is not only psychological but also biological.
“The placebo effect is more than positive thinking — believing a treatment or procedure will work, ” Kaptchuk said in an interview with Harvard Health Publishing. “It’s about creating a stronger connection between the brain and body and how they work together.”
“Your perception of your physiological state or of the situation at hand might change the outcome.” Melinda Mattes
The placebo effect not only applies to medicine, but can also be extended to virtually anything and anyone. For example, a basketball player performs better after drinking an “energy” drink, and people believe expensive wine tastes better than cheap wine. The placebo effect can also have an impact on stress-related conditions such as test-taking. As a psychological response, the placebo effect is able to trigger both positive and negative effects. The negative side of the effect is known as the nocebo effect. “The nocebo effect occurs when the placebo effect makes you feel or do worse,” Mattes said. The nocebo effect is prevalent when stress and pressure are present, especially amongst high school students, according to junior Aaron Kim. “We face a huge amount of pressure to do well academically,” Kim said. “Each test holds significant value for our success. This competition-driven culture here at Paly really makes everything stressful. When I take a test, I can sometimes feel anxious.” Students can often go into a test with a pessimistic mindset, which lowers the expectation of results and in turn possibly disrupts test performance, according to Mattes. “I always hear students complaining that a particular test is going to be hard or that they are definitely going to fail,” Kim said. “I can definitely relate to this my-
self. It is amazing and interesting how (having) negative beliefs before taking a test might actually lower my score.”
“It is amazing and interesting how (having) negative beliefs before taking a test might actually lower my score.” Aaron Kim
How might students use this psychological phenomenon to their own advantage? In a study conducted by psychologists Ulrich Weger, Ph.D.
and Stephen Loughnan, Ph.D., they explore how the placebo effect can be used to bolster cognitive functions. “People have significant psychological resources to improve their well-being and performance, but these resources often go unused and could be better harnessed,” Weger and Loughnan wrote in “The Quarterly Journal of Psychology.” In their experiment, they asked students to take a test. Employing a “bogus priming method,” half of the test takers were under the false impression that their knowledge was enriched and better suited for taking the test. This allowed the test takers to gain confidence in their skills, just like how patients receive health benefits after taking
a placebo pill, and consequently performed better on the test. “Participant performance was indeed enhanced, compared to a group that did not think the priming process would improve their knowledge,” Weger and Loughnan wrote. They noted that when individuals are confident, test-taking anxieties and stress disappear. The psychologists conclude that the placebo effect can be ubiquitous. “The study documents the relevance of the placebo effect outside the medical and therapeutic setting,” Weger and Loughnan wrote. This conveys how influential the brain and mind can be. These studies showcase how the power of belief and expectation can
ART BY FRIDA RIVERA/THE CAMPANILE
change physiology, performance and, most importantly, test scores. “If your heart starts to race and you interpret that as, ‘Oh my god, I’m so nervous and I’m going to do so poorly on this test,’ then you might be more likely to do poorly,” Mattes said. “On the other hand, if you interpret it as, ‘I’m so excited to show out my abilities and what I’ve learned,’ that might lead to a better outcome.” This example manifests how vital perception is to performance. “Cognitive psychology would say that it has a lot to do with your expectation and perception, and your interpretation of an event, ” Mattes said. “Your perception of your physiological state or of the situation at hand might change the outcome.”
The Campanile
Friday, September 6, 2019
SCIENCE TECH Buzzing Backyards Hosting honeybee hives helps preser ve t he planet
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Infographics source: Office of the Press Secretar y
ophomore Katherine Thomsen oversees thousands of bees on the roof of her garage weekly, providing the hive with nutritional and structural amenities. Thomsen and her family tend to their at-home beehive often, checking in on the bees in anticipation of harvests that occur about three times per year. “We got our hive about a year ago,” Thomsen said. “One of the reasons our family decided to start our own hive was (in an attempt to) preserve the bees.” In contrast to beehives at large corporation sites, at-home hives can be more environmentally friendly due to the lack of pesticides used on the bees, Thomsen said. Honey can be made locally without the repercussions of mass produced store-brand “(From) honey, which can be unhealthy April 2018 for the bees due to pesticides. to April 2019, the With climate change and managed (commercial) natural habitat loss for hon- bee population decreased by eybees 40.7%,” becomthe re“When you have your own ing inp o r t creasbees, you can see their direct by the ingly benefit on your garden and their Bee Inse vere, formed necessity in the ecosystem.” some Partfaminership Olivia Danner lies are said. looking A s to invest in personal hives to the strive to become more compensate for the damage environmentally conscious done to the bee population. advances in society, According to the New students do their York Bee Sanctuary, “polpart in savlution of bodies of water, ining secticides, harsh climates and industrial beekeeping prac- honeytices” are some of the major bees by hosting components driving bees to swarms of their own. extinction. “It didn’t affect our deAccording to ABC News, cision to (start a hive) at the honeybees contribute to about time, but when you have your $20 million worth of crop pro- own bees, you can see their duction annually in the U.S. direct benefit on your garden In the past decade and a and their necessity in the ecohalf, bees in America have system,” Danner said. gone from 40% to 90% disUnlike corporations proappearance in some ducing honey for profit, most regions in the coun- family-owned hives utilize try, a phenomenon their product differently. known as colony “We usually just give our collapse disorder. honey to friends and family, but you could sell it for a lot of money because it’s homemade, local honey that tastes amazing,” Thomsen said. Senior Ella Henry and her family use their home-grown honey for healing, home-remedy Text & design purposes and consumpby Leila Khan tion. “Because our honey is Design by freshly harvested, it’s very tasty Anna Meyer honey with a ton of nutriArt by tional value,” Henry said. “I Tien Nguyen use it in my tea to (soothe a) sore throat and when I’m sick.” Along with several health benefits, self-run hives provide a simple way for family members to bond and enjoy their product, according to Thomsen. She spends a whole day harvesting and purifying the honey, collaborating with her family members. Despite the one full day of harvesting, the offseason for beekeeping does not require much energy.
Honey bees contribute
35%
of global food production crops are pollinated by bees
“You don’t need to do anything between harvests, just check up on them a few times,” Thomsen said. “Harvests happen about two or three times per year, usually in the summer season.” Senior Olivia Danner began her beehive five years ago with her family, expecting it to demand a heavy workload. However, she discovered that besides harvesting, the bees require essentially no maintenance work. “It’s surprising how easy they are to keep,” Danner said. “We have a beekeeper who tends to them rarely. He comes about once a year
then you strain it.” Danner and Henry both have beekeepers who tend to the bees when it is time to harvest, and generally the bees reproduce to sustain their hive. “We’ve gotten a new (crop of bees) a couple times throughout the years because sometimes a second queen bee is born and many of the bees swarm and follow the second queen when she leaves the hive,” Danner said. “You have to get new bees to replenish the hive when that happens.” Besides the initial purchase of the bee hive and its accompanying parts, beekeeping is a relatively self-sustaining endeavor and is not demanding from an economic standpoint, according to Thomsen. “Starting up a hive can get expensive if you’re starting from scratch,” Thomsen to harsaid. “We have neighbors vest the that lent us the parts for our honey, but hive so we didn’t have to buy other than that, much else to make our hive.” the bees are selfThe honeybees fly from sufficient.” their rooftop hive to a nearby During a hargrouping of flowers and polvest, some beelinate — a process necessary keepers may hire for plant growth. Without bee a cultivator to pollination, vegetation and comcrop proplete duction the har“We usually just give our wo u l d vesting suffer. honey to friends and family, tasks Thombut you could sell it for a lot sen said, while others “If you of money because it’s choose want to home-made, local honey to do so help the on their bees esthat tastes amazing.” own. cape ex“ We tinction Katherine Thomsen harvest and taste our own honey, and it’s a fun some delicious honey, I recday when we do,” Thomsen ommend getting your own said. “You have to take all of hive.” the slats out of the honey box that are filled with honey, and uncap them so that it is accessible. Then you put them in this big centrifuge, and it spins in there until all the honey separates from the wax,
$15 billion annually to the US economy