Issue 6 2/18

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

The Campanile

Vol. XCVI, No. 1

Palo Alto High School • 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301 • www.palycampanile.org

English delaning proposal denied at Board level

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Nanotechnology course to be offered in fall

Due to heavy parent opposition, administration halts freshman English delaning

Students to study biology under 100 nanometers in Paly’s new nanotech course

By Kevin Mullin

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he administration halted the English Department’s proposal to eliminate class lanes for freshman year English at Palo Alto High School. The proposal met heavy opposition from parents and will not be put into action next year, although it has not been rejected permanently and is still an option that Paly could pursue in future years, according to Principal Kim Diorio.

The English Department developed proposed placing all incoming ninth graders in accelerated English to provide all students with an equal foundation. According to Diorio, this proposal to delane ninth grade English was partly because students who were qualified to take the accelerated course often chose not to.

With the current laning system, 15 percent of incoming students who have the intellectual ability to take the accelerated English, according to their standardized test scores, opt not to. This refusal causes an academic setback for those who wish to switch into Honors English later on in high school, as they will not have been equipped with appropriate analytical English skills to do so. Diorio See English, Page A3

Board makes little progress on district bullying policy

The Board attempts to create a policy that reduces the bullying of special needs students

By William Shin

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By Grace Kim

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

he Board of Education and Superintendent Kevin Skelly discussed new policies at the most recent Board of Education meeting on Jan. 28 relating to the bullying of special needs and disabled high school teenagers.

The Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) two-member policy review committee had previously agreed to back guidelines and policies that would help reduce bullying due to gender, race, disability and mental health.

Skelly says that he may have a proposal ready by March in order to fulfill guidelines, as well as effectively protect kids from bullying due to discriminatory factors.

There has also been an attempt to create a district-wide bullying policy; however, nothing has gone into effect, even with the community and staff voicing their concerns over bullying and special needs teenagers.

Many students at Palo Alto High School do not witness bullying around campus and believe that whether the Board comes up with a new policy, that the students themselves can ultimately help prevent bullying.

“I do believe that Paly is a lot better than other schools in that we are a lot more open and don’t discriminate as easily,” junior Winston Wang said. “Rules never actually stopped anything from happening. Because of this, I believe that the end of bullying must come from the students before anything else.”

See Policy, Page A4

Staff Writer

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both pathways aim to create a foundation through classroom learning, and in the following two years, that basic knowledge will be put into practice as students will be encouraged, if not required, to have internships. All of this knowledge and experience will finally culminate into a capstone project during senior year in which students will demonstrate the knowledge and ability gained throughout the past three years.

The Social Justice Pathway, run in part by Eric Bloom, is an interdisciplinary, cohort, sophomore to senior year experience. The pathway will mainly be a mixture of English and

his fall, Palo Alto High School, in partnership with Foothill College, will offer a new Nanotechnology course.

Nanotechnology, a branch of technology, studies biology under 100 nanometers or less than billionths of a meter.

Nanotechnology will explore the myths and realities of nanotechnology with an emphasis on applications of topics from physics, biology, chemistry, math and environmental science. A college-level course, Nanotechnology will present concepts though an integrated discussion-lab setting.

“NanoTech will be a very handson course, with plenty of lab work and exploration in addition to straight content delivery,” Josh Bloom, who is overseeing the course, said.

The course focuses on the natural arrangement of molecules and atoms and how this can be manipulated artificially by engineers to create materials and devices that can go beyond technology.

“The applications of this new technology are wide-reaching, from the development of stronger, light, more resilient materials to the treatment of medical maladies at the molecular scale to improvements in the quality of water and making currently technologies more environmentally friendly,” Bloom said. “Nanotechnology has the potential to be revolutionary and help define and improve life in the 21st century.”

Foothill College approached the Paly Science Department with this course as an outreach to local high schools. Faculty from Foothill will

See Pathways, Page A3

See Nanotech, Page A3

Project-based learning will be implemented in classes next fall A newly added Social Justice Pathway course will combine project-based learning, real world applications to provide non-traditional alternatives

By Esther Doerr

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Staff Writer

he Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Board of Education approved the implementation of one of two pathways on Tuesday, Feb. 11. These pathways aim to create an enhanced learning experience by combining project-based learning and real world application. The Board of Education approved the Social Justice Pathway, but delayed the vote on the Sports Career Pathway.

The idea that triggered these pathways was a born a few years ago when the PAUSD urged teachers and ad-

ministrators to think out of the box and come up with new ways to engage a wider range of students. For many students, traditional lecturebased classes do not engage or ignite in them a desire to learn, which is what these new classes aim to do.

“There are other ways to learn aside from just in the classroom,” Theresa McDermott said, one of the teachers involved in the Sports Careers Pathway.

Though different in content, both pathways’ concepts are almost identical. The Social Justice and Sports Careers Pathways are three-year long experiences that are both overseen by Kathleen Laurence. Each year, there is a different goal. In sophomore year,

New blended learning courses approved for PAUSD Palo Alto Unified School District approves eleven blended learning classrooms for the 2014-15 school year, increasing learning opportunities

By Stephenie Zhang

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Editor-in-Chief

he Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) piloted seven blended learning classrooms in the 2013-14 school year: six at Henry M. Gunn High School and one at Palo Alto High School­­­­­. The Board of Education recently approved the implementation of eleven more proposed for the 2014-15 school year in its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 11.

Blended learning comprises of a synthesis of face-to-face and online instruction to provide students flexibility in their course schedules. Students in blending learning classes take a portion of their lesson online while also meeting face-to-face with a teacher for assistance. PAUSD mandates that students who take blended learning classes must spend at least half of the time in the classroom. The instruction in blended courses remains the same as those in regular classrooms, only the delivery of the instruction changes. “[Blended learning] allows students to go towards their area of interest, go towards the areas they need help with and shoot for the stars in other areas. People learn at different paces, so I think it allows for more

Connor harden/campanile

Students will deviate from a traditional learning schedule and have a portion of their lessons online and another portion face-to-face with the implementation of a blended learning system.

flexibility,” Assistant Principal Kathleen Laurence said.

Currently, PAUSD hosts seven blended courses: Programming for Mobile Device by Chris Bell, Gunn; Living Skills by Lynne Navarro, Gunn; Basic College Skills by Nicole Menache, Gunn; Philosophy Through Literature by Jordan Huizing, Gunn; Advanced Placement Computer Science by Josh Paley, Gunn; History of the Cold War by Brian Tuomy, Gunn; and Advanced Placement Music Theory by Michael Najar, Paly.

The Board of Education approved the eleven proposed blended courses for the 2014-15 school year: French 2

by Anne Dumontier, Gunn; Spanish 3 by Emily Garrison, Paly; Advanced Placement Economics by John Hebert, Gunn; World Literature 12 by Kirk Hinton, Paly; Academic Communication by Rachael Kaci, Paly; Facing History and Ourselves by Kindel Launer, Paly; U.S. History

by Nora Matta, Gunn; Sports Nutrition by Theresa McDermott, Paly; Reading Between the Lines by Julie Munger, Gunn; Women Writers by

LiFesTYLe

sPORTs

Ways to Conserve Water

Best of the Big Gym

INSIDE N e w s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A 1- A 5 Opinion............................A6-A8 Lifestyle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1, B7-B8 Music................................B2-B3 Spotlight...............................B4-B5 StudentLife............................B6 S p o r t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C 1- C 8

SPOTLiGHT Gender Equality

Is true gender equality in society achievable? B4-B5

Find ways to conserve water during the record breaking drought. B8

The best moments of Palo Alto High Schoolís Big Gym. C1

Ken Plough, Gunn; and Algebra 2 by Sharla Orr and Will Friebel, Paly.

“I think it has the potential to build a stronger relationship depending on how the blended learning is done,” Laurence said. “If you’re still meeting, you’re still in the classroom three days a week, but it’s more personalized, individual attention as students need it on some of the days and then a large group on other days.”

PAUSD teachers must attend a twelve-week Cohort training to learn how to write curriculum and how to teach blended courses. Teachers who are teaching the blended learning courses piloted in 2013-14 attended Cohort 1; a group of teachers just completed Cohort 2; and teachers attending Cohort 3 will be trained in the summer of 2014. Cohorts 1 and 2 were set up through the Sacramento County of Education and were through Schoology.

“True collaboration is the idea that you’re not just sharing, you’re actually creating something better than any person in that group can create by themselves,” Laurence said. “I think it lends itself, with the way the district has set the cohort group up, to have some true collaboration to create.”

See Learning, Page A3

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

NEWS

A2

NEWS TO KNOW

The Campanile

Obama nominates PAUSD technology officer for EPA administrative position

Senate to review President’s nomination of Ann Dunkin, PAUSD district’s Chief Technology Officer

By Jeffery Ho

COURTESY OF TIM HEITMAN/USA TODAY

@Fox Sports 1 Michael Sam, Missouri DE and SEC codefensive player of the year says he is gay. Sam could be the first openly gay NFL Player.

@CNN political ticker Rand Paul to sue Obama administration over NSA.

@NBC News Two-time gold medalist Shaun White fails to medal.

@New York Times House votes to raise debt ceiling without conditions .

Staff Writer

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resident Barack Obama has appointed Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Chief Technology Officer Ann Dunkin as the next Assistant Administrator for Environmental Information in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pending United States Senate approval.

If approved, Dunkin’s role in the EPA will be similar to her current role with PAUSD, as she will progress the agency’s program and project management in the informational technology field.

“The EPA’s open position is a similar job as the job I currently have here in terms of breadth of responsibilities,” Dunkin said. “In the school district, working on learning management and student information systems such as Infinite Campus and Schoology are essential. [Similarly], being able to provide environmental information to the staff and the public would be important for the EPA, so it’s essential that these data sets are available and usable [for] people” As PAUSD’s Chief Technology Officer, Dunkin has vastly improved the technology and systems that Palo Alto schools implement and continue to use every day. Her biggest impact

to students and staff has been the change of school information systems from Blackboard’s InClass to Schoology and Infinite Campus.

“When I arrived here in 2009, the one thing I did not find out beforehand was that was that the student information system was becoming obsolete,” Dunkin said. “ The main driver for the change from Blackboard [InClass] to Infinite Campus and Schoology was that we had to have a new solution. In the short time that we had, I think we picked a good one, because the systems are now big leaders in student information systems, so that’s pretty exciting. ” Before leading the informational technology department in PAUSD, Dunkin worked in multiple positions at Hewlett Packard, serving as IT operations director, IT director and senior research and development program manager from 1999 to 2008.

In 2009, Dunkin joined PAUSD as the Director of Technology and continued in this position until 2012, as she was promoted to Chief Technology Officer.

In addition to her position as Chief Technology Officer in PAUSD, Dunkin has been a member of the national Consortium on School Networking (CoSN) since 2012, CoSN’s support to school districts’ Chief Technology Officers, SmartIT’s

Courtesy of teched Magazine

President Barack Obama appointed PAUSD Chief Technology Officer Ann Dunkin, featured here in EdTech Magazine, for a major position in the EPA. Advisory Board and CoSN’s Chief Technology Officer Council since 2013. As a member of these boards, Dunkin helps advocate for the increased efficiency and overall improvement of school IT systems.

“SmartIT is a program that shows schools how to save money in an IT organization and the various ways you can deliver IT services while saving money.” Dunkin said. “SmartIT also sponsors panels and talks at national events so we get the word out to people and organizations about how to manage IT more effectively.”

H1N1 flu causes high death tolls The 2009 Swine Flu strain reemerged this winter flu season Courtesy of flickr

@CNN Breaking News Shirley Temple Black, former child star who later became a U.S. ambassador, has died at 85.

@Washington Post It took 50 years, but an American has won a singles luge medal at the Olympics.

@Fox News 103 dead after military plane crashes in Algeria, official says.

@NBC News Japan’s women’s ice hockey team scores first olympic goal in 16 years.

Staff Writer

By Alec Sullivan

his winter season has seen one of the highest death tolls due to the H1N1 flu, otherwise known as swine flu, since its break out in 2009.

According to a report released on Jan. 24 by California, this flu season has already claimed at least 147 lives of individuals under the age of 65 including 37 in the Bay Area, according to the San Jose Mercury News. The total deaths due to the H1N1 strain last flu season was matched in the first month of this winter season.

Specialists reiterate that this year’s flu vaccine does include coverage of the H1N1 strain, and stress the importance of being vaccinated and protected against the disease.

Doctors across the country report patients coming in due to flu-like symptoms at a rate of over 50 percent higher than typical years.

H1N1 is the same strain that surfaced in 2009, but has since been less prevalent. This particular strain

he Palo Alto High School administration is preparing to make changes for future years and are currently planning construction projects.

The new Media Arts building is set to open its doors in the next school year; the administration is working on selecting furniture to fill the new building’s classrooms.

In addition, the administration has planned renovations for both the big and small gyms. For students and community members to say farewell to the big gym, there will be an event to celebrate memories of the gym.

The celebration will take place on March 16 and will include live music, VIP speakers, a video presentation and stories of the historic gym.

Also underway is registration for AP exams, which started on Feb. 6 and extends until March 19.

Tours for the new Media Arts building are set to start soon.

Staff Writer

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School Board Update Senior Staff Writer

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he PAUSD Board of Education met on Jan. 28 to discuss important issues including how to lane the ninth grade English classes. They also met to evaluate what went well last year and what changes the Board can implement to improve upon last year’s deficiencies in the upcoming school year.

The PAUSD Board of Education opened the night with a discussion about the 2012-13 Annual Independent Audit Report, run by a representative from Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co. The Board followed up with a discussion concerning the seven blended learning courses for the 2013-14 year and the eleven courses proposed for the 2014-15 year. It also discussed information surrounding the new courses that had been approved for next year.

Next, the Board considered new electives for JLS Middle School and for the district high schools, Henry M. Gunn High School and Palo Alto

Administration Update

By Galen Byrd

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Patrick Tehan/Bay Area News Group

Many drug stores, such as Walgreens and CVS, offer affordable flu shots for store members and non-members alike. has the abnormal tendency to target people ages 25 to 64, unlike other flu strains that cause more harm to the population above 65 years of age. It is unclear why it has resurfaced this flu season in particular.

Although the high death toll, experts like the director of communicable disease control and prevention

for the San Francisco Public Health Department, Dr. Cora Hoover believe the year is not particularly harmful.

“This year seems to be shaping up to be a more severe flu season, but until it’s over we’re not going to know how much more severe,” Hoover said, according to ABC News.

UPCOMING EVENTs

NEWS BRIEF

By Bowen Gerould

However, because Dunkin is under consideration for her position Assistant Administrator in the EPA, Dunkin and her staff must begin searching for someone to fill her role as the district’s Chief Technology Officer.

“Much of the IT staff will be involved in helping select a new boss, because it is really important that a team help pick their leader,” Dunkin said. “Should I be confirmed, this is an opportunity to hire someone with a slightly different skill set to help out the organization continue its success.”

High School, which would come into effect for the years 2014-15.

Other important discussions involved the changing of certain names of courses like Physics H, which has honors in the name without giving honors credit to students as well as possible course adjustments for the upcoming years.

They also discussed similar changes in name and content for the math lanes. These changes included updates to the flowchart that guides students and generally dictates which math courses they will take in high school.

Finally, the Board talked about a possible pilot English 9A class for 2014, which all ninth graders would be enrolled in. This would prevent students from having an opportunity to distinguish themselves by taking higher lane classes.

At the time of the meeting, the group could not decide on the result, but since then the Board has chosen to make two English courses, English 9 and English 9A as the options for the incoming freshman class. This will allow incoming freshman to differentiate themselves in the English lanes and to better prepare for the subsequent years.

ASB Update

By Josefin Kenrick

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News Editor

he administration cancelled Club Day Two on Feb. 8 due to rain, but the Associated Student Body (ASB) will schedule another club day to allow students to sign up for second semester clubs.

Led by senior class President Audrey DeBruine, prom planning is underway. Prom will be hosted inside the Exploratorium in San Francisco and ASB is currently working out parts of the prom planing.

DeBruine and senior class Vice President Travis Chen are also working on getting a baccalaureate speaker for the end of the year.

ASB considered the Masquerade Ball, the Paly winter dance, on Jan. 30 as a success.

“I think the dance itself was amazing,” DeBruine said. “Definitely one of the best we’ve put on. Personally, I had a great time.”

ASB sold Valgrams last week to raise money for prom. Valgrams were $5 each and were delivered to students’ third period classes.

ASB President Parker Devine and DeBruine are also working on their speeches for the end of the year.

Feb.

SOPHOMORE PARENT NIGHT

Feb.

PALY-JORDAN JAZZ CONCERT

Feb.

TEDX

Feb.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE PERFORMANCE

Mar.

CAREER MONTH SPEAKER SERIES BEGINS

19 20 24 28 3

Not much to say here.

Because who doesn’t want to spend more time with middle-school students?

Spend your prep listening to another enlightening lecture.

Here at Paly, we’re extremely proud and prejudiced.

So people who have already “made it” tell you what to do.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The Campanile

A3

NEWS

City Council reaches verdict regarding permits Growing parking occupancy rate caused Palo Alto to pass new ordinance regarding parking permits

By Bowen Gerould

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Senior Staff Writer

alo Alto City Council unanimously voted to direct city staff to draft an ordinance to provide neighborhoods with the opportunity to establish parking restrictions on their blocks on Jan. 27.

This decision, which has been the focus of heated debate for over a year, will go through a process in which the details such as the number and price of the permits will be decided upon. The city must also reach agreements with opponents of the measure, including employees of downtown establishments who argue that this measure is not getting to the root of the issue.

The issue stems from a lack of parking spaces for individual businesses in Downtown Palo Alto. For example, employees have to find alternative places to park and the nearby parking structures only hold so many cars and are often crowded and limited by permits themselves. Work-

ers often turn to residential streets as the solution to their parking problem, which angers the residents of the street.

This ordinance essentially allows disgruntled neighbors to take action by installing permit programs on their respective blocks. They would be able to establish parking limits for cars that do not display the permit, namely prohibiting the use of these streets for either all day or all night parking.

Workers often turn to residential streets as the solution to their parking problem, which angers the residents of the street.

The permits will work similarly to the two- and three-hour zones currently downtown, and the punishment for disobeying will be similar in severity.

In order for a neighborhood to qualify for a permit program, it must submit a petition expressing the majority agreement with the movement.

Next, the city has to confirm that the area is in fact crowded, demonstrated by a parking occupancy rate of 75 percent or higher. If the neighborhood passes these requirements, residents would then attend public hearings with area employees only after which the council would grant the request.

The permits would then be issued accordingly, but some important questions still remain. Many wonder what percent should go to employees and what should be reserved for members of the neighborhood in question. Another big question that still needs to be answered is how many permits to distribute within each area.

Although this decision pacifies the complaints of residents of the city, it ignores the important issue of a lack of parking in rapidly expanding Palo Alto.

Jeffrey Ho/ The Campanile

Palo Alto City Council agreed to issue parking permits in order to compensate for lack of neighborhood parking by allowing citizens to have private parking permits.

School offers new course Board rejects English delaning proposal NANOTECH, Continued from A1 teach this college-level course. “By exposing high school students to this area of science and to the resources available through Foothill we are hoping more students will become aware of the opportunities that are available to them beyond high school, including right in their back yard at Foothill College.”

Students will also have the opportunity to tour and use the Foothill Science facilities and to use the facility’s resources, including a scanning electron and atomic force microscopes.

“Foothill has an amazing science program with talented faculty and state-of-the-art facilities and they wanted to share what they have to offer with more students,” Bloom said.

Students will need to have completed biology and either chemistry or physics. The course will earn both high school and college credit. Career Tech Education credit will also be possible in the future. It will be the only semester-long science course offered at Paly.

However, because it is a collegelevel course, students will receive ten high school science elective credits as well as five units of college-level UC/ CSU credits through Foothill College.

“Because it’s a college-level class it will be demanding and there will be an expectation that all students who take it are ready for advanced work in science,” Bloom said. “I think we have a number of students ready and eager for an interesting, stimulating, and unique challenge. We’re very excited.”

ENGLISH, Continued from A1

believes that the assimilation of the two lanes enables teachers to provide all students with the opportunity to succeed in advanced English classes later in their high school careers.

The Board of Education was unable to come to an agreement with regards to freshman English laning at Paly even after a heated meeting that lasted until 1:15 a.m. on Jan. 31. According to Principal Diorio, the Board of Education shelved the proposed assimilation of Critical Thinking and Exploratory Thinking because of “parent’s concerns, community concerns and the board members having some concerns… about the ability of ninth grade teachers to

differentiate for all students within the classroom.”

Both parents and Board of Education members felt that the mixing of high- and low-laned students would make it hard for a teacher to meet a student’s specific needs.

“How do you meet the needs of every student in an English class?”

Diorio asked rhetorically when discussing the issue.

However, other than Board of Education member Heidi Emberling, the Board unanimously rejected the proposal after an influx of parent complaints and concerns that this system would hurt students already struggling in the regular English lane.

“If we’re going to ask our struggling kids to go up to 9A [English]

that does in fact have a faster curriculum with more vocabulary and more time on task, then we’ve got to provide something different,” Board of Education vice president Melissa Baten Caswell told Palo Alto Online in an interview.

Diorio says that the department must continue to work on solving the problems presented by the possible delaning in the future.

“We’re not going to go forward with the pilot for next year, but hopefully once we do some more professional learning and collaboration within the department we’ll come up with some better planning and better alignment so that when we go forward we can come back to this,” Diorio said.

In an interview with Palo Alto Online, Skelly said, “Our meeting will be devoted to new courses that will be recommended to the Board for the upcoming year and a series of new/updated Board policies. This covers the August and October 2013 policy updates; staff recommended changes to the Basic Aid Reserve policy; and the recommendations for modifications to our Uniform Complaint Procedure, Sexual Harass-

ment policy, and Non-discriminatio Harassment policy. We will also be prepared to discuss next steps toward a Bullying Policy, should the Board wish to have one.”

Students believe that a new policy on bullying will not determine how kids are treated. Some believe it is in the school’s best interests to give high schoolers guidelines and rules to regulate bullying of special needs students.

School Board yet to agree on bullying policy POLICY, Continued from A1 However, students do acknowledge that just because they do not see or partake in the bullying, does not mean it is not prevalent.

“Just because I have never seen a [Special Education] kid get bullied at Paly does not mean it doesn’t happen,” Wang said.

The School Board will reconvene on Feb. 6 to further discuss policies.

Blended learning courses receive approval LEARNING, Continued from A1

United States Government Work/FLICKR

A scientist works in a lab emulating the key aspects of the new nanotechnology course at Foothill College that will be offered to upperclassmen next year.

New classes will include more project-based learning PATHWAYS, Continued from A1 Social Science classes. In sophomore year, history class will provide the content and English will provide the skills. With a focus on Latin America in history, students will examine California, immigration and the ideas of ownership in this part of the country. Outside of the classroom, students will study maps and see how the land has changed and go visit organizations where social justice is happening. Upperclassmen will refine the knowledge that they gained in sophomore year and create a project of their own. The main goal is to create an impact in the community with an emphasis on service.

“As teachers in the program, we don’t care if the project succeeds or fails, we just want [students] to know if it succeeded or failed,” Bloom said.

To be involved in this pathway, a student must commit in his or her sophomore year.

The Sports Careers Pathways, run in part by McDermott, aims to introduce students to the world of

sports, from law to business to medicine. Currently, there are few foundational classes, such as Kinesiology and Sports Literature, that discuss sports outside of the field. However this pathway will meld these classes as well as form others to create a more cohesive learning experience.

This program’s goal is essentially to spur students interests and get them involved in the real world through internships. Another new feature that will be involved in this pathway is the idea of blended learning, so students will not go to all of their classes three days a week. A critical aspect of this pathway is community support.

“More than 50 percent of our students are student athletes,” McDermott said. “So that is a huge part of the culture here.”

The Sports Career pathway is flexible, it is not impossible for a junior to join, yet to gain the most from this program sophomore year is the time to start. The entrance class for this pathway is Getting in the Game, which is listed on the course selection sheet as Sports Career (#4538).

The district committee working on blended learning consists of Brian Tuomy (Gunn), Emily Garrison (Paly), Nancy Pang (Coordinator of Education Technology) and Katherine Baker (Director of Secondary Education). The committee is providing updates on the student, teacher and parent reaction to blended learning.

In December 2013, students who enrolled in three blended courses at Gunn — Basic College Skills, Living Skills and Philosophy Through Literature — were surveyed on the effectiveness of blended courses. Eightynine percent of students agreed that they had a clear understanding of classroom material even with the reduction of seat time. 83.1 percent felt comfortable sharing their opinions with their teacher and 83.1 percent found that the flexible schedule of blended learning was important.

In addition, the students provided feedback regarding their experience in the pilot blended courses.

Advocates for the blended learning voice appreciation for the method’s ability to provide more time for students to process and understand the information, have flexibility in their pace and schedule as well as increase college preparation by developing 21st Century Skills — the 4 C’s: communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking — and technology competency.

“It helped me immensely to balance my homework while also learning a great deal,” one student said.

Another said: “I had more time to do assignments. Since they were in the evening, I could balance the workload with my other classes.

Critics believe that the effectiveness of the education will depend more heavily on both the teacher’s ability to convey the material through online material as well as the student’s work ethic in regularly following the material — some students complete the work at once instead of gradually over a period of time.

[Blended learning] allows students to go towards their area of interest, go towards the areas they need help with and shoot for the stars in other areas.

Kathleen Laurence Assistant Principal

Paly previously used the blended learning course design in restart classes, but, starting with AP Music Theory, is beginning to implement the classroom style into regular classes.

“I think the way he set it up was quite beautiful actually for first semester because you guys had to meet mandatorily and then he was there to help students and call students,” Laurence said. “Because you all came in with different backgrounds, that was a way to get everybody in the same place so you guys could do this last semester.”

According to Najar, AP Music Theory lends itself to a blended style because much of the instruction is

composed of the mechanics and fundamentals of music — suitable to individualized instruction.

“There’s a big learning curve to shifting a class to being a blended learning class,” Najar said. “I’m still learning, and I appreciate all the students learning with me.”

From his experience teaching a blended learning course first semester, Najar noticed that the instruction style allows for more individualization and differentiation, allowing for the teacher to cater to the pace of the student. “[Blended learning] targets those students who have deficits,” Najar said. “I can see students who have challenges and in the times that we don’t traditionally meet in the classroom, I can work with students who are struggling and ask them to come in.”

There’s a big learning curve to shifting a class to being a blended learning class.

Michael Najar AP Music Theory teacher

Next year, Najar will focus more on consolidating the work — the lesson, homework, audio examples and visual examples — into one site.

“In my view, you are combining traditional teaching with this online piece,” Laurence said. “For Paly next year, except for AP Music Theory, it’ll be more teachers working out this online piece. We’re taking baby steps.”

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The Campanile

NEWS

A4

Gossip and ostracism positively affect cooperation Stanford and UC Berkeley researchers collaborate on studies about the benefits of exclusion in society

By Catherine Yu

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Staff Writer

n a recent study, Stanford University discovered that ostracism-exclusion from a group or society-has positive effects on societies despite the negative connotations affiliated with the act.

Ostracism is more extensively defined as exclusion, by general consent, from common privileges or social acceptance often shown through actions such as talking behind friends’ backs or simply excluding them from an event altogether.

Common knowledge assumes these acts to have arisen from malevolent intent, thereby dismantling bonds within groups.

However, according to Stanford’s study that was published online on Jan. 27, “[gossip and ostracism] are tools by which groups reform bullies, thwart exploitation of ‘nice people’ and encourage cooperation.”

Robb Willer, an associate professor of sociology, co-worker Matthew Feinberg, a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford and Michael Schultz, PhD candidate from the University

Michael macor/The Chronicle

Michael Schultz and Robb Willer conduct research and discuss the positive effects of gossip and ostracism on societies. of California–Berkeley, collaborated how gossip and ostracism can have bers in their community. They found together to examine the nature of its benefits,” sophomore Itai Palmon that within the realm of a group, gossip and ostracism. said. “In fact, I see it almost every information gained of peers creates Upon reading Stanford’s study, day at school. It’s never fun to be on an awareness that removes selfishhowever, Palo Alto High School the receiving end, but at the same ness in the group, thus sustaining students find truth behind the re- time, gossiping and excluding can cooperation. Although purposeful exclusion can be abused, the three really ‘invest in the public good.’” searchers’ discoveries.

Willer, Feinberg and Schultz researchers suggest that they are of “This Stanford research project has some radical statements, quite found that education by means of great importance to a society’s welldifferent [from] what we have always gossip helps people determine in- being. Willer, Feinberg and Schulbeen taught in school, but I can see valuable, or untrustworthy, mem- tz performed this study with 216

volunteers and divided them into groups. The groups were asked to make financial decisions that would benefit them in future rounds of the simulation.

After each round, participants were allowed to talk about previous group members before they made any more decisions.

The researchers observed that the mere threat of isolation compelled everyone to conform and cooperate with one another at a higher level.

On the other hand, conformity also leads to a lack of variety and disregard of other possible solutions.

“Depending on the characteristics of the person being ostracized, it would definitely benefit the group to have them excluded, especially because of the negativity they bring,” sophomore Eli Givens said.

According to Stanford’s research study, people’s tendency to speak ill of each other has proven a fundamental asset to maintaining social order.

“The pairing of the capacity to gossip and to ostracize undesirable individuals from groups has a strong positive effect on cooperation levels in groups,” Willer said.

Clean technology industry constructive despite risks

Venture capitalist, Vinod Khosla, addresses cleanteach industry’s importance in achieving a greener future

By Angela Stern

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Senior Staff Writer

eporter Lesley Stahl of “60 Minutes” recently exposed shortcomings in the cleantech industry, citing that despite billions of American taxpayer dollars the Department of Energy (DOE) and other government agencies have spent to fund the industry’s research and manufacturing costs, there has been little progress in creating fossil fuel alternatives or new jobs. Since the episode’s airing on Jan. 5, however, many critics, such as Vinod Khosla, the Silicon Valley tech giant and cleantech venture capitalist interviewed in the episode, have come forward to dispute Stahl’s report, stating that Stahl distorted information and omitted critical facts. While Stahl claims that cleantech is dead, proponents of the industry believe otherwise, posing the question: what is the future of cleantech?

“Simply put, ‘60 Minutes’ is flat wrong on the facts,” the DOE said in its response to the show’s segment. “The clean energy economy in America is real, and we are increasingly competitive in this rapidly expanding global industry. This is a race we can, must and will win.”

“60 Minutes” omitted many facts that make its argument less persuasive. For instance, the DOE’s Loan Guarantee Program actually created 55,000 new jobs in the cleantech economy, according to Khosla in his open letter to CBS. In the segment, Stahl contradicted that fact by claiming that in “everything [she] read, there were not many jobs created,” further implying that the manufacturing plants helped creat-

ed by loans had all gone under. Stahl does address the sum of over $100 billion in loans, grants and tax breaks that the U.S. government spends on cleantech industries, a large investment into companies with no guarantee of growth or return. ‘ The inherent risks of financially supporting new and underdeveloped markets, however, are not new and were speculated similarly during the initial stages of tech companies like Sun Microsystems and Apple.

President Barack Obama’s Climate Action Plan “calls for federal agencies to work closely with states and municipalities to reduce barriers to investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy,” according to the DOE’s website.

To get to the energy-independent future we need, we must continue to try and sometimes fail, but the consequence for not trying is guaranteed failure Vinod Khosla CEO of Khosla Ventures

In 2009, President Obama pledged to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 so that they are 17 percent lower than they were in 2005. The Obama Administration remains dedicated to that goal, as indicated in the President’s Climate Action Plan issued in June 2013.

Obama is “increasing funding for clean energy technology across all agencies by 30 percent to approximately $7.9 billion [in the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget],” according to the Climate Action Plan.

To successfully transform America as the leader in the international

Courtesy of Thelinkpaper

Khosla speaks in a San Jose presentation in 2012 about the benefits of clean technology and its future expansion in India. market of clean energy technology and innovation, the Obama Administration must invest in companies like those of Khosla, despite the uncertainty of the industry’s nature.

“We have to take risks, and risks mean the risk of losing money,” Khosla told Stahl in the interview.

“So let me ask you a question. We’ve been looking for a cure for cancer for a long time. How much money has the U.S. government spent? Billions and billions of dollars. Should we stop looking for a cure for cancer because we haven’t found a cure?”

In his open letter to “60 Minutes,” Khosla compares the government’s

spending on clean energy with that on fossil fuels. He claims that “the U.S. spent $502 billion subsidizing fossil fuels in 2011,” and in 2013 alone, spent $80 billion in patrolling the oil sea-lanes in the Arabian Gulf.

“To get to the energy-independent future we need, we must continue to try and sometimes fail, but the consequence for not trying is guaranteed failure,” Khosla said in his open letter. “We will keep accepting intelligent and selective failure. Even oil prospecting has a greater than 55 percent failure rate, and yet we still do it. In the venture industry, we make risky bets all the

time because that’s what it takes to innovate.”

Khosla ended his letter with a quote from Robert F. Kennedy: “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” With this perspective in mind, the cleantech industry does not harbor a future nearly as bleak as the one Stahl reported.

Venture capitalism in any field possesses a high risk, but in order to meet the nation’s goals of reducing its carbon footprint and becoming a world leader in energy sustainability development, the cleantech industry must and will live on.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The Campanile

A5

NEWS

Acts of Random Kindness club collaborates with other schools to create video promoting good deeds Video promotes concept of “paying-it-forward” — the continuation of a chain of generous acts

By Leslie Wan Senior Staff Writer

W

ith its growing popularity, the Palo Alto High School Acts of Random Kindness (ARK) club plans to create an international video about the “payit-forward” mentality.

The club’s president, senior Bryant Vergara, along with chapter presidents from a plethora of different schools have come together to meet weekly at Paly to film a video that will not only garner more attention, but also reach out to international communities to hopefully keep the spirit of kindness alive.

“The pay-it-forward mentality is [the idea that] when you do something nice for someone, rather than getting something back, you tell them to do something nice to someone else,” Vergara said. “So the whole video will be about one person doing something nice for someone else, and that person does something nice for someone else and the chain will continue until it reaches full circle, which will be seen once we’re done shooting, compiling and editing the film.”

Vergara first became involved in the ARK community when he attended a summer church outing where a speaker first mentioned the group. Because his other club, the Christian Club, also had ideas that intertwined with some of those of the speakers, Vergara figured to start another branch of the club devoted to giving out random acts of kindness

such as giving care packages to teachers from all departments and finals test day care packages with snacks during the week of final exams.

The ARK club’s Bay Area board of directors first came up with the idea after viewing a similar video featured in New York City. However, because the video was not featured in a high school setting nor did it feature any high school students, they believe that their own video will not only quickly obtain attention from high school students, but also target more high school-related issues.

The pay-it-forward mentality is [the idea that] when you do something nice for someone, but rather than getting something back, you tell them to do something nice to someone else.

Bryant Vergara Senior

Jensen Hsiao/The Campanile

Palo Alto High School’s Acts of Random Kindness club’s members attend a weekly meeting to discuss production of their video.

“Because high school is segregated in so many ways and everyone is in cliques and knows each other at school, we want a video that touches every single clique from the stereotypical high school athlete to the popular kids to the more introverted kids at school,” Vergara said.

Club member junior Rudra Aiyar echoes some of the video’s goals and motives.

“As a member of ARK, I find the most interesting thing about taking

part of this video is the sense of community behind this project,”Aiyar said. “Due to the fact high school students are coming from all over just to help or participate in the video, extends the boundaries of ARK’s community and helps build a stronger foundation for the club.”

The script is currently being written. The co-directors, Hieu Mai of Andrew Hill High School, Sabrina Ma the original founder of ARK Club and Vergara have recently fin-

Local TEDx talks to begin after years of success across town

ished planning the layout of the shoot and the prescreening of the film. They have a varying schedule set out, and plan to begin the official filming on March 1 and 2.

Vergara believes that the most frustrating part of the filmmaking process is gathering enough people to be in the film as extras. However, Vergara still remains optimistic that he and the other co-directors can still finish the film by the end of this school year.

“The ultimate goal is have the video featured on [the] Ellen [DeGeneres Show],” Vergara said. “We would like the video to touch the entire nation and what better idea than to have it on one of America’s most watched shows. We’re not really looking for fame and fortune, but [we would rather] change high schools across America and to show that people can be from all walks of life can demonstrate random acts of kindness to anybody.”

Recent showers fail to pull California out of drought

Limited rainfall proves insufficient in Speakers’ topics to range from photography to computer technology combating otherwise dry winter weather

By Heather Strathern

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Courtesy of Andrew Lu

The TEDxPaloAltoHighSchool club prepares invitations for people to attend guest speakers’ talks begining Feb. 24.

By Arjun Parikh Senior Staff Writer

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ED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) was founded in 1984 under the slogan “ideas worth spreading.”

Six years later, in 1990, the conferences became a yearly event, with an annual conferences scheduled in Monterey, California. TED began to gain popularity in 2006, when TED talks became available online. TED started to claim international fame in the following years, with their talks hitting 50 million views by 2009, 500 million in 2011, and finally, 1 billion in 2012. With over 1,600 talks available online, TED talks have become an international revelation.

TED managed to wriggle its way into Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) in 2010, when Gunn High School librarian Meg Omainsky decided to stream TED talks to students at lunch on the library computer monitors. A group of students, drawing inspiration from the talks they had seen in the library, set out to start their own Gunn TEDx (the “X” stands for an independently organized event).

Within a year, TEDxGunnHighSchool was created. TEDxGunnHighSchool has been a rousing success, with the event filling the 950 person-capacity Spangenberg theater for the 2014 event on the Jan. 17.

There were 14 speeches at this year’s event, including four by Gunn students. Gunn managed to compile an incredibly diverse set of speakers, with talks ranging from entrepreneurship to sports and dance. Among the 14 speakers were Rob Best, the leader of Stanford’s Solar Decathlon program, former professional tennis player Kim Grant, educational entrepreneur Jeff Scheur, and Boris Sofman, the CEO and co-founder of Anki, a robotics and AI company. Student speakers at Gunn included junior Irene Jeong, junior Kyoko Inagawa, senior Moira Saxena and senior Lisa Zhang.

Saxena, who spoke about using dance as a means of communication, said she received plenty of support from her classmates.

“My session was the highest attended session, and everyone [around] school seemed pretty excited about the event,” Saxena said.

Saxena enjoyed the experience and claimed it was a welcome break from the lectures students hear from teachers every day.

“I thought TEDx was a great experience that allowed students to experience a new atmosphere of learning,” Saxena said. “From what I’ve heard, the event as a whole was well received on campus.”

Inagawa and Jeong performed a violin and cello duet and spoke for a few minutes following the performance.

“Our goal was to hopefully have people enjoy a classical music performance and maybe get them interested in the genre,” Inagawa said.

Inagawa said the event was incredibly professional and organized.

The event is run exclusively by Gunn staff and students.

“Everyone seemed pretty excited in the audience and backstage,” Inagawa said.

Our goal was to hopefully have people enjoy a classical music performance and maybe get them interested in the genre.

Kyoko Inagawa

Senior Staff Writer

ue to the lack of rainfall and predicted shortage of water, Governor Jerry Brown has, as of Jan. 17, declared a State of Emergency. This proclamation includes 20 different orders to be carried out until the State of Emergency is lifted. The last drought State of Emergency was declared by, at the time Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009 and lifted

by Brown in 2011.

And while 2011 might have marked the end of one drought, it appears our current drought did not just start and that this State of Emergency is not California’s first measure against the drought.

On May 20 of last year, Brown issued an Executive Order to simplify and speed up water transfers in attempt to support California’s agriculture industry. This issue of quickening water transfers was brought up again this year in section nine of Brown’s drought declaration.

The ninth clause exempts the Department of Water Resources and the Water Board from having to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and while

this was done in order to alleviate the struggling agriculture industry, many environmentalists are less than pleased. Additionally, many environmentalist bring up that through this expedition of water diversions as well as water transfers, these approvals will no longer be moderated by scientists or the public.

This exemption raises environmental concerns for a few reasons, one being its effect on the already struggling fish populations. Both the Central Valley’s salmon and the Delta smelt, which qualifies as Endangered under the California Endangered Species Act, are just some of the fish species that could be affected.

While California is a relatively dry and moderate state, the northern Sierras have received 4.5 inches since the beginning of the Water Year (Oct. 1) as compared to last year at this time when 34.3 inches of precipitation fell. The average to date is 26.4 inches according to the United States Drought Monitor.

Even with recent precipitation over northern California, this rain marks nothing more than a brief respite in California’s drought troubles and falls short in making any significant impact on reverting California’s drought.

Career month coming soon Stanford University Solar car to visit on Feb. 28, speakers to follow the next week

Gunn High School Junior

By Jonathan Ziegler

Palo Alto High School will host its first TEDx event on February 24th. Paly’s version of the event features 13 speeches, including a four person medical panel comprised of Stanford University Medical School students.

Paly has modeled their event after the multiple successful Gunn events.

Paly also has a very diverse group of speakers, ranging from Google senior research scientist Daniel Russell to Tynker co-founder and CEO Srinivas Mandyam. Cathy Rong, who will be speaking on the art of photography, is the lone student speaker at Paly.

The annual Palo Alto High School Career Month will kick off with a bang on Friday, Feb. 28 as a Stanford University solar powered car makes its debut on the Paly quad.

Speakers will begin their presentations the following week. They begin on Monday, March 3 and continue for two weeks until Friday, March 14 during lunch.

On everyday except one, there will be speakers in the English Resource Center and the Social Studies Resource Center. However, on Thursday, March 13 there will be only one speaker in the English Resource Center.

Online Editor

This year’s speaker series will range from a mechanical engineer who specializes in robotics to a commercial pilot.

The Paly Career Month committee tried to have a wide variety of speakers this year, and the committee hopes that all Paly students will be able to come to the series of speakers’ presentations.

“We surveyed students last spring and invited speakers in the areas which students expressed the most interest,” Paly Career Month head Sharon Poore said.

250 students will be provided a free lunch. The food provided will be pizza and sandwiches, which have been a favorite among students for the past years.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The Campanile

OPINION

A6

Should high school students attend college programs over the summer?

The Life of a Second Semester Senior

Enrichment programs hosted by colleges and universities across the country can have positive effects that supplement academics, but can also have costly consequences

By Shivonne Logan Business Manager

YES

A

s college admissions grow increasingly competitive, many Palo Alto High School students have elected to study at their prospective colleges and universities during their summer breaks. These pre-college programs allow students to prepare for the social aspects of college life, while still allowing them to take classes that are more interesting and rigorous than those they have access to in high school.

Reasons for participating vary.

Some students are interested in getting to know a particular college, many hope it will increase their chances of getting in to one of their top colleges and others simply don’t know what else to do with their summer. Whatever the reasoning behind their decisions to go, pre-college programs are a fun, productive use of any period of a student’s summer, from week-long programs to those that stretch across an entire summer. For Paly students who have gone in the past, pre-college programs have opened their eyes, and allowed them to gain insight into how to prepare for college.

“I did two summer programs,” senior Andrew Watson said. “One… was a biomedical research program…

We were given lectures [by experts] every day on cutting edge topics in the field… The second program I went to was an infectious diseases program.”

[Pre-college programs are] a lot of fun and I think I am better prepared for college.

Andrew Watson Senior

Watson chose to do two pre-college programs, one at the University of Pennsylvania and the other at Emory University, and had positive experiences with both. The first was a month-long program, while the other lasted two weeks. He chose to do both programs because he was interested in both the schools themselves and the unique courses they offered.

Although Watson decided not to apply to either universities, he enjoyed his experiences at both tremendously. He believes he learned how to deal with social and academic aspects of college life as a result of the programs.

“You’re living in the dorms, you’re not with your parents, you have to manage your own time,” Watson said.

“You have to allocate your money. It’s a lot of fun and I think I’m better prepared for college.”

Jack Shapiro, also a senior, chose to do a week long summer program at Georgetown University’s Medical Institute. Shapiro had already visited the school and decided he would apply to the school after finishing the program.

His choice to go to the university was a result of his interest in Georgetown and his desire to possibly pursue a career in medicine later on.

“We stayed in the dorms at Georgetown for a week and went to the med center every day,” Shapiro said. “I got to explore aspects of medicine from patient care to medical research.”

The experience I got from taking the classes and being with the professors gave me insight into what college is going to be like.

Jack Shapiro Senior

Shapiro’s experience, while more brief than Watson’s, left him with a similar impression about summer programs.

“Socially, living in a dorm with other kids [prepared me for college]” Shapiro said. “The experience I got from taking the classes and being with the professors gave me insight into what college is going to be like, and I know now going into college what I need to do and what I need to prepare. I’m more ready mentally for that process.”

College programs are not a guarantee that students will be accepted into the school of their choice.

While such short programs aren’t necessarily the most academically rigorous, they prepare students for college in a way that nothing else could. Such programs allow students to figure out what they want from their college experience, and help prevent them from landing at a four-year university that is not necessarily suited to them, in addition to allowing them to meet students from around the country.

Pre-college programs prepare students for the daily issues they will face in their college lives, from pinching pennies to time management. Precollege programs give students an idea of what to expect in their future, and are the perfect way for interested Paly students to use their summers in an interesting and productive way.

By Hannah Nguyen Staff Writer

NO

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hanks to the CollegeBoard’s Student Search Service option available on standardized tests such as the SAT Reasoning Test and PSAT, email inboxes flood with invitations from colleges all across the countries, most with the subject line something along the lines of, “We Want YOU” or “Explore New Horizons at ____ University.” Colleges spend thousands of dollars sending out seemingly personalized letters that formally invite students to spend the summer on campus taking college courses, enriching their education and experiencing college life in a residential dorm setting.

These summer “enrichment” courses have boomed with popularity in recent years. Top-ranking universities such as University of Southern California, Georgetown University and hundreds more, host high school students who spend from a few of days to four-weeks on campus taking college-level classes over the summer. Almost every collegelevel school in the country has a summer program that is offered to students sometimes as young as 12 years old.

Despite these apparent attractions, however, these programs are ultimately not worth the big dollars that they cost.

Students enroll by the thousands in these programs. The main attractions, as promoted by program advertisements, are experiencing the excitement and environment of college life, taking courses with university-level rigor, earning college credit and most prominently, distinguishing oneself on future applications as a student with academic ambition and drive. Despite these apparent appeals, however, these programs are ultimately not worth the big dollars that they cost.

All brochures, websites and fliers that advertise college summer programs emphasize the importance of college life experience, complete with dining halls, meal plans and extra-long twin beds. While there might be value in facing “homesickness” before college, these

programs fail to completely replicate college life. During the summer, when school is not in session, the campus lacks the regular flurry of student life, thus limiting the full experience of living with peers in contained quarters.

Even at schools with a summer term, the buzz on campus does not match the normal amount of on-campus activity. However, the prices of residence and dining will stay true to the normal-term standards, costing upwards of $1,000 alone for housing in the course of one week. At Ivy League schools such as Columbia University, housing costs $3,200, on top of a $4,500 tuition fee, which excludes travel, insurance and activity fees.

Another large selling-point of these opportunities is the rigorous college classes that could expand the wealth of academic knowledge that one already possesses. However, according to Taylor, a student whose name has been changed and has who participated in the summer program at Columbia University, the classes offered are not as academically challenging or intensive as they may seem.

“The coursework is obscenely easy and most of the classes have 50+ students, so you are extremely lucky if the [professor] even knows your name,” Taylor said.

“The teachers are extremely busy and don’t even have time to meet with you if you want to clarify something after class.”

Gaining college credit serves as a motivating factor that drives many students onto college campuses. However, course credit is also available at significantly less expensive programs, particularly the Foothill College summer program, which offers a broad range of classes to high school upperclassmen. Alternatively, instead of spending $5,000 on tuition and another couple thousand on residence, Palo Alto students can take local classes for $31.

A user on College Confidential, a forum designed to promote sharing and communication about college, advocates for more local options as opposed to costly programs available at top-ranking schools.

“Students truly interested in studying a particular subject matter and not interested in the party scene or wasting money would most likely be better off taking classes at a local college or [community college], where the students attending are there to earn credits, not [to] have fun,” the anonymous user said.

Participating in these programs does not automatically distinguish you as a student or individual, due to the fact that thousands and thousands of high school hopefuls flood the campuses of prestigious universities each summer.

Lastly, and perhaps most notably, students hope that adding college experience to their résumé will increase their chances of getting admitted into schools when their times come.

It’s no secret that there is no sure-fire way to 100 percent guarantee admission into a college, but most universities will preach a single, universally accepted mantra: “we want someone who stands out.”

Participating in these programs does not automatically distinguish you as a student or individual, due to the fact that thousands and thousands of high school hopefuls flood the campuses of prestigious universities each summer, all with the aspiration of adding another line on their Common Application. Most programs, in fact, will note at the bottom of their web page in tiny font that participants are not granted special advantage during the admissions process.

Instead of spending time and money at these programs, students can invest their time in work, volunteering, sports and fine arts activities.

Engaging in the activities will more accurately reflect a student’s own initiative and individualism than participating in college programs that receive thousands of other students.

In conclusion, there are many more effective and productive ways to spend a summer than on a multithousand dollar, prestigious college program that may not deliver all that it promises.

By Will Mendenhall and Michelle Yin

A

s we delve deeper into second semester senior year, the workload in most classes seems to be diminishing. Or perhaps we just have a skewed perception of the workload due to the lack of stress and motivation for academics now that college apps are completely done, and we technically don’t have grades that matter anymore (just don’t get a C).

You fellow seniors might be sitting in class, dazing off into a daydream or staring blankly at a wall counting down the seconds until the bell rings, but rather than vegetating, make use of class time by engaging in these much loved class activities.

Flappy Bird

Before it was deleted from the App Store, this game dominated both the Apple and Android Application game charts and is still taking Paly by storm. The idea of Flappy Bird is rather simplistic: tapping the screen makes the bird stay in flight and each time a collision with the green pipes is avoided, a point is awarded. This tapbased physics, however, makes the collisions practically impossible so much so that a double digit score is worthy of bragging. A tip, courtesy of Will Mendenhall, is to wait until the bird is slightly below the pipe and then tap to send the bird smoothly through pipe without colliding. This application is more than a game, but rather, a lifestyle. Once you begin playing, it’s hard to stop, which is probably why the owner deleted the game from the app store. Make sure to be sly and play under your desk to avoid teachers taking away your phone. For those of you who suck at the game, check out squishy birds! Trust us, it’s the best catharsis.

Boobsciball

One of the most classic games of all time is the one and only boobsciball.

What better way to spend your time then to combined the timeless game of basketball and boobs? The game is simple and easy to set up. First, make sure you have an ample supply of small paper balls. Those math notes will work just fine. Next you need to choose targets. The girl closest to you is 10 points, the next farthest is 20 points and so on. The game is played by shooting a paper ball into the cleavage of the girls in your class.

The game can be played with two to six players and 100 points wins the game. If a player at any time gets punched, scratched, slapped, and/ or kicked in the balls he is then disqualified from the game. Play at your own risk.

Caricatures of the Teacher We all have that one teacher with the big ears, small nose, or dinky looking haircut. Well now is the time for you to put your artsy side to work. Draw a kickass caricature of them and post it on Facebook for the whole world to be amazed by.

Who knows, you might just be the next Van Gogh.

Decide where to go for lunch Since most of us can drive now, Town and Country isn’t the only option.

And with a seemingly ever-expansive number of lunch choices, it makes the decision pretty grueling. There’s always Ikesplace, downtown Palo Alto, and Hillel’s house.

Bathroom Break to go live a little Here’s a foolproof way to get out of the classroom: 1) Cross your legs and squat a little. 2) Hold your breath to make your face red. 3) Proceed to cry to add dramatic effect. 4) Yell “Why did I eat those 30 cent tacos!”. 5) Beg for your life and explain how you feel like you are about to give birth.

By now the teacher has most likely let you leave so chances are you have stopped reading this. But for those of you who still are reading you might as well start playing boobsciball now. It’s a fast way to meet girls.

The Campanile

OPINION

Tuesday, February. 18, 2014

A7

College interviews provide a personal experience to extensive application process Before putting a face to the name there is only so much one can say on paper.

By Alvina Zou Business Manager

A

lthough there is no universal formula for admitting students, many colleges admit students based upon a combination of factors, such as class rigor, grades, standardized test scores, extracurriculars and application essays.

However, optional interviews allow students to show colleges another aspect of themselves and personalize their applications. An interview puts a face, character and personality to the numbers and letters on an application.

Every student is different and what may reflect directly on paper may fail to unmask the qualities that distinguishes one from the other.

Although essays provide a means of creative expression and explain to colleges why one is different from all

the other applicants, not all emotions and expressions can directly translate into writing.

While a list of extracurriculars, grades and standardized test scores can give some insight to one’s strengths and weaknesses, they only reflect a small portion of the real person behind the application.

Interviews give a student no place to hide behind and no one to seek advice to polish their words. It is just the student and the interviewer; because of this, the interviewer can get a better idea of the genuineness of the words the student is saying and gives the admission officers a better sense of a student’s particular passions and interests. Not every student’s strength is in writing essays and some struggle to find the exact words they can use to tell their stories and express their feelings.

While a list of extracurriculars, grades and standardized test scores can give some insight to one’s strength and weaknesses, they only reflect a small portion of the real person behind the application.

Therefore, an interview can be more comforting for a more verbal speaker who can speak about their personal experiences rather than allowing their writing to speak for them. Public speaking is an important life trait; colleges should put an

Conner Harden/THe Campanile

Student and college alumni interviews allow for meaningful face-to-face dialogues

emphasis on how effectively people can communicate verbally and interviews are a way of allowing them to practice their communication skills.

Alumni interviews are a stepping stone that allow students to develop communication skills that is applicable in everyday life, such as the process of job interviews or pitching an idea to a potential client. Communication allows students to shine themselves in a different light and learn to explain an experience that caused them hardship during their

school year or explain the story behind a possible mishap and what they did to overcome it.

Senior Kavya Ramakrishnan has recently had five interviews within the past month and a half and a total of ten college interviews.

“I think interviews are helpful for colleges with holistic admissions because it gives them an opportunity to learn more about your personality, passions and what you’ve learned from your experiences,” Ramakrishnan said. “It’s also a great way to

showcase your interest in the school.

In my experience, interviews are just conversations with someone who knows a lot about the college and is really looking to help you. “ Additionally, alumni interviews provide an opportunity for you to hear about your interviewer’s career path, so you’ll learn more about how the college has helped people postgraduation in terms of advising and networking.”

Not everyone has the luxury of money or time to take a trip to visit colleges they are interested in so interviews provides a means of allowing a student to reach out and show their interest in the school without visiting the school.

Although there may not be alumni base near a student’s home, some schools such as Wake Forest University, provide Skype interviews or phone interviews as options instead of in-person interviews for those who want to take advantage of this opportunity but are unable to make the trip.

The purpose of interviews is equally beneficial for the student to get to the know the school as it is for the interviewer and school to get to know the student.

Alumni interviewers, who have experience and knowledge about their schools, can answer any questions the students might be curious about and give those who are interested a more personal exposure about the school, which can allow them to make a decision on whether the school is a fit for them.

Importance of teacher mentorship undervalued Students need teachers that are understanding and relatable for optimal learning environment

A common saying is “don’t judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” If all teachers put themselves in the shoes of their students and tried to imagine how a student feels in their class or how they manage to keep on top of their busy schedules, their methods of instruction would reflect this and thus benefit students. We as students, more than anything, just want to know that our teachers care about us.

Humans learn best from those who empathize and try to understand them.

By Hillel Zand Editor-in-Chief

T

hink about a skill that you have learned from someone else, a skill that you soon excelled at. Maybe it’s learning how to play video games or organizing an event, or a social skill, like flirting. Chances are, you learned such skills not from a teacher or a coach or a parent, but from a friend.

As the never-ending debate surrounding revolutionizing education continues, I propose a radical idea: what if all a student’s teachers were also his or her friends? What if learning was contingent on intrapersonal skills and not just academic instruction?

Humans learn best from those who empathize and try to understand them. If this idea were to transfer to the classroom, the implications of the student-teacher relationship could be forever changed for the better. Teachers would no longer be “untouchable” figures that students fear to approach when they face academic challenges.

One usually is not afraid to talk to their friend if they have a problem, and so it should be with teachers, too.

Teachers must show their authority in the classroom from day one, and

Friendly, mentor-like relationships between teachers and students increase educational development. rightfully so, as they ought to show that they are responsible for students’ well-beings and actions.

However, in many classes, this authority settles into educational dynamics and creates a rift between the student and teacher populations. In the prototypical lecture-based classroom, it is almost like an invisible line separates where the teacher is when they are lecturing and where students sit.

“Most classes are probably a teacher at the front of the room at the chalkboard and [students] sitting in rows and desks,” Principal Kim Diorio says. “The idea is that in the future, there’s going to be a lot less of the ‘sage on the stage’ and more of the ‘teacher by the side.’”

Mentorship is what students need; they need a mutual relationship in which there is two-way dialogue and an understood goal of achieving personal development. The current grade-based educational model — which is something that is not the fault of teachers — promotes a fearful education, one in which students fear approaching teachers because academic struggle is considered failure.

“It’s okay to have a teacher trying to be a student’s friend,” a 17-yearold student named Alyssa said in the 23rd issue of Canada’s Faze Magazine. “It makes you enjoy the class more, which allows you to learn more effectively. Also having friendly teachers makes the task of going to school a lot less painful since not only

Andrew Sternfield/The Campanile

are you connecting with your friends sitting next to you, but also the one at the front of the class.”

Arguably the most important reason students would benefit from more meaningful relationships with teachers is that they need the person who helps them learn to understand the world they are coming from. In the 21st century, this means understanding what students are going through each day and also employing tools that students connect better with.

“One of the things I really want [teachers] to think about is that the students born today are all digital natives,” Diorio said. “[We need to be] making sure that learning is more student-driven and not teacher-driven. That’s a big shift in education.”

“I like it when teachers try to be our friends,” 16-year-old Katie told Faze Magazine. “It makes me care more about the subject because it seems that the teachers care about you since they know you on a different level. Teachers also try to relate more to you and make school seem more like real life if they are your friends rather than just your professors.”

One would be ignorant to think that all teachers are some sort of imposing and dominant figure, since there are many teachers who do make wholehearted efforts to connect with their students both inside and outside the classroom.

I myself have been lucky enough to have such teachers through my years at Palo Alto High School, and not surprisingly, those classes have been among my favorite. But imagine if all teachers were like this — imagine the systemic impact this would have on education about the school, which can allow them to make a decision on whether the school is a fit for them.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

A8

The Campanile

EDITORIALS

Administration made right decision to halt proposed merge of freshman English

A

t the Jan. 28 Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education meeting, teachers from Palo Alto High School’s English Department proposed to merge the two current lanes for freshman English classes. This proposal would have only made English 9A available to students, and would have dissolved the English 9 course.

In an email sent to the Paly community on Feb. 10, principal Kim Diorio stated that the plan to merge the two lanes has since been tabled.

The Campanile would like to share its gratitude toward the administration for listening to the opinion of students, parents, teachers and other members of the Paly community who opposed the merge. Not offering two lanes of freshman English would have forced students who would have preferred to enroll in English 9 to instead take an advanced course. The Campanile opposed this and continues to support the rights and freedoms of students, one of which being

the ability to enroll in the course of their choosing.

The English Department had maintained that the curriculum in English 9A and English 9 were virtually the same. It should be noted that all freshman English teachers currently instruct both courses. The argument that the curricula are the same is totally invalid: if two courses evolve to have the same material, it should not be simply merged into one course — in this case, the higher one — to make up for the fault. Curricula by definition are unique to each course, so close similarities should not result in withholding the rights of students to choose between courses.

It is the responsibility of teachers to differentiate the courses they teach, even if the courses may be innately similar in content.

While it may be true, as the English Department pointed out, that the entire population of the freshman class is proficient enough to enroll in the higher lane, that does not mean that they must be forced to. It is up to

the student and their parents to decide which course to enroll in.

Although there may be psychological barriers preventing English 9 students from going on to enroll in higher lane courses — such as English 10A, American Literature 11 Honors and Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition — it must be made clear that they are still capable of making that transition. Our school must be supportive of those who choose to enroll in lower-laned classes so that we do not continue to perpetuate the stigmatization of such classes and label its students as any less capable than higher-laned students.

The Campanile recognizes that the English Department, administration and Education Council were simply trying to do what they perceived as the best choice for all students. While this merge may have been beneficial and may in turn have closed the achievement gap, it would have come at the cost of student’s enumerated rights.

A

of counseling in the most public part of campus detracts from the purpose that ACS is meant to serve. Instead of allowing stressed-out students the opportunity to speak their mind without the fear of judgement, the location of ACS simply piles on more discomfort. Unable to relieve this stress at ACS because of its location, ACS may simply serve as extra stress with no relief. High school is a time of social pressure and the need to fit in and our modern society often places a taboo on counseling and psychological distress. ACS is the best method available to this large percentage of the student body that wants to clear their mind of all mounting pressures.

Students who benefitted from ACS before its move to the library might be frustrated by the location change, but still inclined to visit because of positive past experiences.

However, students who have never attended counseling services and struggle with the decision of seeing someone in the first place are discouraged by the location and less inclined to seek the help that they need. This can be detrimental to students who may feel helpless under the piling stress of a teenager’s life if they have no one to confide in. The opportunity to freely talk with a person who is unaffiliated to the student and expresses no personal opinion is something that every student should be able to and feel comfortable taking advantage of.

In order to achieve this level of privacy, the ACS office should be moved back to its original location in the Tower Building.

Students should have the ability to defer tests on block days

H

igh school students often find themselves juggling six or seven classes, many outside activities and little time to study for one or more tests that are to be taken on the same day. Because students have minimal control over their schedules as well as sports practice or other extracurriculars, they should be given the prerogative to allocate when they take their exams, which, in most classes, are worth a considerable portion of their grades. Students should have the option to switch their tests between block days to allow for them to best study for tests among outside activities. For instance, a student would be able to take a Tuesday test during a free period on Wednesday, or vice versa.

It is not abnormal for a student to find themselves with multiple tests on the same day, forcing students to prioritize which tests they study for, the opportunity cost of which could be a lower grade on the other tests.

Although students are aware of having multiple tests on a single day and should have managed their time so as to study adequately for all their tests, the act of taking multiple tests in one day is also mentally wearisome

and tiring. By the end of the day, students have already sat through hours of tests and may not, due to their fatigue, perform as well as they could have and as well as they should have.

In addition, students may find that their schedule for a certain day is full with activities, only to be followed by a major test the next day. These students should be able to delay the test to a block period the following day in order to focus on those activities and then really focus on studying — studying not just so students can achieve the best score on the test but be able to retain more information and work through practice sets to gain the most information possible.

Although giving students more time to cram extra information and potentially achieve a higher score on a test is an advantage, this would allow students who have limited time due to outside commitments, like a sports game or an orchestra concert, to have the flexibility to manage their time.

Giving students this option would not pose too much of a problem for teachers, especially when many classes transpire on both block days and students are taking a certain test on both days.

Worst names at the Sochi Olympics 10) Lucia Anger - Germany 9) Tobias Angerer - Germany 8) Monique Angermuller - Germany 7) David Bakes - Czech Republic 6) Otgontsetseg Chinbat - Mongolia 5) Andreas Wank - Germany 4) Luca Cunti - Switzerland 3) Seraina Boner - Switzerland 2) Jayson Terdiman - United States 1) Jenni Asserholt - Sweden -JACK PALADIN

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Got something on your mind?

Submit a letter to the editor at theeds2014@googlegroups.com

COMIC OF THE MONTH

Counseling services should be moved to the tower building to improve confidentiality dolescents undergo serious transformations, both physically and mentally, throughout their high school careers.

Because this period of growth is often combined with tough social and academic situations, teenagers often require additional support in the form of counseling services. Palo Alto High School works to accommodate the psychological needs of teenagers by providing free counseling in the form of Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS). The goal of ACS, according to their mission statement, is to “empower teens and their families in our community to realize their emotional and social potential through counseling and preventive education.”

ACS houses crucial resources for students and its presence on campus adds an additional layer of support.

Many students depend on the easy accessibility of ACS and enjoy the privilege of access to counseling services at their disposal.

Before being relocated to a wing in the library, ACS was located in the Tower Building of Paly’s campus. The seclusion of the Tower Building reassured students that they were in a safe environment where they could freely discuss their problems. Furthermore, most of the student body does not occupy the Tower Building during the school day, allowing students who took advantage of ACS to seek the help and solace they need in private.

Due to the relocation of ACS to the library, students who require guidance and have previously used ACS feel discouraged because of its public location. Offering the services

FEBRUARY’S TOP TEN LIST

jane gorelik/the campanile

What would happen if freshman English was de-laned.

The Campanile Editors-in-Chief Rachel Cui • Jensen Hsiao • Maya Kitayama Daniel Tachna-Fram • Hillel Zand • Stephenie Zhang News Editor Josefin Kenrick

Opinion Editor Jack Paladin

Lifestyle Editors Kian McHugh Michelle Yin

Sports Editors Julia Kwasnick Ziv Schwartz

Online Editor Jonathan Ziegler

Lifestyle Design Editor Irene Ezran

Spotlight Editor Emily Semba

Photography Editors Ahmed Awadallah Andrew Sternfield

Cartoonists Jane Gorelik Jacques Manjarrez Brian Kannappan

Business Managers Shivonne Logan Alvina Zou

Staff Writers Seth Alston Maya Benatar Galen Byrd Andrew Choi Stephanie Cong Parker Devine Esther Doerr Owen Dulik Haley Fang Bo Field Jeremy Fu Lauren Gargiulo

Keri Gee Bowen Gerould Lauren Giurata Conner Harden Jeffrey Ho Grace Kim Lauren Klass Emily Lee Zachary Levitan Claire Liu William Mendenhall

Ahmed Awadallah Andrew Choi

Paul Mewes Kevin Mullin Mischa Nee Hannah Nguyen Arjun Parikh Coby Parker Nikhil Rajaram Maggie Rosenthal William Shin William Snodgrass Owen Staiger

Photographers Conner Harden Jeffrey Ho

Angela Stern Heather Strathearn Alec Sullivan Nicholas Sullivan Sarah Tayeri Zoe Tierney Oliver Tucher Jacob van Zyll Leslie Wan Eli Weitzman Catherine Yu Lily Zhang Grace Kim Andrew Sternfield

Advisor Esther Wojcicki

Letters to the Editors: E-mail all letters to editors to theeds2014@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 in The Campanile and their size options and prices, please contact The Campanile Business Managers by e-mail 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.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The Campanile

L FESTYLE Thrift Shopping

Teachers with Twitters

By Owen Staiger

B7

Principles of the #subtweet

Text by Stephanie Cong, Mischa Nee & Nikhil Rajaram Staff Writers Design by Irene Ezran & Claire Liu Lifestyle Design Editor & Staff Writer

F

ollowing the era of consumers deceived into paying 15 extra dollars for an alligator, moose or eagle sown onto a cheap shirt, individuality has risen as the new popular style. In other words, straying away from conventional fashion trends and defining one’s own distinct style is the new norm.

However, doing so can run up quite the price if you’re buying retail.

Shopping at thrift stores is a great, frugal alternative to buying from retailers. Thrift shopping, or thrifting, has become more commonplace over the past couple of years. There is a certain stigma attached to thrifting — that thrift shops only offer low-end clothing and that shopping from second-hand stores is reserved for those with low financial resources. Anyone who goes thrift shopping will actually find that these stores are clean, organized and house an extensive selection of merchandise.

Jam-packed with clothes, accessories and shoes from decades ago to now, these stores will surprise anyone who steps foot inside.

Simply put, getting well-made pieces at bargain prices is a winwin situation.

Since thrift stores host a variety of items, not everything in these stores will fit everyone’s personal tastes. It might be tough to find that perfect item in a crowded thrift store, but with the assistance of a few helpful tips, it’s possible to unearth some great items.

MIlitary Surplus

By Hillel Zand Ah, the #subtweet. Observe the delicate creature in its precarious state as it glows across your screen.

Today during AP Biology, junior Kelly Swanson and I got into a fierce debate regarding the principles behind this social phenomenon. Every day, I wake up and commence my daily ritual of checking my Twitter feed and, more often than not, the subtweets that inhabit it.

First, let me step back and explain what a subtweet is. For those of you who are unaware, subtweet stands for “subliminal tweet” — a tweet (usually one stemming from anger or frustration) that refers to a person’s actions without revealing that person’s identity. For example: “ You have changed so much this year. Sometimes I don’t even recognize your soul.”

“Why do you even bother wearing that when you know everyone won’t even notice. #slut #putonsomepants” “So she deserves the attention you never gave me?? #sooverit” Basically, a private diary… for the public.

In the past, I have held some very strong personal views against subtweets. They and their authors frustrated me. Why can’t you just tell that unnamed person how you feel about them?

But after my debate with Kelly, I started to think about what the subtweet stood for. They annoy me, and I’m sure many other people, but they stand for freedom. It liberates the author from their fears. It is an art that takes practice in order to perfect the craft.

In order to reconcile my past feelings with my new epiphanic insight, I have compiled a list of four things that one can do if they become annoyed with a subtweet: 1. Tweet the subtweet It’s simple. Copy and paste that subtweet and post it. Instead of retweeting it, this creates confusion within the Twitter community.

2. Respond to the subtweet Send a reply tweet to the author and voice your support. “Preach it girl!” or “You’re so much better than that!” will probably suffice.

3. Tag the suspects If you think you have an idea as to whom the author of the subtweet is directing their message at, give them a hand and send a reply tweet while tagging the people you think they meant to send their message to.

It’s called being a good samaritan and expedites the whole process so it doesn’t have to go through the whole “I think ___ was talking about you in their subtweet.”

4. Pretend that the subtweet was meant for you Go through your Twitter feed and for every subtweet you read, pretend as if that person is angry at you and trying to communicate with you through that subtweet. Feel the pain.

Then tell that person how sorry you are that you were such a jerk. Once again, watch the confusion ensue.

If you have the same antisubtweet views that I held — and admittedly still somewhat hold — try these methods to alleviate the pain you feel every time you read a subtweet. Together we can change the world. One subtweet at a time.

Military Surplus stores are great places to get well-constructed, warm clothing that won’t put a hole in your pocket. California Surplus on Haight provides well-made items — but at the price of selection. The space is cramped and hard to navigate, but fairly organized with clothes racks sorted by size. There are next to no choices for women’s clothes and there is little inventory for things other than outerwear. Regardless of the small selection, there are some great deals that can be found. A particularly notable deal was a pair of leather boots priced at $60 that could run you up to $250 in other stores. Also in the store were several Carhartt items (a good quality workwear brand) marked down $10-$25. Though it does have a few major flaws, Military Surplus is a great place to shop for outerwear.

Thrift shopping strategies

Crossroads Trading Crossroads Trading is a buysell-trade store, which means that customers don’t have to donate their clothes, but can sell their gently used clothes to the store for cash or store credit.

Crossroads is brightly lit and organized just as a regular retail store, but is a great deal smaller. Due to the lack of space, clothing racks are packed to the point to which it is impossible to see what many articles of clothing look like, and removing the clothing from the rack is quite difficult. But if you do manage to discover a few items, you will realize that the style of clothing sold is similar to that of Forever 21, as most clothes are super chic and casual. However, the quality of the clothing is much better than what is normally found at such a store. The store is predominantly women’s clothing, shoes and accessories, but does have a few racks of men’s clothing as well.

Crossroads is an appropriate fit for those who want to buy trendy clothing at bargain prices.

Palo Alto vs. Haight

Palo Alto’s opportunities for thrifting are generally limited to the local Goodwill, which in itself, is incomparable to the Haight’s counterpart. Even though San Francisco is not as convenient, add on six more blocks filled with even more unique thrift stores and it becomes pretty clear that a trip to Haight and Ashbury is worth it.

At first glance, the people walking around the Haight can be somewhat of a shock for the average Palo Altan: piercings in places you didn’t know possible, half shaved heads and hair dyed every color imaginable. Though after embracing this unusual ambiance, the Haight will become your only destination for thrifting in the Bay Area.

The Haight offers countless thrift shops of varying styles, whether it be a store full of vintage clothing, secondhand steampunk or designer labels, one is bound to suit your fashion taste.

Every store located on the Haight is also larger than those found locally in Palo Alto and have wider selections of merchandise.

Having more to sift through presents a greater chance of spotting something you love and that is a necessity for your closet. Although prices at the two locations are about the same, the quality of items in the thrift stores on the Haight definitely surpass those in Palo Alto.

Paly Radio Club Students start new media arts publication

By Maggie Rosenthal

B6

1) Pick stores in populated places — there will be a larger selection.

Also, check back at stores regularly as items cycle through quickly.

2) Go into a store with some idea of what you need or want. This way, you can be more efficient.

3) Shop section by section. Look for individual items, not to build an outfit. Whatever you find will be able to work with something you’ve already got in your closet.

4) Be able to judge if something is your size by sight, because oftentimes sizing is not always accurate or organized.

5) Make sure to pay attention to the quality of what you are purchasing. Pay the extra $2 — it could be the difference between a Versace and an H&M shirt.

6) Looking through every rack of clothing is impossible, so instead quickly scan sections for unique patterns and colors.

7) Always try on the clothing. If an item fits you in the shoulders, but is too baggy — don’t worry! With a sewing machine and some rudimentary needlework, you can slim it down.

8) Pay special attention to designer brands as they will usually be the best bargains for superior quality.

9) Thrifting takes time. We recommend you dedicate a day to thrifting.

Sure, time is money, but when you’re getting clothes at large discounts off of the retail price, we think you can afford it.

10) Bring friends with you — there’s a larger chance of spotting better items with more people. Plus, it will obviously be much more entertaining.

Goodwill Located in both Palo Alto and on the Haight, Goodwill is an ideal thrift store for those who are just learning the ropes of thrift shopping. These stores are basic and have a fair amount of both women and men’s clothing.

There are numerous categories of items, from clothing,to shoes and jewelry. Most items are pretty recent styles, so this is not the place for those who want older, vintage clothing.

Prices here are reasonable and most prices are determined by item category, not quality. For example, most women’s tops range from $5 to $10, regardless of their brand or quality.

So, make sure to search through items a little more when you’re here — it’ll be worth it. And, for the best selection, try going to the Goodwill on the Haight.

INSIDE

Remi Wolf on American Idol

By Mischa Nee

B3

Caffeine n’ coffee Best places to find coffee in Palo Alto

By Michelle Yin

B7

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The Campanile

B2 MUSIC Music artists to look out for in 2014

Underrated musicians and songwriters look to make their mark on the music scene in the coming year

Courtesy of Matthew Eisman/Getty Images

Chancelor Bennett, who goes by his stage name Chance the Rapper, plans to release a highly anticipated album this year.

By Zach Levitan

E

Staff Writer

veryone has their favorite artist. Whether you’re a fan of Kendrick Lamar and Drake or Beethoven and Mozart, we all listen to our own type of music. It’s tough to keep up with the new trends in the music world. You don’t want to be that one person who is still listening to pop songs from elementary school

while your friends are in tune with all the current music. With that in mind, here are a few artist worth noticing in the upcoming year.

Spark Master Tape: Spark Master Tape’s beats are what make him great.

Although we’re all waiting for A$AP Rocky to release new songs, there’s no need to. Spark Master Tape’s album “#SWOUP” (pronounced soup) is the new album to blast in the car. A combination of Danny Brown’s and

A$AP Rocky’s styles, his beats are extremely creative while still possessing a great flow to them. Most of all, Spark Master Tape rides the beat like a master.

Chance the Rapper: The first thing one notices about Chance is his voice, which is unique and causes his flow to sound incomparable. His newest album “Acid Rap” features a great combination of his flow and his innovative beats, which create a

distinct sound. Chance has quickly advanced as one of many listeners’ favorite rappers.

Isaiah Rashad: The newest member of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Isaiah Rashad joins Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul and the other members of the Black Hippy collective.

While Rashad has a limited amount of material out, every song released is captivating. Many of Rashad’s listeners are looking forward to hearing his future releases.

Drowners: This Brooklyn-based band of Brits is much like the Arctic Monkeys or The Strokes, boasting songs that reflect playful and retro vibes. Their first album premiered on Jan. 28, leaving fans waiting to see what else they have in store. The band recently signed with the Frenchkiss label.

CFCF: CFCF is electronic producer Mike Silver’s stage name.

While his first album released in 2009, CFCF has recently gained popularity. His albums reflect different emotions; “Exercise” is beatheavy, while his newest album “Outside” features a more laid-back vibe, containing many trance-like songs that use a lot of ambient soundscapes.

Although his sound is not for everyone, every listener should give his songs a try.

Sampha: While not a new artist, Sampha Sisay exploded in popularity

after releasing his first album in 2009.

Performing guest spots on Beyonce’s “Mine” and Drake’s “The Motion” and “Too Much,” Sampha demonstrates his strong voice. Fans are looking forward to more from this British musician, singer and producer.

Martin Garrix: Martin Garrix is a 17 year-old Dutch DJ and producer who hasn’t released much material yet, but what he has released has been great. Garrix’s sound is a mix between Skrillex and Calvin Harris. His most famous song, “Animals,” features a lot of energy and big drops. He has had massive success in Europe and is planning on touring the U.S. before performing at Ultra Festival and Coachella.

Sage the Gemini: Sage the Gemini has been around for a while, with hits like “Gas Pedal” featuring Iamsu!, but has the potential to explode soon.

Growing up in Fairfield, Calif., he has continued the trend of popular California rap artists. With his album “Remember Me” set to debut some time in 2014, he may become on of the more memorable artists this year.

No matter your music preference, 2014 brings a plethora of exciting new artists across various genres who promise to prove that underground music can be just as fulfilling as big names on the radio. Plus, you will be say that you listened to these artists before they became “mainstream.”

Grammys continue bias towards rap music

Music awards tend to shy away from hip hop

By Seth Alston and Bo Field

T

Staff Writers

he 56th Grammy Awards held on Jan. 26 saw the Best Rap Album category as the only one of 15 genre categories in which every album nominated also achieved a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) platinum recognition.

Platinum is the designation used by the RIAA to denote albums which sell over one million copies, either through records and CDs or through downloads and streaming.

The rap category was only added to the awards program in 1996 and the first Best Rap Album award was granted to Naughty by Nature for their seminal “Poverty’s Paradise,” which was certified as gold that year.

A rap song has never been presented with the Song of The Year award at the Grammys.

Three years later, Lauryn Hill was awarded Album of the Year for her genre-defying album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” This would be the only time for five years that a hip hop album was given that recognition, followed by the groundbreaking double-album “Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below” released by the revered Atlanta hip hop duo OutKast.

However, both “Miseducation” and “Speakerboxxx” could be described justifiably as having predominant influences from funk, soul and alternative rather than just rap or hip hop, and the point still stands that the genre has not been given its dues by the Recording Academy.

Hip hop has grown since the 1980s to become one of the most significant genres in modern American music. Now most pop music involves rap, or is hip hop influenced.

Yet the Grammys do not reflect this.

The Best Rap Album award is given

during the preshow, prioritized below all the awards given in the actual ceremony. Its nominations also omit most of the incredibly broad spectrum of talented rap artists in favor of mainstream, financially successful artists. An example of this is Jay Z, who was nominated for the award despite releasing an album that was widely regarded as a lackluster and uninspired piece of work.

While hip hop has been an underground movement in the past, in recent years, the Internet has allowed people to gain access to music which would have otherwise be too obscure to discover. People are no longer restricted to Top 40 radio stations and record store shelves, but when the Grammys roll around each year, people are forced to see only the bestselling artists represented.

Although hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis were awarded Best New Artist this year, Macklemore released his first EP 14 years ago. If the award is based on his artistry and talent, and the Grammy committee was truly in touch with hip hop culture, shouldn’t one of Macklemore’s previous albums, which are arguably better than The Heist, have won an award long before now?

While the outstanding success of the albums nominated for Best Rap Album seems to be proof that hip hop has redefined the mainstream, a rap song has never been presented with the Song of The Year award at the Grammys. Fans argue that the institution reflects little to no respect for hip hop as a genre. Even Macklemore himself admitted that he “robbed” nominee Kendrick Lamar of the Rap Album of the Year award that a majority of hip hop fans felt he deserved for his universally acclaimed debut, “good kid, m.A.A.d. city.” This show of ignorance leaves Hip Hop fans questioning whether this is due to a lack of appreciation for the genre’s musical value, some judgement of quality they don’t understand, or straight up racism by the institution that is the Grammys.

COURTESY OF Google images

Daft Punk always performs in their signature robot masks in an effort to maintain their focus on music, not public image.

The artists behind Daft Punk

The Grammy winning music artists gained even more popularity after releasing their latest album, “Random Access Memories”

By Jake van Zyll

D

Staff Writer

aft Punk has had an immense influence on electronic music: Avicii has stated that he listened to Daft Punk before he knew what house music was.

Deadmau5 got the idea to cover his face during performances from them.

Skrillex has said that they “changed [his] life” in an interview with music review site Pitchfork. On Jan. 26 Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” won the Grammy award for album of the year — beating music stars Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar and Macklemore — among other prestigious awards. The group insists on performing every show wearing their trademark reflective masks. But who are these mysterious robots?

The French duo consists of longtime friends Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, who have been active in the music industry since 1993. Daft Punk has won Grammys intermittently since 1998, winning in 1999, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2012 and of course, 2014.

The two artists worked on their latest album in “a dark, windowless room for untold hours,” according to a 2008 interview with Rolling Stone.

RAM is the group’s most critically successful album, with a review of 87 out of 100 on Metacritic.

When asked why they insist on covering their faces during performances, Homem-Christo answered simply: “We’re not performers, we’re not models — it would not be enjoyable for humanity to see our features.

But the robots are exciting to people.”

We’re not performers, we’re not models — it would not be enjoyable for humanity to see our features. But the robots are exciting to people.

Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo Member of Daft Punk

Daft Punk won five Grammys this year, more than they have ever won in a single year. As always, they accepted their award wearing robot outfits and did not speak during any of their ac-

ceptance speeches. However, they were visibly touched while receiving the award of the night, hugging each other for upward of ten seconds.

The duo appeals to many with their ability to reach different genres.

“My favorite song of theirs is ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger’,” sophomore Alys Olmstead said.

“Their style of music has always been for the individual and I’m happy that that kind of music can still be appreciated by a wide variety of listeners. I’d love to see them in concert because I think the music would be great but also they would put on a really entertaining show.”

This year, Daft Punk was recognized for their album their unique sound that blended their classic sound with acclaimed vocalists like Pharrell Williams.

However, the group has always been pioneers of electronic music.

Even though the duo has already released several critically acclaimed albums, the music world is still interested in seeing what new aspects Daft Punk will embody in their upcoming work.

Leonard W. Ely III

Serving local commercial and industrial real estate needs Phone: 650-255-3640 Email: lely@renault-handley.com

The Campanile

LIFESTYLE Satirical artists bring humor to the hip hop musical genre

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

B3

AP Summer: A Quest

In the past decade, numerous rappers have gained attention with a satirical style of rapping that differs from traditional rap of previous eras

By Parker Devine and Eli Weitzman

Courtesy of 3pac

Courtesy of yung lean

Courtesy of Lil B

From left: Rappers such as 3Pac, Yung Lean and Lil B “The BasedGod” are picking up significant followers with their unique rapping styles and personas.

By Bo Fields

I

Staff Writer

n 2006, the release of a single piece of music changed the genre of hip hop forever. It wasn’t off of Clipse’s masterpiece “Hell Hath No Fury” or legendary producer J. Dilla’s “Donuts”, his magnum opus created in his dying months. It was the oneoff hit “Vans,” released by Bay Area rap group The Pack. The song itself wasn’t anything exceptional composition-wise, but its earth-shattering importance came from being the first time listeners were graced with the voice of the man who would later become “The BasedGod.” Brandon McCartney grew up in Berkeley, Calif. and began rapping under the name Lil B with The Pack when he was 16 years old. After “Vans” blew up, the pack enjoyed its success for a while before fading into relative obscurity, with the exception of Lil B. With a work ethic rivaling even Lil Wayne’s famous output during his Dedikation mixtape glory days, Lil B recorded a staggering 1,500 songs in the next four years and uploaded them to more than 150 MySpace pages he created. During this time, his popularity soared and he adopted the moniker The BasedGod, cultivating a massive and loyal social media following.

To the average listener, a song by Lil B The BasedGod might sound unintelligently written, sloppily delivered and generally confusing and disorienting. With lyrics such as “eat that wonton soup I got the cash like chang chang chang” and mixtapes provocatively titled “God’s Father” and “I’m Gay (I’m Happy),” people started accusing him of building a career based on one big satirical joke criticizing the genre. But if one examines The BasedGod’s presence on platforms like Facebook and Twitter and his rabid followers in the #Taskforce, there’s a sense of deep sincerity and positivity in his fans’ support.

And this is what makes the music, and the movement it started, a little more than just satire.

Lil B’s unprecedented persona and style inspired and paved the way for dozens of new rappers who, in a pre-BasedGod hip hop world, would never have been accepted or respected. One of the most intriguing rappers is Yung Lean, a teenaged rapper making moves out of Stockholm, Sweden. His music consists of him rapping in droning, broken English about snorting cocaine in Death Stars and crying Arizona Iced Tea tears to a background of cloud rap beats produced by his surprisingly talented associate, Yung Gud. His fans call themselves the Sadboys and revel in his captivating,

emotional weirdness. His unique aesthetic got Yung Lean signed to prolific streetwear brand Mishka’s fledgeling record label, whose roster also includes one of the most talented upand-comers in hip hop today, Spark Master Tape.

One of the more offbeat and sometimes vulgar artists to result from this movement is 3PAC, a satirical rapper who also started his career locally in the south Bay Area. His catalog includes titles like “Swag Like Osama” and “Swaggin’ Like Romney (Rich White Man Sh*t),” which give listeners a good idea of what they’re in for right off the bat. His lyrics are peppered with racial slurs and an outrageous political incorrectness that would normally cause uproar and backlash immediately. But none of it matters because, as he frequently professes, 3PAC simply doesn’t give a hoot. And neither do the Zero Hoots Gang, his fanbase numbering more than 5,000 on Facebook alone. 3PAC keeps his fans updated daily on matters such as why he’s superior to figures like 2Pac and Oprah and how he “gets the bread, son.” His followers agree passionately and encourage him in the comments.

“My fans at Paly understand that giving a hoot is the root of all evil son,” 3PAC said, acknowledging his local fans in addition to the worldwide Internet movement he’s created.

All of these artists’ works culminate into a rapidly growing subculture of hip hop full of eccentric artists backed by die-hard fan bases that consider it more than just a big joke.

Lil B’s Twitter and Facebook feed is a constant stream of positivity and love for his fans and the world around him, which is passionately reciprocated by his followers in their replies and retweets. His concerts consist of him performing slapping tracks such as “I Own Swag” followed by his lecturing a rapt audience on the merits of adopting pets and appreciating their local police forces. Grown men cry real tears when he performs his most tender song, “I Love You.” Some of Yung Lean’s unironic fans confess a deep emotional connection to his music and can relate to the sentiments he expresses. Members of the Zero Hoots Gang patrol Facebook calling out anyone who dares to give a hoot against 3PAC. The sincerity in all these gestures makes it hard not to love and appreciate the work these artists do, if only for fear of being lynched by their supporters for speaking out against them. And in a genre that for more than 30 years consisted almost entirely of deadly serious topics such as gang conflict, murder and racism, a little humor is refreshing, and some may argue, completely necessary to the rap game.

Senior Remi Wolf auditions for American Idol Wolf made it to Hollywood after auditioning in San Francisco, but despite her success in the first round, Wolf fell short in the group performance portion of the competition

By Mischa Nee

F

Staff Writer

or most, performing what you love on national television only exists in a dream. For senior Remi Wolf, this became a reality when she decided to audition for the 13th season of Fox’s “American Idol.”

However, her preparation started years prior.

“It was really sophomore year when I started performing with Chloe [Zilliac],” Wolf said.

With senior Zilliac, her best friend and bandmate, she began honing her vocal skills in hopes of seeking fame in various singing competitions. Having auditioned for NBC’s “The Voice” three times, various college music programs and now “American Idol,” Wolf has gone through many different processes.

The “American Idol” auditions began in July for Wolf, when she traveled to AT&T Park in an attempt to stand out from the masses. Luckily, her voice teacher had been contacted by “American Idol,” giving her a free pass to sing for the minor producers.

Throughout all of the preliminary auditions, Wolf chose to sing “Let’s Get it On” by Marvin Gaye.

“I’ve learned through auditioning for a lot of things that when you go in, you want a song that’s impactful and loud right off the bat,” Wolf said.

“And [Let’s Get it On] is a song I can just start off belting.”

After making it past the initial cut, Wolf had to come back in August to perform for the executive producers.

“At this point, there were about 300 people still left from San Francisco, and they cut it down to 43 to actually perform for the judges,” Wolf said.

However, as Wolf revealed, the judges don’t even have control over which of these 43 singers made it to Hollywood.

You want a song that’s impactful and loud right off the bat.

Remi Wolf Senior

“This show is so produced, like the judges don’t make any decisions, it’s all the producers,” Wolf said. “[The judges] have sheets in front of them, that I think say ‘we want this person to go through.’”

Nevertheless, Wolf took a break from Spirit Week on Oct. 22, to

spend 20 minutes with three music industry legends: Harry Connick Jr., Keith Urban and Jennifer Lopez, the current judges for the show. Hugs, autographs and small talk were all included, and Wolf managed to win over all of them, receiving a unanimous decision, which later aired on Jan. 16.

But after the lightheartedness of her initial audition, Hollywood Week loomed, along with the notorious drama of Group Night. Yet according to Wolf, this drama does not come naturally. “American Idol” producers take extensive measures to maximize drama. Contestants are forced to be ready by 6:30 a.m. and do not receive any snacks throughout the day. They get less than an hour of sleep that night, if anything, before performing for the judges the next day.

“I don’t know if anybody passed out this season, but normally they said there are people that pass out because they’re not feeding themselves or drinking water,” Wolf said. “It’s not because everyone’s completely unreasonable, it’s that everybody is so tired. Just before our group went out on stage, we were just all delusional.”

Wolf ’s group consisted entirely of contestants from the San Fran-

cisco auditions, and they had grown extremely close throughout all of the waiting and nerves. With Rachel Rolleri and Amber Renee Dundee, Wolf hit the stage after only 45 minutes of sleep.

However their chemistry wasn’t enough to get Rolleri or Wolf through to the next round.

But to even make it this far was a huge accomplishment for Wolf, who accredited her individuality — a key factor for contestants — to her hair, which won her tweets such as, “Wow this girl looks homeless, does she even shave her legs?”

“Literally off of like 30 seconds of airtime, I was criticized by America — thank you America,” Wolf said.

Now that the months of auditions have finished, Wolf ’s moment of fame from “American Idol” has subsided, she looks to the growing success of her and Zilliac’s newly released extended play, “Lookout,” which features five original songs.

Along with every other secondsemester senior, college is also on the mind of Wolf, and after being accepted to the Thornton School of Music at USC and the Berklee College of Music, Wolf looks to continue her passion for music as a student.

About a month ago we decided it would be a good idea to begin planning our summer. Not wanting to stick with the boring, typical Palo Alto summer that so many of us endure, we decided to make other plans.

The following will be a tale. Not one that has happened yet, but one that we will hopefully discover in the coming months.

Once upon a time there were two bored Palo Alto natives, Eli Weitzman and Parker Devine. As their senior year came to a close, they had a longing. A dream to tour the great country they lived in, the United States of America (USA).

As soon as they made their plans early second semester, they were serious. Careful hours of planning led to a plan of epic proportions. Both attained jobs within weeks of their initial plans. They were saving money.

Not for drugs and alcohol, not for food (they shed a few pounds), but for the noble purpose of touring America and learning the ways of rock and roll and the American Spirit™.

Guided by the voice of Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix, they purchased a vehicle that would carry them on their journey through the USA. The search for a vehicle had been grueling, but in the end a Volkswagen Westfalia was bestowed upon them by an angelic crack dealer.

The van had character. Rust covered the exterior and torn vinyl covered the interior. That didn’t matter though; it was theirs. The sunroof was permanently open, which would pose a threat to any normal car buyer, but not Parker and Eli. This van was more of an extension of their spiritual connection between these teens and Mother Nature. With their new tool of transportation in hand, our heroes began their tour of the land.

They went south, stopping in Los Angeles for a few nights, sleeping in the luxurious, stained queen-sized bed in the back.

They were truly on their way, passing the Grand Canyon. They even made their way to Florida, something that Captain America could not achieve. As they weaved in and out of states, the destination of their vacation became close enough to believe.

Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Del. appeared like a lighthouse in a foggy, ocean night. The days were long, but to Eli and Parker they could not have lasted longer. Blessed with the spirit of Hathor, the Egyptian music goddess, they listened to Outkast, Weezer, Beck and at one point Parker could have sworn he saw Kurt Cobain.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The festival ended as quickly as it began, and Outkast and Weezer quickly faded into memories. The next part of their journey would become the longest. A 10-day stretch of road through the midwest. To their next destination. It was the home of hipsters, coffee and grunge: Seattle.

The beginning of their journey was tedious. However, their longing for a city, a place of thousands, was not yet reached.

On day ten, their beat-up Westfalia wobbled into Seattle. Similar to the Muslim tradition of a pilgrimage to Mecca, these boys had completed their pilgrimage. The home of Jimi and Kurt smiled as Parker and Eli entered. They stayed there for three days, touring the space needle, countless museums and even visiting Aberdeen, the home of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana.

As they finally left, they were on the home stretch of their journey.

A two-day stop in Portland marked the last extended stop the pair would take. They lived the Portlandia lifestyle until they finally decided it was time to return to Palo Alto. For Parkerldr, a new generation of the American Spirit™.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

B4

SPOTLIGHT

he institution of marriage has undergone rapid transformation in the past couple years. The amount of states that permit same-sex marriage continues to grow, and the distinctive roles of a male and a female within a marriage have started to blur. This progression, in theory, is one worthy of praise and ought to continue forward.

That’s why, when I sat scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed, I was confused to find an article entitled, “Does a more equal marriage mean less sex?” Intrigued, I followed through to New York Times Online and read the article discussing recent findings that reveal a partial or complete reversal of conventional male and female roles within a marriage actually lead to a less active sex life. Although the author cited evidence and ultimately laid out a well-written article with few holes, I took away a broader question: Is gender equality feasible? If the very idea of gender equality within a marriage, in which a male and female generally share an equal amount of love and respect for each other, threatens or dissuades the physical implications of a relationship, can we honestly expect equality to become a reality in every facet of society?

Can a world where men and women share the pleasure of equal opportunity for all intensive purposes actually exist?

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

B5

SPOTLIGHT

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they face, not often is the scope focused on men and what circumstances they face due to inequity. We can go back to the age-old customs of chivalry; men are often expected to make the first move in a romantic relationship and offer support and protection within said relationship. If we’re going to focus on the career and work imbalances for women, then the personal and love-related inequities for men should be of equal importance.

Take for example, the case of Prom askings at Paly. Generally, males are expected to both initiate and take charge of a Prom arrangement. This is due to a combination of tradition and obligations; males feel as though they are expected to place themselves in a somewhat vulnerable, potentially-embarrassing situation by asking a female to Prom, because for some reason, this is what the rules of chivalry dictate.

Although some might enjoy the task, it is certainly not appreciated by all males.

Senior James Hinderly believes that males do not enjoy the same amount of recognition as females in terms of inequity.

“I think a lot of people fighting for women’s rights and overall equality don’t consider the relationship dynamic and mainly focus on the occupational dynamic,” Hinderly said. “I find

IS

GENDER EQUALITY POSSIBLE

it interesting and definitely a little old-school.”

REALLY

Whether you call yourself a feminist or an advocate for gender equality, you are supporting the same belief; human beings are deserving of equal rights and opportunities, and no human should be discriminated based on their identified sex.

Gender equality is not a new topic. The topic became prevalent during the early 1900s and the women’s suffrage movement and continues along the historical trajectory citing various instances of women fighting for rights and equality. Despite this acknowledged acceptance and equality, there is a severe misconception of what feminism actually entails. It’s time to clear up this misunderstanding about the goals of feminism, especially if the move for equality between sexes is to continue bringing reform and change.

In recent instances, celebrities such as Beyonce and Katy Perry have made statements declaring that they don’t identify as feminists, but they do support equal rights for women.

Both the media and celebrities who advocate for equality seem to misunderstand the difference between feminism and gender equality.

The fact is, there is no difference. Whether you call yourself a feminist or an advocate for gender equality, you are supporting the same belief; human beings are deserving of equal rights and opportunity, and no individual should be discriminated based on their identified sex.

In the case of many social issues, support is drawn for an apparent minority. Although numerically, neither gender is technically a minority, since minority groups are also defined by their subordinate status in comparison to a dominant group, then gender can, in fact, decide a minority. A gender-dictated minority creates one of the largest groups of an oppressed people.

Both males and females face gender inequity issues; therefore, the issue of equality pertains to all human beings. If this issue is one that affects namely everyone, then there shouldn’t be any dispute as to whether it is a compelling issue of pressing importance.

Considering the sheer magnitude of people gender that equality affects, which is everyone, the solution should come from the mutual agreement and cooperation of all people. However, the ultimate solution to gender imbalance isn’t that simple and there doesn’t seem to be an apparent solution.

I see instances of gender inequity in everyday interaction. The topic has been thoroughly discussed through various subtopics among many Paly publications. These topics range from a rape culture to inequity in athletics, all of which fall under the broader realm of gender equality.

However, observing this on such a large scale, even within the school community, proves one

The Campanile

The Campanile

IS GENDER EQUALITY REALISTIC? he concept of gender equality still holds imbalances even within the movement. There is definitely a larger focus on certain aspects of prejudice, but a distinct lack of focus on others. The variety of focus and a lack of consistency among all fields within gender equality actually undermine the issue as whole, and once again works against the ideal of achievable equality.

Taking all of these imbalances and combining them with the aforementioned biological and social factors, I once again come back to my original inquiry. Is gender equality attainable?

In short, my answer is no.

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?

Though your sex may define certain things about your life, our perception of each other can still adapt and transform. The day when we come closest to gender equality is when we stop seeing each other as men and women, and start seeing each other as people.

Questioning the feasible reality of true equality between the sexes STORY BY MAYA KITAYAMA, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DESIGN BY EMILY SEMBA, SPOTLIGHT EDITOR fundamental point of the issue: If the inequity in question is such an integral part of our society, how are we supposed to do away with the current societal normalcy?

BIOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL INFLUENCES

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nequity is so severely ingrained in everyday practice that it’s hard to conceive a world without it. In order to understand why females and males are held to different standards and

do not receive equal opportunity, one must delve deeper into the biological and social influences that hav e shaped a well-recognized falsehood of gender roles. Aside from the biological factors that differ males from females, the different reproductive roles that each sex is also responsible for influencing the roles that separate genders fill

in a society. Societal influence has taken a large role in shaping the current situation of gender inequity. Gender roles predispose gender stereotypes, which can carry on into an individual’s growth, development and perception of self.

Although some characteristics associated with each sex may benefit them respectively, and therefore create an unequal playing field, some argue that these differences aren’t that critical.

Senior Lande Watson, president of the Paly Gender Equality club, believes that the importance of these distinct qualities have decreased in significance over time despite biological differences between the two sexes.

“I know that there are some physical examples of where men may be stronger, but I think we’ve developed so much as a society that it doesn’t really matter and the other ways in which we are equal are so much more relevant and important,” Watson said.

One well-known gender role defines women as the primary gender in charge of housework and child care and men as breadwinners and the family’s financial supporter. This stereotypical set-up of a household is experiencing dramatic changes. In the article I previously mentioned, gender roles are transforming within the household, marriage and family life, but only to a certain extent. Women are undertaking careers of

significant prestige, but too often these achievements come at a price.

In an op-ed piece by Ann-Marie Slaughter, Slaughter discusses the reality of women in the workplace and how it’s extremely unrealistic for a woman to balance both a high-achieving career and a family life. She writes that in order for this ideal to become a reality, severe changes must take place, ranging from revaluing family values to redefining the arc of a successful career.

“If women are ever to achieve real equality as leaders, then we have to stop accepting male behavior and male choices as the default and the ideal,” Slaughter writes, according to the New York Times. “We must insist on changing social policies and bending career tracks to accommodate our choices, too.”

There will forever remain certain family and care-taking obligations for women, and currently the system of career tracks doesn’t cater to this unwritten caregiving expectation. In order to attain gender equality, women need the equal opportunity to take on careers that match the caliber of those men currently hold, without having to make personal sacrifices. But as Slaughter suggests, achieving that situation requires serious revision and change on both genders’ parts.

Considering all of these barriers that block off society’s equal standing in terms of gender, creating a society void of inequity presents a difficult task. Biological and social factors, along with the current situation in terms of the workplace, are hard to influence and change, decreasing the probability of creating such a society.

RAISING ONE SEX ABOVE ANOTHER here is another misconception about the solution to the subject. Gender equality should not center around idolizing one gender over another or giving one gender a leg up in terms of recognition.

Take for instance, the case of TEDWomen.

TED is a nonprofit that aggregates speakers from all over in order to talk and spread ideas

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related to technology, entertainment, design and beyond. TEDx events are additional and often independently hosted events that follow the same protocol. For the past several years, TEDWomen — a TEDx event — has brought in all female speakers. I find this, although empowering in theory, actually antagonizes the struggle for equality among genders. Placing the undoubtedly powerful and inspiring speeches and stories these women have to share into a separate event labeled TEDWomen altogether widens the gap between males and females as opposed to placing them on an equal playing field.

Just the other day, I attended Leading Ladies – Celebrating Women Leaders in Science & Technology, an event that brought three leading women in their respective fields to come and discuss their personal journeys to success in the hopes of inspiring other young women to do the same. I do not want to undermine the importance of inspiring young women to attain their goals. However, I believe that hosting an event catered to women, focusing on the success of one sex as opposed to the success of people, further perpetuates the issue. In order to seriously tackle the of matter of gender equality, both genders must work toward just that, acquiring an equal standing.

You’d be hard pressed to find an event entitled TEDMen, or Celebrating Men Leaders in Science & Technology, and that is because people assume men will give speeches and talks at similar events. By generating events that glorify women, we’re unknowingly taking women out of the picture and putting them into a separate category, which is in no way equal. Instead of creating special circumstances or focusing solely on women during specific events, why not provide equal gender representation? By doing so, women are not viewed as special or in need of personalized events or labels, but rather as people who are neither better nor worse than men.

THE OVERLOOKED MALE PERSPECTIVE

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nother point that often forgoes public attention is gender equality from the opposite perspective. Although there is always much discussion of women and the hardships

As I identified earlier, I am a feminist. I am an advocate for gender equality. And I am in full belief that complete equality is unrealistic.

It’s indisputable, men and women are inherently, biologically, socially, physically and emotionally different from each other; arguably more so than one race is from another. However, gender — although widely adopted as an identifying characteristic — does not ultimately create the individual. Too often we forget that the world isn’t comprised of men and women, but individuals. Furthermore, in our current society, only certain aspects of inequity are addressed, while others are unfairly ignored. The issue deserves more than just a simple yes or no answer. One thing is for certain; there should be no discrepancy under the law that may differentiate women from men. Both sexes deserve equal protection in terms of health, economic security and human rights. But aside from the law, I don’t know if there will ever be a time where being a man or women makes no difference in any facet of life. Even with the hypothetical cooperation of both men and women, it’ll never be perfect.

But what we can do is stop looking at each person as a collection of classifications. Though your sex may define certain things about your life, our perception of each other isn’t entirely dependent on this. The day when we come closest to gender equality is when we stop seeing each other as men and women, and start seeing each other as people.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

B6

STUDENT LIFE

Students create radio club

A group of sophomores initiate a new club to broadcast a program showcasing high school talent out of a local radio station

Juniors prepare for pilot license test Two students continue pursuing their unique passions for flying planes

By Paul Mewes Staff Writer

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MAGGIE ROSENTHAL/THE CAMPANILE

Members of the Paly Radio Club will broadcast their shows out of the Stanford radio station, KZSU. They are taking a fiveweek course in order to learn about the station, including how to use the equipment pictured above.

By Maggie Rosenthal Staff Writer

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ith eight different publications at Palo Alto High School, it would seem that there are not many more opportunities to form another. However, a group of sophomores formed a club to explore another form of media arts: radio.

Maya Kandell, Esmé Ablaza and Zoë Limbrick, sophomores and founders of the Paly Radio Club, decided to form this club in order to begin their own radio show.

“Radio is a medium [that] our school hasn’t explored yet,” Kandell said.

Although the club has been successful so far, members did run into some trouble during its formation.

According to Limbrick and Ablaza, finding a teacher to fill the off-campus supervisor position for the club has been difficult.

Limbrick acknowledged that they have received support from Paly, their advisor Lucy Filppu and the staff at KZSU. The radio club will broadcast out of the Stanford radio station KZSU 90.1.

However, before they can begin broadcasting, there are several steps they must complete.

“We need to take workshops at KZSU once a week for five weeks and then pass the final test,” Ablaza said.

This will ensure they are “aircleared” and are able to broadcast out of the station without supervision. After being air-cleared, the core

members of the club also have several other requirements to fill.

“Those of us doing the training must do 15 hours of community service, shadow a DJ who does something similar to what we’d like to do, create a half hour demo show and then apply for a time slot for our show,” Kandell said.

KZSU does not charge for the privilege to broadcast out of its studio, and the radio club will be allowed to begin its show as soon as they have completed the necessary requirements.

“Stanford KZSU is a non-profit, non-commercial station and all of their services are free,” Kandell said.

“That’s an incredible thing, and I feel really lucky that we’ve gotten to benefit from it.”

Once all of this has been completed, the club members will start producing and airing their show.

They hope to have all of these steps completed in the next few months, according to Ablaza. Though the club is still in its inception, the members have given some thought to the format and style of the show they will eventually start producing.

“Our idea is to pick a broad topic each week and conduct various feature stories based on that,” Limbrick said. “We know there’s a lot of high school talent within that isn’t always recognized in the community, so we will be looking for bands or short stories to be performed.”

Though the specifics have not been finalized, they agree upon the major ideas: to share the stories, opinions and talents of the student population.

The club currently has about six active members attending the training, according to sophomore Saba Moussavian, the digital strategist for the radio club.

“We would be thrilled for anyone who wants to join to participate,” Limbrick said. “You don’t have to be air-cleared to participate.”

The club hopes to gain more people in the producing aspect of the show, as well as people who would like to share their talents or experiences on the show, to increase the variety of their content, according to Ablaza.

There already has been some talk about the club evolving into an entire class at Paly, according to Kandell.

“I can see this evolving into a class at Paly, like how Voice, Campanile, Verde and Viking are all classes, but probably not for a few years because it all depends on if there is enough interest in radio for people to make a time commitment for it,” Ablaza said.

According to Ablaza, the time commitment will vary depending upon the person, but for those who would like to be a central part in the club, it would require taking more time to learn about radio and how KZSU works. However, all of the members of Paly Radio Club do recognize that it would be a long process with major difficulties. “[KZSU isn’t] set up for big groups of people, and it would be difficult to make that work without being a burden to them,” Kandell said.

Currently, the members of the club are content with starting to broadcast their show and developing their club.

hile most teenagers are spending time with friends, playing sports or just relaxing, some are flying planes. Juniors Paige Hansen and Theodore Zaharias are two such student pilots. Hansen found inspiration from her father, who has been flying planes since she was a child. This introduced Hansen to the world of aeronautics.

“I started flying because of my dad,” Hansen said. “My dad started flying as a hobby when I was in second grade. He was diagnosed with a kidney disease and finally decided to accomplish his lifelong goal of becoming a private pilot. Ever since he began flying, he started taking me along with him to air shows. He basically immersed me in aeronautic culture.”

Later, Hansen chose to also pursue a pilot license of her own.

“In October of tenth grade, I decided to enroll in flying lessons of my own because my dad needed a copilot in case anything were to happen to him while he was flying the family,” Hansen said.

Zaharias also began flying because of his father.

“It started when my dad was at the airport for an introductory flight a couple years ago,” Zaharias said.

“It turns out that I enjoyed it more than him. After that, I took lessons sporadically, probably about once every two months, but now that I’m finally old enough to get my license, it’s been more serious and I’ve been flying once or twice a week.”

Although Zaharias is now old enough to get his license, he still has a formidable amount of work that he must do.

It’s cool to see things from a different perspective and to escape the forces that hold us down on the surface.

Theodore Zaharias Junior

“I’m about to fly solo,” Zaharias said. “Then the focus becomes cross country flying, then test prep and finally a check ride, test and oral exam.”

Hansen is well on her way to getting her license and hopes to receive it at the end of this summer, but she still has a lot of work to do.

“I still have to take a written exam, get nine and a half more hours of time flying solo, master all the maneuvers I am working on, take my cross country solo and then take my check ride with an FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] examiner,” Hansen said.

Hansen’s family takes full advantage of its flying ability. They frequently fly to different locations in California during the weekends.

“We own a Bonanza six seat plane,” Hansen said. “We typically fly it to different towns in California.

We fly down to Los Angeles for long weekends and fly to Monterey or Carmel on a typical Sunday.”

Although flying takes up much of Hansen’s time, she says that it does not negatively affect her schoolwork, but rather it helps her academics.

“Flying is based around physics, science and math, so you have to understand it all to fly,” Hansen said.

“Flying is cool because you can see the science at work. It’s like the ultimate science experiment.”

Zaharias agrees that flying influences his schoolwork positively as an exciting application.

“Studying aviation is way more interesting than any schoolwork, so it does have an impact on my schoolwork, but it’s a positive one,” Zaharias said.

According to Zaharias, one of the perks of flying is the people he meets along the way.

“I get to meet lots of interesting people at the airport, such as my flight instructors and people at the flying club, Advantage Aviation,” Zaharias said.

According to Hansen, flying is another step toward maturation.

“When you’re little, your world is based around the town in which you live and go to school,” Hansen said.

“When you get your driver’s license, your world expands to where you can drive to. Once I receive my pilot’s license I will have the freedom to go even farther. I’ll basically be able to go anywhere I want to go.”

Both students love flying and suggest it to any students interested.

“It’s cool to see things from a different perspective and to escape the forces that hold us down on the surface,” Zaharias said. “I would suggest flying to anyone.”

Hansen shares these feelings when piloting as well.

“I love flying,” Hansen said. “I’ve grown up with it and it’s always been fun for me.”

Senior fosters unwanted dogs Clerici-Hermandinger takes in dogs from overfilled shelters, fostering them for several months until they can be adopted

By Lauren Klass Staff Writer

W

hile fostering dogs may not be a popular option that comes to mind, it can be a better choice than adoption.

In senior Andrea Clerici-Hermandinger’s case, it started off as a compromise with her parents who did not want to adopt a dog.

Though Clerici-Hermandinger kept trying to convince them, her parents did not want the commitment, especially since she will leave for college soon. However, they soon managed to come to an agreement.

“I was looking through adoptable dogs and came across a puppy that urgently needed to be adopted or fostered,” said Clerici-Hermandinger.

“So I convinced my parents to meet me halfway on adopting a dog [and] we compromised with fostering.”

In Sept. 2012, Clerici-Hermandinger fostered her first dog.

However, she did not stop there: she has continued to foster dogs ever since, ranging from one to three at a time.

Aside from enjoying the company the dogs provide her, Clerici-Hermandinger realized that by fostering, she is giving the dogs a chance to live.

“You realize the amount of dogs in high-kill shelters who are perfectly adoptable who end up getting killed because there is no room for them, especially puppies,” Clerici-Hermandinger explained.

Fostering dogs, as Clerici-Hermandinger found out, has many positive attributes.

In addition to saving a dog from being killed from lack of space, in some shelters, it allows them to rescue another dog in place of the one a foster family is staying with. Also, fostering allows rescue dogs to get accustomed to a home environment, preparing them for adoption.

You realize the amount of dogs in high-kill shelters who are perfectly adoptable who end up getting killed because there is no room for them, especially puppies.

Andrea Clerici-Hermandinger Senior

Since fostering her first dog, Clerici-Hermandinger has cared for a total of 10 dogs. Currently, ClericiHermandinger is fostering a mother dog named Amanda and her puppies, Lilo and Stitch.

She began fostering the dogs when the puppies were less than a day old, and now they are about nine weeks old. Lilo has been taken to her new home and Stitch was picked up shortly after.

The mother dog still does not have a home, so Clerici-Hermandinger expects to be fostering her for another month or so.

Though a fostering cycle is typically two months, fostering a dog requires as much care, love and dedication as adopting a dog and it comes at the same expense.

Fostering is time-consuming and requires lots of food, toys, beds, leashes, frequent attention and more. “[The] biggest challenge [with puppies is] cleaning up their mess, house [training] them, and being awakened by their whimpering at night,” Clerici-Hermandinger’s parents Marcelo Clerici-Arias and Alejandra Hermandinger said.

For families who are considering fostering a dog, Clerici-Hermandinger’s parents truly recommend it as long as the foster family is willing to put in time and dedication that is required.

“If you cannot commit to the long-term care of a dog but you do love dogs and you have two to three months when you can dedicate a sig-

COURTESY OF ANDREA CLERICI-HERMANDINGER

Senior Andrea Clerici-Hermandinger has fostered the above two puppies, Lilo and Stitch, since the day they were born. She also fosters their mother, Amanda. nificant chunk of your time to caring their need to stay in her home is over, for a dog, then do foster a dog, save it does have one benefit.

Clerici-Hermandinger keeps in his [or] her life, and make him [or] her, as well as a loving human family, mind that letting go of a dog enables very happy,” Clerici-Hermandinger’s her to take in and help another dog.

“After building a relationship with parents said.

Overall, Clerici-Hermandinger each of these dogs, it’s hard to see has found fostering dogs to be a very them go, but at least you know they’re valuable experience that has truly going to a good home and they keep taught her responsibility. you updated as they grow up which Although she claims that it is hard is nice to see,” Clerici-Hermandinger to part with the dogs she fosters after said.

The Campanile

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

LIFESTYLE

B7

Crazy for

By Michelle Yin Lifestyle Editor

C

affeine: whether it is obtained from coffee, tea or other caffeinated beverages, this glorious physiological drug that diligent students use and even abuse to gain alertness during a night of endless homework or in the morning to prevent falling asleep during class is consumed ubiquitously. The pleasant and addicting effects of this drug, including wakefulness and increased intellectual effort, are caused by caffeine’s stimulation of the central nervous system and a consequent increase in neuron firing; caffeine triggers dopamine release, which creates that excited, invincible feeling typically felt after coffee consumption, according to Orthomolecular Psychology.

While coffee consumption is a popular source of caffeine, the downside to buying it daily is its huge wallet draining effect. In the U.S. alone, 18 billion dollars were spent in 2013 on specialty coffee. So before you caffeine addicts blow away all of your allowance on this dazzling drug, I advise you to get the most bang out of your buck and titillate your taste buds with the most orgiastic tasting coffee or tea out there.

While there may be a Starbucks down every few blocks in Palo Alto, there are higher quality coffee brands like Peet’s Coffee and Tea, the coffee shop that helped the germination of Starbucks by training its founders and providing the brand with its first beans, according to New York Times. Peet’s serves everything from espresso drinks like lattes ($2.95/small), to various flavored, melt-in-your mouth Freddos ($4.30/medium), such as the Chocolate Caramel Swirl Freddo, which is exactly as decadent as it sounds. Each sip fills your mouth with chocolate-flavored frothy coffee and hints of thick, caramel. The lattes, which contain one shot of espresso and 10 oz of steamed milk for the small size, are much richer and bolder than those from Starbucks. The beans used to make the espresso are smokier and of a darker roast, which makes the Starbucks lattes and espresso drinks in general taste bland and diluted in comparison.

This cozy Venezuelan café can be found in various locations on Stanford University’s campus as well as its Downtown Palo Alto location on Ramona Street. What makes Coupa stand out is not only its comfy environment for lounging around with friends or cramming in a study session, but its tantalizing hot chocolates, various flavors of chai tea lattes and decadent coffee drinks. Coupa uses organic arabica coffee beans, which come from Ethiopia, and other high quality international beans for their coffee and espresso drinks, such the Café Mocha ($3.50/small) and comes with either Chuao Abuela chocolate or Spicy Mayan chocolate. The Chuao Abuela Mocha is an exceptional option if customers are in for a chocolate flavored drink but want an extra energy boost from the espresso. The hot chocolates ($3.50/small) come in Abuela, Spicy Mayan and Mint options and all taste fairly similar, but lack the hint of espresso taste of the Café Mocha. The Spicy Mayan is just as decadent as the Abuela but comes with a kick of cinnamon and may leave your tongue and throat feel tingly from the spices. Coupa’s real treasure, however, is their Tiger Spice Chai Tea latte ($2.85/small.) While there are other flavors like Elephant Vanilla, Orca Spice and Flamingo, the Tiger Spice knocks all of these options out of the park. The cinnamon and

various spices compliment the dreamy cream-flavored taste, making the drink taste almost like melted marshmallows with spice.

Unlike many other places, Coupa baristas also do latte art, using the milk foam to draw shapes like hearts, which makes the experience even more enjoyable.

Now with two locations in Palo Alto, both downtown and in midtown, Philz Coffee has taken the city by storm, practically forming a cult of devoted Philz addicts. Philz does not serve espresso drinks, but only mouth-watering drip coffee and tea, with each cup handcrafted by a “Phriendly” barista. Philz sorts its different coffee blends by light, medium and dark roast, offering a unique blend to satisfy every individual’s taste buds. Popular coffee blends include the Tesora, a medium roast coffee with low acidity and a nutty aroma and the Silken Soul, another medium roast that is a mixture of the Silken Splendor and the Philtered Soul. The Silken Splendor complements the Philtered Soul, making a heavenly blend by reducing the sour acidic taste of the Philtered Soul while maintaining its buttery, caramel aroma and topping it off with a smooth, silky finish. Rather than using milk, Philz uses heavy cream and sweetens the drinks with brown sugar. However, Baristas can also use replacements like milk, soy milk, honey or stevia upon request. Coffee drinks are most commonly ordered “medium medium,” meaning medium sugar and cream, and more of either can be added by the barista if requested.

The prices of the drinks are also another efficient quality of the store, with all coffee drinks costing $3 for a small and $4 for a large, which takes away the hassle of scrambling for change. Teas generally cost less, however, and specialty drinks like the popular Mint Mojito, a rich iced coffee with fresh mint leaves that add a unique kick, costs $3.50 for a small. First timers may feel disoriented at Philz because of its untraditional drink-ordering system. To order, customers wait in line for an available barista along the counter. Once a barista becomes available, tell him or her the desired blend as well as the cream and sugar content, and move on to the cash register station to pay for the drink. The barista will then call the order and ask the customer to taste test the drink for perfection. Overall, Philz offers a unique coffee drinking experience and will definitely tantalize taste buds.

Sno-Zen offers shaved snow desserts Teachers with Twitters Popular cafe serves up unique asian desserts in Mountain View

Staff members enter social networking site to communicate with students

Andrew Sternfield/THE CAMPANILE

Science teacher Erik Olah uses Twitter to interact with his students. so that he could embed his feed into his website. In addition to finding information on Schoology, kids can witter is one of the most pop- choose to follow me and get updates ular social networking sites instantly or they understand that the on the Internet and has many expectation is to check the Twitter uses ranging from communication to feed once a day on the website acentertainment. With Twitter’s pop- cording to Friedland. Students can ularity, it is no surprise to find some also communicate with Friedland of Palo Alto High School’s teach- by tagging him in a tweet or direct ers on the website. Teachers at Paly messaging him on Twitter.

Not all teachers use Twitter just who have Twitter accounts are using Twitter to communicate with their for school. Erik Olah, a Paly science students. Some teachers choose to teacher, uses Twitter as a means of use Twitter to more effectively com- communication on a variety of topmunicate with their students about ics his students. Olah tweets about school or school assignments. Others Paly events and replies to some of use it to interact with students about his students’ tweets.

“I say funny things and interact topics ranging from school events to with students,” Olah said. Unlike popular TV shows.

Twitter’s accessibility makes it a Friedland, Olah doesn’t feel that great platform for communicating posting assignments to Twitter is with students about school events necessary in addition to Schoology. and work. A teacher’s Twitter page Twitter as a communicating device and subsequent tweets can be ac- helps him to build relationships with cessed by anyone as long as their students. Olah’s entertaining comaccount is public. This allows teach- munication with students is not limers to post information that their ited to just current students.

“I think it’s cool for me to be able students might need to their Twitter to interact not only with the students account. Students who have Twitter I have now, but also some of the kids accounts of their own can “follow” their teachers, which allows them of previous years,” Olah said.

Whether it be used for entertainto see their teacher’s tweets in their Twitter feed. Scott Friedland the AP ment or more practical purposes, Statistics teacher at Paly, uses Twit- Twitter is a valuable tool for teachter to give his students information ers and students in today’s modern about his class. His students can classroom. Both Friedland and Olah find files, announcements and as- recommend Twitter to other teachsignments for the class integrated ers.

“I think it’s a good tool to build a into their Twitter feeds. Friedland wanted to originally make a Twitter community of students,” Olah said.

By Owen Staiger Staff Writer

ZOE tierney/THE CAMPANILE

Sno-Zen offers a multitude of shaved snow and shaved ice desserts from simple to more exotic flavors. the cozy environment is not the most lemonade was amazingly sour, yet

By Owen Dulik important aspect, but rather the food not too overpowering. It was perfect Staff Writer itself is. to pair with another flavor for no exThe first thing I ordered was a tra charge. The honeydew’s sweetness way from all of the lines and hubbub of downtown Palo small banana shaved snow with toffee undercut the powerful sourness of the Alto exists the hidden des- bits and chocolate drizzle ($4.25). As pink lemonade, providing a perfect sert gem of Sno-Zen Shaved Snow & it was presented to our table, I could match for any sweet tooth. not help but notice the immense, deliThe last dish I ordered was a meDessert Cafe in Mountain View.

Unlike the typical fancy cupcake, cate mountain of dessert that was de- dium avocado shaved snow with almond slivers and a condensed milk froyo or ice cream sandwich, family- scribed as small.

Sticking my fork into it, I lifted up sliver ($4.25). This fluffy, ethereal deowned Sno-Zen offers unique desserts with a delectable Asian twist. hollow rectangles of creamy snow, as light was unusual, but very rewarding.

The menu consists of two main dish- the wait staff instructed that a spoon I trusted the staff with their recomwould not hold the form as well. From mendations, and it was the perfect es: shaved snow and shaved ice.

Only a ten minute drive from Palo the first bite, the snow melted on my balance of fragrant and savory with Alto, this hole in the wall is hidden tongue in a delicious manner. The the avocado, and also nutty from the amongst a quiet apartment complex. flavors of the crisp and sweet banana almonds. To contrast the avocado, the The only difficulty of the journey is pair incredibly well with the deep, rich condensed milk added a sweet taste, tones of the chocolate drizzle. The and a creaminess to connect to the finding parking once you arrive.

However, Sno-Zen is courteous soft, silky texture of the snow provides shaved snow itself. Eating the dessert, enough to place flyers on its walls dic- a velvety base for the crunchy toffee I could not help but smile as one of tating the hours of parking lots and to envelop itself in. The immense plat- the owners told a story about the conter of shaved snow was merely a plate densed milk being her favorite growlocal attractions.

That courtesy is also entirely ap- with chocolate smudges on it after ing up on her shaved snow, all with a beaming smile. parent in the wait staff. Upon arriv- mere two minutes.

The next dish I ordered is for the Overall, Sno-Zen Shaved Snow & ing, I did not know what shaved snow was. The cashier was kind enough to less adventurous eater, yet was sur- Dessert Cafe has easily become my describe at great length about this prisingly refreshing: a medium pink new favorite dessert spot near Palo Asian treat, with more workers chim- lemonade and honeydew shaved ice Alto. The family atmosphere made ing in from the kitchen, talking about ($2.75). Much like the shaved snow, a me feel happy and at home, and the growing up with this dessert and their fork cut right through the ice, but im- shaved snow and shaved ice was out of mediately it melted into sweet liquid this world. The incredibly low prices favorite memories and flavors.

When you sit down at the little when I ate it. The texture was much and the location made it a refreshing tables, or at the couches by the televi- softer than that of a snow cone, and escape from the fast-paced University sion in the small room, it is clear that was much more appealing. The pink Avenue. I will be back soon for more.

A

T

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

LIFESTYLE

B8

Ways to conserve water C

The Campanile

1

in

2000

itizens across the state are impacted from the water shortage, from small rural towns in danger of running out of water to cattle farms selling off substantial numbers of their herds. In the midst of the alarming circumstances, it is imperative that Californians cut down on their water usage to ease the effects of the drought.

Though doing so may seem like a daunting task, there are several simple ways citizens can ensure that not a drop of this precious resource goes to waste.

Though these steps are seemingly insignificant, overall water consumption can dramatically decrease when citizen are aware and willing to make small alterations in their daily lifestyle. But until the drought is finally quenched, buckle up California, it’s going to be a wild – but not wet – ride.

When Washing Dishes:

What Not to Do: In the Garden: Recycle used water on garden plants. Every time the family pet’s water is changed and boiled vegetables or pasta are drained, unwanted water is often dumped straight down the sink without a second thought. However, this water can be further utilized by quenching the thirst of garden or houseplants. Place a bucket or basin over the sink drain to catch water that can be saved for a later use.

Rinse with standing water, not tap. When rinsing items such as fruit, vegetables, pans or razors, water can be saved by washing in a few inches of standing water instead of letting the faucet run continuously.

Don’t pour hazardous waste down the drain. If toxic chemicals from paint, medicine and harsh cleaning sprays are dumped down the sink, they can make their way into the water supply, decreasing the amount of water safe for everyday use.

Don’t run the tap when you don’t need it. Turn the faucet off when flowing When Cooking: water is not necessary, such as when brushing teeth or lathering Use the right sized pans, plates hands with soap. and cups. Instead of using oversized pans, plates and cups, choose sizes that are the proper size for the task at hand to ensure that only the necessary amount of water needed to wash these cooking and eating essentials is used.

Text by Emily Semba Spotlight Editor

Design by Grace Kim Compost: Put fruit and vegetables scraps in the compost instead of in the garbage disposal. Because most garbage disposals require running water to properly grind organic remnants, composting scraps would save gallons of water each day. Keeping a home compost can be used for natural fertilizer and will also help avoid clogged pipes and polluting the water supply.

Staff Writer

In the Shower:

Doing Laundry: Only run full loads. Whether it is the dishwasher or washing machine, make sure it is packed to the maximum capacity to reduce the number of loads that need to be done, which can save gallons of water a day.

Get a free, low-flow showerhead from the City of Palo Alto. The city’s Water-Wise House Call program is offering Palo Alto citizens a free indoor and outdoor water survey. According to the City of Palo Alto’s website, “trained surveyors will review your water use, provide low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators and toilet flappers (if needed) free of charge and make site-specific recommendations for water efficiency, including suggested changes to your landscape irrigation schedule.” Becoming more aware of one’s home water-consuming appliances is vital in finding methods to reduce one’s water usage. To schedule an appointment with Water-Wise, call (800) 548-1882.

Nature Photos By Andrew Sternfield

This edition featuring

Justin Rittman

with The Campanile’s own Parker Devine, Emily Lee and Eli Weitzman

The Campanile: We’re here with J Ritt Dom, also known as JRD, also known as Justin Rittman; how would you describe yourself in three words?

Justin Rittman: Hungry, Chipotle, JRD. TC: Tell us about your relationship with Richard “Shermdog” Sherman and about your Seahawks fandom.

JR: Richard Sherman and I go way back to Stanford soccer camp back in the early stages of my childhood. He was pretty average at Stanford–some would even say below average – but he was my favorite player because of his dreads and because he’s from Compton. He really cemented himself in my heart after his fourth down catch against USC. He’s the best cornerback in the league.

There are a lot of haters out there, but you can’t talk bad about him.

TC: What are you?

JR: Well I’d say the biggest thing is hungry. I don’t know if it’s hunger for greatness or hunger for a burrito. You know, it could be a little bit of both.

TC: Burritos and greatness do overlap. Say you are in the club and you are trying to get down.

What is one tune that you can really get down to?

JR: My jam right now is “Letter To Da Rap Game” by 2 Chainz.

TC: Could you please describe your relationship with John Forrest Anderson, also known as Jack Anderson, also known as “meat-sack?”

JR: A lot of things can be said.

I’d say the biggest thing is just EVENT. Jack is a great guy. [He has] a lot of creativity and a great potential for the future.

TC: You applied to a lot of colleges including Stanford. Do you consider yourself a scholar?

JRD: For the most part, I consider myself a scholar. The U.S. education system is on the most part pretty flawed, but when I set my mind to a topic, I can really learn.

There are a lot of things I enjoy learning about and there are a lot of things that Paly makes me learn about [in order] to graduate.

TC: What classes do you think are a waste of time?

JR: Don’t want to say. I don’t want anybody on my bad side.

Chipotle’s not a waste of time.

I’d give a leg for a nice Chipotle burrito.

TC: Someone in Economics said they are “afraid of Justin Rittman.” Could you comment on that?

JR: I’m just a big teddy bear. They should have nothing to be afraid of. I’ve got a great sense of humor and a big heart and there’s enough room for everyone. Whoever that person might be should just come up and give me a hug.

TC: If you were stuck on an island and you could only bring one book, what would it be?

JR: I would probably try and find a book on the top 1,000 exotic foods or something. Something to keep me hungry and entertained.

TC: If you were on a desert island, there would not be much to eat.

JR: Yeah, but I could probably find some animals and make a makeshift burrito.

TC: Open your own Chipotle?

JR: Open it for the natives. Expose them to our culture.

TC: JRpotle.

The Campanile

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

SPORTS

ACHIEVING GOALS

RUN LIKE THE WIND

Girls soccer team expects

Track and field season is off to

league title to close out

strong start and athletes are look

successful season after seven

forward to recreating

wins, one loss and four ties.

last year’s win.

See C2

See C4

Big Gym renovations stir mixed emotions With Palo Alto High School’s 85-year old gym set to close, students recall unforgettable memories

Students enjoy their Valentines Day dates at the Beads and Beaux Valentine “Flapper” Dance on Feb. 18 in the Big Gym back in 1961. With the Big Gym closing for renovations, a part of history will be lost.

By Coby Parker Staff Writer

W

ith the Big Gym set to close next year as the construction on a new gym facility begins, Palo Alto High School students remember their favorite memories from the historic gym.

The gym will close at the end of this school year and likely will not reopen until the beginning of the 2015-16 school year. A modernized facility, which will include many amenities for sports and physical education, will replace the current gym.

Private finance will be provided, so it will likely not experience delays

that the Media Arts Center and the new math and history building have undergone.

The Peery Foundation donated the necessary funds for the new gym.

The construction will include two new gyms — ­­ the small and large gyms — a new wrestling room and a dance studio.

David Peery, son of Richard Peery who runs the foundation, said that the gym at Paly needed remodeling over five decades ago, but hasn’t received any. He feels that renovations are long overdue.

A ceremony to celebrate the old gym will be held on March 16. Paly, the Paly Alumni Association, Palo Alto Weekly, the City of Palo Alto

and the Palo Alto History Museum are hosting the event. The event will last an afternoon and will have “multigenerational activities,” according to the event flyer. The ceremony, which starts at 2:30 p.m. in the Big Gym, will help Paly to remember and commemorate everything from the historical building.

Some students only used the current gym during freshman and sophomore physical education badminton, while others played varsity basketball on its court.

Regardless of first contact with the Big Gym, many hold it dearly in their hearts and are not happy to see it go, yet they accept that it will be upgraded. Junior Max Dees is on varsity

basketball, which holds its games in the gym.

“The Big Gym was where I started playing basketball and I’ll always remember it when I remember playing basketball at Paly,” Dees said. “The Big Gym meant a lot to me, so it’s really sad to see it go, especially because I won’t be able to play in the new one.

It’s sad that the year the new gym opens I will have already graduated, but I’m happy for the sophomores and freshmen and future players on the team.”

Others didn’t participate in varsity sports, yet still had good memories of the physical building.

“I didn’t play any sports in the Big Gym, but I did do PE there when I

was a freshman,” junior Ido Gal said.

“I feel like it was pretty bad, but it has some memories for me. I am overall happy though that it is being upgraded and that the younger kids will get something nice to experience.”

Others have good memories of events that happened in the gym besides practices, games or PE. Events such as rallies always brought in large attendance of the student population.

“All of the rallies are a big memory for me,” junior Fabian Garduno said.

“The Spirit Week rallies, the seniors versus teacher games, the PE lessons will all be in my mind when I think of the Big Gym. I’m not going to miss it, though. I’m glad it’s getting replaced.”

Courtesy of Rachel Kellerman

Pom Pom girls Boroi Feller, Connie Koprina, Cindy gamage, Narrine Beuner, Millie Brother.

Courtesy of Rachel Kellerman

Courtesy of Rachel Kellerman

Top left: Boys’ baseball team in 1913 poses for their high school team picture. Bottom left: Girls’ basketball team gathers for a photo in 1908. Right: Cheerleaders perform their routine in the Big Gym in 1967.

INSIDE

BEST GYMS

CHEERLEADER SUES

Discover some of the best

Oakland Raiders

gyms in Palo Alto and

what makes them so good.

C6

SUPERBOWL AD REVIEW reviews the best

cheerleader sues the team Courtesy of discountmugs.com

The Campanile and most intriguing

for violating the California wage and

advertisements of this

employment laws.

C7

C8

year’s Superbowl.

Courtesy of bestclipartblog.com

courtesy of businessinsider

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

C2

The Campanile

SPORTS

Wrestling remains hopeful in spite of record Largely underclassmen team performs well in leagues, looks forward to future seasons

By Parker Devine Senior Staff Writer

A

s the season comes to a close, the Palo Alto High School wrestling team still clings to hopes of winning the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) De Anza division.

The team, which has started off 1-4, would have to win the rest of its league matches, as well as winning the league playoffs. Fortunately for the team, its improvement and individual gains has made up for some of the disappointment that has come from the rest of the season.

that were supposed to be on the team this year were unable to compete because of injuries.

Both seniors, Gunnar Felt and Andrew Frick, missed the whole season due to injuries sustained competing in other sports.

“Even before I got hurt we only had one other senior wrestler,” Felt

said. “Plus, he got injured as well and wasn’t able to wrestle.”

Despite these drawbacks, the team still aims at competing and winning leagues.

“As a team the goal is to win the league,” Giaccia said. “I just hope some of our freshman start to mature, grow and win some varsity matches.”

The team also has a silver lining with its coaching staff. With seven different coaches coaching both the varsity and junior varsity teams, they might be able to give the team the boost they need to compete for the rest of the season.

“Our biggest strength this year is our coaches,” Felt said. “We have

seven different coaches and they each bring a different style, which we need.”

The team will finish the league regular season on Feb. 21, with the league playoffs starting shortly afterwards. The team hopes to compete in and win the SCVAL playoffs.

As a team the goal is to win the league. I just hope some of our freshman start to mature, grow and win some varsity matches.

James Giaccia Junior

“We are currently 1-4 as a team,” junior James Giaccia said. “But I believe the team’s progress hasn’t been represented well by how well we’ve done because everyone as a whole has been improving a lot.”

With league playoffs only weeks away, there is little time for the team to improve until playoff matches start. Freshmen wrestlers still need to develop if the team wants to have a chance competing in league playoffs.

“We need to improve by just putting in the work,” Giaccia said. “No one can miss any practice. We will become better if everyone works hard.”

The team is also using a lot of younger athletes this year, with Giaccia being the only upperclassmen on the varsity team. Multiple wrestlers

Keri Gee/the campanile

Coach David Duran advises junior James Giaccia, the only upperclassman on the team, as he practices for Santa Clara Valley Athletic League playoffs.

Boys soccer remains Girls soccer struggling as season closes continues in positive stride To remain in De Anza League for next season, boys soccer team must defeat Fremont High School in upcoming game

By Lauren Gargiulo and Seth Alston Staff Writers

T

he Palo Alto High School boys soccer team lost to Mountain View High School on Feb. 8, halting its recent successes.

The team was coming off of a good note with a 1-1 tie against league rival Los Altos High School on Jan. 29 and a 2-1 victory over Santa Clara High School on Jan.31 in non-conference play.

“Beating Santa Clara gave us some much-needed confidence for our young team,” junior Edward Chen said. “After losing, our morale was low, especially because those games were winnable.”

Paly led the Spartans early in the game, with the first half closing at 1-0 in favor of the Vikings. However, defensive slip-ups and an ineffective offense in the second half allowed Mountain View to turn the tables and secure a 2-1 victory.

“We played up to par against the second best team in the league,” Chen said of the game against Mountain View. “Scoring early contributed to this as well, but our weaknesses were apparent in the second half.”

The team had been struggling in the latter part of January with several key losses to league powerhouse Los Gatos High School, as well as Fremont High School and Mountain View High School.

Palo Alto has struggled to maintain momentum throughout both halves for the season, with its second half scoring 20 percent worse than its first half numbers.

The team faces two high-stakes games against Fremont and Los Gatos and are motivated to win.

“We need a win against Fremont because we need to make sure we stay in the De Anza League because we don’t want to get regulated,” varsity Coach Briggs said. “Whoever wins the game gets to stay in the league

and whoever loses has to move down to the El Camino League.”

Not only does the team need to win the game against Fremont, it also has to tie or win against Los Gatos to qualify for the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs.

“If we at least tie or beat Los Gatos, then we could get a CCS birth,” Briggs said.

Despite the outcome of the remaining games awaiting the team in this end of the season, the team is still positive about future seasons.

“We have such a young team this year,” Briggs said. “We have 20 players and only three are seniors, so we will have a stronger team next year.”

Andrew Choi/the campanile

Senior Cinna Vazir dribbles the soccer ball, evading Wilcox defender.

After excelling in regular season, girls team looks towards leagues and CCS

By Paul Mewes

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Staff Writer

he Palo Alto High School girls soccer team has been in excellent form recently, winning seven of its last 12 games and losing just one of those 12 games, with four ties. Senior captain Sunny Lyu is pleased with the way the team’s performance.

“The season’s going well,” Lyu said.

“Lately, we’ve been performing well.”

The team got off to a slow start, losing its first two preseason games.

Since then, the team has lost just one game. According to Lyu, this turnaround is the result of hard work, improved finishing and team chemistry.

“We practiced harder and with a purpose,” Lyu said. “Also, we’ve capitalized on what we could and we’ve gotten to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, we know [senior defender] Julia Kwasnick is good at finishing off corners, so we aim for her. We know that [junior forward] Katherine Shan is fast, so we try to play her through rather than short. Team chemistry definitely factors onto the field.”

Sophomore defender and midfielder Jacey Pederson believes that the team’s poor performances early in the season were the result of such a young team, but that this is no longer a problem.

“The underclassmen that were new to the team figured out what their roles are,” Pederson said. “That definitely has impacted our team and how we’re playing. Also, we have just practiced more and spent more time with each other, so we are naturally going to improve.”

Now that the team has figured out the issues that hindered it early on, Pederson believes it is the best in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) De Anza division.

“I definitely believe we’re the best team in the league,” Pederson said.

“Now it’s just a matter of proving that we are the best.”

According to Lyu, the team has a good chance of winning its league.

“Our chances [of winning league] are pretty good, but it’ll be tough,” Lyu said. “The top few teams are all within a couple points of each other, so the title is really up for grabs.”

Central Coast Sectional playoffs (CCS) begin soon and the players on the girls soccer team believe they can do well.

The underclassmen that were new to the team figured out what their roles are. That definitely has impacted our team and how we’re playing. Also, we have just practiced more and spent more time with each other, so we are naturally going to improve Jacey Pederson Sophomore

“We have a good shot at CCS,” Lyu said. “There are a lot of good teams in the Central Coast, but when we are playing to our full capability, we can be the best. We just have to be consistent.”

The team hopes to continue its torrid run of form throughout the end of the season. The team is also confident about its future and believes that it will only improve.

“We definitely can keep improving,” Pederson said. “We’re just getting started. I don’t think we have really reached our potential yet, so our opponents should be terrified that we’re doing so well even though we aren’t even playing to our full potential.”

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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

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Girls basketball looks to finish strong

Gay should be OK

Girls basketball hopes to carry momentum into their last two games before playoffs

Zoe tierney/the campanile

Sophomore Maddy Atwater defends a 3-point shoot by getting in the face of a Henry M. Gunn High School shooter.

By Claire Liu

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Staff Writer

fter defeating their crosstown rivals at Henry M. Gunn High School, the Palo Alto High School girls basketball team looks forward to finishing off their season on a strong note by winning their playoff games.

The recent victory over Gunn was extremely exciting for the girls and gave them momentum going into the end of the season.

“Beating Gunn was amazing because last year they killed us both times we played them,” sophomore Courtney Lovely said.

Freshman Amelia Schmarzo voiced similar thoughts, saying “beating Gunn was probably the best achievement of this season.”

Sophomore Siggi Bengston said the victory was the “best feeling” and a “redemption” game for the sophomores and seniors.

“We really came together and executed as a team that game — which

was what we have needed to do in all of our games so that’s really set the stage for upcoming games,” Bengston said.

The Lady Vikes currently hold a 3-5 league record, but are automatically qualified to go to playoffs due to their preseason record.

In order to improve their skill set, the team has been focusing on certain goals and taking on new strategies and sets.

“Our team has been working on our offense and perfecting funda-

mentals,” Schmarzo said. “We also have been focusing on defense and offensive sets to challenge our opponents.”

In terms of success in the playoffs, the all-underclassman team holds high hopes but understands the challenges facing them when facing more experienced teams.

“Our league is a very good league with a lot of older and more experienced teams,” Schmarzo said. “However, I think if we keep working hard, keep doing what we’re doing, and put in 110 percent and give it our all, we will surprise many teams and fans out there.”

In addition to league playoffs, getting to Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs remains one of the team’s top priorities.

“The season is really practice for CCS,” Bengston said. “We haven’t had the greatest season, but we’ve improved tremendously and we are going to continue to push further so we get a championship either this year or in the future.”

Bengston believes that despite their reputation as a young varsity team made of all freshman and sophomore players, their skill and dedication will help push them past obstacles and into playoffs where they will succeed.

“A lot of people are throwing around ‘young’ when they describe our team,” Bengston said. “It’s true we are young, but we have the talent and skill to win CCS.”

Boys basketball hopes for continued success After victory over rival Gunn High School, the team hopes to carry momentum into playoffs

By Lauren Giurata Senior Staff Writer

Alec Sullivan

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Staff Writer

fter a big victory over local rival Henry M. Gunn High School, the Palo Alto boys varsity basketball team looks to continue their streak of success as they continue through their season. Midway through the season, the Vikings have a league record of 5-3 in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) De Anza Division and an overall record of 11-9. Los Altos High School remains the only team above them in league standings.

In an interview with senior guard, Noah Phillips, Phillips explains how the team has recently hit their stride and are gaining momentum.

“We’ve definitely gotten better from the start of the season until now, especially on the defensive end,” Phillips said. “We played a bunch of tough out-of-league games to prepare us for the league season. Those competitive games are starting to pay off, especially late in games.”

The team remains focused on their goals from the beginning of the season, which are to win league playoffs and to get a bid in the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament.

Senior guard, Clark Schmutz, looks to carry the momentum from

the Gunn and Los Altos High School victories into upcoming games this season.

“I think we will definitely be able to carry the momentum from that game into upcoming ones,” Schmutz said. “I think we have a lot of confidence knowing we were missing one of our key players in [senior Keesean Johnson] and were still able to win.”

They faced Saratoga High School in an away game on Feb. 12 and Mountain View High School in a home game on Feb. 14.

“For Saratoga I don’t feel like it should be too big of a game for us,” Johnson said. “We beat them last time, and we just need to come out and play how we did last time.”

As for the game against Mountain View, Johnson was not present for the game, but says that the team had an off-shooting game. He hopes that they will go out and improve their shooting this time around.

“Noah Phillips and Kevin Mullin have come out this season and played really well,” Johnson said, “[Mullin] can shoot the ball really well and can go for the basket when he needs to.”

The SCVAL De Anza Division ends Feb. 21 and then the playoff games will begin.

However, the Paly varsity team plans to not get ahead of themselves, focusing instead on doing their best in the upcoming league games.

Senior Noah Phillips takes a shot in a game against Milpitas High School.

Courtesy of Noah Phillips

By Zach Levitan Michael Sam is one of the most courageous football players. Not because of what he has done on the field, but what he has done off the field. Not to say he’s not great on the field. Sam is an All-American defensive lineman, SEC sack leader and most importantly, openly gay.

Sam will make history, after the upcoming NFL draft, becoming the first openly gay player in the National Football League. He is the Jackie Robinson of our generation, yet even in our accepting society where in many states gay marriage is legal, there are still skeptics. Many people believe that after he announced to the world his sexual preference his draft stock took a big hit. There are people that believe that because Sam is gay, he will be drafted in a later round than his straight counterparts.

My question is why? Why would someone be judged by their sexual preference. We have gone through this countless times. There will always be a group trying to achieve equality.

This is no different. Years after every battle for equality, we look back and ask why? Why would that group of people ever suppress that other group, and it never makes sense.

Even after African-Americans had fought for and achieved so-called equality, they still weren’t equal. It wasn’t until sports became integrated that the battle was finally ending.

Racism still went on, but when Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the MLB, it was the beginning of the end. Blacks were finally being integrated into popular culture. Now in a time where all races, sexes and sexual preferences are so called equal, we still see one man breaking down barriers.

Sam has been applauded and supported by many current and past NFL players as well as the media.

“There is no room for bigotry in American sports. It takes courage to change the culture,” tweeted the Seattle Seahawks linebacker and Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith. Many players have publicly supported Sam, while his skeptics hide.

Keith Olbermann, sports analyst and host of the Olbermann Show, went on a terrific rant criticizing all of the general managers and coaches that anonymously doubted Sam. Many of Sam’s skeptics say it’s not that he’s gay, but teams won’t want the unnecessary publicity that will come with drafting Sam. They fear that the league isn’t ready.

For Sam to put his career on the line in order to break down barriers is the most courageous thing I have ever seen any athlete do.

He has had a troubled life and may have a troubled career. Almost all of his family members are either dead or in jail, yet he still remains strong. This pain and loss has made him the man he is today.

Catering for all Occasions 477 South California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA, 94306 (650)-329-0700 izzysbb@gmail.com www.izzysbrooklynbagels.com

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

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Design by: Nikhil Rajaram, Mischa Nee and Coby Parker

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SPORTS SPRING INTO ACTION

Photos by: Conner Harden, Dami Bolarinwa and Andrew Sternfield

Girls Swimming and Diving

Track and Field

Boys Swimming and Diving

By Stephanie Cong

By Mischa Nee and Lauren Klass

By Grace Kim and Jeremy Fu

Staff Writers

Staff Writer

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lthough both the girls swimming and diving teams graduated many impressive athletes last year, both teams are confident that they will be able to perform well, and that team members old and new will be able to contribute this upcoming season.

“Our team this year is really young but also really strong,” senior swim team captain Caroline Moeser said.

“We have a lot of younger girls with potential and I’m really looking forward to seeing them grow this season.”

The swim team is looking to rebuild itself after last year, to build a solid team which is proficient in as many events as possible.

“Last year we lacked depth in some of our events,” senior swim team captain Karina Goot said. “This

year we have a slightly bigger team so we will be working to make sure that everyone knows how important they are to the team and are ready to swim fast.”

High goals have been set for the upcoming season, for both leagues and Central Coast Section (CCS), especially after losing the league title to rival Henry M. Gunn High School last year.

“If you put an end result on a goal, it would be to win leagues, and to challenge at CCS,” coach Danny Dye said.

“Our goal is to get top 4 at CCS,” Goot added.

The girls diving team has lots of faith in the newer, younger members of its team as well.

“We lost a lot of big team members from last year, but we’ve still got

strong divers and I saw a lot of new faces, so hopefully a lot of potential,” senior team captain Julia Ragsdale said.

Many of last year’s athletes were able to qualify for the final round of CCS, and the team’s expectations are no less for this season.

“Our goals for this season are to win leagues and to get as many divers as possible to place in the Top 16 at CCS,” senior diving team captain Phoebe So said.

Overall, the outlooks for both teams this season are very positive and promising.

“It’s a good group of kids, they want to work hard, they’ve done really well, they’ve all improved, and we’ve got a good group coming in,” Dye said. “I think it’s going to be a fun year where people do really well.”

F

ollowing last year’s Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) championship win, Palo Alto High School’s track and field team looks to bring home a Central Coast Section (CCS) title with the addition of new coaches and the return to their same track to start practice.

Coach Kelsey Feeley is returning for her second year of coaching Paly’s track and field and, like many of the athletes, is excited for the upcoming season. Additionally, Feeley looks forward to being co-head coach this year.

“I love track season and I’m really excited for it,” Feeley said.

Senior Audrey DeBruine, a second-year captain, also has high hopes for the season, especially with the ad-

dition of long distance specialist and co-head coach Taylor Motts.

“It’s my senior season, so of course I’m really stoked about that,” DeBruine said.

Additionally, the new track and jump pits are open for use.

“I’m really excited that we have our track back for this season so we can have some home meets and hopefully get some fans to our track meets,” DeBruine added.

Motts recently moved from Texas to Palo Alto. He ran track throughout high school and began coaching his senior year of college.

Motts has been training for the Olympic trials in the marathon. At Paly, he is looking forward to the new season and coaching long distance.

With Motts taking over the long distance runners, Feeley plans to start a mid-distance group, to give each athlete more individualized workouts.

“I want to establish a legitimate middle distance plan, because last year I was all distance and didn’t really get to focus on what I know,” Feeley said. “So I’m really looking forward to working with the 400 [meters] and 800 [meters] runners this year.”

However, Feeley also worries that the sheer number of students who are on the team could pose a problem in the future. “[There are] massive amounts of kids that come out for track,” Feeley said. “It’s a popular sport, especially for the younger kids. And just being a

Staff Writers

head coach for track for the first time, there’s a lot more kids than I had for cross-country.”

Within the masses, Feeley has spotted some key runners that will be sure to make a difference in upcoming meets.

“Kent Slaney, a freshman, kicked butt during cross-country season, and will be a huge asset to our varsity squad this year,” Feeley said.

Additionally, junior Lucas Mattison will hopefully provide some wins in the long distance events, with returning throwers and sprinters to close out the team.

The first meet is next month against Los Gatos High School, and the track team hopes to come home with as many wins as possible.

T

he Palo Alto High School boys swimming and diving teams are preparing to begin their season and hope to improve from last year’s second place finish in Central Coast Sectionals (CCS) playoffs.

The boys’ swimming and diving teams predict a successful season, expecting to win both the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) and CCS. Winning CCS would break Bellarmine College Prepatory’s 29-year streak, which Paly has always tailed and is eager to break.

“I have some pretty high expectations for the team this year,” senior varsity captain Omri Newman said.

This year, the boys diving team is working harder than ever to improve

Staff Writers

Staff Writer

T

he Palo Alto High School softball team looks forward to a successful 2014 season following disappointing season last year.

The Lady Vikes finished the 2013 season with a record of three wins and 24 losses, a continuation of discouragement from the preceding year’s record of seven wins to 18 losses.

The lack of success in the De Anza league last year resulted in the Lady Vikes being moved down to the less competitive El Camino division.

Right-fielder and utility player junior Maddy Jones believes that competing in the lower league will help inspire the team to victory.

“I think this season will definitely build off of last season,” Jones said.

“It was not a good feeling to drop down a league, but it gave us a lot of motivation for this season, which I think will help us succeed.”

The team hopes for a reversal are furthered by the introduction of new coach, Bill Laskey.

Laskey served as the San Francisco Giants pitcher from 19821986 and in 1988, bringing the big leagues to Paly.

Senior shortstop Hannah Bundy believes that the new coach will impose policies that will drive the team forward.

“All the girls, including myself, really look up to the coaching staff and are excited to learn and improve from them,” Bundy said. “They are going to be tough on us, but that is

T

he boys lacrosse team will open their season on March 4 at Woodside High School following the loss of head coach Craig Conover and 10 seniors.

“We lost 10 seniors last year, six of them starters, so there are a lot of spots to fill with the current juniors and seniors, primarily at the midfield position,” senior James Harrison said.

However, Harrison thinks that the addition of head coach D.J. Shelton will have a positive impact on the team.

“Having the new coach will give us a different playing style that may work better for us,” Harrison said. “I think that he has a strong motivation

collaborative approach, allowing all seniors on the team to serve as leaders.

Jones feels that the new players will provide a notably positive contribution to the team.

“This year we have a great variety of strong players trying out so hopefully we will be strong on both offense and defense,” Jones said.

Bundy expects the team to improve upon previous records in the upcoming season.

“Our team, although the previous records do not show, is very good,” Bundy said. “Our team has a lot of great talent we just need to learn how to combine that talent in games and win.

Many players agree that the impending season holds many opportunities for success.

“I feel like this year will definitely be a turnaround year for us,” Glassford said. “We are off to a great start, and hopefully all the positivity we have going on right now will continue.”

Bundy reiterated the sentiment that the last season will not reflect how the team will perform this season.

“We are flushing out the previous negativity of last year and starting over,” Bundy said. “We are all ready to turn the page. This is a fresh start for us this year and everyone that I have talked to is very pumped for this season to start.”

Players to look out for include returning pitchers Glassford and Saul.

Staff Writers

T

he girls lacrosse team will kick off its season against Leland High School in their first game on March 21 following the loss of 13 seniors and junior varsity coach Leah Boyll after the 2013 season.

Despite losing 13 seniors, Kristen DeStefano, senior captain of the girls lacrosse team, believes that this year’s team still has a good chance of winning the championship.

“I think that our team is very prepared because we have all been working out together,” DeStefano said. “Almost all of the returning varsity have been playing on club teams, improving their stick skills, so even though we lost more than half our team, we will still have a good chance of winning the championship.”

Due to the vacancy of the junior varsity coach position, head coach Jamie Nesbitt is projected to coach both varsity and junior varsity. DeStefano believes that Nesbitt

Boys Tennis

Staff Writer

given that their competition will be much tougher this year.

“The team will need to improve on their quality of game,” Hsieh said. “It is easy to be a big fish in a small pond, but we have muscled our way into the ocean now. We must improve ourselves everywhere.”

Even with tougher competition, Hsieh believes that if the team as a whole puts in more effort, the Vikings may be able to upset their rival teams this year.

“I expect that everyone will be faced with a moment to score points for our team,” Hsieh said.

“It is a total team effort. The league is filled with strong players, so we need our second and third tier to step up.”

The Vikings completed their tryout process this past week and are awaiting a preseason schedule.

“[Senior] JP Flather is back this year after a knee injury, [and] he will be key on defense,” senior Jordan Gans said.

Regardless of these multiple setbacks, players still believe the team will prevail. “[Since] we have a new coach this year, a lot of our team dynamic will change,” Gans said. “All-in-all I think we will have a pretty good team this year.”

Coach D.J. Shelton believes the toughest games this season will be against Sacred Heart, predicting it to be emotional for the retiring seniors who have been playing together for the past four years.

By Nikhil Rajaram and Tiffany Liang

By Jeffrey Ho need to be more tactical in other areas in order to win.”

Sophomore Eric Chiang believes that despite the losses of key seniors last season, the team can hopefully win in the De Anza League and place individuals at the end of the season in the SCVAL finals.

“We have a lot of seniors on the team this year, so our team should be strong,” Chiang said. “But the losses of [seniors] Gavin [Chan] and Oliver [Wang] after last season have a big impact on the team this year since they both played varsity 1.”

This year, they will be competing against two of the top teams in Central Coast Sections (CCS), Monta Vista and Lynbrook. Both teams finished last season with a record of 11-1. As a team, the Vikings will need to improve greatly,

to make this team successful since he is a Paly grad who was not given the opportunity to play lacrosse at Paly. I think he has been a good coach so far, [he] knows a lot and wants to spread his knowledge to anyone he can.”

Having lost to Sacred Heart Preparatory High School three times last year, Harrison speculates that they will be the team’s biggest rival.

Harrison also believes that the team will suffer losses as a result of scheduling. This year, the team will not be playing San Francisco University High School, whom they beat last year with a score of 11-8.

Along with Shelton, the boys team has another notable addition.

Girls Lacrosse

Badminton alo Alto High School’s badminton team enters the upcoming season with much higher expectations after finishing last season tied for first with a 9-3 record in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) El Camino division.

As a result, the Vikings have been promoted to SCVAL’s upper league, the De Anza League (DAL), after rival Fremont High School declined their option to advance. This year the team will be playing against much stronger opponents than they have in the past few years.

Second year coach Wesley Hsieh states that the team will need to train harder during the preseason in order to compete with the top teams in the DAL. “Most players in the upper league has experienced tougher opponents”, Hsieh said. “We will

Alex Hammer said. “He’s shown a lot of promise and I think he’ll be an incredible diver. We’re really counting on him for our team’s success.”

Among the divers, sophomore Reed Merritt shows talent and his team members hope he will help carry the team.

Last season, Merritt took the boys crown title and nearly surpassed the school record set last year by graduated senior Cole Plambeck.

“I predict that Reed will finish in top three,” Hillen said.

The boys swimming and diving teams will have their first meet against Menlo High School and Menlo-Atherton High School on Feb. 28 at Paly.

By Nikhil Rajaram and Dami Bolarinwa

By Hannah Ngyuen

what we need in order to improve and reach our goals for this season.”

Junior pitcher Casey Glassford agrees that strict policy will help the team develop favorable skills and strategy.

“This coaching staff is larger and more well-rounded than our previous coaching staffs have been,” Glassford said. “They [are also] much stricter and more intense than coaches we’ve had in the past, which is already helping us to show improvements in our play and our attitudes.”

Senior pitcher Julia Saul noted that the changes this season, which includes a new practice field and a new head coach, will challenge the team but ultimately lead to success.

“I am so happy that a coach is finally stepping up,” Saul said. “It is always hard to have successful seasons with so much change but I have so much hope for the amazing years to come for Paly softball.”

Jones noted that the new coaches will provide a much-needed reinvigoration of energy on the team.

“The new coaching staff will be like a breath of fresh air for the softball program,” Jones said. “Having a completely new staff [allows the team to] start anew with a clean slate. They will definitely help us become a better team this year.”

One policy implemented by the new coach ends the typical practice of one or two seniors assuming the role of team captain. According to Glassford, Laskey is taking a more

its record, after losing several seniors.

According to iunior Scott Hillen, everyone from last year’s team has improved tremendously since the end of last season. Senior diver Christian Lantzsch mirrors Hillen’s remarks.

“I believe we will fare fairly well as we have a few divers that I can see could make large improvements this year,” Lantzsch said.

Off-season training and a positive team attitude have contributed to their overall improvement.

The boys diving team will lean heavily on senior varsity captain Will Mendenhall for support and guidance.

“I think Mendenhall will really come through for us this year,” senior

Boys Lacrosse

Softball

P

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

By Bo Field and Catherine Yu Staff Writers

F

or the upcoming season, the Palo Alto High School boys tennis team is looking towards a promising start after last year’s victories.

Both tryouts and practice began on Feb. 3, after school.

Last spring, the tennis team earned the doubles title in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) Championship tournament, while also claiming third place in the singles division.

Despite their SCVAL success, the boys faced a disappointing loss in the second round of the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships last year.

However, they are optimistic for the coming season and feel that they are able to win get farther in CCS.

“I’m looking forward to finishing strong and getting farther at CCS at the end of the new tennis season,” senior George He, a varsity team member, said.

“We played pretty well last year, but now that [the team] is healthy and with new guys coming up, we should do even better this year,” senior teammate Austin Leung said.

The team will be coached this year

by Andy Harader.

Additional promising athletes are Shiv Matta, Jack Paladin and Ronak Baldua, who hope to lead the team to victory in the singles matches.

“The league that we are in is the best league in Northern California and the competition is stiff,” Harader said. “We face this every year, on one

hand you’re playing the best all the time, and on the other hand you’re losing a lot. I’m hoping that we can come close to the semi-finals in CCS this year. We have a lot of potential.”

Many players, including senior Niall Patrick, are optimistic.

“I think that we are going to have a strong team this year as most of it is comprised of seniors,” Patrick said.

“We also have a few solid underclassmen who carried the team last year in several matches. We haven’t lost too many players from last year but we are definitely going to look to build on our doubles teams this coming season.”

This year, the junior varsity team is looking towards Saratoga as resilient competitors.

According to Harader, the varsity team is keeping an eye out for the national champions: nearby Menlo School.

“Particularly for this area, Menlo [School] as national champions are our biggest competition,” Harader said. “They’re considerably weaker this year, but still pretty damn good.”

Overall, with such strong members, the boys’ tennis team is convinced that the season will be a promising one. “[I am] extremely confident,” Harader said. “We now have the best team we have had in probably five years.”

Hopefully, this year, this confidence that Harader speaks of can manifest into wins.

coaching both varsity and junior varsity will be beneficial for the team.

“Jamie is a very talented coach who has been my varsity coach for the past four years.” DeStefano said.

“She can handle anything that flies at her... I think it will be beneficial for JV that we are sharing a coach because they will be integrated in more varsity practices, improving their skills.”

Having faced Saint Francis High School in past championships, DeStefano thinks that they will be the team’s biggest rival this year.

However, DeStefano also worries new additions to their league such as Saint Francis Catholic High School could pose a problem.

“We don’t know much about them, other that we have played with a few of their players on club teams,” DeStefano said.

Regardless of the losses of seniors and shortage of coaches, returning athletes are looking forward to

the upcoming season. Junior Claire Chevallier already sees changes that will need to be made.

“Practices have been very productive so far and we all love our coach,” Chevallier said. “We lost thirteen seniors from last year, so team dynamic will definitely be a lot different and it’ll be more of a rebuilding season for us. However, we have a really great group of girls with a lot of excellent players; in my opinion we definitely have a lot of potential as a team.”

Despite the loss of graduated seniors, sophomore Reid Walters is confident they can succeed in the upcoming season.

“We’re hoping to have an even better season than last year and win SCVALs, [Santa Clara Valley Athletic League]” Walters said. “We’re going to have a young team this year so we’re going to have to work hard to get where we want to be when games start.”

Baseball

By Owen Staiger and Owen Dulik Staff Writers

A

s Palo Alto High School’s spring sports teams are starting to come together and start working on preparing for this 2014 season, Paly’s baseball team has begun their tryouts and is looking to construct a team that can bring Paly another league title.

With eight players graduating from last year’s team, there are holes that have to be filled and players that have to step up.

This year’s team has four starters returning from the 2013 team.

Some players have already assumed

leadership roles on the team and are confident about this team’s chances.

“Our team goal like usual is to win leagues,” said Anthony Lim, a returning senior on the team. “We have a really good chance of doing that [this year].”

Paly’s baseball team has won a league title the past four years, so this year’s team aims to continue that trend.

In order to bring Paly another title, the baseball team needs to really hit its stride during the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament.

An area of improvement for the team is their power hitting.

To win the CCS tournament, believe they need to work on their power hitting, which will supplement their strong pitching and fielding game.

The team’s first game is on Feb. 25 against St. Ignatius.

Paly hopes to avenge their team in early March with their game against St. Francis who knocked them out of CCS last year, giving the team something to prove to themselves.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

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Best gyms in Palo Alto, Stanford area Various gyms in the surrounding area offer training, exercise opportunities for students

By Will Snodgrass Staff Writer

Oshman Family JCC Location: 3921 Fabian Way Palo Alto, CA 94303 Cost: $60+/month; $10 for guest pass The Oshman Family JCC is one of the premier gyms in Palo Alto.

Built in 2009, the JCC is a gym that is clean and updated with the newest equipment. The gym contains weight and cardio equipment for almost every exercise, making it a suitable place to train or work out. Whether you’re the casual treadmiller or an intense weightlifter, the JCC will cater to your needs. In addition to the gym, JCC members have access to indoor and outdoor pools, indoor basketball courts, exercise classes, a sauna and a steam room. Pick-up basketball is popular at the JCC and it’s not difficult to find a game on any given night. Despite the occasional crowded facilities, the JCC is one of the more luxurious gyms in Palo Alto, making it worth the fairly expensive membership.

Equinox Location: 440 Portage Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306 Cost: $150+/month Equinox is notorious for its title as one of the most upscale gyms in the Bay Area. Although a membership is not cheap, especially for high school students, members receive access to one of the nicest and most aesthetically pleasing gyms in the Bay Area.

Equinox is stacked with cardio equipment and contains good weightlifting equipment. In addition, members can take various fitness classes, such as

yoga or cardio classes. The gym also includes a spa, pool, cafe and one of the nicest locker room facilities. Although Equinox is a large gym, it can become crowded during peak hours, and the atmosphere is not as intense as other gyms. If you don’t mind the price, there is no better gym in Palo Alto.

Paly Weight Room Location: Palo Alto High School Cost: Free Many Palo Alto High School students have used the weight room during Physical Education or other athletic activities. Although the Paly weight room is definitely not one of the cleanest gyms around, it contains the necessary weight equipment for almost any athlete. It’s a great place for athletes to spend time improving at their sports because of all the equipment inside. On the downside, the Paly weight room is not spacious and can often become overcrowded after school. However, if you don’t mind the lack of space or cleanliness, the Paly weight room is the perfect place for you. Plus, it’s at Paly so there is no commute involved when school ends. And best of all: it’s free.

Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation Location: 341 Galvez St, Stanford, CA 94305 Cost: Free for Stanford faculty and students; $5 for guest pass The Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation contains great facilities for any athlete. Included inside Arrillaga are basketball courts, climbing walls, racquetball courts and a gym. The three basketball courts are

Keri gee/the campanile

The Paly Weight Room (pictured above) is one of many local gym options available for student use. among the nicest indoor basketball courts in Palo Alto, and there is usually an open court. The weight room contains good weightlifting and cardio equipment and is usually not crowded. The only downside to Arrillaga’s facilities is that it does not have a locker room or showers. Arrillaga is across the street from Stanford’s track, which is a good place to run after lifting weights.

Unfortunately, Arrillaga is only accessible with passes that are attainable by Stanford faculty and students.

However, individuals without passes can purchase guest passes for $5. If Arrillaga were accessible to all Palo Alto residents, it would be one of the

top gyms because of its superior facilities and equipment.

Palo Alto Family YMCA Location: 3412 Ross Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303 Cost: $30+/month Like the JCC, the Palo Alto Family YMCA gives members access to more than just a gym. The weight and cardio room is spacious and contains a lot of equipment. The weight equipment is usually accessible and most people can find the equipment that they are looking for. There is an abundance of cardio equipment, much of which contain small television

screens to entertain individuals during exercise. Outside of the weight and cardio room is a climbing wall, a basketball court and two indoor pools. The basketball court is another great place to practice or play pickup basketball. The YMCA is generally a clean place with friendly staff, though not as luxurious as the JCC. People will find that it’s a community gym with people of all ages exercising. Given its price, the YMCA offers great facilities and equipment. Also, a membership at the YMCA gives access to any YMCA, which is convenient considering the proximity to an additional YMCA located at 755 Page Mill Rd, Bldg B, Palo Alto, CA.

Group of seniors organize club basketball team National Junior Basketball allows students to pursue their interests in participating in competitive basketball

By Jack Paladin

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Courtesy of Edward Mei

Senior Edward Mei participates in an NJB game against West San Jose.

Opinion Editor

emember the days of yore when you suited up in your green or white National Junior Basketball (NJB) jersey and hit the courts, dribbling through defenders and draining shots, or airballing for the majority of students? But, once high school began, only the crème de la crème of players could continue on and join the prestigious Palo Alto High School varsity basketball team, and students were left on the sidelines alone with only a basketball.

Well, a group of Paly seniors were not happy with their inability to play competitive basketball, so they decided to create a team of their own, once again joining NJB. NJB is an organization that runs basketball clinics and leagues for students of all ages. It is a nationwide organization and is popular here in Palo Alto.

Players can begin in Kindergarten and play all the way through twelfth grade. Once in high school, students are split between ninth and tenth graders and eleventh and twelfth graders.

This league is designed for those players who wish to continue playing competitive basketball, but are unable to earn a spot on their high school’s team.

Senior John Young is a member of an NJB team with his fellow classmates and enjoys being able to play basketball in a team environment.

He helped start the team as a way to play with many of his friends who he felt were good basketball players. The high school NJB league allowed him to bring together a strong group of guys to play against other solid basketball teams.

The league consists of teams from all over the Bay Area including San Jose, Foothill, Los Gatos and Palo Alto. The teams all follow a schedule

and play against each other at the allotted times.

All of the games are relatively competitive, however not at the same level as varsity basketball. This still allows for players to get more of a workout and legitimate game then one might get by playing a pickup basketball game at the gym.

“It’s pretty laid back, but it’s still more intense than normal pickup games,” Young said.

Joining the league is incredibly easy and gives high schoolers the opportunity they might not have had with the varsity team. While currently the league is not as big and popular as some of the NJB leagues for younger kids, it is growing and improves with every new addition to the team. Many of the Paly players encourage others to get a group of their friends and start another Palo Alto team.

“It’s easy, just contact NJB and you’ll be able to assemble your own squad,” Young said.

The Campanile

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

SPORTS

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Cheerleaders deserve fair compensation Athlete Oakland Raiderette sues team for violating of California wage and employment laws

they are forced to pay for their own costly hair and makeup that is enforced by the team. Teams also enforce their cheerleaders to stay in superb shape, making the cheerleaders spend excess time working out, time that they are not being paid for. In many cases, it is written out in contracts that if a cheerleader changes in looks or physique she can be kicked off the team. In the case of the Raiders, one complaint was “cheerleaders who gain five pounds or appear ‘too soft’ forfeit their $125 game fee and have to stay in the locker room,” according to New England Sports Network.

Cheerleaders receive $1,250 for the whole season. That’s $125 per game, or less than $5 an hour.

George Kiriyama NBC news reporter

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

An Oakland Raiders cheerleader charms the crowd during a time-out in a November game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

By Lauren Gargiulo

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Staff Writer

here is no dispute that in America, professional athletes are paid substantial salaries. Players in the National Football League (NFL) make an average of 1.9 million dollars a year, according to Forbes. To put that into context, the highest paid

heart surgeons make less than half of that. The NFL as a whole brings in about 10 billion dollars of revenue each year, according to PBS. Despite all of this, the cheerleaders in this league are making drastically lower wages than that of players, some earning even less than minimum wage.

This gigantic wage gap is a prime example of the unequal pay for women. Though some would argue that the pay is different because they have different jobs, but are the jobs really that different? Cheerleaders for the NFL will follow their football team to all their games, local and away.

They also have appearances, practices, photoshoots and sign autographs, similarly to the football teams.

Cheerleaders and football players put in almost identical hours and until recently their inequitable pay had seemed to go unnoticed.

On Jan. 22, a cheerleader of the Oakland Raiders sued the football

team for violation of California wage and employment laws. This Raiderette, who goes by the name of Lacy T., is fighting for at least minimum wage and compensation of the cost of the required appearance. “[She] and the other cheerleaders receive $1,250 for the whole season,” George Kiriyama of NBC news reported. “That’s $125 per game, or less than $5 an hour. They pay out-ofpocket for everything else.”

As well as being charged with the failure to pay minimum wage, the Raiders were also accused of withholding all pay from the Raiderettes until after the end of the season. In addition, cheerleaders were constantly fined during the season for minor infractions such as forgetting their pom poms. Lacy’s attorney, Sharon Vinick, says this practice is “blatantly illegal” and a “exploitation of women.”

Not only are these women being paid a seemingly illegal small amount,

Unlike the football players, where their qualifications to be on a team are only dependent on skill, cheerleaders have to be both talented and look the part. A cheerleaders’ minimal salary can easily be decreased if her appearance does not fit the industries standards. Even a couple pounds can mean less money in their pockets. Some may argue that for professions like dancing and modeling it is common for people to have to watch their weight for their job. However, in these professions they aren’t being paid minimum wage and they don’t get fined for weight fluctuation.

Though they are extremely loved and sometimes have as much of a fan base as the actual team, NFL cheerleaders are paid the tiniest fraction compared to the tremendous salaries that are given to the players on the field. The treatment of these women in the industry has gone to illegal levels in both their pay and employment contracts. This wage gap between the players and the cheerleaders in the NFL is just another example of the gender inequality still prevalent in today’s society and especially the sports world. The case of the Oakland Raiders is currently under investigation.

Super Bowl XLVIII fails to live up to hype

Number one offense falls flat, leaving Broncos disappointed and empty handed

By Julia Kwasnick

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Sports Editor

rom the second Joe Namath walked out onto the field to do the coin toss, the 111.5 million people who watched Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2 should have known that the game would be a bust. First of all, Namath chose to wear a mink coat, which was reminiscent of the faux fur trend of the 1970s, as his garb for the coin toss. Second of all, he attempted to pull a fast one the Super Bowl referees, and threw the coin before the Seahawks could call it.

Over the past decade, we of the younger generation have been lulled into a false sense of security by the Super Bowl. We began assuming that the Super Bowl is always an amazing, intense game. We were not there in 1990 when the 49ers decimated the Denver Broncos by a score of 55-10. Thus, when the Seattle Seahawks were ahead 22-0 at halftime, it was a rude wake-up call for the many Americans who did not realize that the Super Bowl could even be a boring game.

Going into the Super Bowl, I was not very committed to the game; the team I wanted to win the Super Bowl, the 49ers, had been eliminated by the Seahawks, so I honestly did not care whether the Broncos or Seahawks were victorious. However, watching football without rooting for a team

Steve Nehf/The Denver post

Peyton Manning, who threw two interceptions in Super Bowl XLVIII, shows his disappointment after the Broncos 43-8 loss. is the biggest lie you will ever tell yourself (because there is no way to watch a sporting event without getting heated and attached to a team) and also a most boring waste of time.

I chose to root for the Seahawks, because I figured that it is probably better for the 49ers to have lost to the champion than the runner-up, and because the Broncos were the slight favorites according to betting odds in Las Vegas. But the real thing I was rooting for was an entertaining, intense and close game.

Honestly, the safety on the first play of game was kind of embarrassing. It was not a defensive push that caused it, merely miscommunication and sheer idiocy. When I saw it I was not excited that the Seahawks got two points, I was disappointed in

the Broncos. Seriously though, pick it up, Broncos!

From the second Joe Namath walked out onto the field to do the coin toss, the 111.5 million people who watched Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2 should have known that the game would be a bust.

I wanted the Super Bowl to be the match of ages: the best offense versus the best defense. But it was a pathetic excuse for a game, let alone a Super Bowl game. I have seen more entertaining game during the preseason. It was almost as excruciating painful as watching the Cleveland Browns play .

Once the Broncos were down by 22 points, I wanted them to come back, or at least make it a close game.

However, I knew that was impossible considering they weren’t able to come back from a 16 point deficit at the end of the 3rd quarter against the Colts.

Eventually, I was rooting for one of two outcomes to occur. One, the Seahawks shut out the Broncos, or two, the Broncos host a massive comeback, get ahead and then the Seahawks win the game. Neither of those wishes came true, however, and the uncomfortable score of 43-8 will forever be embossed in my mind.

Honestly, the best thing I got out of the game after the first half was not quality football, but a score of 150 on Flappy Bird.

of the

month

This edition featuring

Sunny Lyu With The Campanile’s own Julia Kwasnick, Bowen Gerould and Emily Lee Senior Sunny Lyu has been a varsity soccer player at Palo Alto High School since sophomore year and this year Lyu was the senior captain. With their successful soccer season coming to a close, Lyu has scored three goals, had six assists and 11 steals. Lyu tells The Campanile about the season and her contribution to the team’s dynamic.

The Campanile: How have you guys done this year compared to your expectations?

Sunny Lyu: I think we’ve done very well. We’ve come up from the lower division and competed with the top teams. There were some games we should have won, but overall our season’s been very good.

TC: What was your most exciting or most satisfactory win this season?

SL: Hm, I don’t know... Our win verses Menlo was good.

TC: What was your best goal or favorite assist?

SL: My best goal was probably verses Monta Vista and my favorite assist was to Jacey’s goal at Mountain View.

TC: How do stay motivated in a game when you’re behind?

SL: I can still play hard when we’re behind because I hate to lose. Goals can be scored last minute, so you gotta play until the final whistle blows.

TC: Do you listen to any music before your games? What is your theme song?

SL: Do I have one? [laughs] I just listen to what the team speakers play on the bus.

TC: Do you have a favorite pregame snack?

SL: I eat cereal, blueberries and whatever is in Julia’s lunch.

TC: What do you think your role on the team is, beyond being a forward and midfielder?

SL: I think as a senior and leader on the team I need to show by example to always practice hard, encourage others and play good soccer.

TC: Also tell me about your relationship with refs on the field.

SL: I have a troubled relationship with refs. We don’t tend to get along.

I say too much to them.

TC: Talk to me about your coach Kurt.

SL: I love Kurt. He’s gotten mellower over the years, but our team and practices remain strong. Kurt is really supportive of me and wants the best for his players.

TC: If you could adjust anything about your playing and soccer self, what would you do?

SL: I wish I was faster! With all of our talented runners on the team I feel so slow.

TC: How close do you think you are with everyone on the team?

SL: Unfortunately, I feel that some of the younger players [are] intimated since I tend to yell during games, but I love each and every person on the team. They are all fun to hang out with.

TC: Have you ever employed any unusual practices to distract a defender?

SL: Sometimes I serenade them…

Don’t put that in The Campanile.

TC: Who is your favorite professional soccer player and why?

SL: My favorite player is Xavi from Barcelona because he is a great facilitator and play maker.

TC: What is your greatest achievement to date?

SL: Soccer wise?

TC: Yeah SL: My greatest achievement to this date is when I received the award for SCVAL player of the year last year. I was honored to get recognized.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

SPORTS

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Budweiser Arguably the most adorable commercial, “Puppy Love” told the story of the everlasting bond between a baby labrador retriever and an imposing horse about twenty times it size. The puppy’s continuous escapes forges a bond between the owners of the two animals.

When the pup is eventually given to an owner, the horse and its friends come to save the day.

I’m still trying to figure out how this communicated the Budweiser brand, but I’d much rather see an ad about puppies than beer drinkers anyways. Passenger’s “Let Her Go” was a nice touch and change of pace from “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan, found in the tear-jerking SPCA commercials. This one-minute commercial used every second effectively to communicate a powerful story line.

The Campanile

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Coca-Cola The most controversial ad of this Super Bowl season surprisingly went to the all-American brand of CocaCola. An online uproar ensued after their ad, “America is Beautiful,” aired. It featured a diverse group of Americans of all ethnic backgrounds smiling and being their happy selves as a multilingual “America the Beautiful” played in the background. Not so all-American anymore?

Personally, I thought it was a very appropriate ad. It highlighted the changing times this country is experiencing and the demographic shake-up that continues to make this melting pot of a nation what it is. So to all of those conservatively patriotic, don’t-sing-my-favoriteAmerican-song-in-your-language Americans, I urge you to keep up with the changing times.

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GOPRO This San Mateo-based company is known for using user footage to promote its own brand, and one of its users captured an impressive feat through the lens of multiple GoPro cameras. Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner captured the world’s attention on Oct. 14, 2012, when he free fell and parachuted from 24 miles above ground, breaking the sound barrier in the process.

The vivid footage in this ad captures the beginning moments of Baumgartner’s descent as he sets foot off his helium balloon. Breathtaking images of the stratosphere shows off the camera’s high definition abilities and certainly kept everyone on the edge of their couch, trying to get closer and closer to the screen. This young company has a lot in store for the future after its recent successes.

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FIRST COAST NEWS

3 red bull

POLITICS USA

SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS by hillel zand editor-in-chief

FIVE FOOTBALLS = BEST POSSIBLE RANKING

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5 AUTOEVOLUTION

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the californian

BUSINESS INSIDER

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FORD Double fuel economy, double the ads. This was Ford’s mantra for its Super Bowl commercials. In a two-part series that featured comedian Rob Riggle and Palo Alto High School alumnus James Franco, the object of focus was the Ford Fusion Hybrid. There were high hopes for this commercial, considering it featured two big-name actors, but sometimes even that will not save the day.

Unfortunately for Ford, this ad failed to make a lasting impact because, and is living proof of the principle that bigger is not always better. Neither placing a tiger next to Franco in a gorgeous villa nor parading cars under a fireworks-lit sky makes a commercial superior. All it does is put extravagance on a screen. Even worse, there were no comedic elements worth even a small chuckle.

Props for celebrities, no props for being too lavish.

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T-Mobile Who’s the perfect pitchman for your no-contract sales blitz? Well T-Mobile answered this question with free agent quarterback and evangelical enthusiast Tim Tebow. In fact, the ad kind of poked fun at Tebow and his lack of long-term contracts, which resulted in brief stints with the Denver Broncos (oh the irony...), New York Jets and the New England Patriots. It showed Tebow as a renaissance man, delivering babies and saving puppies from a fire, just to name a few heroic acts.

Using Tebow for something about not having contracts was a good touch, but there was nothing else very memorable about this one. It was just another T-Mobile ad using another athlete to try and promote its brand.

Certainly not the most memorable cellular provider ad I’ve ever seen.

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Scientology Although some consider football to be a religion in itself, there is simply no room for religious organizations to make their stake during the most televised event in America. The Church of Scientology made an attempt to appeal to the younger demographic by emphasizing how it “combines” spirituality with technology. Were they successful? I surely hope not.

Uplifting music and shots of technologically-savvy young professionals in modern architecture seemed very out-of-place when put alongside with typical Super Bowl commercials. I, and I’m sure many others would agree, that this ad was just plain eerie… even if it may be coming from the religious organization of the likes of Tom Cruise and John Travolta.