Issue 2, 9/29/2017 by The Campanile

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. C, No. 2

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

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

www.thecampanile.org

McGee resigns as PAUSD superintendent Title IX misconduct Board publishes results of investigation

Karen Hendricks announced as interim superintendent following McGee's departure

By Vivian Feng & Shannon Zhao Lifestyle Editor & Board Correspondent

NOAH BAUM/THE CAMPANILE

Superintendent Max McGee looks on as School Board member Terry Godfrey reads his resignation letter at the Board meeting on Sept. 26.

By Paarth Sharma & Shannon Zhao

Managing Editor & Board Correspondent

alo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Superintendent Max McGee has resigned and will be replaced by Karen Hendricks, the current assistant superintendent of Human Resources, on an interim basis. McGee’s resignation is effective today, marking the end of a portion of PAUSD history that included deep controversies over handling of sexual assault cases and a budget crisis, as well as notable accomplishments, such as the Minority Achievement and Talent Development program, the Advanced Authentic Research (AAR) program and full-day kindergarten. McGee had previously announced that he would retire at the end of the 2017-18 school year, amid pressure and calls for

his resignation. However, last Tuesday he announced that he would resign immediately. The Board agreed to the terms of McGee’s separation in a unanimous vote on Tuesday. The resignation agreement was posted online by the District on Wednesday morning. McGee will continue to receive District-paid health benefits and six months’ pay equal to about $150,000 from the District. McGee will return back to the District the Palo Alto residence he purchased with the $1.5 million interest-free loan given by the District. “We thank Dr. McGee for his years of hard work and for his many contributions to our district,” Board President Terry Godfrey said at a Board meeting on Tuesday. “His optimism, his vision and vibrancy along with the innovative programs and practices he brought to our district will be his lasting legacy.” Additionally, the Board an-

nounced that the search for a new permanent superintendent would begin immediately. In the meantime, according to an announcement made by Godfrey after a closed-door Board session late Thursday night, Hendricks will lead the district until June 30, 2018. Hendricks joined PAUSD in July and had been the interim superintendent at the Carmel Unified School District previously. She had 26 years of experience in public education, including many years as a classroom teacher. She replaced long-time Human Resources head Scott Bowers and this fall, led the PAUSD “Chow Down,” a welcome-back staff meeting. McGee expressed his desire to support the District’s next superintendent. His tenure was marked by both accomplishment and controversy. Most recently, the District failed to reopen negotiations with the teachers’ union about teacher

salaries and will need to pay up to $6 million that was not covered by the budget. McGee also faced criticism over the handling of sexual assault allegations and the elimination of zero period at Gunn High School. Several members of the audience thanked McGee for his work, for his integrity and for taking responsibility for the District's recent problems. During his first year in office, he launched a team of parents, students and staff who worked to develop a better understanding of the issues faced by historically underrepresented students. Many implementations, such as expanding opportunities for low-income families, were made as a result of this report. Under McGee’s leadership, the previously small-scale, eighthperiod course AAR has been developed into an award-winning program with around 200 partici-

McGee A3

t least two dozen Palo Alto High School teachers and staff rallied behind Principal Kim Diorio at a special school board meeting last Friday that had been called to review a highly critical third-party investigation of the school’s and the District’s response to an alleged sexual assault case at Paly in October last year. However, just four days afterwards, at Tuesday’s regular School Board meeting, parents and community members criticized Diorio, even going as far as to call for her to be fired for the way she handled the case. In emails sent to The Campanile and other Paly publications, a community member, Kathy Jordan, wrote, “We see one shortcut after another. We see our students' safety and rights being shortchanged and the law as well continually throughout this Cozen report and allegedly through these officials' actions.” The Cozen report Jordan referred to was prepared by the law firm Cozen O’Connor and presented to the Board of Education. It stated that the Palo Alto Unified School District’s response to the event last fall did not “comport with key aspects of Title IX, state law, and Board policy and the District’s administrative regulations.” In the report, the District was credited for its prompt response to reports of Title IX misconduct, but criticized for not keeping sufficient records of the incident. Moreover, the report said “a common practice [for staff and administrators] was to communicate by telephone or text message to avoid creating documentation that could potentially be publicly released.” The report refers to the case of a 14-year-old freshman female who reported being forced into a sexual act by a male Paly student

in a bathroom on campus. The incident was subsequently determined to be consensual. The lawyers presenting the report released the names of the four Paly administrators and two district leaders involved in handling the case: Diorio; Paly Assistant Principals Vicki Kim, Jerry Berkson and Kathie Laurence; Superintendent Max McGee and former district Title IX coordinator Holly Wade. The 60-page report brought some information to light for the first time. Among other details reported, the lawyers concluded that a special Title IX attorney hired by the district may have given incorrect advice to Kim and Wade. The report said Kim asked others multiple times if the school should provide the alleged victim with the opportunity to fill out a Uniform Complaint Procedure (UCP) form. Wade told the OCR investigators that the district’s Title IX attorney said it was not necessary.

At Tuesday's School Board meeting, parents and community member criticized Diorio. According to the lawyers, such instructions would violate board policy, state law and the federal Title IX law. The OCR lawyers also said a "longstanding" practice of not maintaining proper documentation of reported incidents has continued while Diorio has been an administrator at Paly. While McGee acknowledged the possible need for a UCP filing to Wade, he did not pursue this request further, according to the report. However, the report did note that school and district administrators were not given detailed Title IX training until May 2016, after this case became public. As a

Title IX A3

Betsy DeVos bill protects accused Fiery Arts sale supports art program New Title IX term hinders victim justification, discourages assault reports By Leyton Ho & Ujwal Srivastava

Staff Writers

ith one swoop of the pen, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos rescinded key parts of the Obamaera Title IX standards that deal with how schools are required to handle sexual assault allegations. The department’s official statement is that the old rules “lacked basic elements of fairness,” which follows the trend of complaints that the law was too harsh on the

accused, denying them due process of law. This argument hinges on the controversial rule stating that the evidence incriminating an individual in campus assault cases only had to be “a preponderance of evidence," meaning more likely than not, or a greater than a 50 percent chance. With DeVos’ move, colleges can now opt to use the “beyond a reasonable doubt” or “clear and convincing” method, which makes it harder for the victim to prove assault. Supporters of the Title IX reg-

ulations claim that with this statement, vital protections for victims may be lost and victims may feel more apprehensive to report cases. Fatima Goss Graves, President of the National Women’s Law Center, issued a statement saying that the new ruling will “discourage students from reporting assaults, create uncertainty for schools on how to follow the law and make campuses less safe.” The guidelines have been replaced with a question-and-an-

MAYA HOMAN/THE CAMPANILE

See A3 for full article

Betsy DeVos A3

Prevention month entails awareness Benatar fund grants new deck Admin taking steps to initiate conversation about mental health By Khadija Abid & Johnny Loftus

Staff Writers

eptember is Suicide Prevention Month, a time when mental health advocates, psychologists and organizations unite to bring awareness to this prominent issue. Survivors and allies contribute to this cause by helping decrease the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health issues by sharing stories and experiences, and emphasizing the idea that mental health assistance is always available. “Suicide is a very complicated act,” said Elizabeth Spector, Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator at Palo Alto High School. “Sometimes, these disorders are not identified or noticed; in other cases, a person with a disorder will show obvious symptoms or signs.

INSIDE

One thing is certain: there are treatments that can help.” Particularly, Paly is dedicated to addressing the dangers of mental health and aims to provide guidance and support for students experiencing hardships.

Events include SOS Gratitude Cards, SOS Trusted Adult Activity as well as the popular therapy dogs visits located near the quad every Wednesday. In the past, both Paly and Gunn High School communities have experienced several devastating losses from suicide over the past few years, and consider suicide awareness a major prior-

ity, according to Jerry Berkson, Assistant Principal of Operations at Paly. “Reducing stigma, normalizing help-seeking, reducing barriers to treatment, improving visibility and improving access to support are just a few goals of the Wellness Center and Paly community as a whole,” Spector said. Paly is currently taking multiple steps to help combat the prevalence of mental health disorders. This month, the Wellness Center, a valuable resource that aims to connect students with the appropriate support, is partnering with Sources of Strength (SOS) and Associated Student Body (ASB) to host events intended to improve mental health and increase a sense of community at Paly. Events include SOS Gratitude Cards, SOS Trusted Adult Activ-

Prevention Month A3

Lifestyle

$75,000 donation will fund a newly-designed senior space By Noah Baum

News & Opinion Editor

he Emily Benatar Foundation, an organization dedicated to the late Palo Alto High School (Paly) alumna Emily Benatar, is granting Paly a $75,000 donation to rebuild the senior deck. The donation entirely funds the construction of a new senior deck that Gracie Cain, former Paly student and friend of Benatar, designed. Cain majored in landscape design at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The proposed deck is roseshaped with overlapping pentagons composing the foundation. The shape is inspired by a memory of Emily Benatar as a child, according to her mother, Lisa Benatar. When pregnant with her third child, Lisa Benatar was tak-

Lifestyle

en aback by the unkempt nature of the exterior of her midwife’s house. “Emily looked at the house and said, ‘Hey Mommy, look at that beautiful rose,’” Lisa Benatar said. “In the middle of all the ivy, there was this one scraggly stick of a rose bush with one white rose on it.”

The proposed deck is rose-shaped with overlapping pentagons composing the foundation. According to Lisa Benatar, this story perfectly captured her daughter’s ability to see the positive side of any situation. Lisa Benatar also believes the deck will honor her eldest daughter in its

Spotlight

ability to bring together different groups of people — much as Emily had done. Benatar graduated from Paly in 2011 and was a freshman at Washington University in St. Louis, when she was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis in April 2012 and passed away three weeks later in the hospital. Current vaccines cover the strain Benatar contracted, serogroup B meningococcal disease, but they did not at the time, according to the National Meningitis Association. The Paly senior deck has been in poor shape and in need of several repairs for the past 10 years, and the new senior deck aims to create a “new gathering place for students to congregate and enjoy for years to come,” according to the School Board’s agenda for the Tuesday, Sept. 26 Board meeting.

Senior Deck A3

Sports

the edition

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

RENEE HOH/THE CAMPANILE

Rise of a Juuling trend

A portable, flavored alternative to the traditional cigarette. PAGE B1

JOHNNY LOFTUS/THE CAMPANILE

A not-so-guilty pleasure

The mediative practice in the eyes of ASMR enthusiasts. PAGE B3

RENEE HOH/THE CAMPANILE

Exploring mental health

An inside look into five disorders in need of accurate recognition. PAGE B4-B5

PHOTO BY ELVERT BARNES/CC BY-SA 2.0

Spikeball Club

Competitive and versatile, spikeball debuts at Paly. PAGE C6

The Campanile

Friday, September 29, 2017

Media Day held on campus Journalism event to take place in the MAC

NEWS

The Campanile’s second Centennial Report

This edition of our year-long review will dive into further issues from old publications By Leela Srinivasan Staff Writer

he second Centennial Report delves into the archives. This edition features the second issue available in our archives, dated Feb. 19, 1919. Titled “The Campanile, Volume 1, Number 7,” this four-page issue was organized in a different fashion than our contemporary paper. The front page is dedicated to sports, covering a recent rugby match, a sport that Paly no longer offers. The headline reads “Rough game goes to Floral City boys by a score of 13 to 12,” in which “Floral City Boys” refers to San Mateo’s Rugby team. In the center of the paper is a photograph of nine grimfaced students, likely because the lengthy sitting time for cameras in the early 1900s made it difficult to smile for pictures. The cap-

PHILIP ERICSSON/THE CAMPANILE

Paly’s Media Arts Center will host the annual NorCal Media Day. Khadija Abid by three San Jose State University journalism students: Sarah Staff Writer Klieves, Omar Perez and Jessica he annual NorCal Media Howell. Their project, “Beyond Day will be held at Palo the Life Jacket,” gives refugees a Alto High School in the platform to share their story. Media Arts Center (MAC) on The project was created when Saturday, Oct. 7. The event, free San Jose State University profesfor all Journalism Education As- sors Diane Guerrazzi, an Emsociation of Northern California my-award winning reporter, and members and their students, in- Halima Kazem-Stojanovic, an cludes pizza, workshops, speech- investigative journalist, took 14 es and competitions. students to Greece and Southern The event starts off with three Italy to study the refugee crisis. sets of 45-minute workshops. In the midst of a humanitarFor each, students can select ian crisis, the group was able to from a wide range of sessions, interview locals affected by the each located in a different room extensive immigration, refugees in the MAC. living in camps and refugees that One session option is diver- settled into their new home. sity in journalism, facilitated by Their website describes their junior Soumya Jhaveri. The ses- project as “a series of interviews sion will address the benefits that show the desperation and of diversity in journalistic staff struggles of refugees coming along with the importance of from the Middle East and Afcovering a wide variety of article rica and also the challenges and topics in print or online. emotions felt by residents of Greek and Italian towns where refugees are arriving.” the Life Jacket” is The event starts also“Beyond using the interviews and off with three sets of footage to create a documentary will be released in the fall 45-minute workshops. which or winter of 2017. After the keynote presenFor each, students tation, students can choose to can select from a wide compete in a collection of opt-in range of sessions, each contests held from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.. located in a different With a wide variety of options, students can be evaluated room in the MAC. on a myriad of on-site contests such as writing a feature, producing a movie review or creatAnother session discusses so- ing an editorial cartoon. cial media strategies, specifically, There is also the choice of how publications can utilize entering carry-in contests, where platforms like Instagram, Face- students bring in pre-completed book and Snapchat. This session work to be evaluated on, such as is led by Sarah Nichols, an ad- newspaper design or photograviser at Whitney High School. phy. Other session topics include In April, the biannual naselling advertisements, covering tional JEA convention will take protests and the laws of news- place in San Francisco. Strucgathering. After the sessions tured similarly to the NorCal conclude, free pizza and water Media Day, the San Francisco will be provided for lunch. Fol- convention includes journallowing lunch, the program will ism programs from all over the feature a keynote presentation country.

tion and list of names underneath the photo confirm that this small group is the entire graduating class of 1919. The second page of the paper highlights an editorial detailing a wide range of topics, including the approach of the end of the semester, school wide celebrations and students’ perceptions of U.S. presidents. The author writes about George Washington and students’ failure to recognize his accomplishments, describing him as “a brave gentleman who did not yield to the temptations of a dictatorship, who held by orderly reform, not conservative or radical, but a liberal, establishing our country on the lasting foundations of justice, right and liberty.” Also located on the second page, an article titled “Rules for Dancing” provides a list of satirical rules for proper etiquette at school

PHILIP ERICSSON/THE CAMPANILE

An issue of the paper from the 1940s on display in the MAC center. dances. For example, the sixth rule the power to declare these rules states that “the King of England null and void if he feels like it and and the Emperor of Siam, along hasn’t got the Flu.” If you are interested in readwith the Senior Senator from Alaska, must act as chaperones at ing more from The Campanile’s archives, visit palyjournalisall dances.” The author closes the article marchive.pausd.org where you with the following statement: will find a collection of past ar“The Secretary of State shall have ticles.

Quadchella, Club Day prove booming success

A round-up of recent and future activities administered by Paly’s ASB members By Leyton Ho

Staff Writer

ith sunshine, music and a quad packed with students, Quadchella, hosted two weeks ago, was a rousing success for Paly’s Associated Student Body (ASB). “I think [Quadchella] went awesome; every day we had a huge turnout and great support for all the artists,” said junior class Vice President Ben Rapperport. “Especially on Club Day with all the activities, everyone came out and enjoyed the music.” Many students perused the diverse club offerings on Sept. 15 — the last day of Quadchella — and the quad was bustling with both Quadchella and Club Day attendees. ASB Clubs Commissioner Adeline Zhou was happy with the success of Club Day. “I think Club Day went as smoothly as it possibly could and was pretty successful,”

Zhou said. “We had a phenomenal turnout, with over 1000 students and 100 clubs on the quad. It was wonderful to see so many students explore their interests.” Clubs started on the week of Sept. 18 and are now kicking into full gear. Students can find a full list of clubs on the Paly ASB website. Accord-

Quadchella, hosted two weeks ago, was a rousing success for Paly’s Associated Student Body (ASB). PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

ing to Zhou, ASB wants to be more involved in helping clubs succeed. “ASB plans on visiting each club at least once a semester to improve communication among the student body,” Zhou said. “We want to make our presence more prevalent to

The first Quadchella event was hosted on the Quad two weeks ago.

clubs, whether that be aiding in publicity and fundraising or offering all the support we can.” With Quadchella and Club Day behind them, ASB has now pivoted towards preparing for homecoming and spirit

week, which are quickly approaching on the week of Oct. 23-28. Rapperport said, “We are working on a theme for Homecoming and designing the floats and songs for spirit week.”

Annual College Fair to be held in Peery Center Universities and colleges from around the country will visit Paly on Oct. 9 By Navid Najmabadi

Staff Writer

s seniors continue their quest for the perfect college fit, Paly will host the annual Palo Alto College Fair on Monday Oct. 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Paly Perry center. The event will consist of 125 colleges and universities, both public and private, and from various places across the country and world. Representatives from these schools will attend the fair to answer questions from students and help provide further details about their respective school.

The information provided by the college representatives can assist students in making a choice for college as well as giving them an opportunity to gain more information regarding the school. According to Big Future, an organization who are inspired by the belief that all students deserve access to good guidance, “the representatives usually sit at booths or tables and hand out brochures and cards. They can tell you about everything from academics to campus life at their college, and they can also answer more-general questions about college”. By taking part in this event,

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students will gain a first hand description of student life on campus allowing for a bond to form between the students and the school. Many students like to bring notes to jot down general details they find interesting, so that when they get home, they can rule out colleges that don’t appeal to a certain student. “I think the college fair is a great way to learn information about colleges and helps students get a glimpse into a wide variety of colleges by interacting with them,” senior Kasra Orumchian said. “It also gives students an opportunity to ask questions to people from

those college schools, and learn more about type of people who attend.” A financial aid workshop will also be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 2030 with Carl Gottbrecht, a representative from Stanford University. Gottbrecht will help students navigate the application for financial aide. Students who can’t afford college can apply and be supported through scholarships, grants, loans, student-work programs, and through other methods. Although the event is intended for Paly and Gunn students, students from any school are welcome to attend.

UPCOMING EVENTS SEPT

OCT

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Thank God for the Jews.

PSAT ADMINISTRATION You’re not getting National Merit, believe me.

FLOAT BUILDING BEGINS Nothing like stuffing paper and glue onto a board until 11 p.m.

OCT

SPIRIT WEEK BEGINS

OCT

It’s rigged.

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Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

NEWS

Annual Fiery Arts Fall Sale McGee announces resignation By Yusra Rafeeqi Staff Writer

umpkins, fruit, flowers and a vast variety of other glass sculptures were on display at the annual Fall Sale by the Palo Alto High School Fiery Arts Booster Club last week. The sale, which took place on Sept. 15 and 16, aimed to raise money to provide materials, maintenance and other support for the sculpture program at Paly as well as to manage the comprehensive sculpture curriculum. “We have to raise a lot of money to keep this program going,” fine arts teacher Steve Ferrera said. “It’s totally self-funded.” According to Ferrera, the program is funded entirely through sales like these and workshops offered by the Booster Club. The Fall Sale and Winter Sale constitute to about one-third of the operating budget of the program for the year. “It’s a lot of work,” Ferrera said. “Our equipment gets used 24/7,

so it wears out because there’s fire on it constantly.” Due to this overuse, the school must continuously rebuild the equipment used in fire blowing classes. According to Ferrera, the sale this year is specifically for this purpose. “[The sale] went well,” Ferrera said. “We raised enough money for a good down payment on our equipment rebuild.” Professional glassblowers, who are also class teacher advisors (TAs), produced all the art shown at the sale, according to Ferrera.

Professional glassblowers are also class teacher advisors (TAs), produced all the art shown at the sale, according to Ferrera produced all art. “They do a lot of it over the summer, and some of it during

the school year,” Ferrera said. “And that’s on top of teaching the [students].” Ferrera says the TAs make the majority of the glass art. Most students do not have the skillsets to make art to sell yet, but do assist the TAs, according to Ferrera. Junior Phoebe Crabb also gave her input on how the production for the sale went. “There are students who have been doing glass for a while,” Crabb said. “They have some of their pieces in the sale as well.” Crabb says that one of the easiest pieces to make is a pumpkin and because the glass sale was held in the fall, pumpkins were the main attraction. “Even if you don’t do a really good job with [making a pumpkin], it still looks impressive and it’s something that you can be proud of,” Crabb said. The Fiery Arts Booster Club will hold the second-largest glass sale this winter after the fall sale in the hallways of the main Paly office on Dec. 12.

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pating students. Teri Baldwin, the president of the teachers’ union, was brought to tears when thanking McGee for his tenure. “It’s been clear that you care about kids,” she said, adding that McGee always had an “open-door policy.’’ Since the resignation, community members voiced concerns about how underprivileged stu-

dents will be represented under the next superintendent, as “[McGee] has been the only administrator here who’s really taken these things to heart and advocated for disadvantaged kids,” Palo Alto parent Kimberly Bomar said in an interview. McGee took office in 2014, succeeding Kelly Skelly’s sevenyear term as superintendent. The inconsistency in leadership and numerous transitions among principals have led community

members to question the District’s ability to recover from yet another change in leadership. According to Bomar, McGee’s resignation will have a significant impact on the families of underrepresented students. “It’s going to cost him not just his job here, it’s going to cost people like me and kids who are vulnerable who don’t have parents who can advocate for them to get tutors,” she said. “It’s going to cost them as well.”

Benatar Foundation funds deck

New programming teacher By Byron Zhang

Staff Writer

alo Alto High School Vice Principal Vicki Kim sent an unusual email to the parents of students enrolled in Pat O’Hara’s fifth period Functional Programming class two weeks ago, offering options to resolve complaints about the slowness of the class, including the possibility of transferring. The email came in response to complaints from students and parents that O’Hara’s class was falling behind the other section, taught by William Friebel. The programming class was so popular this year that the school created two sections with two different teachers to accommodate all the students, but the complaints started within a matter of weeks. Kim surveyed O’Hara’s students on Sept. 13 about potential solutions that might enable them to learn more effectively. Out of

the 23 students, six expressed interest in transferring into the first period Functional Programming class taught by William Friebel, who has taught the class for two years. Another two are interested in creating a second period Functional Programming class taught by Friebel and 15 said they would consider staying in O’Hara’s class. “I did let the students know that if they chose to transfer, I would make every effort for the transfer to have the lightest impact to their schedule,” Kim said in the email. O’Hara had previously taught game design and business law. Last spring, he was asked to teach a section of Functional Programming “I had had some similar experience in my past, and said, ‘Yes,’” O’Hara said. “Soon after the school began this year, I could see that my class was falling back relative to Mr. Friebel’s class, and realized that I was not prepared for the pace of the course.”

Students enrolled in O’Hara’s class rapidly became alarmed that they were lagging relative to the other class. “[O’Hara’s] teaching style is slow and allows for a more complete understanding, while on the flip side, the other classes are moving on to different topics faster than we are,” said junior Athan Chang. “It almost feels like there are Honors and normal level programming classes.” One problem this teaching system faces is that student cannot receive immediate help if they have questions about the online lectures, since Friebel is not present in class. “The only time we have to see an experienced teacher is during Flex,” said junior Tejas Shete. “I do not have time to go during Flex.” The school administration has not found another qualified Functional Programming teacher, and O’Hara said he does not expect to teach the class again.

PAUSD SCHOOL BOARD / FAIR USE

The new senior deck design created by Grace Cain features a rose petal design surrounded by shrubbery.

CONTINUED FROM A1 The School Board made the decision to accept the donation due to a policy which requires donations to the district to get Board approval if they exceed $50,000. “I just can’t be grateful enough to the [Benatar] family,” said School Board member Todd Collins during the Tuesday meeting. Cain initially proposed the idea to the Benatar family of

building something at Paly to honor Emily Benatar. The project evolved from a bench to a garden to finally, a new senior deck.

Cain believes a new senior deck is the best project to honor Emily. Cain believes a new senior deck is the best project to honor Emily and the memories they shared there.

“I do have a vivid memory of [Emily] attempting to sit [on the senior deck] before she knew the deck was designated to seniors,” Cain wrote in an email. “As seniors, we ate most of our lunches there.” The lasting effects of Benatar on Cain and Paly were one of the driving forces behind the project. “She was immensely talented,” Cain wrote in an email. “She was creative, athletic and incredibly smart and everyone loved her.”

Betsy Devos’s bill Title IX investigation Prevention month spreads awareness

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swer document for schools to follow. Schools now have more flexibility to establish their own procedures to handle sexual assault allegations. Another concerning element of Devos’ bold move is that the strict timeline for responding to sexual assault complaints has been withdrawn. One major criticism of PAUSD Superintendent Max McGee’s handling of the cases was not responding in a timely fashion to complaints. With DeVos’s move, the timeline no longer exists.

“The hunt for the next superintendent is actually sort of a long process.” Terry Godfrey

Furthermore, the Education Department recently issued the

statement that “the standard of evidence for evaluating a claim of sexual misconduct should be consistent with the standard the school applies in other student misconduct cases.”

Another concerning element of Devos’ bold move is that the strict timeline for responding to sexual assault complaints has been withdrawn. This essentially means that all cases reported (cheating, plagiarism or sexual assault) will be treated with same importance, rather than giving sexual assault complaints a priority. The sudden reversal has direct repercussions on Palo Alto High School (Paly) students. The guidelines that DeVos revoked were the same guidelines that District administrators did not act in accordance to in the controversial sexual assault case earlier this year.

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result, during the time they were handling the case, the school and district administrators were dependent on the Title IX attorney, who advised them that a UCP was not to necessary. When this case was addressed at the Friday board meeting, more than 20 Paly teachers, students and community members spoke in open forum, and they repeatedly referenced the many improvements at Paly during Diorio’s tenure. The consensus among those who attended the meeting was that Diorio’s commitment to the well-being of her students was demonstrated through her work

to eliminate the streaking culture at Paly. “Since her [Diorio’s] tenure, the tradition of streaking has been virtually been eliminated and the de-stigmatization of mental illness has been on the forefront of our academic journeys,” said senior Noga Hurwitz in a public comment. Some of Paly’s veteran teachers, including Esther Wojcicki, Jack Bungarden and Peter Diepenbrock, described Diorio one as of the best principals they have worked under. Those who did not speak filled most of the room and showed their support for Diorio during open forum by rising from their seats in solidarity.

SUPPORT PALY! DONATE TO MEDIA ARTS BOOSTERS PALYMACBOOSTERS@GMAIL.COM

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ity as well as the popular therapy dogs visits located near the quad every Wednesday. A new advisory system will also introduce the use of Kognito, a health simulation company that “believes in the power of conversation to inspire and inform, impact how people think and act, evoke empathy and change lives,” according to the Kognito Website. The website says that the program intends to “prepare youth to recognize signs of distress, reach out to a friend they are concerned about, and help identify a trusted adult for support.” Students are also encouraged to seek help from a variety of sources available, including the Wellness Center, Guidance Office, Refer-a-Friend boxes and Paly Support, at palysupport@ pausd.org, as well as the crisis text line (741741) and suicide hotline (1-800-273-8255).

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Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

NEWS A4 Palo Alto approves plans Mysterious odor at Haymarket Theater discerned as paint for park improvements

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

The Jordan Middle School field is one of the 36 approved renovation sites included in the master plan.

By Riley Short

Staff Writer

new master plan for renovating Palo Alto’s 36 parks and four open space preserves was approved and set into motion by the city council two weeks ago. Palo Alto will soon undergo a series of improvements that will span 20 years and follow guidelines set forth in the new plan created by the city. A large part of the plan is to add new parks in areas where parks are sparse. The renovations are set to be the largest project the city has undertaken in the last 50 years. The locations that have been deemed lacking in recreational areas include the space between El Carmelo Elementary School and Palo Verde Elementary School, Bol Park and Briones Park as well as between Ohlone Elementary School and Jordan Middle School. Another part of the plan is the creation of six new dog parks. As of now, the city only has three off-leash dog parks so the increase of three more will be a welcomed

addition for pet owners. The basic remodel and new additions are geared towards making the parks more accessible. Along with the physical upgrades, there will also be new programs geared towards teens. The funding for this park project will come out of the city’s $4.5 million budget for such developments. The goal is to implement the changes as soon as possible due to potential funding issues, as it’s uncertain whether this fund will cover the whole plan, Palo Alto mayor Greg Scharff has asked Parks and Recreation to find funding.

The basic remodel and the new additions are geared towards making the parks more accessible. “We should direct the Parks and Recreation Commission to look at funding sources for the master plan, including a possible ballot initiative,” Scharff said in an interview with The Mercury

News. Along with the planned improvements to the parks, City Council plans to enact a restriction on the use of the parks by private companies. The idea of exempting the Palo Alto golf course from event restrictions like the ones placed on parks was also a supported because of the needed increase in revenue it would bring. This new regulation is inspired by the instance in which tech company Palantir rented a park for an employee event that lasted 17 days. Use of the park by residents was heavily restricted during the 17 days. The city wants this new regulation to prevent private companies from taking over a park for more than five consecutive days. This five-day limit was finally decided on to avoid any privately held events extending through the weekend. In addition to the time limitation, the city is also demanding that any companies renting park space notify neighbors 14 days before a issuing a permit for the rental instead of 14 days before the event takes place, which was the rule before.

MAYA HOMAN/THE CAMPANILE

Firefighters investigate the scene at the Haymarket Theater after administration reported a gas-like smell.

By Kennedy Herron

Staff Writer

ollowing the chaotic search for the source of a mysterious smell in the Haymarket theater last Friday, the Palo Alto Fire Department and Paly administration confirmed paint fumes were the cause of the reported gasoline smell. “We were over for a different call, and as we were coming around, the theater manager said that they had been dealing with the smell all morning, and that it was strong and might be gasoline,” said firefighter and community member Kevin Walsh. According to Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson, the Fire Department was not able to identify the cause of the chemical smell, so officials from the Utilities Department were called in from the city to investigate. The Fire Department and the

city officials then determined that the smell was actually due to paint that had recently been used for the inside of the theater. “Once we smelled it, it was more of a paint thinner smell, and they had been painting the day before,” Walsh said. “Utilities came out, and they brought their gas monitor which can detect parts per million, and it didn’t end up being dangerous.” Although the smell could have been from the barbecue taking place during lunch for Paly’s biannual Club Day, administration said that is not the case. “It had nothing to do with the barbecue because we smelled it before then,” Berkson said. Walsh declined to disclose information about why the fire department was already at Paly. Many students reported never being informed of the smell. “I never heard about this incident,” junior Maia Lagna said. “In

this situation, it was just a smell, but if it was a gasoline leak then it is the responsibility of the administration to report this to the best of their ability.”

“Once we smelled it, it was more of a paint thinner smell, and they had been painting the day before.” Kevin Walsh

A meeting for parents of the freshman class that was supposed to take place in the Haymarket Theater last Friday was consequently relocated to the Performing Arts Center (PAC), which actually benefited the parents, according to Berkson. The entrance to the theater is now blocked off to students with yellow police tape.

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The Campanile

Friday, September 29, 2017

OPINION

The debate on optional and graded homework Staff writers Ujwal Srivastava and John Tayeri elaborate on their views on homework, a perpetually contentious topic at Paly

Homework should be optional Ujwal Srivastava

Staff Writer

|e’ve all been there — 2 a.m. Snapchats from fellow APUSH scholars, frantic AP Chemistry lab questions and Facebook messenger rants about the latest Physics lab grade at midnight. But what is the reason behind this widespread lack of sleep? While AP and honors classes, by nature, were never meant to be sleep-killers or anxiety magnets. Yet, we still see many occurrences of juniors and seniors stressing out over seemingly insurmountable homework loads. And right there lies the problem: homework. On an average night, a junior or senior taking two APs — the recommended quantity provided by Paly — expects to have around three to four hours of homework, not including studying for quizzes and tests. Often, this homework is due within one or two nights after being assigned. However, a closer look at these classes in a college setting reveals a much different agenda. Homework in college is nothing like homework in high school. A typical college homework assignment is a problem set, or pset, that is assigned but not due until a week later. Similarly, readings, essays and projects are rarely due before a one-week deadline, which gives students enough time to space out assignments and work on them at a reasonable pace. Additionally, classes meet only once or twice a week, rather than the three times a week we meet in high school. The combination of six or seven classes meeting three times a week with homework often due the next block period creates a dangerous situation for students. In a 2014 research article published by the Washington Post examining 10 highachieving California high schools, researchers found that too much homework might actually be harming students, as it results in “excess stress, physical problems and little or no time for leisure.” The researchers added that current homework loads were found to be around 3.1 hours, while the optimal workload is around two hours.

Homework in college is nothing like homework in high school. A typical college homework assignment is a problem set, or pset, that is assigned but not due until a week later.

The statistics from student surveys speak for themselves. Of the 4,317 students surveyed in the same 2014 study, more than 99 percent listed homework as a stressor, and more than half indicated it as their primary stressor. Moreover, a majority of students expressed concerns over health problems, such as sleep deprivation, stress and anxiety, as a direct consequence of high homework loads. But possibly the biggest toll homework takes on students is in their lives outside of academics. In the same study, many students stated that they had trouble balancing extracurriculars, time with friends and family and the occasional break for

themselves. If this survey were to be done at Paly, the responses would surely match the results of the study above. One of the aspects of homework not observed in the studies above is the fact that homework often detracts from studying for quizzes or tests. While homework is designed to prepare us for assessments, it often turns into dreaded “busy work.” Students must complete tedious homework before they can actually get to studying material for tests. There are two possible solutions — a moderate one and a radical one. The moderate solution entails spacing out homework assignments so that there is more time in between the assigned date and the due date. It also involves teachers selecting only the most useful problems to assign for homework. But this solution is not enough because, essentially, the homework levels stay the same, there is just more time to do it. Another solution is one that allows a student to skip any minor assignment, such as worksheets, notes or textbook problems, as long as their grade in that class does not suffer. While major assignments like labs, essays and projects are non-negotiable and have to be turned in, what students call “busywork” right now will become a thing of the past. Since Paly students are already highly motivated, if homework serves as a hindrance to deeper learning of the material, it can be taken out of the equation so real studying can begin. By eliminating at least a few assignments from a student’s packed day, we can work toward bringing homework time closer to the recommended twohour mark, while allowing students to study in the way that works best for them. The principle of studying in college is doing what works for the individual, and removing homework from the to-do list does exactly that, while preparing students for post-Paly education. In this solution, students who find homework helpful or want homework grades to be taken into account in their overall grade are still welcome to continue turning in assignments for points, but they are not required to do this if homework is not the study tool they personally need. Teachers who are concerned about student performance can always make assignments mandatory if a student’s grade drops below a certain level. In a case study of an AP Biology class described in a Healthline article, a teacher cut down her assigned homework by first a third, and then by a half. Student test scores did not drop during this time, which can be explained in a couple of ways. Either the students were using the new-found time to learn in ways that worked for them or having the extra time to relax was helping them as well. Research has shown that an excess amount of homework can take a toll on a high school student’s physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. And while college students are working just as hard, if not harder, because they are working on something specific to their interests. They are learning in ways that are tailored toward the individual, rather than toward everyone. It’s time Paly reforms their homework policies.

Homework needs to be graded John Tayeri

Staff Writer

here aren’t many things worse than a condescending student in the classroom. These rude geniuses with their awful work ethic always manage to get a good grade in the class. As if one person who fits this criteria was not bad enough, imagine several of them in the same classroom. Before the school year, the Palo Alto Unified School District reinstated a new curriculum for all world language courses. After the Western Association of Schools and Colleges proposed this new system for all school districts, the school board made the decision to adopt it. “This is district wide; it’s all part of our WASC work,” said Christy Resinger, a French teacher at Palo Alto High School. “All high schools and middle schools are using this new curriculum.” This curriculum includes a new grading system which has been debuted in all world language classes. In this new system, tests are worth 100 percent of a student’s grade. Classwork and homework are all formative assessments and contribute nothing to one’s overall grade in the class. The new grading standards must be changed because homework reflects on how much effort a student puts into the class. It also allows lazy, but fluent-speaking, students to get better grades in the class. It is difficult to learn a new language, and practicing can go a long way in understanding it. However, because homework and classwork do not affect students’ grades, many often choose to take it less seriously, and left uncompleted. Especially for students in lower-level language classes, doing homework is crucial for understanding the material, all of which is completely foreign to a first or secondyear language student. As a result of not completing all homework, students’ test scores may drastically drop. “I wish our curriculum was more oriented on quality classwork and not entirely on test scores because factors such as homework, classwork and participation are the major components of understanding the class and things covered on the exams,” said Alex Evans, a junior in AP Spanish Language. This new curriculum is constructed ideally for fluent speakers. Many fluent speakers perform flawlessly in this system Although some of these students are courteous and disciplined, many do not take the class seriously and do not listen attentively. Additionally, the homework and classwork that they do not complete have no effect on their grade. Despite their neglect, they often perform much better on tests because of their improved natural understanding of the subject. Because tests are the only factor in the gradebook, these fluent speakers receive much better overall grades. In many cases, classwork and homework are good ways of reflecting on one’s learning in the classroom. On the other hand, some non-fluent speakers complete their homework so they can better understand of the material. They try hard to finish their homework as a form of good practice. Al-

though they work hard, assessments can sometimes be too difficult to score well on. Consequently, grades among non-fluent students drop. After spending hours each week completing tedious homework tasks, all of this work counts for nothing in the grade book.

“I wish our curriculum was more oriented on quality classwork and not entirely on test scores.”

The current world language grading system is inequitable for not only nonfluent speakers at high levels of learning, but also non-fluent speakers of any level. Regardless of whether a student is in Japanese 1, French 3 Honors or AP Spanish Language, homework should count towards a final grade because it shows how much work students have put into the class, which may not be accurately reflected by assessments. Nonetheless many teachers believe that the new curriculum will help students in many ways. “It’s all about can-do statements, what can the student perform,” Resinger said. “The emphasis is on what the student performs. The tests, for example, show what a student can perform. Students must know whether they can write it, read it and understand it.” Although assessments are the best way of reflecting on a student’s knowledge, homework is the best way of reflecting a student’s work ethic in the class. Countless hours of reading and writing exercises should not be unaccounted for. The transition from French 3H to AP French Language has been the most difficult one that I have personally faced as a student. We said goodbye to songs, games, crosswords and a relaxed atmosphere. In came a new learning system straight from the textbook. “I have come to realize [that] the bump from last year is colossal, and I find some aspects very challenging,” said Luc Pardehpoosh, a junior in AP French Language. “If it was up to me, I would reinstate participation and homework into the gradebook to help the non-fluent people in the class achieve their goals. In my opinion, I care more about the grade than my AP score, but to some it may be different.” AP courses are designed to prepare for the AP tests at the end of the school year. However, preparation for the AP test should not hinder students grades. At the end of the day, tests should always be worth more points than homework. Homework and classwork do not have to count for much in the gradebook, but they should have a significant enough impact to help non-fluent students. Ultimately, homework gives students a better way to understand material, because it is not made to stress them out; students often find themselves stressed when completing quizzes or tests, making it harder for them to comprehend material. As long as unnecessary assignments are left out, homework provides students with a good method of learning. It should be graded, because students spend hours each night completing it. All of this work cannot be overlooked by the teachers.

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

OPINION

Dance should receive more support from Paly community

By Marie Davis

Senior Staff Writer

ou wouldn’t ask the basketball team to perform its conditioning routine to prove its strength. You wouldn’t ask the volleyball team if it had ever won any tournaments to decide if it should be a sport. Yet, as a member of the Paly dance team, I have repeatedly been asked both of these questions. Ironically, the dance team receives the least support and recognition from the rest of the school despite its constant support for other teams, which is only a fraction of its role. By balancing artistry, athleticism and teamwork, dance is one of the most valuable and technical high school sports that one could partake in. Most dance team members have built strength, stamina and flexibility from early childhood. Additionally, dance team members are required to take technique classes outside of school practice. They work countless hours both training in the gym and performing in front of hundreds of people. While they learn countless halftime routines, the dance team also practices throughout fall and winter to perfect its competition dances. After seven months of rigorous preparation, the team competes at regional competitions, leading to the United Spirits Association Dance Nationals at the end of the spring. In 2016, the dance team took home first place and third place

titles at USA Nationals and won a Judge’s Excellence Award. Only last school year, they placed above half the high school teams in three categories. Despite the dance team’s hard work, many still view it solely as halftime entertainment, overlooking the team’s success as a competitive team sport. “I think a lot of people just aren’t educated about just how challenging dance is, how inshape you have to be to be a phenomenal dancer, how much athleticism it takes,” said Alanna Williamson, the Paly dance team coach. As a result of this lack of awareness, a culture of critique has emerged in the Paly community, belittling the dance team’s hard work. “[A teacher] asked about who was getting preps and for what sport and when I said my name and dance, he shook his head,” sophomore Abby Cummings said. Hilary McDaniels, head coach of the cheer and dance teams, recently resigned hoping that her actions would bring attention and change to both dance and cheer, who have experienced similar inequalities. In response, Paly Principal Kim Diorio hosted a forum on Sept. 11 to address the many issues repeatedly brought up by the team and coaches. “Now with the Peery Center open, we’re hoping that [the cheer and dance teams] can get the space they deserve,” Diorio said. Although administration is making positive steps towards addressing the team’s issues, the new gym still does not offer distinct

spaces for both cheer and dance. This limitation forces the cheer and dance teams to practice in the dance studio simultaneously, or makes one team practice in an inconvenient location such as the gym hallways or at one of the various fields. Additionally, the Paly community often views cheer and dance as one team, leading to more misconceptions about the sports. Although they face some similar issues, it is impossible to refer to the teams as one as they are significantly different. The cheer team is currently in the process of becoming a California Interscholastic Federation Sport, which means it could soon be recognized as a sport by the state, and offered financial aid by the Paly Sports Boosters. However, since the dance team is not supported by Paly Sports Boosters, it receives no financial support from the school. Consequently, the team often lacks the budget to cover transportation, competition materials and hiring choreographers. Diorio also said at the forum that the more competitions the team wins, the more recognition it will earn inside the school. However, considering that the dance team has been competing for several years and has won multiple national titles, this commentary further shows that dance team is constantly asked to prove its worth despite its history of success. Some may argue dance team doesn’t deserve the same support as other sports because it is not considered a sport by the school

or state and should be treated as a performing art or a club. Although dance can be categorized both as an art and sport, if the team decides to define itself primarily as a competitive sport, this decision should be accepted and supported by the entire body of students and staff. The only way to address the inequities that the dance team faces is to shift the Paly’s community’s current mindset by promoting a climate of equal support for all competitive school teams.

unofficially training for the season. Basketball, for example, has already started practicing in the small gym. This unofficial training leaves facilities unavailable for other students who require the facilities for their respective needs such as cheer, a team that needs to use the gym to practice stunting. In addition to the skewed allocation of gym resources, the excessive, required practice time puts an additional strain on the students who are already juggling multiple classes and extracurriculars. It is no secret that stress and mental health are large concerns within the Paly community. The open gym space is valuable to everyone at Paly, even those who are not part of Paly Athletics. When sports teams are not occupying it, the Peery Center is used for clubs and spirit week dances — two activities that many more students participate in than sports. Additionally, Paly’s spirit squad needs the space as an athletic group that participates in both fall and winter seasons. When sports that are not in season, such as basketball, are giv-

en priority over the spirit squad (an athletic team that has 40 people in it), it sends a message to the students on the squad that they do not matter as much as other sports and are not supported or taken seriously by other athletics teams. In recent years, Paly’s cheer team has been able to practice in the wrestling room while the athletic center was under construction. However, since the start of this year, cheer has no longer been allowed to practice there, leaving them to either practice outside or in the hallways of the athletic center during their three-hour practices. With no real facility to practice in, the cheer team is not only less prepared when it comes time for them to perform, but also puts the cheerleaders at risk of injuring themselves without proper mats or sprung floors used when the cheerleaders practice in a gym. In response to the complaints from members of the Spirit Squad, though, Athletics Director Therren Wilburn said he is hopeful a solution will be reached about where cheer can practice. We’re definitely, in this fall,

season going to work with our programs to include cheer on our new facility calendar,” Wilburn said. “The facility calendar is just something we introduced this year to Paly athletics just so that way, coaches can all be included and set their time for when they prefer to have practice. And then it’s a process to move forward to make sure that facility time is given equally.” Wilburn also said the cheer practice could return to the old wrestling room again. “There had been some administrative talks about them trying to use that facility as well,” Wilburn said. “We’re still waiting to hear back, but that still is potentially an option for them as well, but it’s just a process.” For the time being however, it is only fair that teams that are in season such as cheer are given priority for practice space and time over teams that are not in season such as basketball. A simple solution is to have morning practices for teams that are not in season or have those teams practice after the teams that are in season have ended their practice for the day.

The dance team is constantly asked to prove its worth despite its history of success. First, the school administration should take positive steps to support the dance team by offering them fair practice space and financial support. This would entail paying the costs of transportation to competitions, especially to Nationals, which is held in Anaheim, and offering two distinct locations in which cheer and dance can practice independently. Finally, students can show support for the dance team by attending halftimes, community performance, rallies and especially competitions in the spring, which are held at surrounding high schools. Williamson said, “I think there [are] also ways we can influence the culture, like speaking up for dancers as artists and athletes especially when you hear someone saying otherwise.”

Sports pre-seasons should begin closer to actual season

By Grace Kitayama Senior Staff Writer

Since the opening of the $36.4 million Peery Family Center gym and athletic center, it seems as if every sports team at Paly is eager to take advantage of all the facilities have to offer. But what the gym does not have is enough space to accommodate all the students who play sports. If practices for sports teams start too far in advance of the season, there will no longer be enough facilities available at Paly for students to practice their sport.

The excess required practice time puts an additional strain on students who are already juggling multiple classes and extracurriculars. Though the preseason for winter sports does not officially start until the end of October, students who are participating in winter sports have already started

The Campanile

Friday, September 29, 2017

OPINION

America’s adolescent drinking culture in need of reform By Vivian Feng

Lifestyle Editor

very parent wants to believe they have raised the perfect child, one who makes decisions only after considering all ethical, moral and logical consequences. The reality is, teens do not make the perfect decisions all the time. Some students choose to procrastinate, some choose to cut class, but a particularly prevalent and worrisome trend is underage drinking. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 29.4 percent of national high schoolers ages 14 to 18 have used alcohol within 30 days before the survey. Undeniably, underage consumption of alcohol can be detrimental to one’s health and often leads to dangerous decision making, such as drunk driving. The U.S. in particular has had few effective programs to educate teens on the effects of alcohol. Attempting to diminish the number of traffic deaths caused by young drunk drivers, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was signed into law in 1984 by thenPresident Ronald Reagan. The Act prohibited the purchase and public possession of alcohol for anyone under the age of 21. Since the rise in legal drinking age, adolescent drinking has been driven underground to the riskiest of settings: unsupervised high school blowouts and fraternity parties. This leads the drinking away from adult supervision, which could “model moderation,” and lead teenagers by exhibiting moderate drinking. A shocking reminder of unsafe settings for drinking materialized when a freshman at Pennsylvania State University died after chugging vodka and beer at multiple drinking stations as a part of a Beta Theta Pi fraternity hazing ritual. The fraternity brothers, in fear of legal repercussions of underage drinking, delayed calling 911 by 12 hours in hopes that the freshman would wake up. The delay in medical attention was due to the fear of legal consequences, and students’ insufficient education in alcohol safety. If these college students had been mandated to learn

how to safely handle alcohol at a younger age, their knowledge of how to deal with binge drinking would have been different, and the death of that freshman could have been avoided. Compared to European cultures, where children are introduced to safe alcohol habits at a young age, American parents do not address safe drinking habits often enough. When presented with alcohol, American adolescents do not know how to handle alcohol safely. Without the cultural expectation to address drinking at home, students are left to rely on their peers to educate each other on the subject. If the federal government mandated alcohol education to include teaching teenagers to drink responsibly, binge drinking habits and accidents would decline drastically. Alcohol education should be embedded within the physical education curriculum for K-12 grades; the year-by-year curriculum should be adjusted to correlate with the students’ age. Providing education on how to drink responsibly would not only prepare adolescents to make better decisions, but also benefit the nation as a whole when the number of driving under the influence (DUI) incidents and alcoholrelated accidents and fatalities declined. Although many states educate students on the effects of alcohol, a proper alcohol curriculum must also incorporate guidelines on making smart decisions around

drinking. Although Paly students learn about the negative effects of alcohol and how to abstain from drinking in Living Skills, they do not learn how to make safe drinking decisions that would be important in the upcoming years. A class addressing how to take care of oneself when given alcohol would greatly benefit public health because currently, students in high school and college often view binge drinking as a normalized rite of passage and social activity. Currently, alcohol education is not consistent or even existent in certain high schools, as alcohol education standards in K-12 public schools vary from state to state. Some states such as Alaska and Hawaii do not require alcohol education programs in their public schools. Other states, such as Delaware, require 10 to 15 hours of drug and alcohol training each year starting in kindergarten through 12th grade. An early and consistent alcohol education could dramatically shift the attitude students have about drinking. This would result in a more knowledgeable, and therefore cautious, generation of citizens. To measure effects of the inconsistent levels of alcohol education, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) conducted a survey. The results showed states that mandated alcohol training had significantly lower alcohol-attributed deaths compared to states that did not — 7 to 9 percent of teenage deaths in

Delaware were alcohol-attributed, compared to the 15.1 to 17 percent in Alaska and 13.1 to 15 percent in Hawaii. Skeptics of federally-mandated alcohol education program may claim adults will learn to drink responsibly once they are of legal age, in addition to being opposed to the intrusion of the federal government in their lives. The CDCP provides statistics that would argue otherwise. A 2015 survey by CDCP showed that 25 percent of the surveyed adults in both Alaska and Hawaii participated in binge drinking, whereas only 16 percent of the surveyed adults in Delaware participate in binge drinking. The lack of alcohol education as a teenager correlates directly to the number of adults who continue to make irrational drinking decisions later in life.

10-minute walk for students to reach campus, which often is even less time-consuming than waiting in the traffic. “I would definitely drop my kid off [in the parking lot] if it were more convenient to do so,” said George Tang, a parent of a Paly student. “Dropping kids off at Coleridge is more of an inconvenience for the students.” The Churchill parking lot would be ideal for parents dropping off students with their bikes, as the largest bike racks are located close to the football field; however, the lot is instead dominated by parking spots reserved for staff and only has one opening to both enter and exit, creating extra traffic. The lot itself is poorly designed and lacks sufficient space; the row of parking near the opening of the parking lot poses a serious safety concern. Drivers must back out of those spots into the long line of cars waiting to leave; however, students resort to parking there because the large section of the parking that is closer to the baseball diamond is, understandably, secured for teachers. Additionally, with various construction projects obstructing 20 plus designated staff parking spots, less parking permits have been sold to stu-

dents, according to the Associated Student Body Bookkeeper Fatima Giffen and Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson. On the other hand, the Embarcadero parking lot, which has two openings that operate as both entrances and exits, has a more efficient pathway for parent drivers to navigate. While there is still traffic at either opening of the parking lot, the line to drop off students is clearly marked and designated by campus supervisors. Lacking the same regulation and order as the Embarcadero lot, the Churchill lot is a less feasible option for student drop-offs. “[In the Churchill lot,] there should be better indications of where the students can be dropped off and picked up and the lines on the ground are more clear as to how the traffic should run,” Tang said. “In general, the parking lot should have more signs to make it easier to navigate.” According to Berkson, the reason there are no campus supervisors in the Churchill lot is because administration wants to direct dropoffs to the Embarcadero lot to prevent the traffic that would amass on El Camino. However, if there is traffic around the Churchill lot, there is more reason to assign campus supervisors

to that lot because the priority should be for the school campus to be accessible for students from all directions. Unlike the Embarcadero lot, the Churchill parking lot only has one passage to the road for cars, restricting the entrance and exit to one outlet. This forces drivers to make a long, windy loop within the parking lot, which makes the already-crowded parking lot more hectic. Additionally, the two-way stop sign inhibits cars within the parking lot from turning left until traffic coming from the train track and El Camino directions are halted by the lights or stopping despite having the right of way. This often culminates in a long line, filling the small parking lot and increasing waiting times. To reduce chances of a traffic accident, at the very least, the Churchill and Castilleja intersection deserves a four-way stop sign and school officials regulating the traffic flow both in and out of the lot to aid drivers trapped inside the parking lot. The school should also consider an expansion and redesign of the dated and narrow parking lot to accommodate the number of student drivers in need of parking to make the lot a more viable drop-off option for parents.

Since the rise in legal drinking age, adolescent drinking has been driven underground to the riskiest of settings.

Raising the drinking age to 21 has not done an adequate enough job keeping teens safe. By mandating K-12 yearly alcohol education units within the physical education classes, we are making another effort to help youth understand the effects of alcohol, taking action to ensure fewer alcohol-related accidents occur and educating all teenagers about alcohol.

Chaotic Churchill parking lot intersection must be redesigned

By Renee Hoh

News and Opinion Editor

chaotic and nightmarish stream of cars, bicyclists and pedestrians ensues each school morning at the cross section of Churchill Road and Castilleja Avenue. The abrupt halt of cars to accommodate for student bikers’ complete disregard of stop signs raises eyebrows, as one wrong move from either party could cause a massive collision. From Castilleja Avenue, hordes of bikers enter the Churchill parking lot by cutting off the cars, who legally have the right of way. Approaching from Churchill Avenue, bicyclists who have strayed away from the designated bike path hurriedly make wide right turns into the lot, making drivers nervous to turn right simultaneously.

Hordes of bikers enter the Churchill parking lot by cutting off the cars, who legally have the right of way. To avoid this mosh pit of vehicles, some parents have resorted to dropping their students off as far as Coleridge Avenue, across the train tracks, despite the additional

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

EDITORIALS

Teachers should allow more extensions for commitments

tudents at Paly are notoriously overscheduled. The school offers more than 100 clubs, numerous sports teams and other extracurricular activities, such as theatre and journalism. College counselors, parents and peers alike stress the importance of these activities in the college application process, but as commitments pile up, students can begin to fall behind on sleep and schoolwork.

These extreme hours can be detrimental to students' sleep cycles, negatively impacting their ability to complete homework on time. As students who participate in the prestigious journalism program at Paly, The Campanile is fully aware of the large time commitment these extracurriculars require. Activities like production week for a publication and latenight robotics sessions may take up to nine hours after school each day. Those who are involved with school plays have similar hours during tech week, meaning that a large population of Paly students may not leave campus until midnight on some days. These extreme hours can be detrimental to students’ sleep cycles, negatively impacting their

ability to complete homework on time and even negatively influencing their mental health. And while many, if not most, students participate in some form of extracurricular activity, it is unfair to expect students with intense schedules to be able to function on the same level as students who have an adequate amount of time for sleep and homework. It has come to our attention that teachers often refuse homework extensions to those participating in these activities. The Campanile thinks teachers should reconsider their policies on homework extensions in regards to students with an overloaded agenda that include huge time commitments such as those men-

For individual assignments, such as math homework or history readings, the deadlines should be relaxed. tioned above. Students with demanding extracurriculars should be given an extra day or two to complete assignments, so they can participate in these activities without sacrificing sleep, while still being able to complete their assignments. This would reduce stress and sleep deprivation, while allowing students to participate in the activities they love without fear of

retribution. Nonetheless, we know it is unrealistic for this policy to apply to every possible situation. Classwide discussions, presentations,

This would reduce stress and sleep deprivation, while allowing students to participate in the activities they love without fear of retribution. group projects and other activities cannot always be postponed to accommodate the needs of one or two students. For circumstances like these, The Campanile thinks students should not be exempt from homework that may be required for said activities. But for individual assignments, such as math homework or history readings, the deadlines should be relaxed. With numerous activities available to the student body, it is only natural that the desire to participate in them arises in Paly students. This is made unnecessarily difficult by the current homework policies established by teachers school-wide. If students wish to partake in extracurricular activities that requires copious amounts of time, they should not be punished with burdensome deadlines.

McGee's resignation should not have been accepted

tudents, teachers, parents and community members alike were left shocked Tuesday when Board President Terry Godfrey announced that Dr. Max McGee would be resigning from his position as superintendent of the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). McGee’s tenure was marked by innovation as well as controversy, and many speculate that the last straw leading to his resignation was the recent budget mishap, infamously dubbed the “six million dollar blunder.”

Thank you, Dr. McGee, for your vision and dedication to the District during your three years as superintendent. While the journey has been turbulent at times, we commend you for constantly striving to improve student wellbeing in our District. Other controversies for which McGee has received the brunt of the blame include separate cases of mishandled sexual assault, the elimination of zero period classes at Gunn and the messy controversy surrounding weighted grades at both Paly and Gunn.

The Campanile was never in support of McGee’s immediate resignation due of a lack of qualified replacements and the cost of hiring any interim or replacement superintendent. McGee, who has spent 45 years as an educator, had previously announced he would retire at the end of this school year. We believe that the School Board’s action of accepting his resignation at the Sept. 26 Board meeting was counterproductive to its goals of maintaining a secure and healthy district, and not made in the best interest of students. While McGee has had several major missteps, some which were truly avoidable, he has also proven himself to be capable of carrying out the basic duties of a superintendent without error. So long as he continued to show his ability to function as a superintendent, the Board should have left him to carry out day-to-day operations, even if on an extremely short leash. While The Campanile maintains the view that McGee should have remained as superintendent until the end of the year, we cannot look to change the past, and must instead work to ensure the best future for the District, and more specifically its students. Before we present our proposals for changes the District must implement, we must overhaul the Palo Alto community’s attitude toward the superintendent, as well as toward the PAUSD administration in general. While it is undeniable that McGee made

numerous errors during his time as superintendent, the manner in which the community responded to these mistakes was inexcusable. As a community, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard of conduct and present criticism constructively and without personal attacks or overly snide remarks. During Board meetings and on Palo Alto Weekly articles and community forums, countless community members relentlessly bashed McGee for others’ mistakes or for situations outside of his control, without acknowledging any of the improvements he has brought to the District. We commend Dr. McGee for handling this difficult situation with the utmost dignity and resigning with grace in spite of a passionate mob calling for his head. Thank you, Dr. McGee, for your vision and dedication to the District during your three years as superintendent. While the journey has been turbulent at times, we commend you for constantly striving to improve student wellbeing in our District. After a challenging time as superintendent, we wish you the best in your future endeavors, and hope we can find a superintendent who makes a constant effort to communicate with students in PAUSD. Many students have fond memories of McGee, and while his missteps will likely come to define his tenure at PAUSD, his memory as a jubilant and sociable presence will define his person in our minds.

CCC and advisory ought to publicize college deadlines

n the first semester of senior year, hopeful college applicants are particularly overwhelmed by the abundance of seemingly-endless college applications. During this time, seniors are expected to meet multiple deadlines, including writing their college essays and supplements on time, tracking teachers who are writing their letters of recommendations and deciding which schools they want to apply to. In the midst of this lengthy process, it is imperative the College and Career Center as well as the 12th grade advisory system support the seniors and provide resources upon which students can rely.

Seniors should be notified at least two weeks prior to each cover sheet deadline. However, this guidance and reminder of deadlines seem to be significantly lacking. The College and Career Center and the advisory system have continuously failed to properly inform students about cover sheet deadlines, which were only publicized on InFocus. Although InFocus is useful for making information more widespread, it should not be solely relied upon to announce important college deadlines, as many students do not watch the show because of prep periods, absences and teachers who forget or choose not to broadcast the program. A cover sheet is a list of col-

leges that college applicants must provide to the guidance office in order to get their transcripts sent to their colleges on time.

There was not an advisory discussing cover sheets before this deadline, which led to confusion and a clamor for clarification among seniors. Many seniors were especially confused regarding the cover sheet deadline for the early Oct. 15 application (cover sheets due Sept. 5). These students only scrambled to turn the cover sheet in before school ended after hearing about it om their friends on the same day. By Sept. 5, many students did not even have their college lists finalized and potentially missed the opportunity to make a rational decision on whether or not they wanted to apply to a school with an Oct. 15 deadline. Furthermore, there was not an advisory discussing cover sheets before this deadline, which led to confusion and a clamor for clarification among seniors. The Campanile thinks seniors should be notified at least two weeks prior to each cover sheet deadline, with notification through multiple media outlets, including a post on Schoology and through Paly social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, teachers in core

classes, specifically English classes, should remind seniors of these deadlines so they have ample time to finalize their college lists before transferring this list onto the physical cover sheet in time for the appropriate deadlines. In addition to the communication of cover sheet deadlines, seniors need to be provided with more guidance pertaining to the college application process, which often involves many forms and test score submissions. The senior advisory system or College and Career Center should also distribute more resources about sending standardized test scores to colleges, clarifying the deadlines for the submission of these scores and publicizing how to use different college application platforms separate from the Common Application through posting thorough informational guidelines on Schoology and other Paly-run social media platforms, and holding more senior advisories regarding these processes.

Seniors need to be provided with more guidance pertaining to the college application process, which often involves many forms and test score submissions. The proposed improvements have the potential to radically improve Paly students’ process of applying to college, and relieve copious stress from the already overwhelming experience.

OCTOBER’S TOP TEN LIST Top Ten Things to Look Forward to This Fall 10) 70 percent of your closet becoming available #layering. 9) Showing off your "quirky" personality by wearing socks with your Birks. 8) Buying a football ticket so you can socialize with friends you already see every day. 7) Bundling up for that 50-degree morning bike ride — gloves are a necessity. 6) Intercepting your quarter grades in the mail. 5) Learning about colleges' interdisciplinary majors and holistic admissions at the CCC. 4) Realize your Hunter boots aren't sufficiently waterproof for the Lake Paly. 3) Stop showing up for clubs. 2) Getting hyped for some Wednesday night concerts. 1) Posting cliche #tbt's to your summer.

—VIVIAN FENG, KESI SOUNDARARAJAN & PAARTH SHARMA

The Campanile Editors-in-Chief Maya Homan • Niklas Risano • Ehecatl Rivera Allison Wu • Ashley Zhang Online Editor Edan Sneh

Managing Editors Nicholas Melvin • Paarth Sharma

News and Opinion Editors Noah Baum • Renee Hoh

Lifestyle Editors Vivian Feng • Kesi Soundararajan

Sports Editors Eric Li • Kiran Misner

Science & Tech Editor Peyton Wang

Multimedia Editor Philip Ericsson

Board Correspondent Shannon Zhao

Khadija Abid Marie Davis Eric He Kennedy Herron Leyton Ho Samantha Hwang Grace Kitayama Bernie Koen

Staff Writers

Raj Lele Johnny Loftus Waverly Long Navid Najmabadi Kaylie Nguyen Ethan Nissim Christopher Pierno

Photographers

Peter Gold Jonathan Stoschek

Johnny Loftus Vivian Feng

Advisers Esther Wojcicki • Rodney Satterthwaite

Letters to the Editors: Email all letters to editors to theeds18@googlegroups.com The Campanile prints letters on a space-available basis. We reserve the right to edit submissions. The Campanile only prints signed letters. Advertisements: Advertisements with The Campanile are printed with signed contracts. For more information regarding advertisements or

Marie Davis Renee Hoh Jason Li

Business Manager Edward Kim Yusra Rafeeqi William Robins Andrew Shih Riley Short Leela Srinivasan Ujwal Srivastava John Tayeri Byron Zhang Illustrators

Paarth Sharma Kimberly Cisneros-Martinez

Writing Coaches Evelyn Richards • Elisabeth Rubinfien

sponsors in The Campanile and their size options and prices, please contact The Campanile Business Managers by email at campanile.ads@gmail.com. Note: It is the policy of The Campanile to refrain from printing articles that misrepresent or alienate specific individuals within the Palo Alto community. The Campanile would like to thank the PTSA for supporting the mailing of our newspaper!

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

L FESTYLE Juuling and schooling

How to study for a test

An in-depth look inside the recreational activity that Paly students have been partaking in between classes

f a student at Paly were to walk into one of the bathrooms during brunch or lunch, especially the art bathroom, they would more than likely witness a group of students passing around a Juul. Vapor fills the stalls, and students discuss their favorite e-liquid flavors. The Juul is a new vaping device developed by its parent company PAX Labs, a giant in the portable marijuana and nicotine vaporizer industry. The Juul is also known for its minuscule size and ability to be used stealthily, as it can be concealed easily as a USB with its sleek and modern design. Vaping is the act of inhaling vapor from e-liquid, liquid that contains nicotine, through a personal vaporizer; vaping with a Juul is famously known as “Juuling.” As Juuls pass from hand to hand, growing numbers of students are seduced into the vaping community: a space where students laugh, joke around and Juul. The reality is that the consumption of any tobacco product on a school campus is illegal. Yet Paly’s administration, while recognizing vaping as a growing problem, acknowledges that it has a hard time enforcing the school codes. “A Juul is so easy to hide, which makes solving

2016 report. “Furthermore e-cigarette use among young people is strongly associated with the use of other tobacco products.”

keep the secrecy. “I feel like I should report [vaping] when I see it, but I feel like if people found out that I

“I have friends who are really addicted to Juuling and will leave in the middle of a lecture to just go Juul and end up missing important things in class.”

Julian was the one who snitched, then I would get backlash,” said sophomore Julia, whose name has been changed to conceal her identity at her request. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaping has surged in popularity in the last decade and has become the most common way to consume tobacco with teens. The 2015 National Youth Tobacco Survey estimated that 620,000 middle school students and 2,390,000 high school students have used e-cigarettes at least once in the past 30 days. For many students, they believe that Juuling is safer than cigarettes, however it still poses health risks that many students

At Paly, 55 percent of 269 students who responded to a Campanile survey reported that they had vaped. Of those, 52 percent had vaped on campus and half use a Juul. Clearly, vaping has become a habit on campus. For many students, Juuling brings a very attractive social aspect. Students pass around the Juul and meet new people through this act, breaking the ice with a simple drag of the Juul. Junior Julian, whose name has been changed to conceal his identity, is a frequent Juuler in school bathrooms. “Sometimes, when I go to Juul in the bathroom, I will meet other people with Juuls, and we get to talking and when I see them outside, I say hi to them,” Julian said. “It’s really just this community of people who like [the rush from nicotine]. The producer of the Juul did not intend the use of the device to have a social aspect. Instead it is supposed to be a tool to help smokers kick the habit. “JUUL Labs’ mission is to eliminate cigarette smoking by offering existing adult smokers in the United States with a better alternative to combustible cigarettes,” according

there and sometimes they’re gone.”

snitched, then I would get backlash.”

Julia may not be aware of. “[Vaping] can lead to not only addiction but also to deficits in attention and learning, reduced impulse control and mood disorders,” said United States Surgeon General Vivek H. Murphy in a

Text and Design by: Johnny Loftus

Jerry Berkson Juuling in order to avoid being labeled as “uncool.” Other students may feel that by not reporting what they witness, they are going against their moral code. “I have friends who do it, and I don’t want them getting in trouble, but I do try and tell them it’s bad,” Julia said. In addition to such social dilemmas, students who do not actively Juul are exposed to unwanted health risks such as secondhand nicotine inhalation. “I never want to inhale the secondhand vapor, so I try to leave when people are in the bathroom Juuling,” Julia said. “It can be really hard to find a cleanaired bathroom.” Junior Julian also expressed concern about the possibility of sickness but found a simple solution that works for him. “I mean … germs can spread and people can get sick, but as long as you wipe it and not share it with someone who looks sick, you are pretty fine,” Julian said. According to Jennifer Kleckner Paly’s school nurse, spreading germs is a concern, along with the risks of brain impair-

leave class to feed their craving. “I would hope that the addiction isn’t so strong that they wouldn’t need to leave class to just vape,” Berkson said. “But if kids are addicted to nicotine, then I wouldn’t put it past them for them to leave class.” Berkson acknowledges the difficulties in apprehending students. “But then again, it’s so easy to just go around a corner and take a hit, and because it leaves so quickly, it’s hard to find,” Berkson said. “We’re not going to have a bathroom monitor, but we get calls that there’s a party in the bathroom, and by the time we get there, sometimes they’re there and sometimes they’re gone.” According to Berkson, the administration will be keeping their eyes out for students who are vaping and listening to students who provide tips about locations. “My best advice is just don’t get started,” Berkson said. “A lot of younger kids are vaping, and it is because they want to beat the man. It’s an early form of being rebellious. And once they master vaping, they can move on to harder stuff, and it’s just not worth it.”

Art BY MArie Davis

Design BY Gracie Kitayama Students

SPOTLIGHT

ment, lung inflammation and exposure to carcinogens. Not only does Juuling affect students’ health, but it is also seems to be impairing Paly’s learning environment. Students will leave class to go Juul, which can result in missing important material. “I have friends who are really addicted to Juuling, and will leave in the middle of a lecture to just go Juul, and end up missing important things in class,” Julian said. “Sometimes I leave to go, but I try to only leave during brunch or lunch, so I won’t miss class.” According to Berkson, when students are truly addicted to nicotine, they may have an urge

“We’re not gonna have a bathroom monitor, but we get calls that there’s a party in the bathroom, and by the time we get there, sometimes they’re

“I feel like I should report vaping when I see it, but I feel like if people found out that I was the one who

[the problem] harder,” Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson said. “[Vaping is] something we will obviously have to ramp up and take care of.” In addition to the school rules about tobacco prohibition, it is illegal for people under the age of 21 to purchase any tobacco product. Not everyone succumbs to the temptation of the Juul. Whether or not they don’t want break the rules, or because they just don’t enjoy vaping, many students simply choose not to partake. Someone who wants to report the use at Paly may come under pressure from the vaping community members to

to a company email attributed to Tyler Goldman, CEO of JUUL Labs. “JUUL is not intended for anyone else, including underage consumers and thus, no student at Palo Alto High School — or any high school — should be in the possession of a JUUL product.” But they are. In fact students who do not wish to partake in this activity are faced with several problems. Often, they may feel coerced into participating in

By Edward Kim

Business Manager

here is no better academic feeling (except for college acceptances) than receiving an APUSH quiz back to see a 12/12. On the other hand, there is no worse feeling than getting a math test back to see that even with a curve, you received a D (BC Calculus memories). Although there are many different exams present in the purgatory known as high school and thus many ways to study for them, I’ve attempted to condense studying into an easy-to-read guide. Studying for a standardized test: Quite possibly the only threeletter acronyms worse than HIV, the ACT and SAT not only take the life out of you but also require hours and hours of studying. Just like how Bobby Shmurda practiced selling crack since the fifth grade, getting a perfect score requires taking practice tests many months in advance. At this point, the College Board has abused high school students with these exams worse than the school board treated Max McGee. Studying for a quiz: Because I do not condone cheating in any form, it is definitely not a good idea to ask the classes before you for the questions on a short quiz. If you’re a good student like me, take the honest route. At the end of the day, quizzes are only worth a small number of points, so you shouldn’t be too worried if you fail. If you really need the grade boost, however, just study while the teacher is passing the quizzes out. The adrenaline rush of seeing a concept for the first time in your notes while cramming during InFocus is out of this world. Studying for a unit test: In an alternate reality where I have actual study skills, I would take notes by hand during every lecture and put my laptop away to trade entertainment for good grades. I would probably review my notes every few class periods to adequately prepare myself for the inevitable test. I would even dare to do the homework instead of taking advantage of teachers who merely check it for completion. If you want to be a successful student like me, look no further. The process begins at midnight the eve of the test day, and only ends when the teacher calls ‘pencils down.’ Between combing over the Internet for shortened notes of the textbook, listening to Lil Uzi Vert on repeat to hype myself up and teaching myself what I neglected to learn during class, this study routine works each and every time. Studying for a final: Just like the unit test guide, an ideal version of myself would probably take advantage of all the review periods given by teachers instead of taking the opportunity to build farms in Minecraft. I would probably spend the weekend before finals studying at the library, rather than at Stanford playing volleyball with students actually smart enough to attend the school. In reality, the real me doesn’t even have notes to look over for the past year. Instead, I push the stress of finals to the back of my mind for as long as I can. The night before finals, I accept my fate and remember that college isn’t the only option.

Music

Tech

PHOTO BY ALAA EL AWAAD/CC0

PHOTO BY FRANCISCO FDEZ/CC0

Dispelling mental disorder stigmas

An in-depth look at the different mental illnesses many students at Paly have and how it affects their daily lives in the silent battles many of them are fight every day.

PHOTO BY TUMISU/CC0

PAGE B4-B5

PHOTO BT SPARK CBC/CC BY-SA 2.0

ASMR and Paly students

ASMR offers a stress-relieving outlet for many students. PAGE B3

Music tastes

Teenagers often prefer certain types of music because of their peers. PAGE B6

Apple’s debuts

Apple CEO Tim Cook unveils the iPhones 8, 8 plus and X. PAGE B8

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

LIFESTYLE B2 The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey A family with Bay Area ties continues to struggle after the category four storm

Finding the best study spots at Paly

Six calm places to study despite construction

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

Junior Cooper Kim takes advantage of the quiet Journalism Library. YESENIA FLORES/USED WITH PERMISSION

The Flores family was heavily affected by Hurricane Harvey. The storm destroyed peoples homes and wreaked extreme havoc on Houston.

By Leyton Ho

Staff Writer

urricane Harvey became the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 2005 on the evening of Aug. 25. For most people watching from the Bay Area, Harvey was a sad but distant natural disaster almost 2,000 miles away that made the rounds on all the major news channels for a week. With Hurricane Irma approaching Florida the following week, the victims suffering from Harvey’s aftermath never received much media attention. However, for the Flores family, residing in Houston, the destruction and disaster Harvey left in late August will not be forgotten. “The hurricane is just the beginning; the worst part is what comes after,” said Yesenia Flores, a law student in the Bay Area, in an email. A breakdown of basic infrastructure, the rule of law and the social fabric of a community usually accompany natural disasters. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 demonstrated that the rescue and support work that come in the aftermath of a natural event are more critical to the well being of our population than mitigating the actual physical damage caused by Mother Nature. For many victims of Hurricane Harvey, however, the help hasn’t come yet. Although the government, through the FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency], has gotten better at helping after a natural disaster, it still takes a lot of time and resources to rebuild infrastructure and repair whole communities. During this time, victims struggle with basic life necessities.

“It’s incredibly humbling to need to ask others for help, even simple things like water, soap, or a clean shirt,” Flores said. Floresthas monitored her family’s situation closely. Being separated from her family has been tough on Flores, and has led to conflicted feelings and a pressing urge to help. “I know there is so much I could help with if only I was there in Houston,” Flores said. “I’ve tried to help as much as I could from afar, including getting them hotels, finding them places to stay, calling the insurance companies and aid groups, among other things.”

Rescue and support work that comes after the natural event is more critical to the well being of our population than actual physical damage. There have been significant efforts by individuals and organizations to raise money, but Flores said this money has yet to reach many Houston families. “We live in an area that is primarily lower income and minority families,” Flores said. “A lot of my little sister’s friends from wealthier neighborhoods have come to help us and noticed obvious discrimination in aid distribution. My mom has been turned down twice when she has lined up to receive water. Our neighborhood is yet to receive aid and few are willing to volunteer to help. Red Cross and FEMA did come one time to give out food, but the produce was all

moldy and expired. When my mom and my sister went to a shelter nearby to try to get a change of clothes, all they had were rags. We realize that beggars shouldn’t be choosers, but I feel like human dignity should still be respected.” The lack of aid has directly culminated in health issues, contamination and other problems. Despite their suffering, the struggles these families are facing have flown under the radar, largely in part to news cycles moving on from Houston, Flores said. While mainstream publications explore more recent events, Houston residents are suffering, with no end in sight. The prospect of helping Houston residents likely seems daunting for Californians; however, Flores said that methods are available for California residents to deliver much needed and appreciated aid. Being almost 2,000 miles away from the havoc, Californians likely can’t sympathize with the harsh road to recovery but should not underestimate the difference almost anyone interesting in helping can make from afar. “I think reaching out to local organizations and GoFundMe pages for individual families would be the most effective,” Flores said. “People are in crucial need of the most basic things.” The Flores family has a GoFundMe page for relief funds, and has raised $9,893 of their $40,000 goal. The money is needed for basic human necessities, including housing, cleaning supplies, clothes, food and medical bills. The urgent need for funds is a common predicament of families like the Flores family. The devastating material destruction caused by Harvey is just one component of the many

harms caused by Harvey. The emotional void left in Harvey’s wake has also severely affected the Flores’ family. “To see all of your childhood memories and photographs covered in mold and soaking with water is impossible to describe,” Flores said. “We have no more pictures of our grandparents or our parent’s wedding. My mom still calls me in tears almost daily because of the memories that were lost.” As the news cycle rolls on, Houston communities are suffering, waiting for help that is overdue.

Despite their suffering, the struggles these families are facing have flown under the radar. According to Flores, the wealthier communities are receiving the bulk of the help. “Our community has been completely abandoned,” Flores said. “The nicer parts of town are recovering well with the help of volunteers, but we are doing the best we can. I know neighbors who are living in their flooded homes because there is no room for them at shelters and they can’t afford hotels. I think what makes this recovery so much harder is hoping for help that still hasn’t arrived.” To help the Flores family, visit https://www.gofundme.com/ flores-family-harvey-relief-fund

By Kesi Sound Lifestyle Editor

ith Paly’s main library under construction, many students have found it increasingly difficult to find good study spots around campus to make use of their valuable preps or flex periods. Let’s face it: getting work done in the Media Arts Center’s (MAC) atrium is a feat almost as impossible as making an appointment with your guidance counselor. But fear not, The Campanile has got you covered with five study spots sure to help you cram in that lastminute fifth period study session for your seventh period test. Journalism Library A little-known gem, the Journalism Library is located in a small, secluded area of the MAC’s second floor. Unlike the boisterous atrium below, the Journalism Library is far quieter and far less crowded. In fact, seeing more than three people occupying it at a time is an incredibly rare sight. The library also features a collection of old yearbooks that are super fun to look through if you get bored of those APUSH notes. Math Resource Center The Math Resource Center (MRC) is located on the second floor of the Math and History building, and is another good study spot on campus. The main feature of this study haven is its food policy. Unlike other places on campus where your pasta salad will be met with disdainful glances from disapproving administrators, the MRC goes so far as to encourage eating by providing a microwave. The MRC also offers a selection of every math textbook you could ever need. So, go ahead in and bring that microwavable burrito in from Trader Joe’s and take your time finishing your math homework.

Social Studies Resource Center While the MRC is a classic, you cannot discount its younger brother, the Social Studies Resource Center (SSRC). What the SSRC does not have to offer is microwaves, but it makes up for it by offering many computers and larger desks, perfect for those days when you really need to sprawl out. Grassy mini-quad area near language buildings This is one of those weird, neglected spots on campus. It is somewhat out of the way, being near the foreign language buildings, and is often overshadowed by its bigger brother, the quad. While it may not be as big as the quad, it definitely offers a nice quiet retreat from fluorescently-lit rooms. Bring a blanket if you don’t want to get covered in grass, a hard surface to write on and soak up both knowledge and some vitamin D. Student Resource Center The student resource center is not even comparable to what it was last year. It has managed to pull a “Gucci Mane” and shed its metaphorical beerbelly and literal stench to become a beautiful, beanbag-filled haven. While not as quiet as some of the other spots listed, its beanbags more than make up for this shortcoming. So go ahead and sink in. Town and Country If all of the above options fail, studying at Town and Country can be a fun option as long as you make sure to not get too distracted. Bring your earbuds and overstay your welcome at Peet’s or Douce France with your favorite coffee purchase. Bonus points for taking a picture and putting it on your Snapchat story to tell all your friends just how seriously you take your work.

Sneakerhead culture sparks rising interest in uncommon shoes Popular shoe brands are developing large followings, with Paly students buying, collecting, selling expensive sneakers

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

A consistently popular brand, collectible Air Jordans have been sold on websites such as Ebay and Craigslist for up to thousands of dollars.

By Ben Van Zyll Staff Writer

ith the rising popularity of collecting and showing off rare shoes, the “sneakerhead” lifestyle has many Paly students following the trend. There are a growing number of shoe brands developing cult-like

followings. Among them is Adidas’ and previously Nike’s Yeezy, a popular sneaker created by recording artist and turned designer Kanye West. Influential figures in the media like West have played a role in the growing popularity of limited release sneakers in mainstream consumer culture. Many consumers are purchasing sneakers with the

intention of saving them in anticipation of appreciating value. There are also sneakers like Jordans, which have many different models, some of which are relatively cheap, and some of which are extremely rare and can be resold for thousands of dollars. Models include the Jordan 1 Fragment, Jordan 4 Eminem and many more.

Paly junior Nicholas Le is a Bay Area-recognized sneakerhead, and is constantly buying, selling and trading unique pairs of shoes. “I have 42 pairs [of shoes] right now but the number changes a lot because I buy and sell pairs pretty often,” Le said. “My favorite pair is definitely my Jordan 1 Bred. It has a really deep history

and it really inspired me to get into collecting.” For many people, sneaker collecting is not only a hobby, but is a way to make money. When rare sneakers are released, they sell out almost instantly at their retail price. Due to their rarity, after they sell out, they can be resold by the original retail buyer for a much higher price; this results in the reseller making a very substantial profit. “One time, I made $180 when I sold a pair of Yeezys,’” Le said. “I got them for retail because I won a raffle at Shoe Palace. They were $220 and I sold them for $400. I’ve done it more than once too. You can do it with any shoe that sells out. It’s a good way to make money.” A typical way of buying, selling and trading rare sneakers is to buy or sell them on consumer-toconsumer websites, like Craigslist, eBay and others. However, many sneakerheads use more clever means of obtaining rare sneakers. Bay Area sneakerheads in particular often choose to use an alternative method of connecting through Facebook. Bay Area Sneakerheads (BASH) is a Facebook group with more than 45,000 members. It allows any member in the Bay Area to list a pair of shoes

they are trying to sell. If another member in the group wants to buy or trade for the shoes, they can meet up to make the transaction. A major perk of BASH is when someone is interested anyone in the group can ask the rest of the thousands of members if they have the pair of interest, and if they would be willing to sell them.

The sneakerhead group has definitely become a community. “I do most of my sneaker deals on BASH,” Le said. “It’s the most legit way to do deals and it’s really convenient.” Considering the number of people that are involved in this lifestyle, the sneakerhead group has definitely become a community. Additionally, members of BASH who are regular buyers and sellers become synonymous with business partners; they tend to contact each other before going public with sneaker deals to the group. The sneakerhead lifestyle may be seen as just another trend, but self-proclaimed sneakerheads like Le argue it is a new lifestyle that is taking off and is here to stay.

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

LIFESTYLE

Silicon Valley incorporates design in tech products Local companies utilize design to improve devices, making an impact around the globe By Philip Ericsson Multimedia Editor

ilicon Valley is usually described as the tech capital of the world. However, this industrial region in the Santa Clara Valley is a prime environment for global design. Ranging from the world-renowned Apple products to the design of the Santa Clara Levi’s Stadium, Silicon Valley is filled with impeccable designs to match its highly-valued tech.

Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.”

Managing Editor

S PHILIP ERICSSON/THE CAMPANILE

NONOBJECT, a Palo Alto-based company representative of the Silicon Valley design movement, designed the above Ultimate Ear speakers vealed under the covers of plastic sheets and the user manuals. “In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer,” Steve Jobs said in an interview with Fortune magazine in 2000, “It’s interior decorating. It’s the fabric of the curtains of the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a humanmade creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.” Apple’s pioneer mindset towards placing design at the forefront of innovation is not the only example of design in Silicon Valley. One of the most prominent design studios in the world was founded in Palo Alto in 1991. IDEO now has over 700 employees in nine locations all over the world, and was founded by David Kelley, who also founded the design school at Stanford University. IDEO worked on the design

of Apple’s first computer mouse and has since worked on designs for other high profile clients like Coca-Cola and Ford Motors.

With any great tech product, an innovative design must be present to catch the consumer’s eye; Silicon Valley certainly embodies this vision. “Cool technology alone is not good enough,” said Tom Kelley, a General Manager at IDEO. “If it were, we’d all be riding Segways and with robotic dogs.” Additionally, companies like Landor and Meta Design describe themselves as “brand consulting firms,” and are both based in San Francisco. Landor has lo-

cations all around the world, and serves many notable clients, a few being Fedex, P&G, Smirnoff, BMW, Land Rover and Rolex. Meta Design is the company once tasked with reinventing the Mac OS design system. Their clientele list includes Apple, Adidas, Audi, Coca Cola, FIFA, Nike and Netflix. These two companies are prominent global designers that both began their rise to success in Silicon Valley. There is no shortage of talented design firms in the Silicon Valley. One of these companies is based locally in Palo Alto: NONOBJECT describe themselves as “a small team, on purpose,” according to their website. “Because small means nimble, and small means personal. We work for you and with you, every step of the way.” The traditional company philosophy of “scaling as quickly as possible” may not always be

beneficial, and this small but impactful company is an example of this. This is shown through the development of the design and rebranding of the Logitech product, UE (Ultimate Ears) speakers which was orchestrated by NONOBJECT.

“Cool technology alone is not good enough. If it were, we’d all be riding Segways and with robotic dogs.” Tom Kelley

The design philosophy born in Silicon Valley has had a global impact on the market of tech. With any great tech product, an innovative design must be present to catch the consumer’s eye; Silicon Valley certainly embodies this vision.

ASMR helps stressed students relax, unwind, sleep Despite widespread stigma, a popular sound-based technique can sooth and de-stress students By Shannon Zhao

Board Correspondent

fter an exhausting day of combat training at a law enforcement explorer competition, senior Raymond Fang was looking forward to tuning in to his favorite ASMR video when his roommate walked in on him in front of a screen of hands crinkling an empty bag of chips. “My roommate gave me the most uncomfortable look. ‘Oh, my God, do people actually listen to that? That’s so creepy, do you even feel it?’” Fang said. ASMR, short for autonomous sensory meridian response, is a physical sensation distinguished by a tingling feeling, similar to goosebumps or hairs standing up on someone’s back.

In a high-stress environment like Palo Alto, many students have turned to ASMR as an effective stress reliever, or sleep aid. Although ASMR is autonomous, meaning that the individual listening to ASMR stimuli is in complete control of facilitating the sensations. Most people use ASMR as an aid for relaxation or sleep. Many ASMR consumers have reported visual and auditory-tactile synesthesia where particular sounds or observations can create sensations in the body. ASMR is a broad, umbrella term that can be induced by many varieties of stimuli, such as listening to softly-spoken voices or repetitive sounds such as tapping and scratching, watching someone perform simple tasks such as cooking or receiving altruistic personal attention. However, the personal attention category of ASMR has been sexualized by a minority group of ASMRtists, or people who make ASMR. Many members of the ASMR community disagree with the sexualization of ASMR and say it depreciates the legitimate benefits of ASMR. Despite its vast range of con-

Column: How to nail your next college visit

By Paarth Sharma

Steve Jobs

Apple, Inc. was one of the first tech companies to identify the value and importance of sleek, innovative design. From its unique logo, to the innovative wearable designs, to the newly announced iPhone X, Apple has consistently pushed the boundaries of design within the tech world. It all started with Steve Jobs’ love for simplicity. He is said to have been influenced and inspired to incorporate the aspects he loved about his childhood home into the products he designed. His childhood home, located in Los Altos, was developed by architects who churned out inexpensive modern houses in the 1950s for postwar suburban migration, called Eichler homes. Jobs was a perfectionist and a major trailblazer when it came to the design of tech products, and brought focus and discipline to the products Apple was producing. Design was not meant to impede the functionality; rather, it should inspire consumers and leave lasting impressions. In Jobs’ mind, each person unpackaging the device from the white box engraved with an Apple logo on the lid should feel a sense of excitement about what was to be re-

JOHNNY LOFTUS/THE CAMPANILE

Many Paly students watch and listen to Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) videos on YouTube in order to relax and destress. tent, ASMR has often been categorized into a single subcategory of sexual stimuli and stigmatized by the media as a kink. In reality, a study conducted by psychologists at Swansea University in the U.K. shows that only 5 percent of ASMR enthusiasts reported watching the videos for sexual stimulation. The lack of education and conversation around ASMR contributes greatly to its muddled image. “It’s like the fear of the unknown,” junior ASMR enthusiast Llew Priimak said. “A lot of people only hear about it, but don’t know what it really is, so that makes them uncomfortable.” Typically, ASMRist watch videos alone. This intensely-personal aspect of ASMR is partly responsible for its perceived aberrancy according to Priimak. Though often stereotyped in the media as a sensory abnormality, most people have actually

experienced or enjoyed ASMR without even knowing according to many ASMR online forums. Many synesthetes, people who experience synesthesia, become conscious of their ASMR triggers at a young age. From listening to a parent’s soothing voice telling bedtime stories to the sound of clicking pens in the classroom, ASMR is the explanation to why these noises can be extremely satisfying. Recently, “satisfying” videos such as mixing paint and pressing slime have become increasingly popular on social media. These clips are inexplicably enjoyable because they may tickle ASMR triggers. The ASMRer community at Paly is larger than one would suspect. In a high-stress environment like Palo Alto, many students have turned to ASMR as an effective stress reliever, anxiety reducer or sleep aid. Students who struggle

with insomnia may find ASMR to be extremely beneficial because it serves as a substance-free method of falling asleep. “ASMR is like a pill for me to sleep,” senior ASMR enthusiast Elizabeth Kim said. “I usually listen to it right before I go to bed.”

“Most people use ASMR for meditative purposes just like yoga or mindfulness.” Llew Priimak

Kim said she started listening to ASMR videos during her junior year, the hardest and most stressful time of her high school experience. Crinkling paper, virtual scalp massages and jewelry sorting are among Kim’s favorite types of ASMR.

Similar to Kim, Priimak also uses ASMR as a tool to distress and fall asleep. Both students voiced dislike for ASMR “role play,” or personal attention where the ASMRtist acts as a particular role or occupation and soothes the viewer with intimate whispers. “I don’t like the role plays because that puts me in a scenario, and I’m just trying to sleep,” Priimak said. Kim and Priimak say there should be more conversations about ASMR and what it can provide for the body and the brain. “People should not generalize ASMR as weird just because some [ASMR] have been sexualized by a small group of people [who make ASMR],” Priimak said. “Most people use ASMR for meditative purposes just like yoga or mindfulness … and you don’t see people being weirded out by [yoga and mindfulness].”

enior year is synonymous with many things. Camouflage clothing, winning spirit week and having an entire semester to do nothing are just a few of the perks that the longesttenured class at Paly enjoys. But there’s something that represents senior year just as much as second semester “sick” periods and custom spirit week jerseys: college. The college application process has many parts, but one of the most important is the quintessential college rep visit, during which a representative from a college visits your school. Whether you’re attending these to learn more about the college, fill out a demonstrated interest form or just to get out of your math quiz, this college rep visit guide will help you with each and every aspect of the process. The first thing that you’ll have to do is pick up your “pass back to class” form from the College and Career Center (CCC), which is due exactly a day in advance of the visit itself. I like to fill out my form five minutes before the visit starts (shoutout to the CCC moms for letting me in anyway). Next, make your way to the CCC, a small room in the Tower Building that hosts college rep visits. However, it should be duly noted that the CCC’s seating is limited to a few fold out chairs and a couch, so you’ll need to either show up early or camp outside if you want to sit during your visit. But that’s ok. We get it. It’s not like there’s a $50 million theater that can seat hundreds close by. Once the college rep arrives, it’s time for the real part of the visit to start. Introduce yourself with that hearty handshake you learned during advisory and state your name and intended major with pride. During college rep visits, the key is to get the college rep to remember you, and this is as good a time as any to make a great first impression. Picking an obscure major like Bowling Industry Management or Canadian Studies is sure to leave a lasting impression, and best of all, sets you apart from the rest of the applicants right from the start. Next come the all-important demonstrated interest forms, which is the reason half of the people are in the room. Fill out the card (make sure your handwriting is clear) and hand the card in. Again, the goal is to stand out, so make sure to find a way to be different while filling out the form. I like to fill out my form in a combination of Swahili, Finnish and Morse Code to show colleges how multicultural and ethnic I am. After some time, your college rep will start describing the college itself. You’ll learn all kinds of crazy things during this section, like the fact the college has majors and minors, intramural sports and great dining options with, of course, an innovative meal point system. You might also find out that the college has Greek life, but what’s on campus is “nothing like stereotypical fraternities or sororities.” Whatever that means. Finally, there’s the last and arguably most important portion of the college rep visit: the Q & A session. Think of this as a game. You have to ask as many questions as you can. Was the answer to your question directly covered in the talk? Doesn’t matter! Ask it anyway. The goal of this visit is to stand out, and the easiest way to stand out in a college rep visit is to ask a truckload of useless questions that they just answered five minutes earlier. Trust me, there’s nothing colleges love more than poor listening comprehension. With these tips in hand, I’m sure you’ll leave your next rep visit feeling happy, confident, and most importantly, standing out from everyone else.

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

SPOTLIGHT

DEMYSTIFYING ME

ADDRESSING THE STIGMA AROUND ME W

hen a person has a broken leg, it can be seen from a mile away. The clunky crutches and neon cast are a magnet for attention and compassion. Friends will ask what happened and shower the individual with sympathy and well-wishes. A classmate will oﬀer to carry his or her backpack, and a stranger will hold the door open. However, when a person faces a non-physical aﬄiction, the support of those around them may be even more crucial for recovery than with a physi-

Hidden battles cal injury, yet it seems to be lacking. The mental disorders some students grapple with each day can cause struggles just as painful as broken bones, but they are invisible. Generally, stigmas surrounding mental health result in an insuﬃcient understanding of these disorders. This can result in the casual and ignorant use of the disorders’ names as personality quirks. Claire, a sophomore who has been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in addition to other mental disorders, recounted a story

“[We should] be more cognizant about the words we throw around, not using those terms casually definitely is more sensitive,” said Melinda Mattes, an AP Psychology teacher at Paly. She also said it is imperative that people recognize that in addition to the more commonly discussed mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, there are other serious mental conditions that are prevalent in the community. These conditions cause some students at Paly to face silent battles every day.

ADHD

hile many students struggle to pay at- can’t process it. [This happens] when I read, too.” tention during a long lecture or a test, People with hyperactive-impulsive type ADHD those with attention-deficit/hyperactiv- may have trouble sitting still or concentrating on ity disorder, or ADHD, experience that struggle on one task for an extended period of time. These indian entirely different level. viduals have a tendency to want to change topics or The effects of ADHD vary from person to per- activities frequently and often feel restless. son, and can range from mild to severe. There are “They’re not dumb, they’re not necessarily opalso three subtypes of ADHD: inattentive type, positional; it’s not that they don’t like school,” said hyperactive-impulMattes. “It’s that it’s sive type or, most hard, and it takes commonly, a comthis extra level of I think when I tell bination of the two, effort.” according to AP ADHD is ofpeople [I have ADHD], Psychology teacher ten perceived as an Christopher Farina. individual simply sometimes they think “[The inattennot trying enough, that I’m lying, or tive type is] the inwhen in reality, ability to maintain not a matter that I’m overreacting. itof ischoice focus on a single or will thing for an extendpower. It’s not fake. It’s ed period of time,” “I think when I Farina said. “For science. Mental health tell people [I have an individual that ADHD], then would be diagnosed sometimes they is science. with ADHD, it think that I’m lywould be severe ing, or that I’m Sarah enough that it’s imoverreacting,” Sarah pairing their ability said. “It’s not fake. to do normal work.” It’s science. Mental Junior Sarah has struggled with staying focused health is science.” since she was little, but was not diagnosed with inSophomore Matthew, diagnosed with the comattentive ADHD until she was 14-years-old. bination type of ADHD, said he usually needs “It’s really hard to focus and do work and listen prompts to stay on task or some kind of motivato teachers when they speak,” Sarah said. “Some- tion to complete an assignment. In addition to his times when people talk to me, it just goes through learning, ADHD has affected his relationships, he my head, and I try really, really hard to focus, but I said. “I feel like my friends think I’m crazy some-

about a classmate interrupting class to adjust the board while jokingly claiming to have OCD. Claire expressed her anger at the callous use of the term. “It’s not something that should be part of any comedian’s joke book,” Claire said. “There should be nothing entertaining about it. And it shouldn’t alienate people, either. Normal people have disorders, and it doesn’t make them any less than someone who doesn’t.” People need to be mindful of the way their words impact others.

times because I can’t stay on subject with them,” Matthew said. “They want to do one thing. I’ll do it with them, but then in maybe 30 minutes to an hour later, I’ll want to switch to a different activity.” According to Mattes, this difficulty staying focused for a long period of time can have a larger impact in high school, where the block schedule requires students to be in a single class for up to 90 minutes. “Halfway through, or maybe a quarter through [the block period], I start not wanting to do it, so I’ll start doing drawings on a paper or something once I lose interest,” Matthew said. According to Matthew, it is important to dispel common misconceptions of ADHD and recognize that although those with ADHD think differently than most people, the disorder does not cause the individual to be unnatural. “Things that we do may not be natural to other people, but it’s natural to us because that’s the way we’ve grown up,” Matt h e w said.

OCD

neatly arranged desk, keyboard and papers terrified of six in general. I would think the devil’s all set at right angles. A perfectly sym- coming to get me if something landed on six.” metrical pile of folded clothing. A pristine Though Claire’s obsession has the clear reasonroom, not a speck of dust out of place. These are all ing of religion behind it, obsessions don’t always common associations with OCD. However, these have such a straightforward explanation. misconceptions fail to grasp the reality of the conRachel’s obsession with a need to complete cerdition. tain tasks with her right hand or foot started at her According to therapist’s oﬃce. Mattes, OCD is a There was a staircombination of obcase that had one sessions and comcreaky stair that RaIt’s another thing pulsions. Obseschel always needed that takes up your sions are thoughts to step over, and that invade the this resulted in her mind, because you consciousness and developing the need cannot be ignored. to finish a staircase should be able to Compulsions are on her right foot. designed by the The obsession walk simply down the brain to relieve oblater expanded to sessions. her need to balstairs, but for me, Claire, who was ance out her left if I did it wrong, my diagnosed with side with her right OCD at the age of side, which was mind would want me to 6, has an obsession demonstrated in with numbers — her piano practice. go up and do it again. while she feels at When she made a peace with seven, mistake with her Rachel nine and three, she left hand a number cannot stand four of times, she would and six. For exalways need to stop ample, when there and make the same were six cups in the cupboard, she had to break one mistake with her right hand. of them so that there would be an odd number of “My teacher would yell at me: she was like, ‘no, cups. why would you do that? You just messed up the “[My obsession] has to do with religion, be- song, twice,’” Rachel said. “It’s another thing that cause seven [and] 12 [are] holy numbers,” Claire takes up your mind, because you should be able to said. “Three is [also] a holy number, but six is the walk simply down the stairs, but for me, if I did it number of the devil: 666. I was always told stories wrong, my mind would want me to go up and do because my father is really religious. ... I was just it again.”

Sen i o r Katherine has an obsession requiring her to perfect her penmanship and neatness of her paper. “My mom does remember in kindergarten, I erased my name so many times that the paper ripped,” Katherine said. For Claire, Rachel, Katherine and others with OCD, ignoring the obsessions results in an uncontrollably anxious and stressed feeling. “It is serious, and people who suffer from OCD generally know [the compulsions are] unrealistic, but they can’t not do it,” Mattes said. O C D can be treated by therapy, according to Elizabeth Spector, the Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator at Paly.

Want to read more? - To learn more about these people and their stories, read the full article at thecampanile.org - See B8 for the science behind mental health Mental health resources: - 24/7 Teen Crisis Hotline: 1-888-247-7717 - SCC Suicide Crisis Hotline: 1-855-278-4204 - Trevor Lifeline - LGBTQ: 1-866-488-7386

art by text & design by

The Campanile

Friday, September 29, 2017

SPOTLIGHT

Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, The Campanile changed the names of student sources

ENTAL DISORDERS

ENTAL DISORDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY W

hile many people look forward to fireworks on the Fourth of July, for war veterans, the explosive sounds from these loud and colorful displays can cause memories of the battlefield to resurface. “[With post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)], a person suﬀers a traumatic experience, then they have these stressful or anxiety-producing episodes afterwards,” Farina said. Claire went through a traumatic event when she was 7 or 8 years old. With her PTSD, she often relives the experience through nightmares. “I have nightmares every day,” Claire said. “They’re usually tied [to the traumatic event], but they aren’t about what happened.”

PTSD Claire can also be thrown into the memory through triggers, which, for her, mostly involve being physically touched. According to Spector, triggers can be anything that remind the individual of his or her past experience. “Just being tickled and poked in general, especially in the thigh, [is a trigger],” Claire said. “It rarely happens, but it’s just a no. Usually I can get ahold of it, but sometimes when I’m not paying attention, and someone just comes up to me and does that, I just get lost in this state of remembering and I’ll start crying.” Senior Ella has secondhand experience with PTSD. Ella’s mother was diagnosed with PTSD from being abused as a child.

“[My mom’s] dad was abusive — physically, verbally, emotionally — he was just all around not a good person,” Ella said. “We can’t really blame him, because he also had a hard upbringing; he was abused a lot, too.” According to Ella, one of her mother’s main triggers would be getting into arguments with Ella’s father. During these shouting matches, she would be reminded of her chaotic childhood, which would send her into a frenzy. “When they were fighting, she would just kind of insanely start screaming at my dad, or she would just kind of really spiral down and get really, really depressed,” Ella said.

According to Ella, she sometimes struggled with how to deal with balancing her mother’s disorder and her own anxiety. “It was kind of this point where I was just trying to bar myself away from my parents, which is really hard because I love my parents,” Ella said. “But it was hard to be constantly hearing her talk about [her PTSD].” Ultimately, someone who has a loved one with a mental disorder has to accept that there is only so much they can do, according to Mattes. “All you can do, as a friend or family member, is be as supportive as possible, but [acknowledge] that you can’t fix people, which is really hard,” Mattes said.

Bipolar Disorder

any people think “bipolar” is interchangeable with simply being moody, but in reality, it is a much more serious and acute condition. “[Bipolar disorder is] a disorder of one’s mood, where an individual will experience periods of mania, and opposite that, periods of depression,” Farina said. Claire was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was 10 and describes bipolar disorder as something that has an immense eﬀect on one’s emotions all the time. “I wasn’t scared, I was terrified,” Claire said. “I wasn’t angry, I was enraged. I was so emotionally exhausted; in general, it was really draining to be ruled over your emotions, and not know why you felt this way.” During a period

of mania, one feels on top of the world. With an and drive, and even the simplest tasks can seem abundance of energy and thrilling new ideas flash- overwhelming. ing through the mind, it can be diﬃcult to sleep “It’s horrible,” Claire said. “You completely lose or even manage to motivation for anycontrol oneself, acthing. For me, I get a You can do things you cording to Claire. lot more angry eas“It’s kind of ily and I just don’t regret, and that’s the like things are poswant to do anything. sible that wouldn’t … It kind of makes [worst] part of it, normally be posthe world black and sible, and it can be white and bland.” because you end up scary sometimes, Spector emphacausing a lot of but it can also be sizes that when a extremely empowfriend is suﬀering trouble. ering, and it can from depression, it make you act like is crucial to ensure Claire an idiot,” Claire that they are aware said. “You can do of the many resourcthings you regret, es available for them and that’s the [worst] part of it, because you end up in the community and at school. causing a lot of trouble.” These include, but are not limited to, their The other extreme emotional state is depression. friends, family and school resources such as the In a depressive state, one lacks a sense of purpose Wellness Center and counseling.

Eating disorders

t an average birthday party, the kids will help me,” Rachel said. flock to the cake, their eyes glowing with Eating disorders can often become a slippery excitement. But for someone who suffers slope, according to Mattes. Experiencing a posifrom an eating disorder, the same situation brings tive feeling following changes in one’s body after about very different emotions. restricting their diet can be a false reassurance that “Eating disorders are mostly focused around their eating pattern is healthy, as Rachel experiindividuals that ultimately are not keeping enough enced. food in their body,” Farina said. “An individual that suffers from an eating disThe three eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia order sees a very different reality than other people and binge eating. do,” Mattes said. Anorexia is characFor Rachel, her terized by restrictwhole perspective ing food intake, on food, health and I saw [my body] as and can go together body type changed. more than just my with over-exercis“Most people ing, according to with anorexia have body, I saw it as Farina. With bulibody dysmorphia, mia, an individual and that’s where you something people will binge eat and look into the mirror then purge. Lastly, and you physically looked at as part binge eating disdon’t see the same order will cause an thing that other of me. individual to excespeople see,” Rachel sively overeat. said. “It’s like going Rachel Rachel has to a house of mirstruggled with rors.” anorexia from a The mindset young age. For her, it all began with a simple com- that comes along with an eating disorder results in ment from a friend in fourth grade about how never-ending dissatisfaction, according to Rachel. skinny Rachel was. Though it was not said out of “With people with eating disorders, they think, malice, it completely altered the way Rachel viewed ‘Once I finally get to [this goal], I’ll finally be happy her body. with myself,’ but it’s never enough,” Rachel said. “I saw [my body] as more than just my body, I “No matter how much weight you lose, or how saw it as something people looked at as part of me,” much food you leave on your plate, you’ll always Rachel said. “Would people like me if I wasn’t the have something that you feel insecure about. You same body type?” can never reach that point of total self-love while She began to restrict her eating and was con- you still have that mindset. You can’t love yourself if vinced that she was becoming more and more all you’re trying to do is change yourself.” healthy by eating less and not allowing herself to According to Rachel, the process of changing eat certain foods. She began throwing away food, this mindset and starting on the road to recovery and it eventually escalated to the point where Ra- can begin with reaching out to just one trusted inchel was starving herself. dividual. It was difficult for her to realize that she had “If you notice that you are … suffering from developed an eating disorder. She felt as though symptoms but you don’t want help, the best thing she was making healthy choices, and got frustrated you can do is just tell one person, who you know when others tried to get her help. cares about you and will help you get help,” Rachel “It felt like [my friends] were trying to ruin said. “Because sometimes the first step is just adsomething I had worked for, instead of trying to mitting it to yourself.”

A Marie davis waverly long & kaylie nguyen

call to action

s Rachel experienced, disorders can get better with the help and support of others. It is crucial that every member of society stretches out a helping hand to those going through these invisible battles. “Psychological disorders are largely invisible, and they get interpreted as just being your personality and who you are,” Mattes said. After recognizing that an individual needs to get help, friends and family can provide support in a way that suits the individual’s needs. “All of these disorders are treatable, and each

one is different, and each person is different, so treatment will look different for everyone,” Spector said. With a broken leg, the process is straightforward: an x-ray, a cast and time. Though treatment for mental disorders can be far less clear, both require the support of others. It is every individual’s duty to acknowledge mental disorders as equally important as physical struggles and develop an increased awareness of the silent battles those around may be fighting on a daily basis.

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

LIFESTYLE

Peeking behind the curtains of California’s culinary culture Top chefs reveal the secrets and tricks to their seasonal recipes, from the store, to the kitchen and all the way to the plate By Leela Srinivasan

Staff Writer

ver watched an episode of Food Network’s popular television show “Chopped”? The precision with which nominated chefs execute their dishes is mesmerizing; they streak brightly-colored sauces onto their creations with a refined flourish. As these highly-qualified chefs add the finishing touches to their dishes, the judges proceed to break down the masterpieces, skeptically surveying the plates to identify the different elements of composition and flavor.

“There is certainly an artistic side to cooking, and depending on the chef, sometimes that is taken to an extreme.” Gary Messick The world of cooking is mysterious and complex. Numerous books, such as “The Art and Science of Culinary Preparation” by Jerald W. Chesser, detail the “theory of cooking” and “presenting the fundamentals of culinary arts in a fashion that leads the customer to the heart of the subject.” There has to be a way to bridge the gap between the abilities of average and master chefs. In order to do so, one must break down the world of cooking and set attainable goals. After choosing to scope out an inside perspective from culinary experts right here in Palo Alto, the top pick was popular modern Californian restaurant Saint Michael’s Alley, located downtown at 140 Homer Ave. In a discussion about the fundamentals of cooking, executive

chef Gary Messick initially detailed the presentational aspect, explaining that “there is certainly an artistic side to [cooking], and depending on the restaurant and the chef, sometimes that is taken to an extreme.” It seems like the more upscale a restaurant, the higher the emphasis is on presentation – customers who seek these classy dining experiences are willing to pay for expensive plates of extremely small portions containing exotic blends of ingredients. In a more casual restaurant, providing customer satisfaction is focused upon “sustenance and feeding people, much more about the entertainment [of the food itself rather] than the art,” Messick said. In the process of creating such a dish, composition takes priority over presentation, which is considered only the final component of the process, according to Messick. “I start with flavor profiles, and try to compose a dish that has enough contrast and complementary flavors to work as a dish, and then look at different ways of presenting it so it’s visually appealing as well,” Messick said. “I would never put anything on a dish just to accentuate the vibrant colors; it has to be a contributing factor to the dish.” In his opinion, many chefs try to overcomplicate their dishes, taking away from the charm of simplicity. “Food is inherently simple; you can come up with interesting combinations that don’t involve 20 different ingredients,” Messick said. “I really enjoy presenting a clean dish. I want my customers to appreciate the fact that thought has gone into the dish while refraining from appearing to be overly contrived.” By now it had been established that presentation was not the fo-

JENNY YOULL/USED WITH PERMISSION

The proscuitto-wrapped salmon fillet, made using locally sourced ingredients, is a popular option on the menu at Saint Michael’s Alley. cus of this inquisition, but rather the aspects that make a dish captivating: something that effortlessly entertains the diner.

“Food is inherently simple; you can come up with interesting combinations that don’t involve different ingredients.” Gary Messick Saint Michael’s Alley takes pride in using fresh, locallysourced ingredients, and builds its menu around what they can access at the time. “We really focus on being seasonal, and even micro-seasonal,”

Messick said. “We do change the menu quarterly, but there are several ingredients that are only available every two or three weeks a year, so we’ll try to highlight these items during this time, when they’re freshest and at their best.” The restaurant’s success and popularity stem from the farmto-table approach, in which locally-grown ingredients dominate the menu. This approach where American chef Alice Waters, whose palate had been sculpted by seasonal food while living in France. Waters’ restaurant, Chez Panisse, located in Berkeley, Calif., proved to be extremely successful, attracting the attention of many renowned food critics. The restaurant’s chefs proceeded

to publish 13 different cookbooks compiling their recipes.

“I was looking for taste, and I couldn’t find taste until I found the local farmers who were growing vegetables for flavor.”

Alice Waters

In an interview with CNN, Waters detailed her experience opening her own restaurant and explained how she realized the importance of her ingredients and their sources. “I was looking for taste, and I couldn’t find taste until I found the local organic farmers who

were growing vegetables for flavor,” Waters told CNN. “It’s when I met them and realized that I was dependent on them for the success of the restaurant that I put [local, organic, ingredients] together.” The fact that distinguished chefs have adopted this approach should not intimidate people, because anyone can develop these simple, helpful habits at the grocery store. Venture into the supermarket with the mindset that you are going to cook with the ingredients that are available, as opposed to seeking out ingredients that are not fresh during the season. Draw inspiration from Waters and her realization about ingredients, and remember that “food is inherently simple,” in the words of Messick.

Music tastes affected Transitioning from international schools by peers’ preferences Students of diverse backgrounds recount their previous academic experiences Campus reflects wide variety of artists By Will Robins

Staff Writer

o people always follow the crowd? If you were to ask a high school student about the bands Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd, you are likely to be met with one of two different answers. The majority may cringe, perhaps not having even heard of the bands. But, there still exists a rare breed of high schoolers who will instantly recognize these classics. People, especially the younger generation, tend to follow trends, whether this be in clothes, hair style or even types of music. If everyone around you is listening to the same genre of music, you will most likely listen to it too. Humans are codependent by nature, but it all depends on the extreme that the individual takes it to. Social conformity is the result of conflict, with group opinion triggering a “prediction error” signal in the brain. The most conforming people have the strongest conflict-related signals. In a study by French psychologists Serge Moscovici and Marisa Zavalloni, researchers asked participants questions about their feelings of the French president and their attitude toward Americans. The researchers then asked the participants to discuss each topic as a group. When one group’s opinion swayed one way, the attitudes of the group members intensified toward that direction. The researchers concluded that “group consensus seems to induce a change of attitudes in which subjects are likely to adopt more extreme positions.” When we see our uncertain opinions reflected back to us, our beliefs strengthen. Any deviation from this trend would make one different and an outcast to the crowd. The Campanile went around Paly and asked fellow students about their opinion on ‘70s music versus current popular rap and hip hop music. Junior Hanna Corny said, “Older music tells a story, while modern rap music always has similar sound and meaning” Corny said. “Others may be afraid to ex-

plore older music because it may make them different. I appreciate the music for what it is, not what others think of it.” Corny is one of few who enjoys older music because she actually likes it. She also said that others may stay away from this music because it separates them. Junior Bryan Kagiri, had a different response. He said, “I listen to rap and hip hop because I love dancing to upbeat songs. I feel like I grew up in a generation where older music isn’t played. All my friends listen to the same rap music as me. That’s another reason why I enjoy it.”

“Older music tells a story, while modern music always has similar sound and meaning.” Hanna Corny Kagiri is one of the countless teenagers who primarily listen to mainstream rap and hip hop. One of the main reasons is due to his friends and peers who also listen to it. Junior Bridget Leonard said she enjoys older music but generally listens to modern songs more. “I think it’s really good and interesting; it portrays important messages,” Leonard said. “I listen to modern rap music more because it is played more, and my friends and I both play it often.” Although Leonard listens to ‘70s music occasionally, she plays and enjoys modern day rap much more, unlike junior Kenzo Morales. “I listen to a variety of music; I like whatever’s trending, but I also enjoy songs that are not,” Morales said. “It’s nice to be open to whatever you want, and not just like one genre.” Morales is aware of the minimal taste of music in his generation, and he tries to explore other genres from different times to deepen his appreciation.. The qualities of the music itself are often the last consideration when students listen to music. Usually, others’ opinions impact one’s emotional reception of a song before they form their own views.

REHAAN ADVANI/THE CAMPANILE

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

Junior Rehaan Advani and sophomore Natalie Schilling say the experience of attending international schools left them open-minded people.

By Vivian Feng Lifestyle Editor

ccording to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 1.61 billion children worldwide enrolled in primary or secondary schools, and of those, only 3.5 million students have attended an international school. The official requisites that constitute an international school are that it must have English or French as the language of instruction, it requires students to take on at least one additional language and it must contain a multinational and multilingual population. These schools were created to cater students who are not natives of the host country, such as those who are children of staff in foreign embassies, international organizations or on the staff of international businesses. Although these schools are relatively uncommon, a surprisingly large number of students have had the experience of attending an international school, including several students at Paly. Freshman Ella Miranz is one such student. Prior to enrolling at Paly, Miranz attended the International School of the Peninsula (ISTP) for 11 years: from Pre-K

through eigth grade. Although the school is located in Palo Alto, ISTP offers a culturally enriching experience. Miranz recalls meeting students of diverse nationalities, saying “they were all bilingual and culturally knowledgeable.” At ISTP, students are provided with a bilingual academic curriculum, blending practices of the U.S. education system with the standards of the French national curriculum as well as curricula from China and Taiwan. “I initially noticed that we all had different backgrounds,” Miranz said. “What made everything easy was being part of [the ISTP] community for so long. Since we all met at the age of 3, we grew up with all this diversity which made it easy for us to understand each other and communicate.” Despite transitioning to a new school for the first time, Miranz said the adjustment from an international school to Paly was predictable, given that she knew Paly was going to be larger. “[Since] Paly is a bigger school with many students, it is harder to get to know everyone individually,” Miranz said. Junior Rehaan Advanadi attended the Singapore American School (SAS) from first through seventh grade, before moving to Palo Alto. Among the differences between Singapore and Palo Alto, Advanadi said that the culture

and the students here encouraged independence. “You can be a lot more independent. You can bike wherever you want to explore,” Advanadi said. “In Singapore, there’s not much [else] other than going out with friends.” SAS’s curriculum is nearly identical to Paly’s, and is similarly accredited by The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), to which Advanadi attributes his smooth transition. One aspect Advanadi misses is the opportunity to compete against sports school teams from other countries. “I was in a [tennis] tournament called IASAS, and I got to play teams from Malaysia and Indonesia,” Advanadi said. Both of Miranz and Advanadi’s schools, along with other international schools, provide opportunities for their students to travel and experience other cultures with their classmates. These trips enrich the students culturally through hands-on experiences beyond the classroom and foster a closer bond between the many groups and students travelling. Both said the greatest feature of all is the ability to fully immerse oneself into the international community, learning more about cultures and traditions that they may not have been intro-

duced to otherwise. Most students attending international schools are not from the host country, so at a relatively young age, they are exposed people who come from different backgrounds. Advanadi said living in Singapore opened up his perspective of the international community and taught him lots of unique customs.

These trips enrich the students culturally through hands-on experiences beyond the classroom. “Singapore is extremely culturally diverse,” Advanadi said. “There were a lot of Indian customs and Chinese New Year was also really big. I got to learn about what’s important to people of all backgrounds.” Sophomore Natalie Schilling, who attended The American School in Tokyo, agrees on becoming more open-minded afterwards. “At first I didn’t like it [in Japan],” Schilling said. “But experiencing and learning what I liked about another culture made me more open. I don’t think I would be as open to trying new things if I didn’t live there.”

The Campanile

Friday, September 29, 2017

SCIENCE & TECH

Virtual reality helps enhance Stanford healthcare education

Stanford Hospital has already begun to integrate the cutting-edge technology of virtual reality to improve learning experience By Ujwal Srivastava

Staff Writer

cross the street at Stanford University, medical students can rotate, slice and analyze a life-size body, all without the use of a real cadaver. The Virtual Anatomy Table, manufactured by Anatomage, is one of many virtual reality (VR) products Stanford’s Division of Clinical Anatomy is utilizing to enhance education. While virtual reality does not entirely replace practicing on physical bodies, it adds a whole new dimension to student education. “The technology gives the students a 3-D perspective that they may not have by looking at cadaver material,” said Bruce Fogel, Adjunct Professor in the division. “For example, today we were looking at the arm and were studying the nervous system. When we look at a dissection, it’s very difficult to follow that nerve, whereas with virtual reality or the digital resources, we can basically eliminate all the other anatomies, we just see that nerve, and it’s much easier to track.” According to Fogel, the learning is predominantly still real-life cadaver, yet increasing the technological component would have no adverse effects. “I think there’s a tremendous advantage to it [increasing the technology part],” Fogel said. “For just the practical reason, one can’t take a cadaver home to study whereas they will have access to the digital resource to study at any time.” The only disadvantage Fogel sees is the cost. “Students are very cost con-

scious, understandably so, and even the most reasonable apps that give us three-dimensional functionality can be forty to fifty dollars,” Fogel said. Digital director Matt Hasel also has a positive view on the table. “The Anatomage table was really one of the first examples of the use of immersive technology,” Hasel said. “It takes sliced CT (Computed Tomography) data and it’s doing a 3-D reconstruction on the fly so in real time we can manipulate the data, see it from different angles, zoom in and out, slice the data, and get a unique perspective. To me, [the technology] is meaningful and does actually help people gain a better understanding.” Jeffrey Kwong, a medical student at Stanford and beneficiary of the VR curriculum, also believes it is advantageous. “Typically the virtual realities are pretty good as a learning tool,” Kwong said. “[It] definitely doesn’t replace [physical learning], but it lets you study wherever you want and on the go. It’s also very helpful to see stuff from different angles.” According to Hasel, early research has shown that by engaging students using VR, we’re benefitting with better comprehension, better retention, higher satisfaction and more enthusiasm from learners about the content. Another VR technology that the division has incorporated is the Oculus Rift. When the viewer puts on the Oculus Rift goggles, they are miniaturized and placed inside an anatomical structure. “The examples we have are one of the inner ear, which is a fly-through, and the other is a

JONATHAN STOSCHEK/THE CAMPANILE

Senior Jonathan Stoschek tests out Virtual Reality in healthcare education while examining a brain model at Stanford University. fly-through of the lower arm and carpal tunnel into the hand,” Fogel said. VR allows students to learn in new ways. “We’re now moving over to

the Vive,” Hasel said. “This allows us to build a room-scale VR experience. We’re trying to scale up anatomy models so that we can walk around them and through them. The beauty is you

get positional tracking in addition to rotational tracking. The Vive is also very compact and portable, that said, these setups are not inexpensive.” Over time, the goal is to gain a

smooth balance of VR that maximizes learning. Hasel said, “the next step for us is to switch that over into a VR camera so that you interact with that.”

MakeX center offers unique amenities Electric longboards A space for students to get involved and engaged in innovation and technology for transportation An innovative new way to get to school By Chris Pierno

Peyton Wang

Science/Tech Editor

JONATHAN STOSCHEK/THE CAMPANILE

MakeX participants enjoy their time working and playing with technology in the MakeX lab in the Cubberly Community Center.

By Peyton Wang

Science &Tech Editor

n a small room of bustling students, Paly senior Andrew Shieh calmly sits at the computer table in the corner of the room, designing electric vehicle parts with advanced software. After Shieh finishes with his blueprints, he sends his design to a 3-D printer, a machine that repetitively traces multiple layers of white ink to form the final product. Shieh will use his 3-D printed for a battery-powered vehicle, which is programmed to autonomously navigate between two cans on a track in the fastest time possible.

“At MakeX, there are a bunch of free tools that you can use whenever you want.” Gregory Xie Aspiring student engineers can fulfill their dreams at MakeX, a free makerspace that offers a wide variety of tools – 3-D printers, laser cutters and acrylic paints galore!. MakeX, located in a classroom at Cubberley Community Center, opened its doors to the Palo Alto

community in 2015. Although the space is for public use, its predominant occupants are students who want to design their projects without adult supervision.

Students in SciOly, a club in which members compete in science-related events, frequently work on their projects at MakeX. MakeX is currently open on Fridays from 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Prior to its construction, MakeX initially launched in mobile form at the Palo Alto Art Center. Following its success, the makerspace was founded and designed with the help of high school students and funded by the Palo Alto library system two years later. Nathan Kau, a sophomore at Stanford University and a former Paly student, was one of the original students involved in founding MakeX. “At the time we started MakeX, there weren’t too many makerspaces around, and the few that did exist were either very expensive, unavailable to students or both,” Kau said. “I wanted [MakeX] to be free for students

and to also have an accessible and friendly environment.” “Some of the more fun [projects] were building a drone from scratch using recycled arrow shafts, casting an origami lion inside a clear plast block and building a walking robot, which I’m continuing to work on at Stanford,” Kau said. Kau works at MakeX over the summer, but he leaves it up to the new generation of mentors to manage a majority of the makersspace. MakeX is completely run by student mentors who assist other students with their creations. “The mentors at MakeX helped me with many of my Science Olympiad (SciOly) projects,” Shieh said. “They taught me how to properly use certain tools and provided me with constructive feedback.”

“[MakeX is] like a messier version of the Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.” Nathan Kau

Gunn senior Gregory Xie, a student mentor and the head of MakeX, manages the budget, communicates with the city and recruits new mentors. Students can also bond with

other ambitious engineers while waiting to use the tools by relaxing on the sofa and playing video games. “At MakeX, there are bunch of free tools that you can use whenever you want,” Xie said. “Also, it’s a really great place to hang out – we have a Wii and a projector for movies.” Students in SciOly, a club in which members compete in science-related events, frequently work on their projects at MakeX. In the past two years, for his SciOly events, Shieh utilized the engineering tools and amenities at MakeX. “MakeX has tools that I don’t have access to at Paly, such as 3-D printers,” Shieh said. “It would have been difficult for me to finish my electric vehicle without the power and cutting tools offered at MakeX.” Many students enjoy working at MakeX, as they are provided with a wide variety of tools free of charge. Kau encourages students who are interested in building their own creations to check out MakeX as well as apply to be a mentor. “[MakeX is] like a messier version of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, but replace the candy machines with 3-D printers, laser cutters, and other fancy tools,” Kau said. “You also don’t need a golden ticket, anyone can work there.”

Senior Staff Writer

enior Ryan Dickson first started using his electric longboard to get to school when he realized it could shorten his commute by being faster and more efficient. Longboards are similar to skateboards in that they are fourwheeled boards designed for riding. However, longboards are generally longer, have bigger wheels and are designed for transportation, not tricks. Motorized longboards arrived on the Paly campus in the last few years and many students have begun using them to get to school. “My average trip is around five miles. In the last six months, I’ve traveled roughly 1,000 miles on my board,” said Dickson, who owns an electric longboard. “The board cut my morning commute from 15 minutes down to seven, which is great for someone like me who procrastinates leaving for school until the last second.”

“I wear a helmet as anyone should when riding something that fast.” Ryan Dickson

Boosted Boards is a company that makes electric longboards. Boosted Boards produces some of the best electric longboards on the market due to their high quality design and materials, and its 7-mile range and top speed of over 20 miles per hour. But the trade off is the over $1,000 dollar price tag on their boards. Their lowest end model, the Dual Board, has a price tag of $1,299. Even though this may seem high, it is comparable to prices for other electric longboards on the market. Buying an electric longboard

on the market is too expensive for many, so those who still want an electric longboard find it cheaper to build one. However, while building a board may be cheaper, it has risks. Homemade electric longboards are more unstable, and have a higher risk of breaking down and causing serious harm to the rider. “Building your own longboard is much more dangerous,” Dickson said. “Lots of the price in a board goes into development of all the different electrical systems to ensure in the event of failure. It doesn’t throw you off.” California law dictates all people under 18 are required to wear a helmet while riding any board of any kind. This is especially true for motorized longboards. Electric longboards have the ability to go faster than what would normally be achievable on a regular longboard, which means safety is very important. “I wear a helmet as anyone should when riding something that fast,” Dickson said. “In terms of safety, there’s the obvious fact that you’re going a lot faster than a normal board, but without the need to kick, combined with good suspension, responsive brakes and even the ability to just step off of it make it easier and safer to ride.” Boosted Boards are not the only motorized devices on the market. Another board, the Mellow Drive, can be attached to any longboard or skateboard to motorize it. However, its price tag is €1,427, or approximately $1,600. “The board cost me $1,500, roughly the same price as a nice road bike,” Dickson said. “This board is the top-end model that the company sells, and while there are cheaper board on the market, I opted for mine due to its known reliability and safety.” Overall, those who want a reliable electric longboard should opt to buy one, such as a Boosted Board, while those who are a little more adventurous or do not have the funds should build their own.

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

SCIENCE & TECH

Apple’s The Science Behind Mental Health sly tactics HOW THE BRAIN PLAYS A ROLE IN THE CAUSES AND TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND ADDICTION

common misconception is that a person’s mental health is indicative of their mental strength. However, mental illness is a medical condition, just like heart disease or diabetes. In a given year, one in five U.S. adults will experience a form of a mental illness, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Currently, physicians and scientists are working to expand their knowledge on how the human brain functions as well as develop improved treatments for mental health conditions.

Text & Design by Peyton Wang & Eric He

Art by Marie Davis JONATHAN STOSCHEK/THE CAMPANILE

By Edan Sneh

Common Conditions

Although there is a high such as increasing exercise, med- brain was an unexpected finding. “In some instances, people inherited risk of acquiring de- itation and encouraging good “Serendipitously, it was disneed to be hospitalized for [alpression, scientists are unsure of sleep habits, to talk therapies covered that medication intendcohol withdrawal effects] and these genetic factors. Depression that improve patients’ psycho- ed for another purpose actually medically monitored and treatseemed to ed,” Lembke nxiety disorders are the can also be caused by external logical coping mechanisms. “The theme of just about all elevate pasaid. most common mental ill- factors and stressors, such as distreatments for depression and tients’ moods, B o t h ness, affecting about 18 appointment and trauma. “Antidepressants help “There are likely hundreds anxiety is to help repair the and that led psychotherpercent of the U.S. population the neurons use apy and anannually, according to the Anxi- of genes that each confer small stress-related injury to the neu- to this idea neurotransmitters that those tidepressant ety and Depression Association vulnerabilities or resistance to rons in the brain,” Smith said. more effectively and Antidepressant medications medications medications of America. Oftentimes, individ- stress-induced depression,” said encourage regrowth of manipulate the levels of certain could be often result uals with anxiety disorders also Smith. A d - neurotransmitters that influ- used to treat in multiple suffer from impaired neurons.” d i t ional l y, ence mood, such as serotonin, depression,” changes in depression the reward norepinephrine and dopamine. Lembke said. a person’s or vice versa. “Serendipitiously, it was Dr. Da v id Smith pathway, a Some antidepressants increase W i t h brain chemD e p re s discovered that part of the the amount of neurotransmitters drawal from istry when sion and medication intended for brain in- in one’s brain, while others block some addictive drugs, such as they can effectively treat depresanxiet y another purpose volved in the reuptake of neurotransmit- cannabis, nicotine, opioids and sion. disorders pleasure and ters, increasing the effectiveness heroin can be painful but are usu“When we give patients anappear freusually seemed to enjoyment, of the neurotransmitter the brain ally not life-threatening. Howevtidepressant medication, oftenquently in alleviate patients’ plays a large produces by itself. er, it can be deadly to individuals times those areas of the [frontal adolescents. moods.” role in ad“Antidepressants help the withdrawing from alcohol, espelobe] light up, but they also light According to diction. Of- neurons use neurotransmitters cially for those who drink heavily. up if people engage in psychothe National Dr. Anna Lembke tentimes, the more effectively and encourage therapy,” Lembke said. Institute reward path- regrowth of impaired neurons,” of Mental way does not Smith said. Health, at According to Lembke, least 12.5 percent of adolescents function properly in depression, aged 12 to 17 had at least one causing patients to be unaffected the discovery of antidepressants and major depressive episode in 2015. by enjoyable activities. “[Addictive substances] acti- their effect on “Teens are not always as aware as adults of what clinical vate the reward system, so people depression depression or anxiety problems who use them feel temporar- in the are and can be less likely to real- ily good,” Smith said. “The brain ize they have a problem that can responds to this by deregulating be helped with counseling, or its activity in the reward cenmedication if it is more severe,” ter, which makes people feel said Dr. David Smith, a psychia- down and low when the trist who specializes in psychiat- drug wears off and likely ric medication and has a private to crave using the drug again.” practice in Palo Alto. Common adApproximately one in 12 peosubstances ple in the U.S. have a substance dictive alcohol, use disorder, more commonly include known as addiction. According marijuana and predrugs. to Dr. Anna Lembke, a psychia- scription addictive trist at Stanford who treats pa- When enter tients with substance use disor- substances ders, about 60 percent of people the bloodstream, with addiction also have a co-oc- they do more than curring mental health condition, disrupt the delicate balance of the such as depression and anxiety. “When people are under reward pathway. the influence [of addictive sub- They also mimic stances], they are less inhibited,” neurotransmitters, Lembke said. “If somebody a chemical key inis depressed and has suicidal volved in the sending thoughts, when they become of electrical signals intoxicated, they may be more between neurons likely to implement some actions that signals for the release of dopaaround those thoughts.” Studies have shown that most mine in the brain. suicide attempts occur when The brain compeople are intoxicated or under pensates by prothe influence of a mood-altering ducing less of the drug, but researchers are unsure neurotransmitter and mistakes the why this occurs. Additionally, when depressed substance for the people are also intoxicated, they original neurotransbecome even more depressed and mitter. Over time, the suicidal. Often people have no recollection of feeling suicidal body adapts to havwhen they were under the influ- ing the substance in the body, which it then ence. “Usually, people imbibe al- relies on to release dopacohol and other addictive drugs mine. When an individual has because they’re euphoriant,” Lembke said. “Paradoxically, a low tolerance for a substance, people sometimes become sui- it means that the substance has more of an effect on the brain, cidal when they are intoxicated.” as the neurotransmitters have not been affected yet. However, A Dive Into when a person has a high tolerance for a substance, they require the Brain more of that substance to achieve the same high, which has danhe causes of mental illnessgerous side effects. es are currently an area of “[People who frequently take active research. However, addictive substances] also get scientists know what areas of tolerant to the effect, so they get the brain are involved in some of less and less desired effect from these conditions. the drug, and just more withResearch has shown that drawal and negative symptoms multiple areas of the brain may over time,” Smith said. be involved with depression, inTolerance is dangerous as it cluding the frontal lobe. upsets the balance of the reward “Based on functional imaging system. Users with high tolerstudies, there are some areas of hyperactivity in the frontal lobe, ance to a certain drug will crave more of the substance in order meaning that there is less electrinormalize the balance. The uncal signaling and blood profusion balanced reward system has a in those areas when people are negative effect on the affected depressed,” Lembke said. user, causing them to feel down The limbic system, which more often. involves motivation and emotion, and the prefrontal cortex, which involves motor function Typical and problem solving, also play a Treatments primary role in depression. “The essential biological cause of depression and anxiety reatments for depression is stress and its negative impact and anxiety can range on the health of the neurons from home responsible for emotion regula- remedies, tion,” Smith said. “Why and how these neurons get stressed varies a lot from person to person.” See B4-B5 for the social and ethical implications of mental health

Online Editor

long with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook, Apple Inc., Angela Ahrendts, Jeff Williams, Eddy Cue, Jenova Chen, Phil Schiller, Atli Mar and Craig Federighi unveiled Apple’s new iPhone X on Sept. 12, exciting Apple fans from around the world. However, the introduction of the iPhone X at $999 and above essentially renders the iPhone 8 obsolete. In reality, the iPhone X is a completely overhauled version of the iPhone 8, meaning the iPhone 8 has no features to offer over the iPhone X. Apple’s choice to release the iPhone 8 instead of the iPhone 7s reveals much. Previously, the “s” model — which stands for speed — in the iPhone’s title indicated that the updated model was not significant enough to have its own name with a new number.

In reality, the iPhone X is a completely overhauled version of the iPhone 8, meaning the iPhone 8 has no features to offer over the iPhone X. By naming the new phone the iPhone 8, Apple is strategically showcasing the new iPhone as more than just a minor upgrade. While the new iPhone 8 has some remarkable features such as wireless charging, a more powerful chip, a modified camera and a tighter seal, the new features do not seem to justify Apple’s name changes. So why did Apple decide to change the name of their phone? The answer lies in Apple’s new iPhone X, a must-buy for all Apple users who can afford it. First, the new features in the iPhone 8 are included in the iPhone X. Furthermore, the iPhone X’s endto-end display makes the phone more immersive than ever, covering a higher percent of its surface than its biggest competitor, the Samsung Galaxy Note8.

Although the new features of the iPhone X are ground breaking, its markup of $200 should be seen as a slick tactic. The new facial recognition software is innovative; so much so that, in fact, the new iPhone X can be unlocked through seamless facial recognition. This recognition is accomplished through depth perception identification and attention to incredible facial detail. With the removal of the home button, Apple appears to have completely reworked its hardware to qualify as a potential competitor in the mobile phone market. The iPhone X has all of the features that are necessary for a jump to a completely new model. So wouldn’t it make sense for the iPhone 8 to be called the iPhone 7s, and the iPhone X to be called the iPhone 8? According to Apple, the name change was justified because the iPhone X was built for the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. However, the name change allows Apple to move the iPhone X’s price to $999. The price is $200 more than previous iPhones and does not follow its old price trend. Apple’s old price trend would establish the newest model at $700 and move the older model to $550. An iPhone priced at $1000 could have easily caused an uproar for users around the world. But because Apple chose a different name for its new phone, the phone looks more impressive than it should, leading more consumers to accept the price change. Although the new features of the iPhone X are groundbreaking, its markup of $200 should be seen as a sly tactic of Apple’s marketing team rather than a update three models into the future.

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

SPORTS Text and Design By Kiran Misner

Design by khadija abid

PPPPphotos from julia doubson

Into the wild: ORienteering S

enior Julia Doubson is in the middle of a forest. If she listens closely, she can hear a few other footsteps crunching the bark and leaves. She runs a few meters left before stopping to check where she is. While this scene sounds like something taken straight out of “The Hunger Games,” Doubson is actually participating in one of her favorite activities. She is one of several orienteers in the Bay Area. Orienteering is a competitive sport in which participants race to find various checkpoints using only a map and a compass. Those who meet all the checkpoints the fastest are declared the winners. The sport is usually played on rough terrains; however, they can also be held in city streets, schools and urban terrain. Orienteering is just as physically demanding as it is mentally demanding. Tasks such as finding the way around the course require analysis of a map as well as good directional sense. Without both mental and physical skill, it can be hard to succeed in the sport, according to Antoine Finot, a senior at Paly. “I think the hardest and most important part of orienteering is being able to read the map, whether it be understanding all the symbols or judging the distances between points,” Finot said.

“If you can do this well, you can easily beat someone who is much, much faster but has terrible navigation skills.” Doubson first started orienteering at 5 years old, when she became interested in the sport through her father, a lifelong orienteer.

“I don’t know how or why but there’s something so exciting about getting lost in a forest you’ve never been to.” Antoine Finot “When I was 5, we discovered the Bay Area Orienteering Club,” Doubson said. Since then, Doubson said she has improved, and has also challenged herself with harder courses that involve more thinking and harder decisions. “I started out doing beginning courses, which are pretty basic with mostly trail and left or right choices,” Doubson said. “The summer before freshman year, I started doing courses that have a lot more route choice and are more interesting.” At 14, Doubson became part of the U.S. Junior National Team and has competed with team USA every since. As a athlete for the U.S. national team, Doubson is part of an elite group of junior orienteers who represent the

country in different international races. “[In] freshman year, I joined the U.S. Junior National Team and that summer, I competed at the Junior World Orienteering Championships,” Doubson said. “Even though [team members] live in spread-out areas across the country, this team brings the orienteering community together and allows us to develop.” However, Doubson’s path to becoming an expert orienteer is unique. Other orienteers, like Finot, have gotten involved with the sport through the Orienteering Club at Palo Alto High School. “I started last year when [Doubson] started the club at Paly; I had done it once before, and I really enjoyed it,” Finot said. “I hadn’t really heard about it since it’s not really an American sport, but I got into it pretty quickly.” Finot was immediately attracted by the natural element of the sport. With school commitments and other extracurriculars taking priority at times, Finot enjoyed the fact that orienteering allowed him to be as committed as he wanted to be. “I really enjoy the outdoors, and orienteering is one of the few sports where each event has a different playing field,” Finot said. “Many sports take place on a regulated field that doesn’t change, but the ‘field’ for orienteering is usually a huge area of land that you’ve never been to before. I also enjoy it because it’s as competitive as you want to make it [for nonnational events]. You can try really hard if you’re feeling good, or walk the same course with friends just for fun.” Despite having gained some popularity in the Bay Area, orienteering remains relatively un-

known across the country, according to Doubson. However, she said that initiatives who aim to spread awareness about orienteering will help the sport grow. “In America, orienteering isn’t as popular as it is in other regions, such as Europe,” Doubson said. “[There are] a lot of efforts in some areas to get orienteering into schools. [There are] people teaching it in schools [and] in physical education classes. There’s definitely an effort to attract the younger generation, as most of the people in orienteering today have

skills of all interested orienteers, regardless of prior experience. It meets Wednesdays at lunch in room 813 with Mr. Blackburn and discusses orienteering tactics, skills and techniques. “I started the Orienteering Club at Paly last year because many of my friends were interested, but it’s hard to travel to events as a beginner if you’re unsure of what you’re doing,” Doubson said. “The goal at Paly is to develop orienteering… and allow people the opportunity to [improve].” The club hopes to attract Paly students from all grades and backgrounds and motivate them to partake in the sport, according to Finot. He said that in order to gain traction, the club should put on promotional events, similar to those that held last year. “Last year, the leadership [team] hosted a few events for the club, such as setting up a course at Stanford and a Halloweenthemed one that took place in the area between Paly and midtown,” Finot said. “[Those] were both really fun, and I hope that this year we can do the same as well as plan a handful of trips to the local [Bay Area Orienteering Club] events.” While orienteering may not be prevalent in physical education classes at Paly, Finot encourages those interested in adventure and exploration to join the club. Finot said, “I don’t know how or why, but there’s something so exciting about getting lost in a forest you’ve never been to.”

“The goal at paly is to develop orienteering . . . and allow people the oppurtunity to get better.” Julia doubson

been doing it for a long time.” Orienteering’s lack of popularity in the U.S. has made Doubson consider changing her post-high school destination. “I am actually considering going to college in different parts of Europe so I can continue to orienteer,” Doubson said. “At some universities in the U.S., it might be a lot harder to keep on orienteering.” Paly’s Orienteering Club is one way Doubson hopes to grow the orienteering community in her high school community. The club focuses on improving the

Photos Above: DOUBSON COMPETES AS PART OF THE UNITED STATES JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM, WHERE SHE REPRESENTS THE COUNTRY IN MANY DIFFERENT INTERNATIONAL EVENTS, SUCH AS THE WORLD JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS.

SPORTS SPREAD

Fantasy football: teacher’s edition

What do teachers do for fun outside of teaching? For some math teachers, they compete weekly, in hopes of being named champion in their own ultra-competitve fantasy football league.

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PAGE C4-C5

Recreation

PHOTO BY ELVERT BARNES/CC BY-SA 2.0

Spikeball club

The popular backyard game is coming to Paly as a club. PAGE C6

Soccer

Skateboarding

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DA versus high school

Development academies (DA) force players to forgo high school soccer. PAGE C7

CC0 PUBLIC DOMAIN

Skateboarding culture

The growth of skateboarding has impacted Palyís pop culture. PAGE C8

Friday, September 29, 2017

SPORTS REPORT FOOTBALL RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Aragon 9/15, L, 48-14 Paly @ Homestead 9/22, W, 28-14 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly @ Los Gatos 10/6, 7:00 Paly @ Wilcox 10/13, 7:00

TENNIS RECENT SCORES

Paly @ Fremont 9/16, W, 17-1 Paly vs. Lynbrook 9/21, W, 5-2 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly @ Monta Vista 9/26, 3:00 Paly vs. Saratoga 9/28, 3:00

BOYS WOPO RECENT SCORES

Paly @ Homestead 9/21, L, 6-7 Paly vs. Willow Glen 9/23, L, 7-9 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Lynbrook 9/26, 2:30 Paly @ Woodside 9/27, 5:00

GIRLS WOPO RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Saratoga 9/19, W, 14-4 Paly @ Homestead 9/21, L, 5-6 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly @ Los Gatos 10/3, 6:45 Paly vs. Gunn 10/5, 3:30

VOLLEYBALL RECENT SCORES

Paly @ Los Gatos 9/19, W, 3-1 Paly vs. Saratoga 9/21, W, 3-0 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly @ Los Gatos 9/26, 6:45 Paly vs. Monta Vista 9/28, 6:45

CROSS COUNTRY RECENT SCORES

Early Bird Invitational 4th out of 80, 9/16 SCVAL Meet #1: Central VG 1st Place, VB 2nd Place UPCOMING GAMES

Crystal Springs 10/3, 3:15 Clovis Invitational 10/7, 8:00 AM

GOLF RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Saratoga 9/18, W, 201-229 Paly vs. Lynbrook 9/21, W, 155-181 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Los Gatos 10/3, TBD Paly vs. Lynbrook 10/4, TBD

The Campanile

SPORTS

Volleyball continuously dominates on the court

Viking squad looks strong in an impressive four-game winning streak against SCVAL teams this year By Kennedy Herron Staff Writer

hrough rigorous training, tight-knit teamwork and competitive schedules, both the varsity and junior varsity ( JV) girls volleyball teams continue to drive winning records this season. The varsity girls volleyball team has started the season off strong with five wins and two losses. “One of our biggest strengths on our team is our middle blockers: Mia Gibbs, Isabella Marcus and Trisha Razdan,” said Susanna Limb, senior team captain and libero. “They close the block which makes it easier for the defense and they score a lot of our points.” The team has ended most games without its opponent scoring, even when they competed against extremely skilled teams, such as Menlo School and Gunn High School, according to junior Mallory Kuppe, the team’s outside hitter and defensive specialist. “The toughest game was defi-

nitely the game [against Menlo School], because we really left everything on the court and powered through to win in three sets, even though Menlo is a really solid team,” Kuppe said. The varsity team has worked cohesively to improve its tactics and win each game, according to Kuppe. “Every practice we’ve had has been super focused on the mistakes we make as a team, so we have gradually been getting better and better,” Kuppe said. These practices have paid off, and have truly impacted the team’s overall performance. “[Winning] felt very rewarding because we worked hard during practice and had a good game strategy,” Limb said. The JV girls have also felt an increased sense of teamwork according to sophomore and opposite hitter Chloe Laursen. “Everyone contributes to each win and is important for each game,” Laursen said. The JV record is 6-1, only losing to St. Ignatius College Prepa-

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Sophomore Amelia Gibbs goes for a spike during a game against Gunn’s girls varsity volleyball team. energy and skill level no matter their hot-streak. ratory. “We look forward to crushMembers of both teams say who our opponent is or what the ing the competition and hopethe significant aspect they must score is,” Kuppe said. Both teams will play Home- fully winning league,” Limb said. improve on is maintaining their stead High School on Oct. 5 and “We’re also really excited to play abilities throughout the matches. “One thing we need to work Los Gatos High School on Oct. in the new gym because a lot of on is keeping a consistent level of 10. The team is looking to keep up fans come out to support us.”

Football rebounds with victory at Homestead

Viking football team is building off of preseason losses to excel in upcoming league competition By Waverly Long

Staff Writer

espite a rough start, the football team remains determined to turn the season around, according to senior captain Cullen Tellez. After losing to Patterson High School and Half Moon Bay High School at the start of the school year, the team has continued to struggle, resulting in a 48-14 loss against Aragon, and a 41-7 loss against Archbishop Mitty High School. Though the games ended in defeat, the team has experienced some high moments, according to Tellez. Some highlights from the game against Aragon included sophomore Jamir Sheppard’s two touchdown catches and junior Wes Walter’s two-point conversion.

“All we can do is keep grinding, keep our energy up, and motivate ourselves to keep going. We want to prove everyone wrong.” Cullen Tellez

Despite their struggles, the team has yet to face its toughest competitors. “We’re happy that

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

The varsity football team fought fiercely against Half Moon Bay but ultimately lost. The team looks forward to playing Los Gatos this Friday. the preseason is over now, and we’re going into league,” Tellez said. “We’re definitely going to face bigger opponents.” However, the challenges they face in the road ahead don’t seem to frighten the team. The team remains hopeful they will be able to pick themselves up and ultimately show how powerful they are, according to Tellez. “[The games have] been rough,

but we’re building off of it and learning from it and trying to get better,” said junior quarterback Damion Valencia. The team plans to push through and continue working hard, according to junior middle linebacker Seattle Hmelar. “We’re going to take it one game at a time,” Hmelar said. “Forget about the past, we’ll keep moving.”

Ultimately, Tellez said, the team is driven by the desire to prove themselves. The school’s low expectations for the football season has provided a motivation for the team. “All we can do is keep grinding, keep our energy up, and motivate ourselves to keep going,” Tellez said. “We want to prove everyone wrong.” The team’s persistent spirit

paid off on Sept. 22, when they pulled off their first win in their game against Homestead, with an end score of 28-14. The win leaves them undefeated in league play, which is a trend they hope to continue for the entirety of the season. Junior varsity has had a strong season thus far, with four wins and one loss overall, and one win and zero losses in league play.

Despite rocky start, girls water polo defeats Saratoga Team looks to continue winning streak in future league games after they bounce back from tournament By John Tayeri

Staff Writer

alo Alto High School’s girls water polo team has had its ups and downs in performance after playing many games in tournaments and league-play. On Sept. 8 and 9, the team competed in the Saint Francis Invitational, where they played against mostly non-conference private schools such as Saint Francis and Saint Ignatius. In this tournament, the girls came out victorious in only one of the four games against Saint Ignatius.

“[We] lacked in communication while in the pool, which makes it much harder to play cohesively.” Grace Rowell

“In the last couple of games I think some of us were a little burnt out, thus leaving the some of the more experienced players, such as the captains, to lead the team,” said junior Grace Rowell. “We also lacked in communication while in the pool, which makes it much harder to play cohesively.” On the other hand, junior Courtney Kernick sees these games as an opportunity to improve. “Although we only won one

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Senior Sophie Frick gets ready to throw the ball to a teammate. Frick returned as captain on her fourth year on the water polo team this year. of those four games over the two days, it was a really great learning experience for everyone,” Kernick said. “I think it prepared us well for some of our more difficult conference games.” The team, now 7-9, played and won the Aptos Tournament on Sept. 16. This tournament boosted the team’s morale, leading

the team to prevail over Saratoga High School by a score of 14-4. In this match, goalkeeper Mia Bloom also returned to the pool after a concussion, driving the team to a victory. This game was the girls’ first win in league-play. The junior varsity ( JV) Team is doing a great job so far, keeping a record of 5-2, while remain-

ing undefeated in league-play. On Sept. 14, the team crushed hometown rivals Gunn High School in a league game with a score of 11-1. “A couple of JV girls played up with us during the tournaments which was very exciting,” Kernick said. Many JV girls stepped up in

the tournaments, and became key factors to the team in gameplay. “The junior varsity team’s successes only translate positive things,” Rowell said. “When all of the seniors graduate this year, we know that there will be girls to help out next year.” Overall, the future looks bright for the Viking water polo squad.

The Campanile

Friday, September 29, 2017

SPORTS C3 Cross country to compete in SCVAL, invitationals Freshman athletes sweep their competition in both the boys and girls races, helping the team finish fourth overall Navid Najmabadi Staff Writer

nder the bright sun of the Early Bird invitational, cross country began its first official meet participating in a three-mile race on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 16 in Salinas, California’s Toro Park. The girls team finished fourth overall, lead by senior captains Julia Doubson, Maya Akkaraju and junior Zoe Douglas. Sophomores Miranda Jimenez and Kai Douglas finished as the top runners for the girls varsity race. The freshmen girls placed first out of the 15 teams participating in the race, totalling 73 points. Despite finishing in first place,

“It’s always nice to have a good group of strong underclassmen, to know that your team is heading into the right direction.” Maya Akkaraju

the freshman girls saya they are still committed to excellence, while remaining focused and determined to finish in the top spot for the rest of their races.

The boys also finished in fourth place out of 80 teams. In the junior race, Henry Saul finished second overall, clocking in at 15:50 in the three-mile race. Donald Taggart and John Tayeri also placed in the top 25 spots in the race. Sam Craig lead the senior boys, finishing sixth place with a time of 16:06. The boys look to improve after their performance, and expect to finish in the top spot. “I’m really excited to race in

“The main team goals we look to build on from last year are beating Los Altos, and finishing top two when CCS starts.” Donald Taggart

the next meet because it’s a short course and a chance to improve since last meet was a really rough one for us,” junior Alex Evans said. Freshmen Alex Selwyn and Gretchen Berndt were the top racers in the boys and girls freshman race, completing the race at 17:57 and 20:24, respectively. The girls team made sure to credit the promising underclassmen, praising them for their po-

PHOTO BY MALCOLM SLANEY/CC BY 2.0

Senior captains Julia Doubson (left) and Maya Akkaraju (right) at an invitational meet. The cross country team looks forward to SCVALs. tential as the season progresses. “It’s always nice to have a good group of strong underclassmen, to know that your team is heading into the right direction,” said senior captain Maya Akkaraju. According to junior Donald Taggart, the Early Bird Invitational has motivated the team to

train hard at practice, and has also provided them with team chemistry for when the first Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) meet begins on Sept. 26 in Central Park. “It will be an opportunity to see how we stand in the league,” said senior captain Julia Doubson.

The cross country team will compete in its second SCVAL meet in Crystal Springs on Oct. 3. It will also be participating in the Clovis Invitational on Oct. 7, where teams from all over California come to race. The Clovis Invite in Fresno is the site where the state meet will

be held, so the team members say they are looking forward to making themselves more familiar with the course. Taggart said, “The main team goals we look to build on from last year are beating Los Altos, and finishing top two when CCS starts.”

Boys water polo suffers from loss of key graduated seniors Practice for the team uses ‘hell week’ along with focus on cooperation to make up for a slow start to the season

lips said they intend to maintain confidence and team cooperation throughout the rest of their season. He also says that team cooperation is a major subject at the team practices.

“We’re determined to not let [the loss of graduated players] affect our current season. We worked really hard during ‘hell week’ and that started to pull the team together as a whole.” Zach Phillips

VIVIAN FENG / THE CAMPANILE

Senior Matthew Nemeth scores a goal against Lynbrook one minute before double-overtime ended, securing the Viking’s victory and ending the game with an 11-8 win.

Yusra Rafeeqi Staff Writer

fter facing off against crosstown rival Gunn, the boys water polo teams ended its games against Gunn on a high note, with junior varsity ( JV) winning 4-3, and varsity 10-9, making them determined

to persevere through the rest of their seasons. Junior driver and varsity player Zach Phillips said the importance of the Paly-Gunn game cannot be overstated. “It was an intense game,” Phillips said. “The game was the first morale-booster of the season.” According to Phillips, many

strong players left the team since last year, the majority of them being seniors; this resulted in the increased focus of teambuilding with the new players. “But we’re determined to not let that affect our current season,” Phillips said. “We worked really hard during ‘hell week’ and started to pull the team together as a whole.”

The JV and varsity teams were both defeated in leagues and varsity was defeated in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League by Gunn the previous season. The season started off with some rough spots with the team’s first game ending in a defeat against Serra High School, but according to Phillips, as the

varsity boys progressed, they adjusted and improved group dynamics. “We started a little slow, with a loss to Los Gatos and Los Altos, but we pulled a great victory against Monta Vista, and then Gunn, at their pool,” Phillips said. The team lost 8-7 in the game against Los Gatos High School, but Phil-

“We constantly work on cooperative movement and talking,” Phillips said. “[That] opens up opportunities for everyone to score.” The varsity and JV teams are about halfway through their seasons, and according to Phillips, things are only looking up for them. “Our communication and cooperation skills are only getting better, and everyone is really honing in their skills,” Phillips said. JV also beat Gunn 4-3 after losing to Los Gatos with a score of 4-2. JV started their season with a win against the Monta Vista High School team (12-1) on Sept. 5, and now JV, and varsity are preparing for their next game against the Los Gatos team on Oct. 3.

Girls tennis remains optimistic Girls golf tears up competition about future matches despite losses Beginning months of the season foreshadow potential Team looks to do their best to remain in De Anza League Bernie Koen Staff Writer

t’s typical for people, teams and organizations to go through fluctuating periods of ups and downs. Two weeks ago, the girls tennis team (6-3-0, 1-1-0) felt like they were atop the world. At the Palo Alto High School Invitational Tournament two weeks ago, the team took the victory, winning the tournament. Fremont High School, Notre Dame High School, Aragon High School and Stevenson High School all competed at the invitational. However, with joyful moments of success, also come moments of struggle. Paly has not had equivalent success in regular competition. The team has gone 2-1 in its first three matches in the De Anza League, as the Vikings narrowly defeated Homestead High School by a score of 4-3 and Lynbrook High School by a score of 5-2 but fell hard against Cupertino High School by a score of 6-1. In the match against Cupertino, junior Isa Cossio was disqualified from competition due to a uniform issue, adding to the team’s struggles

in the competition. Paly has faced struggles in nonleague competition, as well. The team narrowly lost to both Sacred Heart Preparatory (4-3) and Gunn High School (4-3). According to senior captain Emma Cockerell, the Vikings’ setbacks haven’t hurt team morale. “I don’t think we’ve really let our past performances influence how we think we’ll do in the rest of the season,” Cockerell said. “We’re just trying to do our best, and we know the other teams in the league are really strong. We don’t really have high or low expectations, we’re just doing our best.”

“We don’t really have high or low expectations, we’re just trying to our doing our best.” Emma Cockerell

Despite the ups and downs that the team has faced this season, they are still optimistic that they will be able to achieve their main goal for the season, which, according to senior co-captain Mailinh Truong, is to stay in the De Anza League. According to Truong, Paly

is fighting with the Homestead Mustangs in order to stay in the De Anza League next year. Truong said the team has what it takes to pull off one more victory against the Mustangs and perform well enough in the other league competition to play in De Anza next year. Truong said the Vikings should have more success in the future once they properly set up their doubles teams. “We’re still trying to find the right match for all of our doubles players,” Truong said. Once a few factors fall into place, Truong is hopeful the team will be in a position to compete at the highest level. The team still has some essential matches ahead of them, so the hardships they have faced have not smothered their chances at being able to continue to compete how they’ve recently been able to. The Vikings get a chance for some League competition, as they get the chance to go square off against the Los Gatos High School team on Oct. 3, the Homestead High School team on Oct. 5) the Cupertino High School team on Oct. 10 and the Lynbrook High School team on Oct. 17.

Byron Zhang Staff Writer

fter being gridlocked at sixth place in the Northern California Championships last season, the girls golf team looks to reboot with a powerful upgrade of consistent performance, crushing all of its opponents in the first eight matches of the season. Cruising through this victory, the team has high hopes of breaking into the California Interscholastic Foundation (CIF) State Championships. The team crushed Lynbrook High School by a score of 155181 on Sept. 21 at Deep Cliff Golf Course in Cupertino. Senior captain Stephanie Yu shot a 27 and sophomore Priya Bakshi shot a 29 during the 9-hole match. “I don’t think it was difference in our skill [compared to other teams] that led us to score well, but maybe a stronger mental [game] and calmer frame of mind,” Yu said. The team has won its matches this year by an average of around 28 strokes, defeating Saratoga High School by 201-228 on Sept. 18 and Gunn by 30 strokes, 193233 on Sept. 14. “I think the team has a big chance of making it to states,” Yu

COURTESY OF DOYLE KNIGHT

Graduated alumni Candace Wang takes her shot at SCVALs of 2016.

said. “Our team has great depth in our lineup, with our top six all capable of shooting good scores.” Despite the many impressive victories, junior Jasmine Choi still sees much room for improvement in the Lady Vikes. “There were few teammates who said they could have done better [so a few of them were not satisfied with their scores,” jChoi said. “I guess one thing our team should improve on is to put up consistent scores since some other matches they had up and downs.” One of the difficulty the team faces is finding available times for practice. “Our practices are usually

right after school and it is 4 to 5:50 [p.m.] every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and sometimes Wednesday,” Choi said. “But usually this year, we have matches on Tuesdays and Thursdays so we tend to practice in our own.” Besides having trouble finding appropriate time for practice, the team is still experiencing difficulties with finding a practice course since their home course, Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course, is still under construction. Choi said, “We usually just hit range balls due to construction at Palo Alto Muni, but we are trying to find a place where we can chip and putt too.”

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

SPORTS SPREAD

COMPETITIVE FANTASY THE WORKPLACE LEAGUE E

TEXT & DESIGN BY: RAJ LELE

very year, the fantasy football virus infects America. The end of summer is filled with league drafting and every member of the league eagerly waiting for football season to start so he or she can claim his or her title as the premier fantasy owner among his or her peers. Fantasy football, where participants act as managers and assemble teams composed of the National Football League’s (NFL) best players, seems to bring out the competitive edge in many players, including some in Paly’s academic departments, where teachers compete against one another. The math department initiated its own league in 2014 with a group of 10 math teachers, and has now grown to 12 teachers in both the math and science departments. Analysis H and AP Statistics teacher Cynthia Chen said at the beginning, the league was lowstakes and fairly small. “I think a couple of teachers got together and said, ‘Hey, let’s do fantasy football,’” Chen said. “[It was started] just for fun; there was no money involved — just bragging rights. Now, we have

a trophy. Ms. [Deanna] Chute has her name on it because she won last year.” The teachers in this league kick oﬀ their fantasy football season with a gathering at math department head Arne Lim’s house to draft teams. “Mr. Lim will host a dinner,” said Alg2/TrigH and Precalc teacher Misha Stempel. “We all sit there with our computers, sheets and all. I think that’s really fun.” While there are teachers like Chen who are fantasy football amateurs, there are plenty of teachers who have experience playing in other leagues or have prior knowledge of the game. “Some teachers in this league know football very well, and they know all about the diﬀerent players and take into account injuries and whatnot, so they’re very much in the know,” Chen said. “Some teachers, like myself, don’t know that much.” As a result, the teachers with less experience with the game seek advice from others. “Last year when I did the draft, I was the 11th pick, so I didn’t have that many choices — I didn’t have that great of a draft last year,” Chen said. “I

misha stempel cynthia chen

analysis h ap statistics

alg2/trigh / precalc

didn’t know what I was doing, so I was just texting my brother-in-law for advice.” However, after a year of playing fantasy football, Chen said she has sharpened her skills. In fact, Yahoo! Sports gave her an A- for her draft selections this year, which included receiving powerhouses Antonio Brown of the Steelers and New England’s Rob Gronkowski. “This year, I actually went to a website and looked at the ranking of the football players based oﬀ of position,” Chen said. “I happened to read an article in The New York Times about fantasy football drafting, and they listed the website I ultimately went to. I had the second overall pick, so I was able to select better players. My first pick this year was Antonio Brown. It’s promising because I’ve started oﬀ with two wins and zero losses, although I’ll probably lose this week.” Teachers like Stempel have already established systems to draft players, which she said have yielded some success. “I have a whole system,” Stempel said “It’s not by a certain player per se. I do some research and figure out who the top fantasy picks are overall, and I have

deann

The Campanile

Friday, September 29, 2017

SPORTS SPREAD

Y FOOTBALL AT PALY YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF an order of position that I want to pick in. I have to kind of wait and see where I am in the rotation and see what position I want to do and who is left.” During the season, Analysis H and Geo A teacher Daniel Nguyen said he goes to great lengths to pick the most promising team, meticulously analyzing even the weather to see if he should retract a player from the lineup. “At times, I might see that a player has a higher projected points value, but if I see the weather is bad, I might take them out of the lineup,” Nguyen said. “If I see ‘sunny’ or ‘snow,’ that is a good indication for me to maybe change the lineup.” During the process, both Stempel and Chen said they prioritize the strength of their team over whether or not their team has players from their alma mater. “There aren’t many UCLA [University of California, Los Angeles] players,” Chen said. “They’re actually not that draftable, honestly. So sometimes I begrudgingly take USC [University of Southern California] players, like Carson Palmer.” According to Stempel, she always prioritizes the well-being of

her team while drafting, even if it means not drafting players on her beloved San Francisco 49ers. “I am not loyal,” Stempel said. “I am a huge 49ers fan; that’s not my loyalty. I’m a Stanford and ASU [Arizona State University] grad — [I] don’t care.” One of the biggest takeaways of this experience for the teachers in the league is how the league has changed the dynamic within the departments. Since science teachers are now involved in the league, there is more interdepartmental interaction, according to Chen and Nguyen. “It’s been good for socializing and setting a friendly rivalry with the science department,” Chen said. “We actually go out to the science department to say hi to them.” Nguyen agreed and said the winning department will often good-naturedly taunt the other after a victory. “If our math teachers beat their science teachers in a given week, we have to remind them of that,” Nguyen said. Friendly jeers also come at the expense of individuals. With last year’s champion Chute engrossed in the game, league partici-

pants put a lot of eﬀort when they face oﬀ against her, according to Stempel and Nguyen. Last week, Stempel beat Chute and said she has been basking in the glory in the days following the upset. “Last week, I beat Chute by 0.5 points — I loved it,” Stempel said. “Ms. Chute is so into it, so it’s always fun to beat her.” Despite Stempel’s jealousy of Chute’s success, Nguyen said he focuses more on defeating whoever is on the top. “My biggest rival is whoever is at the top of the standings,” Nguyen said. “You obviously don’t want them to be there. It’s mostly like whoever you’re up against.” Last year, the top three finishers consisted of Chute, science teacher Alicia Szebert and former math teacher John Rowe. With female teachers accumulating two of the three finalist spots, more female teachers have been motivated to join the league. “Mr. Rowe, who was here the last few years — even though he’s at Carlmont High School now — participates with us,” Stempel said.

81 daniel nguyen

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analysis h / geo a

DESIGN BY: YUSRA RAFEEQI & RENEE HOH

96 alicia szebert ap environmental science

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

SPORTS

Peery Center provides after-school workout opportunities Newly-opened Paly workout room helps provide more accessible, convenient, affordable exercising spaces for students

PHILIP ERICSSON/THE CAMPANILE

The new Peery Center workout room is typically filled with hard-working students putting in the work to get stronger and improve their skills and strength, either for their team or just for their own personal benefit.

By Lucy Nemerov

Staff Writer

ntil recently, Paly students who didn’t actively participate in sports had little to no appealing opportunity for physical activity. Even among the many students who do participate in sports, few are year-round athletes. A majority of upperclassmen do not participate in exercise during the school day, exchanging a Physical Education (P.E.), yoga or dance class for a prep period. Some students may therefore choose to spend up to $200 a month at popular gyms such as Equinox or Form Fitness. However, the addition of the new gym gives students who don’t want to spend their hard-earned money on a gym membership or participate in a sports team a very convenient opportunity to exercise and stay healthy. With the addition of a gym equipped with an abundance of fitness equipment, many students have discovered a new and pro-

ductive after-school hobby. They can go after a stressful day to relax and reduce stress while getting in a good workout. Whether it be intense cardio on the many bikes or weightlifting, there are numerous options for students to choose from. Having such a facility eliminates excuses for not participating in physical activity, as students have access to professional equipment during and after school.

Many students have discovered a new and productive after-school hobby. Students have also found a sense of community in exercising with fellow students. They can go after school to relieve stress before going home to complete homework or study for upcoming exams. “It’s a great deal because it’s

free, and you get to workout in a community,” said sophomore Declan King, a frequent user of the gym. “The Paly gym is way better than a regular gym because you rarely know anybody at the regular gym; at this gym, everyone supports and helps you.” While students could invest in a gym membership for perks such as classes and professional trainers, students can also learn exercise techniques from fellow students and the strength and conditioning coach Paly recently hired at the Peery Center. This ensures students will not be in danger of hurting themselves by exercising or using machines incorrectly. King said he has learned many new forms of exercise through his friends at the gym. His peers have helped him find new techniques and build confidence in his ability to become stronger and improve. “At this gym, you can just figure out what workout to do with the help of your friends,” King said.

Students like King have found that working out in a supportive community makes for a much more motivating and welcoming environment too. This allows them to try out new workouts with advice and support from friends. King’s said his experience goes to show that attending a gym can be an enjoyable bonding experience, opposed to a pricey obligation.

“It’s kids wanting to be with their friends and workout, and they are enjoying the facilities.” Peter Diepenbrock Teachers have also noticed the popularity of the new gym. Peter Diepenbrock, a longtime basketball coach and P.E. teacher said he is shocked by the number of students utilizing the gym. Diepenbrock, said he is ecstatic to see so many kids excited about exercise and staying in shape However, he

is not sure the trend will be long lasting. “As teachers, we keep waiting to see if it will continue,” Diepenbrock said, “You hear the word ‘culture change’ thrown around a lot, but this is unbelievable: the amount of kids working out on a daily basis. It’s a whole new world that I never would have predicted.” Diepenbrock also said the benefits of the gym for sports teams are incredibly significant and could help our teams better succeed in the future. “[Teams] are able to work out there now and have good team workouts and bonding,” he said. Paly teams being able to have structured workouts with a coach to assist them could also help the school compete with schools who have already had the privilege of using similar facilities. “[Strength and conditioning coach and new gym] is what a lot of the more competitive athletic high schools in the area have that we’ve never had before,” Diepen-

brock said. This addition may allow Paly athletes to compete at a higher level, since student athletes will now have access to a level of training that most competitive schools in the area have had for many years. From conversations with teachers and students, it seems that students have found an economically convenient opportunity for exercising in the new gym.

“At this gym, you can just figure out what workout to do with the help of your friends.” Declan King As Diepenbrock said, “It’s completely outside of Paly teams. It’s kids wanting to be with their friends and workout. They are enjoying the facilities.”

New Spikeball Club provides fun opportunity for students Up-and-coming recreational sport group to introduce exciting competition on Wednesdays at the Quad during lunch By Nicholas Melvin Managing Editor

here is a new, group joining what was already an array of clubs: Spikeball Club. Spikeball Club is, as the name implies, a club in which the game spikeball is played. Spikeball is a playground game with rules similar to those of volleyball and Foursquare. “Spikeball can be described as if volleyball and foursquare had a baby,” said senior Nicholas Blonstein, the club’s president. “It’s played around a trampoline net that’s about six or eight inches off the ground, and it’s circular in shape. It’s two on two and each team has three hits, which have to alternate between each people, to get it back onto the net. And simply, the first team to let the ball hit the ground loses the point. The catch is, there are no boundaries, you can play 360 degrees and you can hit it as hard or as soft as you want. And that’s where the game gets really fun.”

“Spikeball can be described as if volleyball and foursquare had a baby.” Nicholas Blonstein From now until finals week, the Paly Spikeball Club will meet on the quad at lunch and students will be able to come and try out a new sport, and maybe discover something for which they have a passion. “Spikeball Club is basically where we’re going to get together on Wednesdays at lunch, and we’re going to have a couple of spike ball nets out on the quad, maybe five or six of them and people can come and play,” Blonstein said. “Any skill level, if you’re a beginner come and learn the game, if you’re competitive come and play competitive matches. It’s

PHOTO BY ELVERT BARNES/CC BY-SA 2.0

Paly’s new Spikeball Club hopes to introduce the activity to as many students around campus as possible by assembling on the quad. The club will meet on Wednesdays at lunch. gonna be a lot of fun.” According to Blonstein, spikeball has been gaining lots of traction as an up-and-coming sport. “It’s a super fun extra curricular activity,” Blonstein said. “They even have a national league of spike ball teams. There are over 1,500 nationally ranked teams.” Spikeball is becoming so popular because of the many ways it can involve others. For Blonstein, it was a knock-off version of the game that introduced him, and eventually hooked, him to the game. “So, not this past summer, but two summers ago, my aunt bought my cousins a ‘Slam-o’ set, which is a spikeball knock off, essentially the same thing, just cheaper.”

Blonstein said. “And we started playing it. You know we were getting into it. We were trying the game out, and we got hooked pretty soon. We ended up playing it all that summer, and then we got back to it this summer, and we started playing again right away. And that’s how we got into the game, playing in their front yard.” One current senior learned about the game of spikeball through a friend. “I’d never heard of Spikeball before, but one of my friends has a spikeball net and invited me and some other people to play over this past summer,” senior Julia Doubson said. One former Paly student, who also enjoys playing spikeball, got

hooked playing it with friends to pass time at picnics.

“And that’s how we got into the game, playing in their front yard.” Nicholas Blonstein “I got into spike ball because one of my best friends bought it, and we played it at picnics and when we have free time,” said former Paly student Shivonne Logan. “I would totally recommend learning. It’s easy to learn, a good way to get moving, and a ton of fun for a group of four.” The Spikeball Club is an ex-

perience that Logan wished she could have had when she was at Paly. “I wish there had been spikeball [when I was a Paly student], because I think it would have brought different friend groups together and bridged class years,” Logan said. So when Wednesdays rolls around and you are in need of plans, Blonstein said students should refrain from forgetting the possible opportunities at the Paly Spikeball Club. Doubson already has plans to attend the club. “I am planning on attending Spikeball club and I am looking forward to it,” Doubson said. Blonstein hopes other students

will follow in Doubson’s footsteps and give his club a chance.

“It’s easy to learn, a good way to get moving, and a ton of fun for a group of four.” Shivonne Logan “Come out and play,” Blonstein said. “It’s easy to learn. It’s super hard to master, but that’s what makes it so fun. It’s easy to set up so grab a couple of friends, and it’s a great way to spend some free time.”

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

SPORTS C7 Lavar Ball builds up his Big Baller Brand using media Using unbelieveable comments on social media Lavar Ball and his family have built an up-and-coming brand By Bernie Koen Staff Writer

onzo Ball is a 19-year-old man who has never played a minute of professional basketball in his life but already has his own signature basketball shoe. Lamelo Ball is a 16-year-old who owns a Lamborghini, but isn’t old enough to legally drive his friends around in it. Lonzo and Lamelo’s father, Lavar Ball averaged 2.2 points per game in his NCAA career, and his NFL career consisted of two kick returns that added up to 28 yards. Regardless of this, the Ball family has become one of the most well-known families in sports and now own an up-andcoming brand: BigBallerBrand. One can show off their BigBallerBrand apparel by buying a shirt for $50 or a pair of shorts for $40. And if you’re looking to rep BigBallerBrand footwear, throw on a pair of ‘Melo Ball 1s for $395 or a pair of ‘ZO2s for $495. Lonzo can be found on Instagram @zo and has 2.6 million followers. His brother Lamelo (@ melo) is closely behind with 2.5 million followers.

His outrageous comments are what contribute to the fame of his company and his kids. Much of this fame can be attributed to the boys’ basketball skills. Lonzo was the second pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and will most likely start at point guard this year on the Lakers.

Lavar Ball builds his brand, Big Baller Brand, through drawing attention to himself with a series of over-the-top comments and accusations and drawing public attention. According to maxpreps.com, Lamelo averaged 26.7 PPG last year playing for Chino Hills High School, and he shocked the world in early February when he scored 92 points in a single game. However, the biggest ingredient for fame for these two has not been their on-court success. It hasn’t been the off-court antics of Lonzo or Lamelo either. It has been Lavar who has made some quite outlandish comments about his sons and himself. Among his wildest comments have been those claiming he could have beaten Michael Jordan oneon-one, and that his son Lonzo is

better than Steph Curry. He also claimed that Lonzo would only play for the LA Lakers in late February, months before he was drafted. Lavar’s wild comments have been what has exponentially increased the popularity and hype around Lonzo and Lamelo. His comments have been disrespectful to some extent, but it would be unreasonable to believe that Lavar believes the things he says. Some attribute the aforementioned comments to Lavar being naive, arrogant and cocky. However, there’s a reason be-

hind all of this. Forget about going to Wharton or Kellogg, two of the top marketing schools in the country. Lavar doesn’t need any of that. He has another idea about how to promote and build a successful brand. Lavar’s comments stem from one main reason: he is a marketing genius, plain and simple. It’s hard to believe Lavar truly stands behind almost any of his comments. He makes these comments for one reason: the limelight. Ball has lead many to believe that his children will take the NBA by storm and has generated

immense momentum behind BigBallerBrand. His outrageous comments are what contribute to the fame of his company and his kids. Lavar knew he would increase his kids’ draft value, and that he would get people to talk about his kids constantly. Lavar knew he would be able to sell gear at an unprecedentedly high price and these comments would only help his children achieve stardom. Lavar knew he would get airtime on popular sports shows such as First Take. All of this fame, all of this

money and all of this TV time is mostly due to one thing, Lavar’s strategic marketing.

Lavar knew he would be able to sell gear at an unprecedently high price and these comments would only help his children achieve stardom. There is no doubt that the man will keep talking and talking, and if his sons continue to succeed, he won’t ever stop.

Students should have the option to play both club and school Overlap between club and school sports season deprives many athletes of the experience of playing on a high school team By Sam Hwang Staff Writer

ccording to U.S. Youth Soccer organization, there are much more than 3 million kids from ages 5 to 17 play soccer. As with any large scale sport, there’s a wide range of levels, from recreational to national. At the extremely competitive levels, only the most talented athletes continue to play, but their hgh level of play can prohibit them from participating in high school sports. For example, the U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy (D.A.), a soccer league directly connected with U.S. national team programs and has incredibly strict league rules that prohibit some players from participating in high school soccer.

Many students agree that even if high school sports don’t offer toplevel trainings, the experiences shared during this time is something they would never trade. The D.A. league is separate from all other leagues, and is meant to be a highly selective and elite group that outs players on the track to play Division I, or even professional, soccer. In an online interview with a D.A. representative, they said, “the Academy season runs over the course of 10 months and overlaps with high school play.” Each Academy player has an individual development plan created by the club which includes a set number of training sessions per week.” Due to the fact that many high school soccer leagues overlap with D.A. leagues, there is no possible way for these top athletes to support and show their high school spirit. “I think that club soccer and development soccer does much more for you than high school, because high school soccer doesn’t really help for people who are re-

PHOTO BY DAVID HICKEY

Current sophmore, Chloe Japic fights for a ball in her first and last season as a Paly vike. Japic is part of the U.S. D.A. program which does not allow high school participation. ally serious about their sports, especially soccer,” said Willem Kelson, a junior at St. Francis High School. “It’s kind of just a waste of three months for soccer anyways,”

Due to the fact that many high school soccer leagues overlap with D.A. leagues, there is no possible way for these top athletes to support and show their high school spirit. Kelson plays for Santa Clara Sporting Soccer Club and is currently in the process of getting recruited.

Kelson, like many students, participates in high school sports not to improve but to show high school spirit. School spirit is a big part of high school and the fact that many athletes cannot support their school through sports is extremely disappointing. Although focusing on intensive training for 10 straight months may be the most effective training method for top level athletes, many students and coaches say that memories made during high school sports are memories that are not worth giving up and encourage their club teams to play. “I think it’s important to play high school sports because you build friendships that you wouldn’t have if you didn’t play,”

said junior Cole Sotnick. “Also, I think it’s just great to represent your school.

“I think it’s just great to represent your school. You can make friends with kids from senior year to freshman, and you know everyone from school so it’s nice.” Cole Sotnick You can make friends with kids from senior year to freshman, and you know everyone from school so it’s nice.” Many students agree that even if high school sports don’t offer

toplevel trainings, the experiences that they shared during this time is something they would never trade. “I get disappointed when I hear that kids skip high school soccer for other reasons,” said Palo Alto Soccer Club coach Chris Fitzpatrick. “I think it’s important to play high school sports because you build friendships that you wouldn’t have if you didn’t play, and also I think it’s just great to represent your school.” Fitzpatrick has coached for 20 years and has had a very succesful career because he has earned many. Competitive leagues such as D.A. argues players must play in this league full time, so that players can focus on specific training

goals and plans. Competitive sport leagues often discourage high school sports in the name of recruitment.

Competitive leagues such as D.A. argues players must play in this league full time so that players can focus on specific training goals and plans. Students shouldn’t be deprived of the opportunity to represent their high school and build an irreplaceable community. Especially when this is the only time in their life when they have the opportunity to represent their high school.

Friday, September 29, 2017

The Campanile

SPORTS EVOLUTION OF SKATEBOARDING MISCONCEPTIONS EMERGE ALONGSIDE SPREADING POPULARITY TEXT & DESIGN BY ERIC LI

s four rubber wheels hit the asphalt, spinning faster with each repeated stride, the skater glides rapidly through the street. He carefully maneuvers through countless parked and m o v THE INVENTION OF THE INTERNET ing cars across HAS ALSO AIDED THE EXPLOSIVE t h e GROWTH IN SKATEBOARDING s t r e e t CULTURE. u n t i l steadily slowing down as he arrives at his destination. Although this image is typically is associated with a teenager seeking the thrill of skating, it has slowly expanded to images of college students getting to class, businessmen commuting and even parents dropping off their kids at school. Skateboarding has drifted into mainstream culture due to its accessibility and associability, especially in Palo Alto, where parking is scarce and narrow streets generate heavy traffic. Many choose to bike, but some simply lack the resources or space to store one. Skateboarding is regarded by many as a much more enjoyable experience than biking, with it being a relative experience to other board sports like surfing and snowboarding. In addition, there have been countreSKATEBOARD HAS DRIFTED INTO less ports of MAINSTREAM CULTURE DUE TO s t o l e n ITS ACCESSIBILITY AND b i k e s ASSOCIABILITY. in Palo Alto in the past few years according to Palo Alto Online, dissuading many from biking out of fear that their property may be stolen. In contrast, skateboards are fairly portable and can be

DESIGN BY BYRON ZHANG

carried into any room or car without issue. As a form of transportation, skateboarding has become popular among college students and young adults, with some universities fully embracing the culture. Many college students have trouble finding bike racks on campus, and many students lack the space to store a bike. Bikes are especially susceptible to harsher weather, like rain and snow, which can damage the bike. Affordable and portable options for buying skateboards has increased accessibility exponentially as well, with most options only costing a fraction of the cost of a bike. Recently, the development of electric skateboards has allowed the public yet another option from utilizing this form of transportation. Electric skateboards have high mileage and high speeds compared to other forms of electric options, as well as being relatively affordable and low maintenance. Issues may arise with skaters riding at abnormally high speeds, yet most people who are willing to buy an electric skateboard already have experience with the activity. Many college campuses, especially the University of Southern California (USC) have developed a large skateboarding community, with USC even offering a “Skateboarding and Action Sports in Business, Media and Culture” class to its students, focusing on the growing popularity of skateboarding. Marketability among the skateboarding community has increased rapidly, with Nike Corporation stating it is “the fastest growing category within the Nike Brand.”

“I designed my curriculum to provide students with insight and understanding into every aspect of the business and culture of our transnationally networked skate community” said Neftalie Williams, professor of the class, in an interview with GrindTV. Skateboarding is one of many actions sports which has experienced growing popularity, with athletes like Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullin taking the sport to new heights by inventing new techniques and tricks for others to master. Organizations like ESPN have developed structured tournaments like the X Games to increase popularity and competitiveness. The IOC has also admitted skateboarding as an Olympic sport, with the competition starting in Tokyo during the 2020 Summer Olympics. “I’m excited that this popular hobby can be brought into the public through the Olympics and hopefully it can improve the public’s perception,” senior Cooper Kim said. The invention of the internet has also aided the explosive growth in skateboarding culture. Social media has allowed skateboarders to show off tricks and techniques, accelerating interest dramatically. Tutorials allow for increased accessibility in learning fundamentals. Skateboarders have a much easier time finding each other, offering more motivation for each person to get better. For example, popular skateboarding publication RIDE Channel has steadily released a series of skateboarding tutorials taught by professional skateboarders, with each video amassing millions of views.

Ever since its rise in the 1980s, skateboarding culture has long been associated with a stigma of rebellious and non-conforming teenagers. Images of ripped jeans, graphic T-shirts and beanies have persisted through the test of time. Skateboarding has also developed associations with gangs and drugs, especially since many individuals who do skateboard have defiant attitudes. With a large portion of its population growing older, skateboarding has gradually become de-radicalized and has matured. “Now some of us have grown up, and it’s not so much counterculture anymore. but just really interesting culture.” said Williams in an interview with GrindTV. Many do view skateboarding in a negative light because of these stereot y p e s . SKATEBOARDING HAS GRADUALLY S o m e BECOME DE-RADICALIZED AND HAS c i t - MATURED. ies have openly opposed opening skate parks just because of the fact that they believe skateboarding will increase the amount of crime in the community. As with many countercultures, skateboarding has slowly been accepted into the mainstream. Skateboarding has slowly become a popular recreational activity and form of transportation, and its growth does not seem to be subsiding soon. “I think that people there are many negative connotations,” Kim said. “The public thinks that people who skate are typically in drugs and are delinquent teens when there is definitely many smart and well-accomplished people who skate.”