Issue 9, 4/29/16

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

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The Campanile

Vol. XCVIII, No. 9

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

Friday, April 29, 2016

Board likely to reject school proposal District expected to redistribute funding to expansion and improvement of existing schools JACKY MOORE

STAFF WRITER

ASHLEY ZHANG

SAMUEL YUN

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

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ollowing its decision to veto the creation of a third high school, the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Board of Education postponed voting on a proposal to open another elementary school in the District to May 10.

Due to enrollment predictions for in incoming kindergarten classes, the Board is expected to vote in favor of dedicating the $60 million reserved for potential primary school construction funds toward improving extant schools during their upcoming meeting on May 10, ending the halfdecade long discussion.

This reserve was birthed chiefly from the Board’s 2011 decision to cease funding for “elementary school projects that did not increase enrollment.” In the same year, the Elementary Subcommittee of the Enrollment Management Advisory Committee (EMAC) was organized to investigate the advantages and logistics of constructing a new elementary school. Against the conclusion of the remainder of the committee, three dissenting EMAC members presented a minority report in late 2015 which advocated for the establishment of an additional two elementary schools.

According to the report, the construction of these sites would render existing portable classrooms superfluous, pare down class sizes, and provide families seeking to register their children in a PAUSD school with more choices. The report further stated that the creation of the schools

PAUSD hires achievement administrator

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ANNA MORAGNE AND JACKY MOORE/THE CAMPANILE

would alleviate enrollment concerns of potential overflow stemming from the creation of new housing in Stanford. The minority report explicitly stated that the District’s need for two additional elementary schools is not precipitated directly from enrollment projections; rather, it springs from the current elementary schools’ purported failure to provide students with the “education students deserve.”

Similarly, Board member Ken Dauber believes the most effective method of decreasing the District’s primary school class sizes entails constructing entirely new schools.

According to his website, one of Dauber’s three main goals regarding PAUSD’s academic facilities is to “immediately reopen a 13th elementary school to reduce overcrowding.”

“Our elementary schools are about 30 percent larger than they used to be 20 years ago,” Dauber said. “It’s true that we’re seeing some declines right now in the size of elementary schools, but they would have to decline a lot before they got down to the kind of size that we really want them to be.”

Prior to the release of the minority report, EMAC published a separate subcommittee report on the proposal that advised against the creation of more elementary schools. PAUSD kindergarten enrollment is expected to continue to decrease by three percent every year until 2019, regarding the large-scale operation of constructing additional primary schools inefficient.

Regardless of the outcome of the vote on a new elementary school,

classes at District elementary schools will be either discontinued or added depending upon each school’s overflow or undersupply to better cope with enrollment projections. One kindergarten class will be dropped at Walter Hays elementary school and El Carmelo Elementary School, while one will be added at Escondido Elementary School. Juana Briones Elementary School will open another first grade class while Walter Hays Elementary School will open another third grade class.

“We would be better served to invest in programs at our existing schools and smaller classes at the existing schools,” Board member Melissa Baten Caswell said. “If we’re conNEW SCHOOLS

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alo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Department of Research, Evaluation and Assessment has recently announced the hiring of Dr. Clarisse Haxton as the district’s first Program Evaluation Coordinator on April 19. Haxton will be overseeing the school district’s efforts to examine and implement programs aimed to “improve all students’ opportunities and outcomes.”

Haxton is an expert on college and career readiness as well as elementary, secondary and post-secondary education. During her time as a senior researcher at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), Haxton worked as a quantitative analyst on a project analyzing trends of women and underrepresented minorities in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

“She brings expertise on district and state-level program evaluations of college and career readiness, early warning systems and interventions, and other programs to improve educational equity and achievement,” Christopher Kolar, the district’s Director of Research and Assessment said. “Her experience and talent will be invaluable as we continue to work on our strategic plan and district goals to improve the academic careers of all PAUSD students.”

The position of Program Evaluation Coordinator and Equity Administrator was first discussed at a A3

HAXTON

Gown requirements spark debate

Science Olympiad finishes strong at state competition

White gowns eliminated to avoid gender segregation of students

Team looks to change direction in order to claim first place at next year’s competition

STAFF WRITER

ASHLEY ZHANG

STAFF WRITER

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he Palo Alto High School Science Olympiad team ended its season on a successful note with a second-place finish behind Mira Loma High School at the Northern California Science Olympiad state competition on April 16, following their continuation of a seven-year-long series of first-place victories at the Santa Clara regional competition.

“This states was by far the most enjoyable of my years on the team,” Science Olympiad captain and senior Sylvia Targ said. “The culmination of all our hard work is always stressful, but this year it was also a highly positive experience due to our team’s strong camaraderie.”

The team aspires to win the state competition next year, which would qualify them to compete at the Science Olympiad National Tournament. The last time they qualified was in 2013, placing 16th out of 60 competing teams from across the country.

Although the “green team,” analogous to a varsity team, will lose half its members next year, the members hope to build an even stronger group with the incoming members.

“We’re definitely losing some very strong people,” Chloe Hong, a sophomore on the green team, said.

“That said, we’re also looking at some

very strong white team members and prospective freshmen who may rise up the ranks … by looking at the records, it’s apparent that we’ve been making steady progress, even with the rise of new competition.”

The Science Olympiad team has placed second at the state-level competition over the past five years, with the exception of 2013, and they hope to break this cycle by implementing new changes to the management of the team.

“We’re thinking about adopting some tactics that other successful teams have used, such as implementing a mentor system and attending invitationals,” Hong said. “Given that the Paly Science Olympiad team has already been doing consistently well as is against teams that use these resources, I feel like there’s a lot that we could easily improve, and I’m sure we’ll do even better once we add some new aspects to our already pretty successful strategy.”

Although the team members treasure their achievements, their most valued takeaway from their Science Olympiad experiences are often the friendships they are able to create.

“Science Olympiad has been one the best part of my high school experience,” Targ said. “The opportunities afforded to learn from and teach to like-minded teammates are unparalleled, and I couldn’t dream of a better team to end my Science Olympiad

ALICE ZHAO

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ll graduating seniors this year will be required to wear green caps and gowns during their graduation ceremony due to several parents’ complaints last spring that the tradition of males wearing green and females wearing white excludes non-binary gendered students.

The administration was immediately approached with the complaints and unanimously decided to implement the change without seeking student input last summer.

In the spring of last year, a new School Board Policy was released stating that Palo Alto High School could no longer separate students based on gender. Having been at Paly for nine years, Principal Kim Diorio argues that the color change was long overdue.

“Any time [Paly] segregates by gender, it puts [gender-fluid] students in a pickle because gender is a spectrum and is no longer binary,” Diorio said. “The past practice of girls wearing white and boy wearing green was in some way sexist. [The change] is much more progressive, forwardthinking and supportive of all students.”

According to Diorio, the administration met over the summer to discuss the color of the caps and gowns to place an order with the distributor.

Green was chosen over white as the designated color because of its significance to Paly’s identity as the “domi-

DAMI BOLARINWA/THE CAMPANILE

The graduation ceremony for the Class of 2015 commences with the student procession.

nant color.” Because an order for caps and gowns needed to be made before the start of the school year, the administration ordered only green caps and gowns without considering student input.

Some students feel that the sudden shift to all green was abrupt and unfair especially, as student opinion was not considered. Furthermore, there was no formal announcement of the reason for the change to the student body, causing confusion amongst the senior class. Senior Catherine Davidson had only heard about the shift to green when talking with a classmate and believes that it is unwarranted.

“I definitely think there should have been a student vote,” Davidson said. “If a guy identifies as a girl then

he can wear white and vice versa, but to make the whole grade wear the same color is ridiculous. Graduation is a special day for students and admin made a dramatic change without any [outside] input. [Now], everyone is affected by [a few complaints].”

On the other hand, senior Karina Chan stands by the administration’s decision, emphasizing that students’ comfort with their gender identity should be the main priority.

“I do not understand how preserving tradition through the color of a gown could ever be more important than ensuring the feeling of safety and comfort that transgender and gender fluid people have the right to feel,” Chan said. “I feel like the senior CAPS & GOWNS

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INSIDE N e w s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A 1- A 4 Opinion............................A5-A7 Editorials...................................A8 Lifestyle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1, B8 StudentLife....................B2-B3,B6 Spotlight................................B4-B5 Entertainment...............................B7 S p o r t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C 1- C 8

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Check us out at www.thecampanile.org

NEWS

COURTESY OF THE GUARDIAN

Sexual harassment at Cal

The university investigates numerous allegations against staff members.

PAGE A4

LIFESTYLE

KAI ODA/THE CAMPANILE

Glassblowing at Paly

Taking a look at one of the most unique art programs in the country.

PAGE B1

COURTESY OF NATION OF CHANGE

COURTESY OF USATODAY

SPOTLIGHT

SPORTS SPREAD

Post high school miliary options are numerous, yet often unpublicized.

PAGES B4-B5

A look at talented players who blew their opportunities in the NFL. PAGES C4-C5

Armed forces pathways

Worst NFL draft picks

Friday, April 29, 2016

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NEWS TO KNOW

The Campanile

NEWS

Eight windows broken Theatre prepares for in vandalism incident end-of-year shows Multiple instances of graffiti also on campus NICHOLAS MELVIN

STAFF WRITER

COURTESY OF ESPN.GO.COM

@ESPN The 2016 NFL draft is near, but it’s never too early to look at the top picks for 2017

@BarackObama The fight to tackle climate change took a big step on Friday with hundreds of countries signing the #ParisAgreement. @HuffingtonPost Disney cruise ship saves 3 U.S. fugitives from capsized boat off Cuba’s coast

@TIME College senior features her massive student loan in her graduation photos

@nytimes Prince died without a will, according to court documents. That may complicate his musical legacy.

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n an unknown date over spring break, a group of teenagers entered the Palo Alto High School campus with a BB gun, which was used to break eight windows.

The punishment for those responsible could be restitutioned, with the potentially consist of suspension or expulsion.

According to the general rules and regulations section in the Paly handbook, firearms and firearm lookalikes may not be brought onto campus. The punishment for such actions are possible suspension, expulsion and arrest.

According to Vice Principal Jerry Berkson, such offenses could, in fact affect students applying to colleges.

“It could [affect the students applying to college] in that if you are suspended or expelled you need to explain that to the schools,” Berkson said.

After working with the district and police department, Berkson did find the people responsible.

“Sometimes teenagers don’t think and they do things without thinking too hard,” Berkson said. “And you just hope they learn from it and there’s consequences, which will be figured

out as we go through the process a little more. But you do a lot of damage like this, it gets kinda expensive, and it can set you back a little bit.”

Paly is not unfamiliar with such instances of vandalism. In the fall of 2014, actor and Paly alumnus James Franco painted several murals on the sides of the Student Center.

One mural was subsequently spray-painted with the words “how do you vandalize garbage?” over the mural this past February.

In order to prevent future instances of vandalism, Paly plans on installing video cameras all around campus.

Another instance of graffiti on Paly campus consisted of racist and pro-Donald Trump messages that has been found around campus over the past several weeks, mainly found in the bathroom stalls and doors of the men’s bathroom.

One instance of the graffiti read “Trump 1237,” referring to the number of delegates needed to capture the Republican Party nomination.

The other instance read “black lives suck,” referring to the “#BlackLivesMatter” movement.

Pictures were taken of both graffiti instances and the graffiti was taken down as quick as possible, as to avoid giving the vandalizers the attention they desire.

Includes senior showcases and One Acts WILL LEIGHTON

STAFF WRITER

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s the school year comes to a close, the Palo Alto High School Theatre Department has been continuing to rehearse for One Acts and prepare for both the class and senior showcases.

Each of the seven One Acts typically presents a short scene that is produced, directed, designed and acted out by students. These performances will run from May 5 to May 7 and students from all grades will be performing.

“It’s super fun every year and we get to see a bunch of people who are not regularly involved in theatre on stage, plus it is almost entirely student-run,” junior Kathy Yan said.

Following One Acts, the senior and class showcases will finish off the year in preparation to open the new theater next school year.

At the end of the year, each theatre class works together on a few scenes which can give an accurate representation of what they have learned in class.

The final performance is open to the public, and the performers’ friends, families and peers are all encouraged to show their support. On the other hand, senior showcase is

exclusively performed by seniors in the class.

It’s super fun every year and we get to see a bunch of people who are not regularly involved in theatre on stage

Kathy Yan Junior “Senior showcase doubles as sort of a send-off for the seniors, and there is a lot of extra farewell stuff that goes on, like awards, gifts and speeches,” Yan said.

These events are being met with a lot of excitement from students as they may be the first performances in Paly’s brand new theatre, which has been under construction for the past four years.

The new class showcase will be on May 16, with the senior showcase on May 20.

“The program says goodbye to our seniors that we love so much,” sophomore and stage technician Peter King said. “Underclassman and juniors present the seniors and highlight experiences they had with them.”

As the seniors say goodbye to their high school theatre careers, these last performances are sure to not disappoint.

Painting of student-made mural commences Nine-panel piece located on side of Student Center will showcase student life, culture

COURTESY OF BILLBOARD.COM

@White House Good news: Today @VP & @DrBiden announced new investments to expand tuition-free training

@washingtonpost Leading gay rights activist hacked to death in Bangladesh @billboard Beyonce’s #Lemonade is a revolutionary work of black feminism (critic’s notebook)

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@StephenCurry30 Thanks 4 all the prayers & messages. Can feel all the positive energy. God is Great! All things considered I’m Gonna be alright!

MAGGIE ROSENTHAL

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

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alo Alto High School students have started the painting of a new mural on the wall of the Student Center, where administration recently removed a mural painted by James Franco.

The project is being overseen by Art Teacher Kate McKenzie and worked on by students in McKenzie’s Advanced Painting and Drawing class.

The mural will consist of nine main panels, illustrating different themes of student life at Paly. These themes will range from “we learn” to “we struggle,” and a final panel will be included for the names of the artists.

Senior Karen Bowman designed the “we learn” panel and has begun the painting process with the help of fellow students.

“I drafted five or six different ideas that were completely different, and then I had Ms. McKenzie look at them and we picked one,” Bowman said. “Then, I made a bigger, more detailed draft of it and modified it.

I drew it again at full size and then someone else drew it onto the wall on the Student Center.”

According to Bowman, the inspiration for the design came from Paly students sharing ideas while learning.

“I wanted to show how, at Paly, people learn by spreading ideas [and] talking to each other,” Bowman said.

According to McKenzie, a major reason for the creation of the new mural is to address the negativity Paly has experienced within the last year, primarily related to student suicides.

“People really wanted art on campus to reflect, I think, how loving and how positive we are as well,” McKenzie said. “And that we do care about our people, and we want people to know we care about them.”

The art department’s goal to add art to all students’ lives helped to inspire the mural as well.

“The art department was developing its long-term goals because we were getting our [Western Association of Schools and Colleges] accreditation,” McKenzie said. “And our goals were to continue to provide art experiences for people, you know, to enrich their lives. So we developed

ABIRA BEREZIN/THE CAMPANILE

Senior Karen Bowman paints the mural on Student Center to be finished next year.

a theme of art every day for all students. And to have that, we have to have art out in our public spaces.”

Franco’s art on campus also encouraged the mural project.

“Truthfully, Franco really reminded us that it was time to get some of our own art up, and art that reflected our life,” McKenzie said.

Students will continue working on the mural and hope to finish next school year, though there are no official deadlines in place.

The mural project received $350 from the Associated Student Body to cover supplies. Funding also came from administration and from Youth Speaks Out. In addition to the mural, McKenzie hopes to continue adding art around the campus, with more murals and paintings.

“By next fall, we’ll definitely have quite a bit of art on campus,” McKenzie said. “And I’d love to continue that.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

Not in Our Schools Week revised New Change in Our Schools Week centered on mental health GILLIAN ROBINS

STAFF WRITER

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fter extensive discussion, Palo Alto High School’s Associated Student Body (ASB) changed the name of Not in Our Schools Week (NIOS) to Change in Our Schools Week (CIOS).

With a more positive outlook on the week, each day involved music on the quad, accompanied by an activity pertaining to the topic being addressed that day.

Monday and Tuesday were focused on defining an ideal Paly and all the things that make Paly great.

On Wednesday of CIOS week, Paly’s Social Justice Pathway facilitated team building activities with the intention of instilling in students how to treat others. A new wellness program named Sources of Strength led activities on Thursday to spread values practiced within the program.

The last day’s theme was centered around student wellness and mental health. The activities ranged from yoga and mindfulness to tie dye.

In the past, NIOS had focused on dispelling derogatory -isms — such as racism or sexism — as well as homophobia and LGBTQ issues. The

name change to CIOS was made by ASB to showcase positivity and address important questions.

“It’s extremely important not only to recognize issues but to be able to respond in a way that is better for both you and the greater world,” ASB Vice President Anmol Nagar said. “During CIOS, we address questions like ‘who are we as Paly?’, ‘What is my identity?’, ‘How do I treat others?’, ‘What are my sources of strength?’ And ‘how do I care for myself?’ ” The week of April 25 to April 29, appointed ASB officer positions interviews took place. Some of the positions include Social Commissioner, Social Justice and School Climate Commissioner and PAUSD Board Representative. These series of interviews will determine who fills these new positions in the upcoming year.

The results will be released today.

The much-anticipated ASB Volleyball tournament started Monday and will conclude later today. The teams battled ferociously for the sheer competition of it, but also to claim the prize of gift cards from Chipotle, Kirk’s Burgers and Jamba Juice.

The tournament gave the quad a relaxed vibe and encouraged healthy

competition between teams. ASB Sports Commissioner Ariya Momeny is pleased with the turnout, however the scheduling of the tournament was not ideal.

It’s extremely important not only to recognize issues but to be able to respond in a way that is better for both you and the greater world.

MAY

AP EXAMS

MAY

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

MAY

ONE ACTS SHOWCASE

MAY

PALY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC CONCERT

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Get ready for two weeks of some college level fun!

Thanks for everything guys.!!!11!!!

Anmol Nagar ASB President “I think it’s going well so far,” Momeny said. “Some teams dropped unfortunately because of the strange timing of APs, Prom and finals this year.”

The primary change this year was a requirement for each team to have at least one person from each grade level in order to increase inclusivity. Students from all grades were required to participate as team members in the hopes of encouraging school unity and inter-grade community. “[There were] no major changes,” Momeny said. “We just wanted more inter-grade participation so we made it mandatory for there to be a player from every grade on each team.”

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MAY

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You probably couldn’t make it through two acts anyway.

Isn’t all music instrumental?

SMARTER BALANCE TESTING

Don’t worry, it’s only for the juniors.

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

Achievement supervisor CONTINUED FROM A1

board meeting on June 9, 2015 upon request by the Minority Achievement and Talent Development Advisory Committee. Haxton will start her work at PAUSD during the 2015-16 school year.

“My job, generally, is to make sure that all students in the district have equitable access to educational opportunities in the district,” Haxton said. “It’s in part about closing the achievement gap but more importantly, the focus is really on [creating] data systems and processes to help understand what are inequities in the system and to just make sure that all students are getting a similar educational experience or opportunities in the district. The district is very high performing and overall students get a very high quality education here … so it’s important to recognize that not all students are necessarily getting the same opportunities or experiences within the district.”

For her work here in PAUSD, Haxton will focus initially on two main projects: expanding Response to Intervention (RTI) in elementary schools and laning and course placement in secondary schools.

RTI is a model that is commonly being used in districts across the country and in PAUSD and the main focus of it is on elementary students.

The system is aimed at improving the academic, social-emotional and behavioral experiences of students and involves a three-step process.

“The first [step] is really just differentiating the instruction and trying to meet all students’ [academic, social-emotional and behavioral] needs within the classroom,” Haxton said. “Tier two is a focus where students who are identified as in need of supports in any of those three areas … are identified for interventions and supports. If those interventions still aren’t working to meet students’ needs to help them achieve or behaviorally succeed or be social-emotionally healthy, they are [classified as] tier 3, which is a more formal recommendation to special education services or more intensive services.”

RTI has been present in PAUSD since 2011, so Haxton is looking to help improve the implementation and expansion of this process.

Laning and course placement in secondary schools is another aspect that Haxton is looking to better understand and improve. By studying student patterns and experiences, Haxton hopes that course placement in PAUSD will be improved.

In addition to providing equal academic opportunities, Haxton is also working to make sure that all students have a positive social-emotional experience.

Cap and gown colors CONTINUED FROM A1

without someone having to spell out why we need to be accepting of gender fluidity.”

Even though senior Gabi Rossner suggests an alternative plan that would allow for both green and white caps and gowns to be at the graduation ceremony, she believes that the appeal of having two colors should not overshadow the change’s primary intention to be accepting.

“The alternate [solution] that I would support would be to assign green and white equally based on an

alphabetical system,” Rossner said. “I think people bringing up thousands of alternate solutions detract from the administration’s attempt to be more inclusive of gender.”

The tradition of males wearing green and females wearing white at graduation dates back to the 1920s, and has had no formal complaints up until last spring. Henry M. Gunn High School started requiring students to wear only black caps and gowns years ago, following a nationwide trend of high schools switching to uniformly-colored graduation clothing.

NEWS A3 Controversial California aidin-dying law to go in effect Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Stanford Health Care lean toward providing service to adults who fit the necessary criteria JARED STANLEY

STAFF WRITER

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n June 9, California will become the fifth state in the country to allow terminally ill patients to take their own lives with the aid of a physician.

This act was signed into law on Oct. 5 by Gov. Jerry Brown and will allow mentally capable adults who have a life expectancy of six months or less to request “aid-in-dying” medication from their physician if suffering becomes unbearable for patients.

Medication given to patients who have requested aid in dying is to be self-administered, but can only be acquired after the patient has received consent from two different physicians.

As a result of the law’s passing, many local medical facilities have engaged in conversation deciding if they will participate in administering aid in dying. Stanford Health Care has not made any explicit decisions

yet, but is leaning towards allowing each individual physician to make their own decisions with regards to prescribing patients the necessary medication.

Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) is also in the middle of discussions and it appears as though PAMF with have a similar policy to Stanford Health Care.

“It does look like we [PAMF] will offer it,” Missy Gallo, a licensed clinical social worker at the PAMF Geriatric and Palliative Care center said.

Though dying may be very painless and quick itself, the process by which to obtain the necessary medications has proven challenging.

Stanford University Professor Dick Scott wanted to help his terminally ill brother, who lived in Oregon at the time, in obtaining the medication necessary to take his life. Scott said the whole process, from gaining the consent of two different physicians to obtaining the signed paperwork and prescriptions, took more

than six weeks itself.

Finding physicians to give consent proves to be the difficult part of the process. Usually, individual doctors are free to choose if they will give patients consent and prescribe them medication.

In addition, other health care centers may decide to prohibit their employees from allowing patients to take their own lives.

“There will be some physicians who don’t want to have anything to do with it,” Dr. Lewis Wexler, Professor Emeritus of Radiology who works at Stanford Clinics said in an interview with Palo Alto Online.

California will join Montana, Oregon, Vermont and Washington in having medical aid in dying laws. In Oregon, aid in dying has been legally practiced for the past 18 years and in that time, 1,500 people have opted to obtain the medication. However, around one-third to one-half of eligible decided not to take the medication.

Board revisists funds for new schools CONTINUED FROM A1

for the board. Upon analysis of the two reports, the board concluded that augmenting smaller existing schools and shrinking larger ones would best benefit the District and its potential students.

The $60 million reserve once hoped to fund the construction of two new schools is expected to be invested in improving PAUSD’s 12 existing elementary schools.

“Staff have concluded that there is little interest in or need for building additional classrooms at our current elementary sites or to add a new elementary school,” Superintendent Dr.

Max McGee stated in a summary of the meeting.

Staff have concluded that there is little interest in or need for building additional classrooms at our current elementary sites or to add a new elementary school.

Max McGee PAUSD Superintendent In addition, the board deliberated about the benefits associated with lengthening two of its leases to two local private schools.

PAUSD began its lease of the Garland site to Stratford Schools in

2004; this lease is set to expire in June 2017. Athena Academy’s renting of real estate at the District’s 525 San Antonio site is currently set to be terminated in late June of this year.

The proposed extensions would prolong Stratford Schools’ lease for another year and Athena Academy’s for another two years thus preventing further action on the districts part for those sites for at least two more school cycles.

Because the District lacks any concrete plans for either of the two sites, the board recommended that PAUSD extend its property loans to Stratford Schools and Athena Academy.

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

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NEWS

UC Berkeley being criticized for mishandling sexual harassment

State Court overturns case regarding tenure

CLAIRE DENNIS

ANNA MORAGNE

Negative light shed on administration’s way of treating past cases Decision reversed in Vergara v. California.

NEWS AND OPINION EDITOR

STAFF WRITER

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niversity of California (UC) President Janet Napolitano is working with students and administration to reform UC Berkeley’s response to a myriad of allegations of sexual misconduct.

An investigation on April 6 into UC records found that 19 employees had violated sexual conduct policies since 2011.

On April 15, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Claude Steele resigned, after serving two years. Citing “personal reasons” for his resignation, Steele received harsh criticism for a lack of transparency in handling the sexual harassment allegations against the former Dean of Law School, Sujit Choudhry.

Steele’s resignation comes with approval, as 30 percent of students who were polled in March supported his resignation.

“I think his resignation removes some of the roadblocks to change,” Michael Burawoy, a UC Berkeley sociology professor, told the Daily Californian.

Choudhry was accused of repeated instances of forcibly hugging and kissing his executive assistant, Tyann Sorrell.

After making a complaint, Sorrell criticized the administration for failing to punish Choudhry severely, as he received a one-year pay cut, counseling and orders to formally apologize to Sorrell. Additionally, Sorrell was reassigned to another position in the university while Choudhry remained as dean.

Napolitano received criticism regarding this matter, as she was only made aware of the case against Choudhry when it reached the media. She responded by working with UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks to remove Choudhry from campus.

“It’s 2016,” Napolitano told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Enough is enough. The University of California should be leading by example, not by mistake.”

After the release of documents

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COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES TIMES

UC Berkeley students gather to protest the handling of sexual harassment at their school.

related to past sexual misconduct charges, new information came to light surrounding the resignation of Astronomy Professor Geoffrey Marcy. Marcy, who resigned in October 2015, was accused of buying students drinks and inappropriate dancing, some of which dated back to 2001.

Records show that Marcy’s only punishment was a warning.

“I have worked hard to change and will continue to focus my efforts on promoting a supportive and respectful environment both in the Astronomy community and more broadly,” Marcy wrote to the New York Times after his resignation.

Further accusations surround the athletic department. UC Berkeley fired an assistant basketball coach, Yann Hufnagel, in March, after he was accused of harassing a female reporter. Hufnagel is currently in the appeals process. Most recently, on April 22, a rowing coach was accused of making sexual comments to a student.

In addition, two graduate students are taking legal action against UC Berkeley for the mishandling of their charges of sexual harassment against Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies Blake Wentworth.

Wentworth was previously suspended but now remains teaching, despite students raising concerns over a year ago.

UC Berkeley-bound seniors have voiced concern over their future school’s conduct regarding sexual harassment cases.

“I get angry when I hear women being harassed, and again when they report and not much action is taken,” senior Karen Kuo, who will be attending UC Berkeley next fall,said.

Dirks and Napolitano have worked together to combat repeated mishandling of sexual misconduct cases. Dirks named Carla Hesse, former history professor, as an interim lead for improving response to sexual harassment and assault.

In a March 18 letter to the UC communities, Napolitano asserted her dedication to maintaining safe campuses. In 2014, she established the President’s Task Force on Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence and Sexual Assault.

Additionally, she has worked to form a committee of students and administrations to reevaluate the procedures for handling cases of sexual misconduct. Napolitano finally appointed a variety of faculty and staff to a UC-wide peer review committee, evaluating system-wide procedures.

“We’re not shying away from these issues; we’re acknowledging them, addressing them, fixing them,” Napolitano said. “Californians have a right to be proud of us, and we want to work to maintain that.”

n April 14, the California Court of Appeals reversed the California Superior Court’s decision in the Vergara v.

California case which was previously decided against California, declaring certain laws regarding tenure as unconstitutional. Vergara v. California was a lawsuit filed by nine California high school students fighting for their right to effective teachers.

The students argue that California’s system of hiring and retaining effective teachers is not consistent with the state constitution because it does not give students an equal education. The students claimed that these statutes had a disproportionate impact on minority and impoverished students due to the fact that less affluent schools were more likely to hire ineffective teachers.

There were five statutes of the current that the lawsuit addressed and wanted changed; the main three were the Permanent Employment Statute, Dismissal Statute and “Last-In, First-Out” Statute.

I think the main problem with the case was a misdiagnosis of what the root of the problem was.

David Cohen English Teacher The Permanent Employment Statute makes administrators either grant or deny permanent employment to teachers after a 16-month evaluation period. The Dismissal Statute refers to the expensive and time-consuming process, a district must go through in order to fire a single teacher. Lastly, the “Last-In First-Out” statute makes districts base their layoffs on staff seniority rather than the performance and quality of a teacher.

The plaintiffs argued that evaluating teachers for tenure after just two years in combination with the cost of firing one teacher being upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars it is easy for low-performing teachers to

get locked into their job.

The panel of three appeals judges decided that the statutes were not to blame for districts putting ineffective teachers in place. Since the laws did not instruct the districts where to place teachers they were not in violation with the state constitution.

The California Teachers Association (CTA) claimed that the case had no merit and that the laws in question were of no harm to students. “[The Appeals Court’s] ruling overwhelmingly underscores that the laws under attack have been good for public education and for kids,” CTA President Eric Heins said in a statement on the CTA website. “[The lawsuit] was a wrong-headed scheme developed by people with no education expertise and the appellate court justices saw that.”

The decisions of Vergara v. California could have had a direct effect on the way teachers are granted tenure, hired and fired at Palo Alto High School as well.

“I think the main problem with the case was a misdiagnosis of what the root of the problem was,” Paly English teacher David Cohen said.

“The laws don’t cause the problem … That is not to say that the laws are perfect though. I’m sure that all the laws in question could be improved upon.”

The original case at the trial court level for Vergara v. California started in January 2014 and lasted for two months. Judge Rolf Treu ruled that all statutes challenged by the students were unconstitutional because they violated the students’ rights to an equal education and allowed for poorly performing teachers to stay employed indefinitely. In April of the same year, Gov. Jerry Brown appealed the court decision.

No changes had been made to any laws after the preliminary ruling due to a stay put on the ruling, therefore not requiring anyone to act based on the verdict, pending the appeal.

The nine students have already announced their intentions of appealing to the state Supreme Court, in hopes that the case will be Appeals Court decision will be reversed.

UCs lower standards for Addition of new bike boulevards Many concerned bike improvements will result in loss of parking out-of-state students Out-of-state students get a large advantage CHRISTINA LE

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

E

very spring, high school seniors undergo the stressful ritual of college admission decisions. On March 31, the state auditor released a report which indicated that the University of California (UC) schools lowered admissions standards for out-of-state applicants, who pay triple the tuition than instate students pay. This has resulted in a record number of in-state applicant rejections. In-state admission rates have fallen to record lows within the last five years. Meanwhile, the proportion of out-of-state undergraduates at schools such as UCLA and UC Berkeley has risen to 25 percent and 23 percent, respectively.

After 2011, the enrollment of outof-state students increased, as the UC system experienced budget cuts. The system has softened enrollment requirements for non-Californian students, lowering the SAT/ACT score caps and GPA requirements.

UC officials claim their policies favor in-state students. However recent reports and past data of admitted students show that out-of-state students are more likely to be accepted than native Californians.

“After I had heard the news of the UC’s, I was somewhat angry and sad,” Palo Alto High School senior Peter John Valbuena said. “I felt cheated after putting in the work to try and qualify for their requirements then being wait listed and or denied admission because they want more money.”

According to the San Jose Mercury News, UC spokeswoman Dianne Klein claims that the policy change did not lower standards.

“What accounted for the increase in out-of-state enrollment was a 30 percent cut in state funding,” Klein said.

From 2010 to 2014, out-of-state enrollment increased by 82 percent, resulting in the UC campuses collecting $728 million in out-of-state tuition, doubling the revenue from years past.

While scores and GPAs of outof-state students remained high, they were still lower than those of Californians. The audit found that the universities have rejected over 4,500 Californians whose test scores and grades were equivalent to the average scores for out-of-state students “whom the university admitted to the campus of their choice.”

“It’s messed up because the college process is difficult enough and yet it seems that our work is not good enough just because we are expected to play less just because were in-state students,” Valbuena said.

Palo Alto High School senior Connor Ng is also frustrated with the UC admission system.

“I think that it might lower the education standards at the school, and that it kind of sucks that someone less qualified might be chosen based on the amount of money they can offer,” Ng said.

While the UCs have admitted to becoming increasingly reliant on fees from out-of-state students, they maintain that in-state applicants are still the priority. Roughly 60 percent of in-state applicants gain admission to at least one campus of their choice, according to officials.

Last year, the UCs announced that there will be space for 5,000 more instate undergraduates this coming fall and 5,000 more in upcoming years.

AVI TACHNA-FARM

STAFF WRITER

T

he Palo Alto City Council is reopening for public discussion a concept plan that would create three new bike boulevards along Amarillo Avenue, Ross Road and Louis Road, as well as facilitate other pedestrian and bike improvements.

On April 18, three members of the City Council dissented from approving the concept plan, pushing discussion to an undetermined date.

According to Mayor Karen Holman, who voted against approving the concept plan, a major factor in reopening discussion is the size and complexity of the plan, which has over 200 pages and addresses everything from traffic flow to the amount of parking spaces that would be removed.

Holman also worries that the plan has not been properly vetted by the public.

“The city will typically have meetings with stakeholders and get information to them and inform them about the plans are from the cities perspective going forward, and the city knows how to do outreach but it seems like there was not enough of that or to the right people in this case,” Holman said.

While parts of the plan are being re-examined, the bike boulevards are expected to progress without much difficulty.

“Previously we [the City Council] have passed a comprehensive bike plan, so I do not think there are issues that are going to jeopardize that [the bike boulevards],” Holman said. “It is how it is implemented and the type of education and outreach that will be affected by it [the concept plan] coming back.”

DAMI BOLARINWA/THE CAMPANILE

Bryant Street is designated as a bike boulevard that provides safer access for bikers.

Most of the new bike boulevards would be located in the midtown area in an attempt to promote more east to west and west to east bike travel, especially for kids who bike to school.

“The goal is to get some east-west connectors, that are especially important for [kids who bike to school],” Palo Alto City Councilman Greg Schmid said. “They [the City manager and his staff ] try to identify routes that are on the bike to school maps and to make sure that it’s safe for kids to be out there during the morning commute.”

In addition, the concept plan includes a plan for various other bike and pedestrian improvements, such as, roundabouts, stop sign modifications and a variety of repaving initiatives.

However, some residents of affected areas are worried that the changes would eliminate parking in areas that already have limited parking space.

“Without exaggeration, well over 100 people come and go [into the First Baptist Church on Bryant

Street] every afternoon,” a concerned resident wrote to the City Council.

“There are businesses on site as well and they [people] all need to park somewhere. My family is rarely afforded the luxury of parking in front of our own home. The same is true for our neighbors. The loss of any parking spaces would be detrimental to the flow of everyday life for the neighborhood.”

Proponents acknowledge that some parking spaces would be removed, but they argue that parking on streets with the proposed improvements is far from completely utilized. Research in the staff report supports this position.

“At the corridor level, there is sufficient capacity to absorb these changes and the vast majority of residents and visitors would not recognize a parking impact,” the staff report said.

“A few specific blocks, however, may not have availability to meet current parking demand, requiring residents and visitors to seek parking one block from their desired destination.”

The Campanile

Friday, April 29, 2016

OPINION

A5

California’s minimum wage debate Ever since California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a minimum wage increase to $15 per hour, an outcry has ensued over the new pay standards. Does more money mean more problems?

Raises help America Raises hurt business MACKENZIE GLASSFORD STAFF WRITER

W

hen discussing this issue, it is important to understand which demographics make up the minimum wage-earning class in the United States.

The popular belief is that this group is composed largely of teenagers or people using menial jobs to gain work experience. However, according to the Economic Policy Institute, only around 12.5 percent of minimum wage laborers are teenagers. More than a third are 30-34 years of age.

Generally, these years are considered to be those used for starting or raising a family, indicating that many of these workers may be committed to longterm employment. Raising the minimum wage will benefit the people who rely on their minimum wage checks as their only means of making a living, especially those trying to support a family.

There is no hard evidence supporting the correlation between raising the minimum wage and losing jobs.

Another important consideration in judging whether or not a $15 minimum wage is justified is how it corresponds to the cost of living. According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, California is the sixth most expensive state to live in. There are cities in California that are cheaper to live in than others, but raising the minimum wage for everyone will help prevent the segregation of the fortunate and the unfortunate, something that has become a major issue in many California communities.

Opponents to this law disregard the likeliness that a $15 minimum wage will provoke a withdrawal of jobs from California. For a long time now, economists have been looking for signs that higher minimum wages cost jobs, but these efforts have been unsuccessful. The most notable of these studies came from the Congressional Budget Office, which projected that a federal minimum wage raise would result in the loss of about 500,000 jobs, but would result in 16.5 million workers receiving higher pay. Would this be

a good deal? Considering that the vast majority of workers would benefit, yes.

However, the problem with this study, and others like it, is that they all look at the federal minimum, not state minimums. This emphasizes the fact that this wage raise is very much an experiment. There is no hard evidence supporting the correlation between high minimum wage and the loss of jobs.

We have no way of knowing for sure how it will turn out, but if it goes right, California will redefine low income, and would start to remedy the long existing imbalance of wealth in the U.S. Another favorite argument of those against a $15 minimum wage is the supposed threat it poses to small businesses and restaurants.

Speaking to the business part of it, a stable and viable business model depends on not paying employers living wages in order to avoid bankruptcy, then it is doomed to fail basic federal labor regulations.

As for the threat to restaurants, many like to quote stories about Seattle restaurants closing as a direct cause of the city’s $15 minimum wage bill. However, those stories turned out to be false. No more restaurants were closing than usual, and those that did were for unrelated reasons.

The truth is that we don’t know how a raised minimum wage will affect California until we try, and if there’s a chance that it could help people, why wouldn’t we try it?

In the past, experiments have been done on the federal level of the economy, and for the most part, they’ve proved disastrous for the American middle class. These experiments have laid the groundwork for the very problem that a higher minimum wage seeks to remedy, that of the stagnant wages for the middle and working class of America.

It is time for the United States to try a new approach to paying its workers, and a $15 minimum wage is a step in the right direction. The working class deserves fair compensation and California is right to take that first bold step towards a better and more equal economic future.

YAEL BEN-SHACHAR

A

STAFF WRITER

t first glance it may seem that the increase to minimum wage is beneficial because it provides workers with living wages, but in reality, many businesses cannot afford to pay their workers $15 an hour, forcing them to make cuts and layoffs.

Countless businesses, especially small businesses, which make up 99.7 percent of U.S. employers, continually struggle to maintain profits by increasing the minimum wage drastically, many businesses will be forced to change their business plans and risk going bankrupt. These changes would be detrimental to both workers and customers.

One way businesses may choose to offset the setbacks from the increased minimum wage is to hire less or layoff extra employees. As a result, unemployment would once again increase, after a recent period of stabilization after the 2008 financial recession.

Additionally, having fewer workers would lead to decreased efficiency.

Material goods would be made slower, resulting in fewer items to sell, which would again decrease the revenue businesses receive. Business owners might also conclude that it is most beneficial to eliminate the minimum wage jobs, and instead create fewer but slightly higher paying jobs with more responsibilities for more qualified workers.

Some businesses might decide to increase their prices in an effort to compensate for the high minimum wage.

This will negatively affect all consumers who will be forced to pay more for amenities with no pay increase, making it more difficult to purchase necessities.

An increase in minimum wage could also cause many workers to be left with limited paid vacation, health insurance, or sick days in order for the business to save money. This can lead to upset workers and worse health care, so workers will have to pay for medical care that would have previously been covered by their health care providers.

California is an extremely populous and economically diverse state. Some residents are impoverished, so a $15 minimum wage would not be sustainable, while some cities are affluent, making the increased minimum wage

unnecessarily high. Instead of creating a statewide or federal minimum wage, minimum wage should be determined by each city or county’s standard of living.

Only about 7.9 percent of workers earning minimum wage have a bachelor’s degree, according to a study conducted by The Washington Post. If workers see that their salaries increase drastically in such a short period of time, they will subsequently become comfortable staying at their current job, instead of trying to improve their socioeconomic positions and possibly pursuing a more advanced degree of education.

Minimum wage should be determined by each city or county’s standard of living.

As a result, minimum wage jobs will no longer be stepping stones for higher paying jobs, but instead become lifelong careers. This issue is not only damaging for minimum wage workers, but also for their employers, who benefit from seeing growth from their employees.

Many businesses will fail following the increase in minimum wage, which would not only add to the unemployment rate, but also restrict consumers’ options. For example, one town could have had several specialty shops before the 50 percent increase in minimum wage, but then end up with only one.

Then, one specialty should could create a monopoly, which would negatively affect consumers in the area.

Rather than increase the minimum wage, the government should focus on directing the money towards improving public services, such as education, public transportation and health care.

This in turn will benefit all (and not just some) wage earners.

While advocates for increasing minimum wage, including Brown and Sen. Bernie Sanders, may have good intentions, they fail to fully consider the ramifications of their position.

By taking a closer look at the issue of minimum wage increase in the United States, Sanders and Brown will soon come to the realization that, much like many of the previous attempts to end poverty, this test will fail.

Friday, April 29, 2016

A6

The Campanile

OPINION

Outrage over Panama Papers unwarranted PETER MAROULIS

NEWS AND OPINION EDITOR

E

verybody’s probably heard about the Panama Papers leak, but what most people probably have not heard is that these supposedly incriminating documents are completely innocuous (and just about worthless). Recently, the world has been enraptured by the Papers, an 11.5 million-document motherload of financial records detailing the particulars of offshore accounts established by the world’s elite. Outrage has taken root, largely in the United States, over numerous international shell companies created by big names like Vladimir Putin of Russia and Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine, through the help of Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. In Iceland, Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson even resigned when found to be dealing with Mossack.

But here’s the catch: all of these offshore accounts, shell companies and tax dodges are completely legal.

The United States is a haven for tax dodging, and its tax code is inherently designed to harbor those who wish to keep their fortunes undisturbed.

At the end of the day, the clamor over the Papers is simply pointless. People from all around the world have been avoiding taxes for centuries.

As the world screams itself hoarse over the Papers, it is important to keep in mind that there are no laws against creating offshore accounts, no matter how shady they may seem. The argument being made by Paper pundits is based solely on morality, which has proven to be a historically weak angle

in courts of law. Though it is unseemly — and indeed unpatriotic — of world leaders such as Gunnlaugsson to stash money abroad, that by no means warrants the kind of mass outcry that has pushed Gunnlaugsson from his job.

Looking stateside, Americans especially have no basis for making highbrow armchair claims. The American government and major American media outlets have been relatively cautious in condemning or defending any position on the Papers, but millions of U.S. citizens have taken to social media, expressing their disgust for the rich who take advantage of tax dodges.

Ironically, the United States is home to states like Delaware, in which it is unbelievably easy to establish shell corporations. One distinguishing characteristic of the Papers is that, while they tank many prominent names from around the world, they have little, if any mention, of wealthy Americans,

which begs the question: why? The answer is that the lax laws of Delaware and other U.S. counterparts such as Nevada, Alaska, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands provide no incentive for moving money overseas.

In fact, the very core of American tax law is disreputable. Since the late 18th century, thousands of pages of tax provisions, rife with loopholes to be exploited by the affluent, have been written into American tax codes. Today, nearly 12,000 pages of tax law exist in the U.S., and are a far cry from succinct (or morally sound) governing principles. In the land of liberty, tax dodges manifest themselves in a variety of ways. A popular modern example is that of the charitable hero, seen recently in the case of Mark Zuckerberg. When his daughter was born last year, Zuckerberg announced that he was establishing a charity and giving away 99 percent of his wealth, which

sounds lovely. However, that money instantly became nontaxable, and continues to serve as equity for Zuckerberg’s family.

At the end of the day, the clamor over the Papers is simply pointless.

People from all around the world have been avoiding taxes for centuries.

To point to one ridiculous example, in Victorian England, wealthy citizens had homes built with fewer windows to avoid a Window Tax. Essentially, since taxation has existed, so has tax avoidance. Yes, offshore accounts can be used for underhand, or maybe even illegal purposes: slush funds are never fully morally acceptable. But, what is so radically different about the accounts exposed in the Panama Papers leak? Do they not have historical, or even modern counterparts? Now is a good time for the world to take a breather and reexamine how insignificant the Papers really are.

Superdelegates threaten election integrity

JEREMY FU

ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Donald Trump has been branded with multiple monikers over the past election cycle and the hotel magnate, skyscraper builder, country club owner and plane flying billionaire has never ceased to please the media with his brash statements and bold words.

“The people out there are going crazy, because they weren’t given a vote, this was given by politicians — it’s a crooked deal,” Trump said. “I see it with Bernie too. Then you have where there is no voting. This is not the way democracy is supposed to work.”

Although he is seldom correct, in this case, Trump is right. Elections are rigged — not just against Trump, but also against other candidates who defy the establishment’s expectations.

Indeed, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic rival to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has long lamented the rigging of the election through the use of the superdelegates, which remove responsibility from the hands of the people and put it in the hands of party officials. The larger issue surrounding this election is electability, a term batted around as the

Democratic and Republican National Conventions near.

For non-establishment candidates such as Sanders, electability could make or break his nomination for president, as for the party leadership, Sanders does not fit the bill nearly as well as long-time favorite Clinton.

At bat is the issue of superdelegates, which have gained the power to overrule a popular vote due to structural changes in the Democratic National Convention’s nomination process — exactly what they were designed to do.

Generally, in state primaries and caucuses, delegates are assigned to candidates proportionally to the number of votes they candidates receive.

These pledged delegates then must vote for their candidate at the national convention.

However, there exists a second category of delegates — colloquially called Superdelegates. Superdelegates make up around 20 percent of the vote at the national convention and are formally described as “unpledged party leader and elected official delegates.” Being “unpledged” allows superdelegates to remain free to vote for whomever they want and not be bound by the results of state contests.

This second category was adopted by party leadership after a “disastrous” 1980 election, resulting in the adoption of superdelegates, regressing from the party’s earlier 1968 decision which aimed to make the composition of the convention more aligned with cast votes.

This problematic arrangement prevents a true democratic process by allowing the Democratic establishment to have a large measure of power over candidates that are viewed as unelectable or disagreeable.

Despite this, Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman said in an interview with CNN that the two level system does not obstruct a fair vote but expand opportunities for lesser-known delegates by ensuring they “don’t have to run against much better-known and wellestablished people at the district level.”

Superdelegates are not a secret tactic by the Clinton campaign or an evil plot by the Democratic convention; however, it is time that they are removed from the equation. Clinton holds 520 superdelegates to Sander’s 39 superdelegates, giving Clinton an edge that she would not otherwise have.

Although superdelegates do not rule out a Sanders nomination, his chances look increasingly slim and should the Democratic establishment turn against him fully, his chances could be put down permanently.

By changing the delegate system to represent the vote of the people, another outlet of political corruption can be removed, bringing the DNC closer to a true democracy not governed by the party elite. Because, as of now, the outcome of the primary almost feels inevitable and votes seem to carry less weight.

This problematic arrangement blocks a true democratic process by allowing the Democratic establishment a large measure of power over candidates.

Sanders and Trump float in the same boat. In the eyes of the establishment, Trump symbolizes a critical flaw in the voting process — one that will almost surely be fixed with superdelegates. Because the greatest fear for both establishments isn't that these candidates are not electable, but that arguably, they are.

The Campanile

Friday, April 29, 2016

OPINION A7 Stigma against informed nonvoters should not exist

SARAH WANG SENIOR STAFF WRITER

“I

f Bernie [Sanders] doesn’t win the primaries, I’m not voting for anyone.” This statement, or a variation thereof can be heard all over the country with the 2016 presidential election just around the corner and Democratic and Republican primaries taking place through June. The majority of U.S. citizens, including many Palo Alto High School seniors, are deciding which candidate to cast their vote for — or alternatively, which candidate not to cast their vote for.

Just like how there are a multitude of reasons behind voting for a specific candidate, there are a multitude of valid reasons that people can have for not voting. Though voters tend to face either support or disdain depending on who they cast their vote for, many people tend to typecast nonvoters as all the same: ignorant citizens who do not care enough about their political system to even check off a box,

but then turn around and complain about everything that is wrong with the system the next day. While these voters may deserve some ridicule for complaining about what they actively choose not to participate in, not all nonvoters fall into this category.

Nonvoters face every kind of adverse response, from shunning and head-shaking to losing the respect from the voters of our society. But what everyone seems to forget is that voting, contrary to popular belief, is not a civic duty. It is a right, and people have the right to choose whether or not to cast votes. They should not face such a negative stigma, even if their reasoning behind not checking off a box is not good enough for our liking.

According to Nonvoters in America, a project run by Ellen Shearer, a professor of journalism at Northwestern University, 40 percent of Americans did not vote in the 2012 presidential election. And, although 36 percent of these nonvoters ab-

stained from voting because they just did not have any interest in politics or did not see voting as a priority, the remaining 64 percent of nonvoters cited different reasons for not participating — ones that do not warrant backlash. The project found that 27 percent of nonvoters stated that they did not vote because of their disappointment in the candidates available for election. These people rationally decided that out of the two possible candidates, neither of them was fit to govern our country.

Why should a person face negativity for reasonably deciding that neither of two whole people were good enough to lead an entire nation?

If someone truly cannot tolerate either candidate and believes both will bring about the exact same amount of destruction, why should this person cast a vote? Their vote would just end up not representing their beliefs, which is what voting is about — giving the people a chance to voice their beliefs.

are faced with periodic budget crises and difficulties in raising additional revenue. Consequently, colleges have made up for the financial losses by increasing the tuition for in-state residents and enrolling more out of state students, who pay a much higher tuition. This arrangement jeopardizes the very nature of public universities as institutions that are predominantly funded by public means and that serve the state and must thus be revised.

In California, student subsidies to the UC system have declined by almost 40 percent over the past decade while the tuition for in-state students has increased. In 2002, the net annual tuition for an in-state UC student was $3,834. In 2012, the net annual tuition nearly quadrupled, rising to $12,192.

Not only did the universities raise instate tuition, but they also increased the share of nonresident freshmen from four percent to eighteen percent.

Although universities have increased in-state tuition and accepted more nonresident students to bridge the budget gaps, the funding for higher education, including greater resources, more grants and scholarships, has not made much progress.

California does not have a higher education coordinating body, its colleges and universities are guided by a mix of government and independent groups such as The California Student Aid Commission and The United States Department of Education. As a result, the state has difficulties in setting goals, organizing its many systems, and finding the most effective ways to use funding wisely.

Many in-state universities claim that they would like to accommodate more in-state students but cannot afford to do so, while the increase in college tuition discourages low-income students from attending an in-state university. In the past years, tens of thousands of qualified in-state students have been turned away.

Each year the admission to many UC campuses have become more and more competitive. In 2014, six of the nine UC undergraduate schools had an average GPA among admitted students higher than a 4.0. The state should be able to offer more to students that are residents of the state.

However, the funding cuts in recent years have caused California’s higher education institutions to favor more

Other reasons for not voting ranged from struggling with other aspects of life (monetary problems, work, etc) to not feeling informed enough to being skeptic that their votes counted at all. Again, as citizens of the United States, people have the right to choose whether or not to vote, and do not hold a duty. As long as these people do not complain about the flaws of the system, they have every right to not participate and not suffer under the backlash of righteous voters.

The negative stigma towards nonvoters also works under a false assumption about voters — that voting for a candidate means someone has made a positive contribution to politics. However, if someone uninformed about political issues casts a vote, is he or she doing any good?

According to research done by Pew Research Center, registered voters could answer, on average, 7.2 out of 12 political questions. Though this number is higher than the average for nonvoters (4.9), the statistic is still far from perfect, meaning there are a number of uninformed voters out there who are casting votes in support of someone they do not know enough about.

Just like how there are a multitude of reasons behind voting for a specific candidate in an election, there are a multitude of valid reasons that people can have for not voting.

Their votes do not represent what the people want, because they are voting simply off of name recognition and likeability.

Checking a box does not automatically make one a better political participant than someone who decides to not check a box. Just like how people should not assume voters are all informed political participants, people should not assume nonvoters are all ignorant, lazy hypocrites.

UCs unfairly prioritize money over in-state applicants

BETHANY SHIANG

T

STAFF WRITER

he importance of public colleges is to offer high-quality education for students at a low price. Most in-state residents normally have priority over out-of-state students in the UC system. For years, the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) system has acted as a safety net of sorts for many students, but in recent years that safety net has slowly disappeared.

In California, student subsidies to the UC system have declined by almost 40 percent over the past decade while the tuition for in-state students has increased.

What many people do not realize about state universities is that the states are the primary funders of public higher education rather than the federal government. As there is a steady rise in student demand for higher education, state universities

out-of- state residents, despite those with GPA’s that are lower than the in-state students. In 2014, the average GPA of out-of-state students at UC Berkeley was 3.85 compared to the average GPA of in-state students which was 4.0. The state should be able to maintain better access to public universities for state residents while following the limited state funds.

A simple place to start is by distinguishing tuition for students by family income. Universities could gradually do more to tier student tuition in order to accommodate in state-students.

This can be achieved by increasing the tuition for higher income families and decreasing the tuition for families in need. By spreading the state funds more equitably across more in-state students, it could help schools with budget gaps without abandoning their obligations as a public university.

States should link higher education dollars with the creation of new sets of goals for its higher education system, such as increasing the number of students that graduate on time and serving low-income students, rather than bridging the funding to the number of students enrolled.

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

A8 EDITORIALS Green and white gowns should Participation needs be offered for graduates again objective grading

W

ith graduation nearly a month away, Palo Alto High School seniors are eagerly anticipating the bittersweet occasion, envisioning the iconic scene: a sea of fellow students, all clad in Paly’s telltale green and white colors. This year, however, this vision has been altered as a result of Paly administration’s unpublicized actions last summer. All students will be required to wear a green graduation gown. Though it is too late to change the administration's new actions for the Class of 2016, The Campanile calls for a change for the future graduating classes.

Traditionally, male graduates would wear green gowns while female graduates would wear white ones. This has since been changed, with the administration citing inclusivity as the main reason for their actions.

“I think we see ourselves as a kind of progressive and inclusive campus,” principal Kim Diorio said.

A few parents had reached out to Diorio and the rest of the administration, stating that their children felt that they were being forced to identify with one gender when choosing the color for their graduation gown.

Since it is the administration’s duty to make sure all students feel comfortable, action was required on admin's part.

In addition, others argue that this sort of gender separation is a concept of the past and should be changed as

we become a more progressive society.

“We had a couple community members, students, parents, contact us about the old practice,” student activities director Matt Hall said. “I mean, it’s been around since the '20s.

It’s a bit of an anachronism, ‘boys wear this and girls wear that,’ ‘boys wear blue and girls wear pink,’ and things like that.”

The last thing I want is for the senior class to be upset over this and I feel terrible. At the same time I still feel like it’s the right thing to do for our school to support this policy and support our students so that it is inclusive of everyone,

Kim Diorio Palo Alto High School Principal Hall continued on, saying that the decision concerning the color of gowns was an easy one to make, and that no backlash was envisioned when the change was implemented during the summer.

“When admin talked about it, it was pretty much unanimous,” Hall said. “We basically checked in with who we saw as the main stakeholders and shot callers, and we couldn’t find a person who was against it.”

While The Campanile acknowledges the need to promote inclusivity, we also strongly believe that both green and white caps and gowns

should be offered in order to preserve the tradition of Paly pride. We suggest that students be randomly assigned to wear both green and white gowns, thus preserving our school’s colors, but not assigning students to identify as a certain gender. While it is too late to make this change happen for the 2015-16 year, Diorio believes that this could be a viable option for upcoming years.

The Campanile also wishes to express concern over how the administration went about changing the gown policy. The graduating Class of 2016 was only notified this fall about the changes made over the summer that would directly affect their entire student body during their graduation ceremony. The administration is aware of this miscommunication, yet maintains that this is a lone error and will not be repeated in future years at Paly.

“The last thing I want is for the senior class to be upset over this, and I feel terrible," Diorio said. "At the same time, I still feel like it’s the right thing to do for our school to support this policy and support our students so that it is inclusive of everyone."

In conclusion, The Campanile acknowledges the tight position that the administration was put in, but still implores the administration to minimize communication errors with the student body so as not to further drive an even larger wedge between Paly's student body and administration.

A

ccording to a report curated

by Hanover Research for Palo Alto and Henry M. Gunn high schools, around 40 percent of all classes — and 77 percent of English-Language Arts classes — consider participation an important factor in determining students’ grades. Despite the prolificacy of this method of grading, it remains unstandardized and largely subjective — a fact that becomes especially concerning when considering that course alignment remains one of Paly’s educational departments’ high priorities.

The Campanile believes that these educational departments should consider standardizing participation grading along with general course alignment as one of their chief goals.

Methods of evaluation for participation currently vary by class, with some teachers choosing to implement a point system, where every instance of participation gains a point, and others simply deciding to assess it anecdotally at the end of each grading period. Both of these systems have their faults. A point system encourages students to constantly share unconstructive ideas that create a topical class discussion which fails to add to overall learning. On the other hand, subjective overall participation grades are often heavily influenced by favoritism and teachers’ personal biases towards styles of participation.

Considering these shortcomings, The Campanile believes that the Instructional Supervisors of each de-

partment should work closely with teachers to develop comprehensive standards for participation grading.

These standards should include a requirement to pair the grade with comments and explanations that force each teacher to justify the grade.

This would ensure that students participate more effectively and receive more objective evaluation.

One of the major flaws with grading based on participation is that it is inherently biased against introverts or soft-spoken students. Answering teacher-prompted questions in front of a class audience induces anxiety in many students. However, this is not to imply that these students should be sheltered and unchallenged — after all, the real world will not accommodate for these personality traits. That being said, systems of quiet self-reflection and collaboration have been proven to increase quality participation while including all students.

This type of standardization would be a relatively easy feat to accomplish, especially in departments such as History and Social Science, Math and Science, where participation is not as abundant a grading category. Additionally, the task would prove quite arguably more important than other alignment goals, such as the standardization of syllabi within courses.

Action must be taken to remedy this unregulated system of grading to further align courses and account for all types of students.

AP testing process needs to be more efficient for students

A

s the majority of Palo Alto High School seniors and juniors are enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and plan to take AP tests at the end of their second semester, The Campanile believes that the entire process of AP testing, from pre-registration and scheduling to the finals for AP classes which take place in the weeks before official testing begins, should be reformed to better fit students’ needs and to facilitate a less taxing time for those who are taking AP tests.

This year, students were notified via email about pre-registration, which are necessary lunchtime sessions for students to attend so that they can take their AP tests, only a day before the pre-registration sessions began, leaving many students without ample time to adjust their schedules or to determine when they could attend the mandatory sessions.

This messy planning on the administration’s part resulted in confusion and inadequate planning time for a large number of students. Instead, The Campanile believes that these pre-registration sessions could be better facilitated and scheduled to make the AP registration process simpler and smoother for students.

An alternative option to the current system would be to carry out the pre-registration during an advisory period — all students would have one designated time to complete the registration, lessening confusion, and furthermore allowing for a smaller number of students per teacher in each classroom, instead of having one administrator lead a huge group of students, which resulted in a hectic and poorly-administrated registration session.

Another aspect of scheduling that needs improvement are the finals which take place in AP classes during the last weeks of April: teachers in AP classes usually move their classes’ finals to the week before AP testing so that their students can review for both their classes’ finals and their AP tests at the same time.

While moving finals to before AP tests occur is effective in preparing students for their tests, we believe that the finals week for AP classes is often an extremely stressful and demanding time for students — students must balance their workload and homework from other classes while also attempting to prepare for their AP finals.

Because the week is not a designated finals week, there is no limit to the assignments, projects, and studying that students have to do.

To help students during this time, The Campanile believes that Paly should hold after-school sessions in the library before and during the week of AP final testing, similarly to the library sessions that occur during official finals testing weeks. This AP finals week is just as hectic, or even more so than the traditional finals week, for students who take many AP courses, and should be handled by administration in a more effective way to help students the best they can.

Ultimately, The Campanile recognizes that AP testing is an extremely stressful time for the majority of upperclassmen, and believes that the administration should reform the overall process of AP scheduling in order to simplify and improve the experience for all of those who choose to take AP tests.

APRIL’S TOP TEN LIST Top Ten Senior Pranks 10) Let three pigs loose and label them “one” “two” and “four” 9) Bring your dogs to school.

8) Teepee the tower building.

7) Release thousands of crickets in the library.

6) Hire a mariachi band to follow Kimmy D around campus.

5) Repaint the school roofs.

4) Egg Wars 2.0.

3) Feed laxatives to the birds.

2) STREAK. 1) Plant a tree.

- Christina Le and Jeremy Fu

“BENCH WARS”

The Campanile Editors-in-Chief Miranda Chen • Stephanie Cong • Owen Dulik Lauren Klass • Mischa Nee • Nikhil Rajaram Online Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Fu News and Opinion Editors Claire Dennis Peter Maroulis

Lifestyle Editors Aiva Petriceks Carissa Zou

Sports Editors Kai Oda Ethan Teo

Business Manager Rachel Farn

Design Editor Bo Field

Photography Editor Dami Bolarinwa

Yael Ben-Shachar Abira Berezin Josh Brigel Uma Choudhury Kate DeAndre Greg Eum Joanna Falla Mackenzie Glassford Eli Gwin-Kerr Danny Hammerson Jamie Har

Editing Consultants Evelyn Richards Elisabeth Rubinfien

Staff Writers

Cole Hechtman Antonio Kieschnick Edward Kim Grace Kitayama Masha Konkov Christina Le Will Leighton Tiffany Liang Anant Marur Madeline McCluskey

Kiran Misner Nicholas Melvin Jacqueline Moore Anna Moragne Josh Ng Gillian Robins Maggie Rosenthal Bethany Shiang Thomas Smale Adrian Smith

Photographers

Abira Berezin Daniel Hammerson

Jacky Moore Jordan Schilling

Jared Stanley Talia Stanley Avi Tachna-Fram David Tayeri Annalise Wang Sarah Wang Clay Watson Jessica Wong Samuel Yun Ashley Zhang Alice Zhao

Illustrators

Samuel Vasquez Catherine Yu

Advisor Esther Wojcicki Letters to the Editors: Email all letters to editors to theeds16@googlegroups.com The Campanile prints letters on a space-available basis.

We reserve the right to edit submissions.

The Campanile only prints signed letters.

Advertisements: Advertisements with The Campanile are printed with signed contracts.

For more information regarding advertisements or sponsors in

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

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

The policy of The Campanile is to publish editorial content that represents at least half of the staff.

L FESTYLE The Campanile

Playing With Fire:

TEXT AND DESIGN BY

KAI ODA

Friday, April 29, 2016 STUDENT LIFE

Fashion and Tech A guide to the most stylish tech that will suit all your needs.

PAGE B7

DESIGN BY

CARISSA ZOU

Glassblowing

O

nce heated to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in the blazing inferno of a furnace, glass becomes liquid, now malleable enough to be formed into the spray of a wave, the gentle curve of a duck-bill or even the intricate spiral of a snail shell. Despite the unique opportunities that glassblowing offers students, Palo Alto High School is one of only four high schools in the nation to offer a glass blowing program due to its inherent danger and annual operating budget of

[in glass blowing] There are no limits as long as you set your mind to it. ben beaudry junior

$50,000.

The fuel and electricity required to keep the furnace running at 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit all day, the large volumes of glaze and glass coloring needed to stain the glass and the massive amount of molten glass that students use contribute to the exorbitant annual cost of the program.

Although the cost is high, Glassblowing Instructional Aide Dana Rottler believes that the medium offers students the rare ability to artistically express themselves in a non-traditional way.

“Glass is different because of its fluidity,” Rottler said. “Every exact move you make is represented in the glass and your emotion transports through to the final piece.”

Glassblowers begin their cre-

a t i on s by dipping a hollow metal rod into a furnace containing liquid glass, which anneals to the end. The blazing hot lump of glass is removed and students blow into the opposite end of the hollow rod, expanding the glass. As the glass cools to 1500 degrees, students use a variety of tools to shape it into a rough cylinder during the most dangerous part of the glass-blowing process, as people are most likely to burn themselves here.

Fo r junior Ben Beaudry, the aspect of danger is what differentiates glass blowing from other art classes and opportunities offered at Paly.

“The danger involved makes it fun,” Beaudry said. “If you mess up you might hurt yourself or even other people [which is] what makes glass blowing stand out from other forms of art.”

Students have limited time to shape their creations — as the glass cools it becomes less malleable and harder to work with. They then have to put their object into a miniature furnace dubbed the “glory hole,” which runs at 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit and quickly heats the glass back up.

Students switch between the searing heat of the furnace and intricate design work that must be completed as quickly as possible without touching the scalding glass. When they are satisfied with their design, the object is placed in an annealer, an insulated box that cools the glass slowly overnight.

“Some materials are more forgiving, whereas glass is set the moment you touch it,” Rottler said. “It’s a frozen, timeless material that will never

glass they do not use, melting scrap glass for reuse. In addition, the Paly Fiery Arts Boosters Club works to ensure the program has sufficient funds to continue, through annual fall and winter sales of over 800 handcrafted glass pieces. The glass pieces contributed by Paly instructors, students and alumni cover most of the annual budget.

Glass blowing is easily accessible to students with no sculpting experience, as creating simple but aesthetically appealing designs is fairly simple. However, the range and Complexity of projects scales quickly as students gain more knowledge. The more students learn, the more they can do — some students make their own molds using special clay and their own colors using a blend of different metals.

Art is a medium through which students can express themselves, and hopefully change the views of others in the process. Glass blowing gives students who lack traditional art skills this powerful ability.

change or fade.”

A f t e r cooling, students sand off excess glass chips using sandpaper and water, and polish their pieces using a high-speed sander. The entire process, beginning with a lump of glass and culminating in an intricately detailed piece of art, takes only two days.

Glassblowing is offered as part of the larger Ceramics and Sculpture/ Advanced Sculpture classes at Paly.

However, the short creation time and high-risk, high-reward style makes glass blowing the most unique art form.

The effects of student choices are dramatic, exciting and often dangerous — quite different from the subtle iterations involved in traditional art forms such as drawing, painting and sculpture.

“Glass blowing is a really great way to express yourself because you can make whatever you want,” Beaudry said. “There are no limits as long as you set your mind to it.”

As students walk the line between safety and d a n g e r, masterpiece and deformed scrap, t h e y learn Dana rottler patience, glassblowing Instructional aide perseverance and caution — valuable traits that can be applied to activities outside of art.

“The purpose of art is to al“I’ve spent a lot of time on a really low yourself self-expression while cool piece only to break it in the final sharing your thoughts, beliefs and moments,” junior Evan Welsh said. feelings with the world in hopes “You definitely learn perseverance to change it and make it a betand how to handle disappointment.” ter place,” Rottler said. “Glass is To offset the large annual budget a mesmerizing material that stuof the program, students try to be dents can become super passionas conservative as possible with the ate about.”

Glass is different because of its fluidity.

Every exact move you make is represented in the glass and your emotion transports through to the final piece.

Coachella: My musical experience

MADS MCCLUSKEY

STAFF WRITER

If 200-foot-long hot boxed tents, overpriced food, eardrum-bursting music and sweaty drunk people aren’t your thing, do not go to Coachella.

The infamous hipster music festival should probably be shut down by the NSA, FDA and most other federal organizations as just about every law has been broken at Coachella. Yet, it remains one of the most popular music festivals in the world.

The bad reviews and reputations, labeling Coachella as a drug-using, rape-endorsing and alcohol-abusing festival, are, for the most part, completely accurate. You may find yourself dancing along to Flume, at which point you look to your right and see someone snorting cocaine out of their palm only to your left and be engulfed by a cloud of marijuana smoke. The blatant lack of security inside the grounds of the music festival is almost appalling; out of the three days there, I only saw one security guard searching the crowd for drug and alcohol abusers.

However, once you embrace all of its flaws, Coachella can be one of the best experiences in your life. Having only been to a couple of concerts before, I felt extremely blessed to be able to see over 38 bands and DJs over the span of just three days. I was able to dance with people from different cultures and countries around the world to bands of all types, from indie pop to hard rock to techno. The venue in Indio, Calif. was beautiful and engaging with its large art pieces and seven stages –– I couldn’t imagine it to be anywhere better than in the middle of the California desert.

My best friend and I went to Coachella with VIP passes and spending the extra $500 for VIP passes was well worth it. The lines for water refill stations in the general admissions area were over an hour long, whereas in the VIP section there were no lines at any point during the day.

Also, the VIP section offered a suncrowded area to escape to when the hoards of people got too crazy. And, as cliche as it might seem, the cleaner, better bathrooms were priceless compared to the odious, germ-filled porta-potties.

The food, while over-priced ($9 for one piece of fried chicken), was amazing. Some of the best chefs and restaurants from Los Angeles were represented in the VIP section. We ate everything from poke bowls to korean-style hot dogs. While VIP food was excellent, food in the general admission section was more like fair food, fried and greasy. So, if you can afford it, the VIP tickets are definitely worth it.

While all of that is nice, the best part by far was the music. I was introduced to new artists and new types of music. Some of the best musicians and DJs from every corner of the Earth came together to play the best sets I have ever heard. We heard Alessia Cara, Sia, The Chainsmokers, Flume and Calvin Harris in just four hours.

Coachella Weekend Two was unforgettable and I’m looking forward to hopefully going next year and many of the following years to come.

STUDENT LIFE

The Effect of Media on Women

Despite the momentum of the public feminist movement, teen girls are often treated as inferior to males in private relationships due to the distortion of sexual expectations by various forms of media.

COURTESY OF ARMYEDSPACE.COM

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STUDENT LIFE

COURTESY OF SCREENRANT.COM

ENTERTAINMENT

LIFESTYLE

ETHAN TEO/THE CAMPANILE

Senior Trips

Hollywood Remakes

The Birth of RAJ

PAGE B3

PAGE B7

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Students use their summer to travel the world with friends.

Remakes of popular movies make money, but lack creativity.

Three Paly seniors have created an exceptional classic rock band.

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

B2 LIFESTYLE Degradation of women in hookup culture remains

Despite noteworthy feminist progress, derogatory labels of young women in sexual relationships still prevail GILLIAN ROBINS

STAFF WRITER

KATE DEANDRE

STAFF WRITER

I

n recent years, feminism and the problems with how women are viewed in society have received much attention. Girls declare their feminism on social media, posting pictures of themselves sporting “The Future is Female” shirts as well as unshaven body hair, in an effort to make a political statement against female gender norms. However, what often goes unsaid is that the way teen girls are treated in private relationships still retains a hegemonic masculine focus despite the public feminist movement.

Two terms that arise often when labeling teen girls based on their sexual experiences are on two extremes: a “slut” or a “prude.” In the New York Times review of the book “Girls and Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape” by Peggy Orenstein, there is a quote from a college girl that the Times claims “seems to sum up what it means to be a teenage girl right now.” The girl, college-aged and majoring in Economics, is preparing to go out one with her friend and states that her goal “is to be just slutty enough, where you’re not a prude but you’re not a whore … finding that balance is every college girl’s dream.”

After all, “what’s the point of a night if you aren’t getting attention from guys?” Although the book discusses this issue through the lens of a college student, it resonates with high school-aged girls as well.

Emily is a junior at Palo Alto High School whose name has been changed to remain anonymous, like all other students quoted in this article. She believes that a girl hooking up with multiple people is valid, and, if a girl were to do that, she should not be punished for it.

“I know a lot of people think, ‘oh, she’s a slut,’ but if a girl feels as though she wants to do that with herself, and as long as she’s respecting herself and those guys, then I don’t really think it affects anyone,” Emily said.

Emily has struggled with being slut-shamed and facing excess judgement surrounding a past incident.

“Well, I mean, it was a feeling of not really knowing who was judging you even though you sort of knew everyone was,” Emily said, regarding how she was affected by the incident.

DEAR JAMIE: I have had trouble sticking to one friend group for a long period of time. Whenever I feel like I have a friend group and I feel comfortable where I am socially, I always quietly get pushed out without knowing why. How do I know if this constantly happening is because of me as a friend, something I keep doing or just because I’m outgrowing these friend groups?

— WANDERING

JAMIE HAR/THE CAMPANILE

Unlike men, in both daily life and media, women are treated as if they are worth less, tainted and deserving of taunting and belittlement if they hookup with multiple people.

“And, I sort of stopped putting myself in social situations and took a break from that sort of scene.”

In order to build an adolescent culture where both girls’ and guys’ needs are met in intimate settings, the talk around sexual education should be about the emotional and mental aspects in addition to the physical aspects.

Of course, if Emily had been a teenage boy, she probably would have gotten a completely different reaction from her peers. This is the infamous double standard that exists within hookup culture. When guys hook up with more than one girl, they are often praised, whereas if girls are to engage in the same acts, they are often labeled as sluts.

“I think for the most part, guys think it’s cool if guys hook up with a bunch of girls but gross if girls hook up with a bunch of guys,” Tyler, a junior whose name has also been changed, said.

The struggle to find a medium between slut and prude has been an ongoing battle for teenage girls. Being placed in the category of slut or DEAR WANDERING: Unstable relationships can certainly be very stressful, especially in the context of a busy life. Yet, no matter how difficult they can be, relationships remain important to humans because we are social animals that nearly inevitably drift back to being with and being emotionally and mentally impacted by others. Thankfully though, the impact of relationships is not all that bad. Through relationships, you can learn many valuable things about yourself and about other people.

Consider this: why is it that you want the specific friendships around you? In each relationship, list the reasons you have stuck around and want to stay by the other person, and identify which are predominant.

For instance, does the other person fulfill a particular, personal need, be it emotional or practical? Do you feel attached because you have a desire to help the other person grow in some specific way that you can guide? How do those reasons affect the strength and drive behind your relationship?

In addition, what does a friend group mean to you? I believe people find comfort in the idea that a friend group is associated with secure belonging and a label to add to one’s identity. However, friend groups are not actually as fundamentally stable as most often think because friend

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prude can damage a teenage girl’s dignity by making her believe that her self-worth is determined by how many guys she hooks up with.

“In my opinion, being classified as a prude is nothing to be ashamed of at all,” Tyler said. “Whereas in most cases, if a girl or a guy is categorized as a slut or whore, they have probably made decisions to be put into their category, so instead of having their self esteem affected, they should realize that they can probably do something about how they are viewed by others.”

Teenagers’ perceptions of the norms and expectations that apply to their gender are being distorted by the media. Many TV shows and movies display girls as modest and prudish, repeatedly telling the guy that they should wait before engaging in sexual acts. When a female character in a movie is labeled as the slut, she never finishes the movie as the victorious girl who still retains her promiscuity. On the contrary, she often comes to the realization at some point of her “sinful ways” and ends up completely altering her lifestyle, presumably, “for the better.” This sends a strong message to teenage girls as to how to facilitate their behavior.

Film and TV shows also rarely showcase the female sex drive or the sexuality of teenage girls; however, there are a few films that do so and do it well.

In 2015, the movie “Diary of a Teenage Girl” made its debut and was praised for its raw and truthful depiction of a teenage girl’s sexual awakening as she began an affair with her mother’s boyfriend. The film was applauded by critics for honoring the main character’s sexuality but not exploiting it.

groups are fluidly organic, always shifting. Yes, there are some friendships and groups that last for years despite great tribulations, but even those evolve. Thus, in the greater context, the concept itself of a permanent friend group is not so significant.

So, it’s okay to be feeling the way you feel. It’s okay to be a wanderer; I consider myself one too, and I have encountered the same thoughts you’ve expressed. You are not alone.

To directly answer your question, you will likely not know the exact reason a friendship changes; change in life is not something individual humans can control or fully comprehend. Nevertheless, if you want to identify possible reasons why a friendship is not working or has not worked, there are some things you can do.

struggle to understand and accept the other?

If yes, consciously give and take who embodies what role in each situation. If needed, discuss your concerns and establish a compromise. If, even after that, you continue to conflict, consider that the friendship may not be best for both of you. Letting go of relationships that create more harm than help is a reasonable option.

Sometimes, people misunderstand others’ actions and intentions. Perhaps your friends did not mean to make you feel isolated; people express their love, need for personal space and honesty in different ways.

The only way to know if a distancing is intentional or not is to have an honest, open conversation. Discussing what each side has perceived may help you understand each other better, but be prepared for whatever you might hear and acknowledge that talking still might not explain everything. Be as open-minded as you can.

In the end, the people who truly care about you, who take time out of their life to care for you and who look past all the surface-level activities and conversations to consistently trust and seek to know the deeper “you” will stand out through time and tribulation. There may not be many, but they will be there. These people may already exist around you, but

Everyone is walking his or her own path, and relationships simply depend on whether people’s path will cross, continue side by side or diverge.

Reflect on how your and others’ characteristics impact your roles in relationships. Do you tend to listen or talk, to initiate or follow first?

Do your tendencies clash with other peoples’, perhaps because they are so similar that they create competitive tension or so dissimilar that you

This is the infamous double standard that exists within hookup culture. When guys hook up with more than one girl, they are often praised, whereas, if girls are to engage in the same acts, they are labeled as sluts.

Produced by Sofia Coppola, “The Virgin Suicides” pertains to the topics of repression. It showcases seemingly girlish innocence that is, contrary to audience expectations, turned into eroticism. This movie is set in the 1970s and follows five sisters living in a strict religious family. The girls be-

come an item of obsession for boys in the neighborhood.

“Raise Boys and Girls the Same Way” is a statement that has been circulating on social media recently, displayed on shirts produced and made popular by companies like Brandy Melville. This is a fitting statement promoting the push towards reforming the rhetoric around adolescent sexual education. The predominant mentality of male control in private relationships does not seem to be going away anytime soon, despite the female-centric dialogue taking place publicly and largely on social media.

In “Girls and Sex,” Orenstein argues that, in order to fix this issue plaguing girls today, sex education in classes like Living Skills at Paly should include topics like consent and pleasure, not just contraceptives and preventing STDs. In order to build an adolescent culture where both girls’ and guys’ needs are met in intimate settings, the talk around sexual education should be about the emotional and mental aspects in addition to the physical aspects. This improvement in discourse would also relieve the disparity around the double standards of hookups.

only time will tell. Those will be the relationships that matter most.

Friend groups are fluidly organic, always shifting …

Thus, in the greater context, the concept itself of a permanent friend group is not so significant.

Remember, everyone is walking his or her own path, and relationships simply depend on whether people’s paths will cross, continue side by side or diverge. None of these directions are right or wrong, and each path can lead a person to wonderful places whether it aligns with another’s or not. If a relationship is really, deeply important to you, you can try to redirect yourself to align with the other’s path. But, before you commit yourself to doing so, thoroughly consider the value of your own prospects against the other’s, and don’t hasten to tie your two lives together and become dependent on each other. Who knows — your paths may cross again in the future at a more appropriate time. The world is big, and your life lies ahead of you.

WITH LOVE: JAMIE Dr. Moira Kessler, a child psychiatrist at the Stanford University Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, offers feedback to the column writer. She is not providing any clinical services.

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

LIFESTYLE

Social stigma affecting college reputations “Party schools” wrongly portrayed as academically inferior to prestigious universities

B3

Paly hacks for freshmen

JESSICA WONG

STAFF WRITER

M

any high school students face pressure from classmates, peers and parents to work towards attending the best university possible post-graduation, regardless if the school is a worldrenowned university or community college. Every year, on May 2, the majority of Palo Alto High School seniors follow the tradition of proudly donning the colors and logos of their destinations for the fall, signifying the end of the exhaustive college process and celebrating the beginning of a new, exciting chapter in their lives.

However, even after beginning college, students may face scrutiny for their school of choice, based solely on name and reputation. Those who choose to attend universities notorious for having active party scenes are sometimes looked down upon by others — their accomplishments reduced to the reputation of a college.

Particularly in high-achieving areas, students are often held to a standard of attending prestigious, household-name universities, and when they deviate from this frequented path in favor of schools known mostly for partying, they may be met with mixed reactions from peers. Colleges such as San Diego State University (SDSU) and the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), are often known predominantly for their social scenes, overshadowing their impressive academics programs. Similarly, students who choose to attend such schools are sometimes viewed as big partiers, and therefore seem to be less serious about their education than their peers who enroll in universities more known more for their academics.

“When I decided to go to UCSB, some of my peers were surprised,” Paly alumna and UCSB freshman Ariana Tindall said. “I’m not a huge partier, so some people wondered why I was planning on going to a party school.”

Despite the negative stigma surrounding colleges with reputations as party schools, Paly alumna and SDSU freshman Livi Musil received positive feedback from peers toward her college commitment, with remarks of the partying nature of the school made only in good spirit.

Although such colleges may be less academically rigorous than other top

AIVA PETRICEKS

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

SAMUEL VASQUEZ/THE CAMPANILE

The quality of a school’s education is usually determined by how well students leverage resources and not the university’s brand name.

universities, Musil has found that the absence of cutthroat competition commonly seen in academic institutions has enhanced her overall college experience.

“At SDSU, everyone tries to lift each other higher,” Musil said. “I didn’t want to go to a college where competitiveness harms the learning environment.”

As with every college, these party schools still provide a valuable education and allow students to grow personally and academically, factors that are often overlooked because of the notoriety of the school’s social scene.

When I decided to go to UCSB, some of my peers were surprised.

I’m not a huge partier, so some wondered why I was planning on going to a party school.

Ariana Tindall Paly alumna “SDSU is definitely a party school ... that stigma holds true,” Musil said.

“However, the quality of education can be overlooked when partying is the most well known aspect of [a] university. At SDSU, I’m offered a lot of resources and competitive positions. I don’t think I would have been able to grow this much as a leader at another school.”

Although a party school title may

seem to carry less significance than that of an Ivy League university, the reputation of a school does not equate to its quality. While a state school may not be as academically rigorous as an Ivy, a student’s overall experience at either school is not dependent on its name, but instead on factors such as its resources, opportunities, student body, extracurriculars and location.

“I think that there’s this assumption that ‘party’ schools like UCSB or SDSU are just not on par with schools seen as more academically centric, such as Tufts,” Paly alumna and Tufts University senior Laura Cui said. “When I got accepted to Tufts, I was met with a lot of praise, whereas a friend who got into SDSU didn’t receive as much. I personally believe what matters is what a student takes away from his or her school and what they want out of a college experience.”

Due to the stigma surrounding party schools, students who attend them are sometimes viewed as less driven than those who choose schools with greater emphasis on academics.

However, aside from the various factors that contribute to a student’s fit and connection with a school, some choose to attend lower-cost undergraduate universities with the intention of enrolling in graduate school after college, making the informed

decision to attend a school that may be less academically rigorous as a means of being able to pursue even further education.

“I plan to go to graduate school, so SDSU was a smart choice financially,” Musil said.

For many, the cost of college is already a financial strain, and for students who want to enter graduate school, the price tag of a larger undergraduate university is simply unrealistic. By attending a state school, students pay a fraction of the price of other universities, while still receiving a quality education. For example, the estimated total undergraduate cost for a California resident at SDSU in an academic year is $21,896, whereas the same student would pay approximately $34,062 to attend the University of California, Los Angeles, $45,390 at Caltech and $67,212 at the University of Southern California annually. With the label of a state school, however, often comes a reputation for inferior academics and excessive partying, causing students planning for their future to be regarded as less accomplished than their peers, despite their achievements.

“I would strongly encourage those making college decisions to consider what they get out of their degree,” Musil said. “Don’t choose your home for the next few years based solely on a title, make a holistic decision.”

Importance of senior trips before going to college Vactions to countries around the globe allow seniors to share one last bonding moment RACHEL FARN

BUSINESS MANAGER

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hen one hears that a student is traveling to places like Japan, Korea, Amsterdam, Paris, Spain or Switzerland, they might think this student is traveling with loved ones or with an organized program. However, many Palo Alto High School seniors chose to visit these destinations as part of senior trips with their friends before they all depart in the fall to go to their respective colleges or gap year programs.

After working hard for years in stressful school environments, many seniors treat themselves to a fun, exciting trip away from home — a last hoorah before separating from their longtime friends. “[Students] haven’t really had time to go on a vacation with friends as much cause you always either go with your family or you would need to stay home and study,” senior Minyoung Kim who plans on visiting Korea and Japan, said. “In that regard, [going on a senior trip is] like celebrating your adulthood or even freedom.”

To some students, this trip is also a sort of farewell or final chapter to their high school life.

“The senior trip is my way of closing my high school journey and opening the chapter of college life, individualism and exploration of myself and the world,” senior Dorothy Han, who is visiting Spain and Switzerland, said.

The end-of-the-year trip after school ends is also seen as a learning experience. Since many students are

COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

During summer, seniors explore countries like Korea, Japan, Spain and Switzerland.

going to places without adults to rely on, they will learn to be more independent and to complete tasks, such as planning and organizing the trips, on their own.

The senior trip is my way of closing my high school journey and opening the chapter of college life, individualism and exploration of myself and the world.

Dorothy Han Senior “Planning-wise, you have to stay on track and make sure everything is bought and taken care of,” Kim said. “We’re planning everything and

there won’t be anyone to take care of us and drag us to places so it really depends on what we want to do with our time.”

At the same time, the senior trip forces some students out of their comfort zone. Many are travelling to unfamiliar places and learning to interact with individuals who do not necessarily speak the same language or have the customs they are familiar with.

“When you’re traveling on your own and exploring a completely new culture, you have to put yourself out there and take the initiative to ask locals for directions or ask them to translate things for you,” Han said.

The living arrangements also prove to be an interesting experience. For

senior Albert Leng, besides apartments, he and a fellow classmate are also excited to stay at a youth hostel in Europe. “[A youth hostel is] a cheap place to stay for minors and there are usually a lot of bunk beds in the same room so everyone is living with everyone and we’re all strangers,” Leng said.

Each group of seniors chose different destinations for different reasons. Kim and four other seniors are visiting Japan and Korea. Being Korean, Kim hopes to show her friends around and immerse them in the Korean culture.

For Leng, he, along with one other friend, is travelling to Amsterdam, Paris, Geneva and Florence. After studying French for a few years, he wanted to visit the country and experience their culture. Although still being planned, Leng and his friend want to attend a music festival in Amsterdam.

Lastly, Han is visiting Spain and Switzerland with her best friend. She chose Spain for its rich history and culture and amazing architecture and chose Switzerland for the natural scenery. “[My friend] and I are big nature people,” Han said. “We love taking nature photos and Switzerland is a country filled with beautiful mountains and large lakes and other breathtaking scenes”.

For each student, the senior trip holds its own meaning, whether it be a closure of their high school journey with their close friends, a learning experience or the introduction to a new chapter in life.

I vividly remember my first day at Palo Alto Senior High School: I was a lost freshman, both physically and emotionally, walking through the quad, a binder reminder in hand which contained a map of my new stomping ground. I couldn’t tell you what the difference between the Student Activities Office or the Student Center, and I probably still don’t, but at least I can make it seem like I do. Fast forward to April 2016—I have completed 15 quarters at Paly and am hoping to pass my last before I become lost both physically and emotionally at a new campus.

However, during my time at this fantastic high school I have learned some hacks that made my high school experience much easier, and it would be rude of me not to share it with the readers of The Campanile.

Quad Life Not to say I’m a genius, but I have created and mastered a formula that will help anyone navigate where to sit on the quad, depending on how social you are at the moment. The closer you get to the middle of the quad, the more you want people to get away from you. So, if you are on the outside of the quad, you are probably living your life and you want friends to join you on your journey, while if you are in the dead center of the quad, you are probably having a deep talk about life with your friend and you need people to be far away. Does this work? Well, I sat in the middle of the quad with a friend and no one came up to us and we were able to have a fantastic talk with no interruptions. If our loneliness has to do with my formula or our social standing, I choose not to think about it.

Where to Study Though many would disagree, preps should be used for studying or doing homework. I recommend staying on campus for your prep, even if it’s sixth or seventh period, because if you go home you’ll probably nap and then be unproductive. There are many places to study at Paly, from the MAC and the library, to the MRC or the quad. The choices are overwhelming, but again, I have a formula that helps you choose where to do work in relation to how social you are. If you go to the library, you are probably trying to get a good amount of work done, but you want to see some familiar faces walk by and have a nice conversation here and there. If you like the MAC, you aren’t trying to study. What you are doing is trying to watch Netflix on a couch and maybe get a nap in. If you go to the MRC or SSRC, damn, you really care about your studies and you are getting that A in APUSH. If you are trying to flex on the quad, well, good luck.

Journalism Being the Lifestyle Editor of this world-renowned high school newspaper makes me kind of a big deal.

But even for regular staff writers on one of the five thousand publications at Paly, being a part of the journalism community opens a lot of doors, most importantly the kitchen doors to in the MAC. For all of us hard-working journalists, we are a pearl and the MAC is our oyster. You basically have free reign to any part of the MAC at any time, because journalism. Need a snack break during English? Ask a teacher to open the MAC kitchen for you because you want to eat the snacks you paid $70 for at the beginning of the year. Want to take a nice nap away from screaming freshman?

Ask a teacher to open the Journalism Library. When asking a teacher to open any room in the MAC, remember to always say, “It’s for [insert publication name here].”

Sadly, this space only allows me to give so many hacks and I have ran out of room. If you are dying for more tips, please slide into my DMs, whatever that means. Bye Paly Pals!

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

SPOTLIGHT

B4

EXCHANGING BACK A TEENAGER’S MILITARISTIC OPTIONS POST HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

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ROTC

or the vast majority of high schoolers, the prospect of joining the Armed Forces barely grazes the mind as a post-high school option. Less than 10 percent of high school graduates take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), a test meant to determine if one has the mental aptitude for enlistment. Joining the Armed Forces may intimidate many teenagers, leading them to opt for a 2- or 4-year college in the hopes of entering the workforce. However, despite these discouraging figures, the United States government has found ways to ensure a steady annual enlistment

rate. Only twice in the last 30 years has the military failed to meet its recruiting goals (which are determined annually by Congress), and every year at least 180,000 people enlist, with another 20,000 going on to become officers.

The Armed Forces offer a broad variety of options for those wishing to enlist, and many of these options come with benefits that are exclusive to each service. From subsidizing college tuition to preparing young adults for officership, joining the military has amenities far beyond the clichéd promise of “serving your country.”

Adolescents considering a career

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path in leadership have many options in enlistment, from the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) to the military academies: United States Military Academy (USMA), United States Naval Academy (USNA), United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) and United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). Careers that incorporate national service are becoming increasingly accessible to adolescents through a diverse range of military branches. The individual branches come with different responsibilities, assignments, lifestyles and benefits, all aimed at making a life of service a viable opportunity.

any military programs offer paths to officership, but that does not dilute the importance of the position, as it requires exceptional leadership and stark resilience. One way to achieve status as a commissioned officer without directly enlisting out of high school or attending a designated Armed Forces school is to take part in a college-based officer training and scholarship program, such as the ROTC. Students of this program graduate as officers and serve in every branch of the Armed Forces, from the Marine Corps to the Coast Guard. It is most popular for ROTC graduates to join the Army — 38.5 percent of ROTC graduates become newly commissioned U.S. Army officers.

Perhaps the most enticing part of enlisting in an ROTC program is the fact that a student may receive a competitive, merit-based scholarship, covering all or part of their college tuition, in return for their service after graduation.

ROTC programs are offered at more than 1,100 schools across the country. Students in the program attend college and live their collegiate lives just as their fellow students do, but also receive basic military training for their specific service branch through elected classes and drill practices. Trainees organize at ROTC units or nearby their college campuses for drill practice.

The ROTC program offers excellent college scholarships in return for service. Many turn to it as a reliable means to pay for their college educations. Federal law stipulates that graduates of ROTC scholarship pro-

grams who accept commission as regular officers are usually obligated to four years of active duty service after graduation and eight years of military service after their active duty period has ceased. However, these obligations vary in time from branch to branch; for example, the Navy’s service obligation is five years whereas the Marine Corps is four.

“I knew I would have to find a way to pay for college and I had always wanted to serve in the military,” Palo Alto High School senior and ROTC enlistee Ashby Parmeter said.

“ROTC is a great opportunity for anyone looking for a free education and a way to give back. I actually applied for a few different branches of the military, including the Marines, the Air Force, and the Army.”

Individuals who join the ROTC are able to show their resilience and eagerness to help their country. For Parmeter, she is able to demonstrate her persistance through the program.

“I love challenges because [they give] me a chance to show how hard I am willing to work to achieve something,” Parmeter said. “I rarely give up... my eagerness to try difficult things, willingness to work hard and my ability to face challenges confidently all pushed me toward a military career. Coming from a military family, I have an idea of the discipline and standards that I am expected to live by and the Army’s beliefs are ones that I have lived with to include selfless service, respect for others and moral courage. I am excited to be part of something greater than myself so I can apply these beliefs and values on a daily basis.”

text by: mads mccluskey & eli gwin-kerr Design by: bo field

In addition to being able to serve their country, ROTC participants are able to obtain a degree in whichever field they desire and then apply that to their role in the army. This also allows them to get a job in that field after they leave the Armed Forces.

“I would like to serve in the Corps of Engineers,” Parmeter said, referencing the Army command public engineering agency that is a part of the Department of Defense. “I plan to study a type of engineering in college and I am excited to see the doors that open with this program. I find the vast possibilities in science exciting, and engineering is a mix of creativity and problem solving to work out the answers to the universe’s questions.”

The Coast Guard offers summer training courses because it doesn’t have an ROTC program. This summer training consists of officer training, which is more oriented around active duty and hands-on activities than the typical ROTC program.

These summer programs are called split-training, in which members train for two summers and serve one weekend a month during the school year.

The Marine Corps does not have an ROTC program, but aspiring Marines can participate in the Navy ROTC. Both the Marine Corps and Coast Guard, although lacking in direct ROTC programs, can be served in by graduating officers of other ROTC programs.

ROTC is the most popular option among those wishing to serve their country while also obtaining a traditional college education.

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

SPOTLIGHT

B5

KPACKS FOR DUTY A

MILITAR Y BR ANCH DI S TRIBUTIO N

An addition to standard enlistment is delayed enlistment. Delayed enlistment is the same process and concept as standard enlistment, but enlistees are allowed to join the troops up to a year after acceptance into the armed forces. Most enlistees currently have chosen to participate in delayed enlistment.

The Armed Forces encourage enlistees to join the delayed enlistment program because it allows them to plan their upcoming year. This way, the military is able to have a better sense of how many people are joining so they can then plan their training activities.

Delayed enlistees do not perform weekend drills, in contrast to active members of the armed forces, nor do they receive any pay. That being said, they can still be called to active duty in the rare event of a national emergency. All enlistees sign contracts guaranteeing their active participa-

tion for four years and inactive participation for eight years after.

A good middle ground between standard enlistment and delayed enlistment is the army reserves. There are nearly 202,000 members of the army reserves who are trained, equipped and organized to perform a full range of operations.

Many members of the army reserves partake in other jobs or schooling because the army reserves are only part-time.

Active duty, on the other hand, is what standard and delayed enlistees go into after joining the army.

It is a full time job where individuals are trained and prepared for their individual responsibilities within the armed troops. This is what is casually referred to as "being in the military."

These personnel are placed into active status as units or individuals, serving their country to the fullest of their abilities.

1,097,050

ARMY NAVY 332,000 AIR FORCE

549,452

COAST GUARD 49,793 TOTAL MILITARY

2,271,475

ENLISTMENT

nother common path taken is standard enlistment. In standard enlistment, a future enlistee signs a contract that binds them to four years of active duty and after that, depending on the program, typically eight years of inactive service.

Enlisting in this way does not require entering the Armed Forces through ROTC or summer bootcamp, but enlistees instead enter straight into serving the Armed Forces as a private –– the lowest level soldier. Entering the forces has become increasingly challenging as of late; only about one in four people who apply to join the armed troops are accepted.

During active duty, enlistees participate in the armed services, training and studying as a full-time job. In inactive service, soldiers stand on call in case of war when the country may need more soldiers.

ACADEMY

Source: U.S. Military

ne of the many paths to joining the Armed Forces involves attending a military academy.

Military academies are traditional schools that teach in military-style education with emphasis on discipline and tradition.

Schools such as USMA at West Point and USNA at Annapolis are prestigious institutions for those seeking an occupation in the military as well as a life of leadership. These academies are as rigorous as they are rewarding.

The application process for these schools is very challenging — often, applicants have to overcome many barriers and jump through many hoops in order to attend these schools. Among these is the Congressional Nomination, a process in which prospective students apply for a personal nomination from U.S. Senator or Representative.

In the case of Paly senior Chuck Stephenson, who is attending West Point as part of the Class of 2020, the

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application process was long and grueling but ultimately rewarding. “[Applying] was one of the hardest parts of the process,” Stephenson said after receiving a nomination from U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo. “It was pretty arduous and I applied to three different Congress members to increase the chance that I get a nomination.”

Many individuals choose to participate because of their role models.

Stephenson attributes his desire to attend West Point to his grandfather, who was in the Air Force and acted as a major role model. People such as Stephenson are able to see first hand what serving their country looks like and are eager to follow in that path.

Others join an academy because they love helping people. The Armed Forces offer an excellent option for those who want to serve their country and others not just themselves in college and later in life. Naples American High School senior and incoming USCGA student Sarah Kemp is

attracted to the Coast Guard because it is a military pathway that focuses more on maritime law enforcement than combat.

“In a few years, I am going to be serving my country, helping everyone around me, and doing what I love to do the most,” Kemp said. “That is easy to forget, but it is thanks to all of the hard work that I put in during my time in high school.”

Experiences from school to school vary greatly. For example, USCGA is a much smaller school than USMA, so the experience from one to the other has a completely different feel.

“The Coast Guard is a much smaller service, so it demands a lot of variety and flexibility from its officers,” Kemp said. “Right out of the [U.S. Coast Guard] Academy, I could be in charge of my own [vessel], attending flight school, directing cleanup at an oil spill, teaching future officers about math or history or a million other things that the Coast Guard assigns to me.”

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dents to achieve classic education in traditional military style and join the military in officership after graduation and service.

Standard and delayed enlistment allows enlistees to enter the military directly, fulfilling that most American of duties: pledging their career to a life of service.

Joining the military through any of these option requires diligence and zeal, but those that graduate from these programs may enjoy the honor that comes with such a prestigious serviceship.

“While [joining the armed forces] is tough, it is extremely rewarding and offers a chance to receive a free education and do something we love,” Parameter said.

Others didn’t orginally plan on entering the Armed Forces, but now embrace a military career pathway.

“Although attending an academy was never my original plan, the USCGA gives me all of those things and more,” Kemp said. “From the moment I stepped on campus, I knew that the USCGA was where I wanted to be.”

he average high school senior is eager to take the first steps into their adult life, with those first steps typically being a form of higher education. Although the Armed Forces are not heavily advertised by parents and college counselors, our military offers programs and institutions designed to weave together national service and academic enrichment.

The ROTC allows enlistees to obtain a college degree whilst preparing to serve their country as officers, while military academies allow stu-

Friday, April 29, 2016

B6 LIFESTYLE Spotlight on Bay Area Republican Convention

Anti-Trump Californians organize rally to protest the controversial candidate’s campaign in the liberal region ANNALISE WANG

STAFF WRITER

JACKY MOORE

STAFF WRITER

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oday, and continuing through the weekend, the Bay Area is the nation’s political epicenter, with the remaining three candidates for the Republican presidential nomination vying for California’s prized delegates at the state’s annual GOP convention in Burlingame. A handful of Palo Alto High School students are determined to be part of the action.

This is one of the few years that the results of California’s June primary have been both so unpredictable and significant to the determination of the party’s nominee.

Controversial businessman and television personality Donald Trump, currently the leading GOP contender, will deliver the state convention’s keynote speech today. He will be followed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is ranked third in delegates. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, second in the race, will speak at a lunch banquet Saturday, preceding former presidential candidate and businesswoman Carly Fiorina.

“Let me tell you, there’s a new revolution brewing,” Cruz said earlier this month in a public statement.

“California is going to decide the Republican nomination.”

The high stakes associated with this assembly, combined with contentious debates between candidates and multiple bouts of politicallycharged violence erupting across the nation, are likely to cause sparks to fly at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport, the convention’s locale. Over 2,000 people were expected to attend an anti-Trump rally late this morning, possibly including several Paly students.

Paly’s students reflect the spectrum of political beliefs, but on campus, as elsewhere in the nation, it is Trump and his provocative statements that capture the spotlight.

Trump’s antics have been generally ill-received in Silicon Valley.

Northern California is known to lean left, which contributes greatly to the fact that the Republican real estate mogul and his inflammatory, antiDemocratic platform is not welcome in the area.

COURTESY OF REDSTATEWATCHER.COM

Trump, left, has made it farther than anyone expected. He is currently beating all of his fellow Republican opponents, including Ted Cruz, right and John Kasich, middle.

“He’s a funny guy, but his political views are really, really messed up,” senior Tonga Latu said. “I don’t like him and I know a lot of other people don’t like him too.”

This prevailing anti-Trump sentiment has silenced a portion of the Bay Area’s conservative residents who disagree with the region’s apparent dislike of the hopeful nominee.

Others at Paly feel as if their voices have been gagged by Trump’s poor reputation in very liberal areas. “[Trump] wouldn’t be as bad as everyone [thinks], but I don’t want to defend him,” an anonymous student said. “It’s easy to keep my mouth shut since I know I’d get a bad rap if I spoke out since everyone [in the Bay Area] is so liberal. It’s good to have people on both sides [of the political spectrum].”

A Fox News poll indicates the business tycoon has the support of roughly 49 percent of likely California Republican primary voters, followed by Cruz with 22 percent and Kasich with 20 percent. However, there may be conflict stemming from Trump’s platform, not only from the voters who view him as arrogant and racist, but also from the Republican Party.

“There might be some tension in the air due to the conflict between the

GOP establishment versus Trump and his supporters, since their beliefs don’t align,” junior Michel Siaba said.

California holds a total of 172 Republican delegates — three for each of the state’s 53 congressional districts in addition to 10 at-large delegates and three appointed officials. Each district is winner-take-all, meaning that if a certain candidate wins a majority of a district’s votes, he or she will receive all three of its delegates.

Currently, Trump holds 845 total delegates nationwide to Cruz’s 559 and Kasich’s 148, which means that California will either bolster Trump’s chance of receiving the nomination, which requires a minimum of 1,237 delegates, or diminish his chances of representing the GOP against the tobe-determined Democratic presidential nominee.

Criticisms of Kasich as too moderate, Cruz as an aggressive radical and Trump as a bigot with excessively absurd, polarizing ideas have only been amplified in the Bay Area due to the fact that the three candidates do not have strong bases in the region.

Paly students possess their own opinions of each of the three hopeful GOP nominees, some of which have not been influenced by an antiRepublican bias commonplace in the

notoriously Democratic Bay Area.

“I respect Kasich; he’s the only candidate I like in any way, shape or form,” senior Will Dougall said.

“When he addressed gay marriage, he said something along the lines of, ‘The decision has been made, and I can live with that. Onto the next issue.’ Being able to move on and to pick rational fights is something I really respect.”

All of the candidates seem to be running in and encouraging an “unpopularity race,” which involves controversial candidates receiving more attention and, because of this, increased publicity and more voters.

This tactic, however, has proven debatable, with some potential voters being swayed toward controversial candidates while other voters tend to shy away.

“I’m just glad I can’t vote, because I wouldn’t vote for any of [the candidates],” junior Jon Young said.

During his April 13 announcement of his decision to speak at the GOP state convention, Trump claimed that “California, like much of the rest of the nation, has struggled to regain its full economic success. A Trump administration is going to be a pro-jobs, pro-economy and pro-entrepreneur administration. I look forward to being with the great people

of California and sharing my vision to make America great again.”

Shortly after Trump announced he would attend the convention, antiTrump Californians worked to organize a protest against the prospective nominee. Its goal is to give Trump “a real Bay Area welcome,” according to its Facebook page, by peacefully protesting outside of the convention prior to the candidate’s opening speech.

The protest was conceived by Alycia Moore, a local supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

“Speakers will be making speeches outside, and we’re hoping our voices will be heard,” Moore said.

A week prior to the opening of the convention, Moore asked potential attendees if they would like to broaden the protest to attack not only Trump, but the rest of the Republican Party as well. Over 50 percent of the more than 200 people who voted in Moore’s poll were in full support of the proposal to demonstrate against the GOP. With this kind of anti-Republican sentiment, Siaba suggests that few “young entrepreneurs are going to fall in love with the candidates all of a sudden. Then again,” he said. “I didn’t think Trump would get this far.

America keeps surprising us.”

Top tech products that prioritize appearance

Innovative and functional new pieces of technology offer more customizability to align with growing trends JOSH NG

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

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echnology has become so integral to our everyday lives that the way we look with our pieces of technology should be considered. Flaunting that super sleek, just released piece of technology you bought is always fun, especially when your friends take notice. However, if you happen to buy a new piece of technology that garners more disgusted stares than wistful glances, you might want to rethink your most recent purchase. Here is a guide to the most stylish and most innovative pieces of tech that will satisfy all of your aesthetic style and tech needs.

Moto X Pure: Motorola has consistently beat its smartphone competitors in one particular category: customizability.

Motorola’s newest flagship phone, the Moto X Pure, increased its customizability to further satisfy customer’s aesthetic desires. With the Motorola’s new online website tool, Moto Maker, customers will be able to choose the color of the back of the phone, the color of the metal bezels and even engrave their phones with a unique message or name on the back. With its new customizability, the Moto X Pure proves to excel in its ability to perform as well, as it is powered by one of Qualcomm’s newest processors, the Snapdragon 808, 3GB of RAM and 600MHz Adreno 418 graphics processing unit. Because of the Moto X Pure’s high-end specs, running Android’s newest operating system, Marshmallow, the phone is fast and snappy. Motorola retains its

WILL LEIGHTON/THE CAMPANILE

Wearable tech is the newest trend in the tech industry. Left to right: Moto X Pure cellphone, Samsung’s Gear S2 watch, Beats by Dre Solo 2 headphones and Apple’s iPad Pro.

title of “most customizable products” with the Moto X Pure.

Samsung Gear S2: In terms of wearable technology, Samsung has been slacking behind its competitors such as Motorola and Apple. It wasn’t until recently that Samsung released the Samsung Gear S2. Samsung was one of the first major tech companies to release a smartwatch in 2013; however, the first model was met with poor reviews due to its complicated and sluggish user interface and unappealing design. Fast forward four years later and Samsung completely reimagined its smartwatch. With the Gear S2, Samsung delivered a sleek metal chassis

with a round screen, along with a simpler and more navigable operating system. Customers are also given the choice between a black, grey and white colorway as well as a rubber or leather band with the new watch.

Beats By Dre Solo 2: Beats By Dre has not received the most popular reviews among audiophiles, but it is difficult to deny the company’s ability to make incredible looking headphones. Beats By Dre’s on-ear headphone model, the Solo 2s, are small enough so that they are portable and easy to carry, yet large enough so that the premium leather earcups cover the ear. The Solo 2s are made with a durable, glossy plastic

with no visible screws, making the pair of headphones appear modern and simplistic. If Beats By Dre’s color selection does not satisfy you, there is an alternative to customize your headphones. For an extra $180, Colorware will allow you to choose the color and texture for every part of the headphone, from the earcups to the inner and outer frame.

Apple iPad Pro: Just like Samsung was one of the first major tech companies to release a smartwatch, Apple was one of the first major tech companies to release the tablet. The very concept of the iPad was scrutinized due to people perceiving it to be just a “bigger iPod

Touch.” Despite this, the iPad has proven to be one of Apple’s most successful products, as Apple rose $7.084 billion dollars solely in first quarter of 2016. This is with good reason, as its latest iPad, the iPad Pro, is arguably one of the best looking and performing tablets in the market. The iPad Pro boasts a 0.24-inch thick metal chassis and weighs in at 0.96 pounds.

Despite its slim frame, the iPad Pro is incredibly fast in terms of specs.

The iPad Pro contains Apple’s newest A9X Chip with a 64 bit architecture and M9 coprocessor that tracks a customer’s actions and movements.

The 9.7-inch screen is perfect for media consumption, as it is able to play and stream 4K video.

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

LIFESTYLE B7 Marvel revives Black Panther Dead and Company Acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates to write newest chapter performs in the Bay Despite different members, Dead revival resurrects sound and vibe of original group BO FIELD

DESIGN EDITOR

I COURTESY OF COMICBOOKMOVIE

The first appearance of Black Panther, or T'Challa, in a Fantastic Four issue in 1966, provided diversity within the Marvel world.

ELI GWIN-KERR

STAFF WRITER

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arvel Comics, the juggernaut (no pun intended) of the comic book world and its accompanying movie genre, renewed a 50 year-old series on April 6. “Black Panther #1” is the revamped version of the Black Panther, which originally debuted in 1966 as the nation’s first mainstream black superhero. The comic sought to place a black figure in pop-culture for a younger audience, but it wasn’t connected to the Black Panther Party which was in fact founded later that year. Before the Black Panther, many black characters were heavily caricatured, so bringing to the mainstream a black superhero that was “on-par” with his white counterparts was a large step forward for racial representation in the industry.

Despite this, the Panther — whose real name is T’Challa and who rules a fictional African country — never received as much popularity as his fictitious peers in the early years of the comic. Marvel, it seems, is looking to change this with the remake.

This reincarnation of the Panther is being written by National Book Award winner, MacArthur Genius and national correspondent for The Atlantic. Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Coates is perhaps the most celebrated writer of black culture, so his decision to pen the newest chapter of The

Panther has been received warmly.

While the issue of race will be present in the comic, it is not intended to be the focus of the story. Coates has made his lifelong love of comic books clear through his outspoken Twitter, which he uses to frequently converse with many of his followers. As he like many children, grew up admiring superheroes such as Superman and Spiderman.

“I would like Black Panther to be some kid’s Spiderman,” Coates said in regards to the release of this new Black Panther series.

Coates is perhaps the most celebrated writer of black culture, so his decision to pen the newest chapter of The Panther has been received warmly.

He is picking up the comic’s storyline at a time when the Panther’s kingdom, Wakanda, has been recently laid waste to by Namor the Sub-mariner, an Atlantean-human who almost destroyed Wakanda in its entirety during a Wakanda-Atlantis feud, and other supervillains.

This new chapter in the saga seeks to answer questions about the state of Wakanda’s monarchy, T’Challa’s own intentions and the effects of absolute monarchy.

This issue’s illustrator is Brian Stelfreeze, a longtime artist for Marvel and another significant AfricanAmerican figure in the comic book

industry. Stelfreeze’s long history with comics ensured that Coates’ version of Wakanda would be properly drawn and colored, ready for the artistic scrutiny that will come with the comic’s projected popularity.

On its release date, Coates’ and Marvel’s collaboration showed that the hype was indeed legitimate: according to Diamond Comic Distributors, all 300,000 published copies of “Black Panther #1” sold out, with second print edition being available May 11.

Coates’ two books, “The Beautiful Struggle” and “Between the World and Me,” revolve around the theme of race in America, and they both tackle the most pressing racial issues of modern times.

Coates’ childhood in the Baltimore area influenced his writing, with the social conditions of the area and his own father — a member of the Black Panther Party — also having a profound effect on the writing that has won him numerous accolades. His latest publication strays away from the racial commentary that he is known for, but according to him, “race is always there.”

The release of “Black Panther #1” marks the resurrection of the original black superhero.

Although the world of comics is by no means lacking in racial representation, the Black Panther is as much of a cultural phenomenon as his new author.

n the midst of a performance with his new group, Dead and Company, founding rhythm guitarist Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead had an out-of-body experience.

“I looked over at John [Mayer], and it was 20 years later,” Weir said about his vision. “And John was almost fully gray … Looked back at the drummers, and it was a couple of new guys, younger guys, doing a great job.

I looked back at the back of my head, and it was some kid in his twenties, delivering with fire and aplomb.” The recent tour of Dead and Company shows mirrors Weir’s premonition – no matter who’s playing, the music and spirit of the Grateful Dead will live on long past its original members.

The heavy, psychedelic jamming remains just as transcendent of an experience as it was at the Dead's inception in the early 1960s in Palo Alto.

After more than a half century of jamming, trucking and mind-bending, three of the legendary group’s founding members continue to travel the country, bringing their unique live experience to ancient Deadheads and new generations of fans alike. Original guitarist Bob Weir and drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann join John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti to play the Grateful Dead’s music as it’s meant to be heard – live and surrounded by thousands of other fans creating a musical experience found nowhere else.

Despite the absence of essential figures such as Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh, Dead and Company sound excellent as they continue to bring the Dead’s vast repertoire of anthemic songs and jams to a new audience.

Weir’s guitar playing has only continued to ascend to cosmic heights in his age and Hart and Kreutzmann continue to hold down the rhythm as the consistent backbone to the Dead’s

groove. The heavy, psychedelic jamming remains just as transcendent of an experience as it was at the Dead’s inception in the early 1960’s in Palo Alto.

Mayer, an accomplished guitar player with a singer-songwriter discography more suited to hair salons than acid-soaked hippie gatherings, would seem to be the dark horse in the equation for more purist fans.

However, he respectfully and skillfully navigates the history, energy and musical philosophy of the Dead with his adept noodling and smooth vocal lead and harmony singing. As him and Weir trade licks and twist their solos into and out of one another, Mayer holds his own and emulates Garcia’s legendary and seminal style while still adding his own personal flourish, recognizable to purveyors of his more technical playing outside of his adult contemporary hits.

Dead and Company also adhere to the live traditions the Grateful Dead established during their original run. Multiple long sets punctuated by a short break, extended riffs and intros segueing different tracks and spaced out dual drum solos all keep the tour authentic to the band’s established live canon. The reverence and attention to detail present in the Dead and Company tour sets it apart from the sea of other inconsequential reunion shows that pop up every year.

It’s clear that the musicians care just as much about respecting their own legacy as their fans do.

Dead and Company returned to their homeland of the Bay Area in December to perform for two nights at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.

The shows sold out and were a hit among old and new fans alike, bringing the Dead’s music back into the public consciousness. After the joy that the reunion brought both the band and their fans, a summer tour was announced, including a date at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View on July 30. Based on Weir’s estimated prophecy, the music will continue on far past these shows.

Controversy over recent remakes of Hollywood films As popular movies are continually remade, public sentiment fluctuates from stark opposition to strong support TOMMY SMALE

STAFF WRITER

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lice in Wonderland," “Ghostbusters," “The Karate Kid” and “The Jungle Book” compose only a small portion of the platform of recent Hollywood remakes. Has Hollywood lost its creativity or is it providing consumers exactly what they want when they remake movies?

Remakes induce a common sentiment among movie viewers upon seeing their trailers: hope that the remake does not ruin the original. This is a concern for viewers, especially those who hold the original movies near and dear. The remake that turns out to be inferior can taint the original movie's image.

Two movies that seem to be a couple of the most egregious remakes according to Rotten Tomatoes' "Worst Remake Lists" are 2010's “Clash of the Titans” and 2011's “Arthur.”

Has Hollywood lost its creativity or is it providing consumers exactly what they want when they remake movies?

When recreations are done well, their stories can redefine the original and instill special memories for the next generation of moviegoers. “True Grit” and “A Fistful of Dollars” are two of the highest ranked movies on Rotten Tomatoes, "Best Remakes 50 Years, 50 Movies" list.

“True Grit,” recreated the 1969 movie starring John Wayne. Remade in 2010 and directed by the Coen brothers, the movie is admired for capturing American character in a western film. Another Western, “A

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Well-known movie remakes include Alice in Wonderland and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In both movies, CGI greatly enhanced the quality, satisfying viewers.

Fistful of Dollars,” originally aired in Italy defined a new era of westerns in America and ushered in Clint Eastwood to the movie business.

While remakes are often worse then their originals, they can indeed be better. When they are better, the movies are celebrated and appreciated and can help new generations feel the greatness of the original.

Remakes provide secure investments for Hollywood creators. Regardless of how much disgust at the lack of originality that trailer may instill in audience members, many will see said remakes out of sheer love for the originals. People are going to see the movie because of its brand, not necessarily for the quality of the film.

These movies can be hugely successful. “True Grit” grossed over $171 million domestically on a $38 million budget. Similarly, reimagined

superhero movies have been hugely successful. “Superman v. Batman: Dawn of Justice,” another comic book turned into a movie, was heavily criticized, scoring a 29 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite this, the movie grossed nearly $312 million domestically.

Current remakes such as “G.I. Joe” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” represent an explosion in the trend of now-grown adults watching their old childhood shows and movies. Watching these movies can be a flashback to childhood memories.

We all brag and reminisce with friends about how we watched TV shows such as “Spongebob,” “Drake & Josh” and “That’s so Raven.” With buying tickets for movies such as “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” it eventually becomes the same thing; going to watch them is a way to show

our peers that we did indeed watch that show in early stages of youth.

Batman, Star Wars and the Avengers are movies that share similar traits.

Consumers are willing to pay to see movies that bring back past memories. Advancements in technology have enabled movie creators to pull off the effects required to capture the greatness of superheroes such as superman. Watching the original 1971 “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” version can be painstaking due to the poor graphics, despite how great the plot is. This makes newer versions such as the 2005 “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” more appealing to watch since the CGI is substantially improved, and adjusted to our current standards.

Most remakes profit off the recreation of past movies. When the new “Point Break” trailer came out on

YouTube, remaking its 1991 version, it did not receive positive reviews.

Some of the most-liked YouTube comments read, “They are about to destroy a classic.” and “[Original star Patrick] Swayze will be turning in his grave.” Yet, the movie box office grossed $133.7 million, profiting from its opening weekend alone.

Also, the Rotten Tomatoes for “Point Break” is lower than any movie mentioned in this article, it is at mere nine percent. For this reason, Hollywood will continue to release remakes, people buy remake movie tickets.

Despite criticism, people are unable to resist and show up to see the remakes. Movies that are remade have stupendous originals, so the branding they have is very credible.

Hollywood will only continue to revamp movies until consumers simply stop paying to see remakes.

Friday, April 29, 2016

LIFESTYLE

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The Campanile

RAJ: THE BAND

t’s a Saturday afternoon, Mic. We had seen each other around, and lead singer and guitarist but we never really talked.”

Russell Star-Lack, bassist Jer Luckily, Samos was a good fit for Samos and drummer Arjun the trio despite rarely having played Vasudevan are hanging out in with Star-Lack and Vasudevan beVasudevan’s living room. Starting fore — their backgrounds in music out as three individuals who had meshed well together, and they were developed their own passions for able to balance out their differences music separately, in only a year, the in musical approaches. three seniors have come together “We primarily play classic rock,” and transformed into a perform- Vasudevan said. “But we have ing classic rock band called RAJ branched out with the occasional pop — an acronym of each member’s song.” first name initials.

All three band members had subThe three musicians formed stantial exposure to classic rock in RAJ towards the end of their ju- their childhoods. Samos’s parents nior year and have played at Open were avid fans of the Grateful Dead, Mics, the Palo Alto High School and to this day, Samos credits Gratequad and various outdoor events ful Dead members Jerry Garcia and at Mitchell Park and Rinconada Phil Lesh as his biggest musical inPark. Their next big event is called fluences. He also cites Frank Zappa, “Buoyancy,” a concert on June 5 Neil Young and Geezer Butler as a at Mitchell Park which was orga- few of his other favorite musicians, nized by RAJ in collaboration with all of whom inspired Samos to pick the Teen Arts Council. The con- up the guitar. cert will feature RAJ themselves “In eighth grade, I tried to teach and other local teen acts, including myself [guitar] online just by lookAxiom, Pacific Drive and several ing at tabs, but that did not work out other artists. Artwork will also be very well,” Samos said. “After a year, I displayed at the venue. started taking lessons, and I’ve been Originally, Star-Lack and Va- taking lessons from the same teacher sudevan were in a band called for about three years now.”

Paint with bassist, senior Caleb Samos learned to play the bass Yang, but Yang soon became too guitar in the summer after his sophobusy to practice and could not per- more year, mainly because he found form consistently with the band. that not many of his friends played Soon after, Star-Lack and Vasude- the instrument. He believes that his van found Samos past experience as a replacement with guitar made for Yang. learning bass an “We just came easy task. up to Jer in the liUnlike Sabrary once,” Starmos, Star-Lack Lack said. “I said started playing to Arjun, ‘Hey, we guitar at a very should try to get young age. His Jer to play with parents were us.’ I was kind of dedicated listennervous to ask ers of rock music, him, because I reso he was conally didn’t know stantly exposed him.” to the genre.

Star-Lack and Having listened Vasudevan had Lead Singer and Guitarist to classic rock already become guitarists such as very comfortable playing with each Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Duane other, but they took a risk by ask- Allman and Jimmy Paige. throughing Samos to join the group. They out his childhood, Star-Lack was inhad limited interactions with Sa- spired to learn the guitar. mos prior to the formation of RAJ. “I remember exactly where I was “I met Arjun through the band when I heard ‘Layla’ by Eric Clapton program here at Paly, so we had on the radio,” Star-Lack said. “I was played together in Jazz Band for 6 and I was just like, ‘Whoa, what is almost all throughout high school,” this thing?’ I had never heard anyStar-Lack said. “But the first time thing like it before. It just sounded Jer and I ever played together was insane.” winter of Very soon after, Star-Lack began last year at taking guitar lessons in bluegrass and an Open jazz. He has never had a formal guitar lesson on rock music, but finds rock

In rock, it’s easier to connect with the blues on an emotional level because the music is more direct.

Russell Star-Lack

relatively straightforward compared to other genres, and therefore easy to learn. Even though Star-Lack’s technical guitar background is in bluegrass and jazz and his performance experience lies primarily in rock, his favorite genre of music is the blues — a style that draws influences from both jazz and rock.

“You can get to the blues in both jazz and rock in different ways,” StarLack said. “In jazz, there’s more freedom if you know what you’re doing, so you’re able to improvise and experiment more, which is a key part of the blues. However, in rock, it’s easier to connect with the blues on an emotional level because the music is more direct.”

Being a drummer in Paly’s Jazz Band and a percussionist in Paly’s Symphonic Band together with Star-Lack, Vasudevan also incorporates techniques from different genres into his style of rock drumming.

Prior to learning the drums in sixth grade, Vasudevan played both the piano and the cello, but was not very skilled at the instruments and therefore did not enjoy playing them.

However, Vasudevan quickly found his niche with drumming and has pursued it heavily ever since. Vasudevan has developed a style of drumming drawn from his classic rock influences that complements Samos and Star-Lack well.

“I play pretty loud and with a lot of fast fills so that’s mostly absorbed from the type of music we play,” Vasudevan said. “I’d label it as a combination of [ Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer] Mitch Mitchell and [Led Zeppelin drummer] John Bonham.”

It is no surprise that RAJ started off as a Hendrix cover band. However, the group quickly began expanding their repertoire to songs by other classic rock artists like The Who and Black Sabbath. StarLack even wrote a few songs that RAJ has performed live.

One of RAJ’s most memorable performances was on March 15 on the Paly quad during lunch.

Senior Peter Willits joined the band on stage to sing “War Pigs” by Black

Design by Jacky Moore Aiva Petriceks

Sabbath in a spur-of-the-moment decision.

“We were performing on the quad and I was about to start singing War Pigs, and then we saw our friend Peter Willits watching us,” Samos said.

“I knew Peter was really good at singing — he’s got a nice rock voice. So I was just like, ‘Peter, do you want to sing this really quick?’ He ran up on stage and he had a lot of fun with it.”

Impromptu performances and loose practice schedules are not the only instances that highlight RAJ’s casual approach to music.

In one of RAJ’s latest performances, the three of them decided to play instruments that they were not accustomed to playing — Vasudevan played guitar, Star-Lack played bass and Samos played drums.

The band enjoyed the experiment and looks forward to rotating instruments in future performances as well. Vasudevan is beginning to invest more time and effort into learning guitar and vocals for multiple songs, including “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson.

“Singing and playing guitar would be nice for me because both Russell and Jer are both able to play multiple instruments, which gives us more flexibility and diversity in our sound,” Vasudevan said.

With just a few more concerts left in the year, RAJ looks forward to performances loaded with energy, excitement and passion. The members of RAJ are going their separate ways for college, but their experience together will be remembered for a long time.

“I’m going to miss everyone when we go off to college,” Star-Lack said.

“But maybe we’ll get to jam again in the future.”

The group quickly began expanding their repertoire to songs by other classic rock artists like The Who and Black Sabbath.

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in

2000

This edition featuring:

Andrew Vargha with The Campanile’s own

David Tayeri and Eli Gwin-Kerr The Campanile: How’s it going man?

Andrew Vargha: I just feel blessed to live another Friday.

TC: What are your thoughts on the Warriors’ loss last night? Will they bounce back?

AV: They definitely will bounce back.

I would guess that Curry is going to play in Game 4, and if they have Curry, the Rockets are not beating them.

TC: What else is on your mind right now?

AV: I’m thinking about what I want to do after school, thinking about how I wanted to play basketball and then it rained. I’m thinking about how I’m going to watch some basketball today. Just how blessed I am.

TC: What are your plans after school?

AV: I’m going to watch some basketball, maybe my friends will come over and play some 2K with me.

TC: Who are your best friends at Paly?

AV: Mr. Vericat ... Um ... I don’t like that question.

TC: So who are your least favorite people at Paly?

AV: The people who try to hold me down, who try to tell me that I’m disrespectful, who use the word ‘ignorant’ in an incorrect context, um, and that teacher who yelled at me for something I didn’t do.

TC: Do you feel more big and lumbering or respectful today?

AV: At the beginning of the day I was pretty respectful, the fire alarm kinda humbled me, right, and then as we got later into the day I had quite the raucous sports lit class, and we were like ‘WOO WOO WOO’ like that, and I’m quite B.L. right now.

TC: Who will be the NBA MVP, and why will it be James Harden?

AV: I didn’t know that if you get 15th place you’re the MVP now. I think it’s going to be Stephen Curry, and I think it should be a unanimous vote. If anybody votes for anyone else they deserve to have their voting privileges revoked.

TC: Who do you see in the Finals?

AV: Warriors and Cavs, Warriors in 5.

TC: But who do you want to see in the Finals?

AV: Who would I want to see? Who would be the funniest? I want ...

Let’s see the Hornets in the Finals.

Jeremy Lin could come and play the Warriors, I could talk to Diepenbrock about it, it would be L17.

TC: What are you looking forward to as the school year ends?

AV: The NBA Playoffs ramping up.

TC: Are you excited for your finals?

AV: I don’t want to say anything here that gets me in trouble.

TC: What are you excited about for senior year?

AV: I want to get on that deck and claim it.

TC: What is your favorite thing about going to Paly?

AV: I like how everybody knows that I demand respect and that I’m BLA. TC: Why does everybody know that you demand respect?

AV: Because I’m known for treating everyone with respect.

TC: What goes into a good Snapchat story?

AV: That’s a good question. First of all, a video is always better than a photo. You want to include the little sticker that says what city you’re in, those can be kinda cool. Also you don’t want to post like 20 of the same thing. Change it up.

The Campanile

Friday, April 29, 2016 ATHLETE OF THE MONTH Senior badminton

SP RTS

player Eric Chiang’s speed and talent has led him to athletic success.

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TAKING SPORTS BEYOND RECREATION TEXT AND DESIGN BY: JOANNA FALLA STAFF WRITER

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lthough 21.5 million kids between the ages of 6 and 17 play in organized athletic activities, few of them parlay that fun into their life’s work — or even into a summer job. The ones who are lucky enough to go into an occupation related to their sport find that they strengthen their core values, pass down their passions to the next generation, learn valuable life skills and make lifelong connections on the way. A job in a recreational activity is not seen as an obligation, but instead an opportunity to have an athletic activity one is passionate about have a bigger impact on one’s life. Students who go on to earn a living from the sport they love may not always be star athletes on high school teams. Many instead excel in sports and jobs that are not commonly found on athletic fields.

BOXING

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ntonio Renteria is the current owner of Gladiators Boxing Gym in Redwood City, Calif., a place where people of all ages and boxing backgrounds can go to improve their boxing skills or take cardio and conditioning classes. Renteria has been the owner of the boxing gym for approximately eight years, but his relationship with boxing began when he was younger.

“I boxed a little in high school but that was just because I was fat,” Renteria said. “In my early 20s I took it a lot more seriously and competed in the 2004 San Francisco Golden Gloves where I made it to the semifinals but didn’t advance. [The San Francisco Gold Gloves] is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the amateur boxing world.”

Renteria was also inspired by Julio Cesar Chavez, a famous boxer who the whole country could rally around. Chavez’ boxing prowess in a sport dominated

by Cubans at the time gave Renteria the drive to push with his hobby into something more serious.

“There was a Mexican fighter named Julio Cesar Chavez who won 90 fights before taking his first loss,” Renteria said. “Every Mexican out there knew about him. My dad used to take me around to all these places to watch this guy fight.”

Even though Renteria never took his boxing career to the professional level, boxing remains an integral part of his daily life after he took over as the owner for Gladiators Boxing Gym. While he still loves to box,

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he way that most teenagers get into a higher level of athletic recreation is through participating in a sport at school or at a club, while others may go into athletic endeavors outside of school. Henry M. Gunn High School sophomore Alma Andino had been an avid yoga participant since she was young, but it was not until last year that she took the next step in her career as a yogini.

“It was honestly a spur of the moment kind of thing; I wanted to take my practice to the next level and this teacher training had all the appeal,” Andino said. “I decided to become a teacher after the first class I taught, a teen class at Avalon [a yoga studio in Palo Alto].”

The yogini certification process is a 200-hour program over the span of six months, including cadaver dissection, style exploration, anatomy and physiology. The course consists of two aspects: lectures and hands-on training. The training consists of participating in discussions about ancient texts, leading short yoga sessions to teach poses and working on specific areas of the body.

Through these multiple facets of learning, Andino was able to acquire more leadership skills and workforce experience.

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Renteria knows that it takes a different skill set to truly be a great boxer.

“I was not brave enough like some of these guys,” Renteria said. “You need to be a different person to take this game to next level.”

When taking over the gym ownership, Renteria went through eight years of training under the former owner. The process was so long because there are many different aspects of boxing and owning a business that Renteria needed to learn by experience.

“Boxing is something you cannot learn from a book,”Renteria said. “You need years of experience for this stuff. The only way I was going to get it was by having a mentor, my coach was that person.”

In 2015, only 3 percent of the professional boxers were able to retire on the money they made from boxing alone, yet almost all of them travel after their careers have ended to teach others how to achieve a similar mentality.

Many different traits are acquired from boxing and others can be learned by owning and teaching in a boxing gym. “[Boxing has taught me] to be accountable and responsible,” Renteria said. “For the most part I was very discipline in and consistent keeping what I wanted to do in front of me. I try teaching all my students that, specially if they want to compete. Is another world out there and you better be ready.”

YOGA

“Honestly it’s not what I want to pursue as my career, but it’s allowed me to learn at a very young age how the professional world works, the people I have to deal with and the legal stuff,” Andino said. “Teaching has also taught me so much about public speaking and tapping into people’s unconscious minds — what to say to get people to listen.”

Being a yoga instructor is a viable job, as the average salary is over $45,000, but being one of youngest instructors in the nation is more than just earning a professional salary to Andino. By learning about the human body and its physical and spiritual qualities, Andino has flourished as a leader in the yoga studio and in the classroom and gained much more than a salary.

“I didn’t get any kind of credit or pay until a few months ago; I [got certified] because I love leading someone through a yoga practice and inspiring people to push themselves beyond the physical, mental and spiritual limits.” Andino said. “Knowing you made someone’s day meaningful, it’s the most rewarding thing -- more rewarding than any number of hours or anything you can put in a transcript.”

COURTESY OF ALMA ANDINO

SWIMMING

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any kids love splashing around in the water, and as they get older, some choose to take this splashing a step further. Some join a team while others take up a related jobs. Palo Alto High School junior Kaitlyn Nakamura works many different job positions at Foothills Swim and Tennis Club, the same club that she has swum at competitively for the past 11 years.

As she masters her swimming skills, she is also able to develop professional etiquette and earn money for her talents.

“I teach kids to swim at a swim club that I basically grew up at, so since I grew up there and had people teach me, I think it’s important to pass that on to kids younger than me so the cycle continues,” Nakamura said. “The kids are really cute, and it’s pretty fun to hang out with everyone else on deck.”

After getting certified as a lifeguard, high school swimmers have many options for employment, and

there are many reasons to choose to take their abilities to the next level. Nakamura and her friends who are also lifeguard certified can work as lifeguards, swim coaches, swim teachers, front desk managers or any combination of the four. For swim instructors specifically, the process for certification varies with the company or pool providing swim lessons, but all must have the prerequisite of being a lifeguard.

While some of the jobs seem tedious, the combination of real work experience and bonding with childhood friends is what pushed Nakamura to take swimming more seriously.

“A lot of the people that coach and teach and lifeguard with me grew up with me at [the pool], so it’s really fun to be together and work at the same time on deck,” Nakamura said. “It gives me an opportunity to meet and work with interesting people, and watching the kids grow up year by year is pretty cool too.”

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SPORTS

Kobe Retires

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INSIDE After playing for the Los Angeles Lakers for an impressive career of over 20 years, Bryant announces his intention of retirement and leaves behind an amazing legacy for his basketball successors.

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Rio Olympics unsanitary

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COURTESY OF PEARL CHOW

All sports should be cut

Brazil water quality could lead to health risks for athletes.

Overcrowding is one of the factors that lead to lower quality teams.

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Professional teams relocating Many sports teams move around the nation to increase revenue.

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Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

SPORTS C2 Track preparing for CCS meet Girls lacrosse leading Team’s focus switches to qualifying for CCS after loss at Gunn

KIRAN MISNER

Second-straight championship within sight

STAFF WRITER

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he Palo Alto High School track and field team competed in a dual meet against Henry M. Gunn High School and lost in a hard-fought match. The team will now focus on getting as many athletes qualified for the Central Coast Sectionals (CCS).

“The goal for us is to place at CCS, so to do that, we want a lot of our athletes qualified to participate in that meet,” head coach Kelsey Feeley said.

Throughout the season, the track and field team has performed very well, with senior Eli Givens and junior Kent Slaney standing out from the rest of the team. Givens will be competing for his third straight CCS title, while Slaney has just broken under two minutes for the 800-meter race. According to junior MichelAnge Siaba, the final regular season meets will be good tests before CCS. “Our last few meets are all against very good teams,” Siaba said. “I think they will be an indicator of how we’ll actually do at CCS because all of the events will be packed with talent.”

For mid-distance runner and sophomore Aashai Avadhani, CCS has been a motivator for the team throughout the season.

“States is the ultimate goal for any athlete that competes at CCS, and the team has concentrated on the fact that we want to send as many athletes as possible,” Avadhani said.

Additionally, Siaba believes the team needs to make several adjustments in order to qualify for CCS.

league down the stretch TOMMY SMALE

STAFF WRITER

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COURTESY OF MALCOLM SLANEY

Junior Thorin Haussecker receives a baton from senior Eli Givens in the 4x100 relay.

“I’ve been impressed by our team’s performance all year long, but there are always changes needing to be made,” Siaba said. “The team has been working on our technique a lot, so when we get to the races that won’t be a problem.”

While technique may be a problem for some runners, the effort from the team hasn’t been an issue.

“I’ve really been impressed with our team morale because everyone is always so supportive and the injured players will still help out even though they can’t race,” Siaba said.

Additionally, the team’s impressive season is largely due to its consistent determination to win.

“The track and field team is really hungry to be the best in the league

and that’s one of the reasons we have been good this year,” Avadhani said.

“Talent along with drive and determination is what will take us a long way.”

At CCS, the team has set high expectations and believes that they are competitive enough to win.

“I know CCS will be a challenge for every competing athlete, but we know that we have a good team and have a set a high bar,” Siaba said.

The CCS championships will start May 21 at San Jose City College, where the qualified runners will vie for a spot in the CCS finals.

“No matter what happens, I know we will do very well at CCS,” Siaba said. “There is just too much talent on our squad right now.”

he girls lacrosse team is off on a positive note, leading the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) through nine games. The team’s overall record is 11-4 with losses to Sacred Heart Preparatory High School, Saint Francis High School, San Ramon Valley High School and most recently Mountain View High School.

In the team’s four losses, a lack of smooth transitions was the main reason for their failure.

Chasing the ball across mid-field to the offense quickly proved difficult against the opponent’s defense in losses.

“The losses we had were at the beginning of the season when we were just starting to get our team dynamic and starting to get our feel of lacrosse,” sophomore Emma Staiger said.

[Leland] definitely wants to see Palo Alto fall but we are not about to let that happen.

Emma Staiger Sophomore The three losses had little impact on the team’s current playoff future, as all losses were out of league games.

There have not been Central Coast Sectional (CCS) playoffs yet in lacrosse, so the out of league losses are not going to result in a low seeding.

Only games against other SCVAL

teams will determine the girls’ seeding in league play.

In the team’s most recent game against Saint Francis, Paly was victorious. The team has learned to work together and become much stronger.

The losses we had were at the beginning of the season when we were just starting to get our team dynamic and starting to get our feel of lacrosse.

Emma Staiger Sophomore In SCVAL, Paly has a strong first place lead with a record of 8-0. Second place, Leland High School, gave Paly trouble in their first game, with a final score of 13-12, with Paly ultimately winning.

“They have some players that are very fast and they have good stick skills,” Staiger said.

To prevent the quick pace of Leland, Paly attempted to target their elite players. Once the top players are shut down, Leland’s pace slows down to a rate at which Paly can defeat.

“Tensions are fairly high,” Staiger said. “They definitely want to see Palo Alto fall but we are not about to let that happen.”

The team’s great start puts them on track to repeat last year’s stellar performance. Last season, Paly girls varsity went undefeated in leagues and earned a league championship title. Despite one league loss, Paly looks to win the championship.

Tennis loses matches, focuses on improving in SCVALs ANNALISE WANG

STAFF WRITER

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oys tennis has continued its slow season, winning just two of its last nine matches.

The team beat Milpitas High School 5-2 and Lynbrook High School 4-3.

However, the boys fell to many other high schools, including Cupertino High School, Homestead High School and Henry M. Gunn High School in a series of disappointing matches.

Recently, the team faced off against Sacred Heart Prep and Monta Vista High School.

These matches resulted in two losses for Paly with a final score of 2-5 against Sacred Heart Prep and a crippling 0-7 defeat to Monta Vista.

Injuries have continued to impact key players this season and the top four players on the team have been injured or sick during the last couple

weeks. Senior captain Shiv Matta has been injured and was unable to play in all of the last seven games.

[The team] is playing in Division One, I believe we’re making progress. I think towards the end of the season we built team chemistry and had passion in our games.

Dylan Polley Junior “Recently, we have been losing,” junior Dylan Polley said. “The team has had its ups and downs throughout the season... Personally I think my attitude has improved through this season.”

Hopefully other players will echo Polley in a trend of improvement, as the Santa Clara Valley Athletics League (SCVAL) tournament is currently underway. During the 2-day

MADS MCCLUSKEY/THE CAMPANILE

Junior Henry Badger makes a play on a ball in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) postseason tournament at Gunn.

tournament, the team will compete for coveted spots at Central Coast Sectionals (CCS). Hopes for making it to CCS are low, as the team has

been performing poorly throughout the season, and their only hope is to improve at a rapid pace. “[The team] is playing in Division

One, I believe we’re making progress,” Polley said. “I think towards the end of the season we built team chemistry and had passion in our games.”

Lacrosse shaping up late in season Badminton team closes Trio of senior attackers helped team continue last year’s success

season, looks to playoffs

MADS MCCLUSKEY

JOSH BRIGEL

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

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long-time rivalry between Henry M. Gunn High School and Palo Alto High School is well known to all; however, the intense rivalry between Paly and Los Gatos High School is lesser known by most. After their last 17-4 League win against Los Altos High School, the Paly boys lacrosse team lost 5-6 in overtime to Los Gatos on April 21.

“We beat [Los Gatos] already this season because we played one of our best games of lacrosse against them –– we beat them 12 to 6 –– and we play them again on April 21 at Los Gatos,” junior Yusuf Rizk said. “After that we have the rivalry game with Gunn, but Gunn’s program isn’t really strong so we can expect a win out of that.”

The boys came back after their loss to Los Gatos and beat Gunn 14-1 on April 22. In their latest non-league game against Serra High School. The boys lost 5-11.

“This was one of the games that our coach warned us about, [telling us] how one-dimensional our team is in the way that we rely on our three attackmen to score all of our goals,” Rizk said. “This game they shut off our attack and our midfielders weren’t able to do anything.”

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MADS MCCLUSKEY/THE CAMPANILE

Lacrosse has a near perfect in-league record with the exception of a loss to Los Gatos.

The team has displayed talent and tenacity this season; however, they are always looking to improve. The main focus for the team is developing more depth of talent.

Currently they rely almost entirely on their attackmen; a good team is able to rely on more than just the offensive players to score. Unfortunately, the team did not have practice over spring break, slowing their progression towards their goal.

“If we had practiced over spring break we would be in better shape, but then again, we did have a really good week of practice coming up to [the Serra] game,” Rizk said. “Of course more preparation always helps, but I’m not sure if it would have been

enough to take down Serra.”

The boys only have two remaining home games, against Mountain View High School and Saint Francis High School. The upcoming loss of the home field advantage appears likely to affect the team’s performance.

“We’re hearing from our coaches and our seniors that at this point in the season we’re a lot more advanced than we were last year,” Rizk said.

“You can definitely see the growth from the starters and just the players on the team. Everyone is growing and getting better, but then again other teams are getting better too.”

The hardest approaching game for the team is against Saint Francis on April 30.

adminton beat crosstown and in-league rival Henry M. Gunn High School to near a more even record at 5-6 on the season. This is a great win for the team coming on the heels of a bad 9-21 loss to Monta Vista High School over a week ago.

Despite the loss at Monta Vista, both the top player and doubles team in mens won for Paly, as sophomore Michael Chau won along with the senior combo of Joshua Ng and Eric Chiang.

“Monta Vista is a very tough opponent due to their program and off-season training,” assistant coach Arne Lim said. “It is difficult for Paly to emulate Monta Vista’s success because people at Paly do so much.”

It is difficult for Paly to emulate Monta Vista’s success because people at Paly do so much.

Arne Lim Paly Badminton Assistant Coach Monta Vista and Gunn are both good teams — especially Monta Vista, which is leading the league.

“We had lots of split games (going to a third set), so I was happy to see that we were super competitive

and worked hard to win,” junior team captain Samarth Venkatasubramaniam said.

The team is fourth in league right now but it is possible with two games left to squeeze into third. Their next game up is against Lynbrook High School which will then lead them to the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) and Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs.

Each event is represented by every school in SCVAL as this is an autobid tournament. On the other hand, CCS is reached by single players and the team expects to have five players reach the tournament for their regular season play.

“Our long-term goal is to send some pairs and individuals to leagues then CCS,” Venkatasubramaniam said.

The sophomore Chau has been a bright spot for the team this season losing only two games, which would most likely put him as the third seed at CCS. Looking forward, some players will also be competing in Norcal regionals for the first time.

The team seems to be clicking at the right time and the tighter losses have given them hope for the future.

Their record is already a great improvement on last year’s losing season in which the team hoped to use as a rebuilding season.

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

SPORTS

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Softball fights back Baseball optimistic for CCS Lady Vikes beat Gunn in a difficult game SAMUEL YUN

STAFF WRITER

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he Palo Alto High School softball team is steadily improving after a slow start, rising from last place in the league to third. The team currently holds a 4-3 record within the league and a 5-11 overall record. Their most recent league game victory was a close fought match that ended in a 8-7 win over the crosstown rival, Henry M. Gunn High School.

Paly started off slow, trailing by two runs after the first inning. However, the Vikings quickly caught up and surpassed Gunn, with five runs in the third inning, the lead that allowed them to clinch the win.

“We were relaxed even though we knew we were playing our rivals and we wanted to avenge our previous loss,” senior captain Jesse Kim said.

“Our team has also gotten closer and everyone has learnt how to work well with each other, knowing strengths and weaknesses.”

Another key league victory came against Fremont High School. Although it was a difficult game, the girls managed to come out with a win. For her outstanding performance, Kim was selected as Player of the Game.

As the Vikings make their way up the league leaderboard, the girls gained confidence. Nevertheless, their recent victories should not overshadow potential areas of improvement.

In the game before their win against Fremont, Paly lost in an away game against Silver Creek High School.

The Vikings trailed Silver Creek by five runs early on. Paly was able to tally its first and only run of the game in the second inning, but was ultimately unable to rally against its tough opponent, and lost with a score of 13-1. This match demonstrated a need for the less experienced players to quickly adapt to varsity level ball.

“We’ve done more practice regarding hitting to really hone down on mechanics, but especially for those who are new to varsity, just seeing pitchers of all speeds and spins can really help,” Kim said. “We’ve also added some new hitting stations to really focus on seeing the ball and where it makes contact with the bat.”

For the final stretch of the season, the Vikings have a series of important yet difficult games ahead of them, with five more league matches coming up. In order to make a successful late season push, the girls now need to win against Santa Clara High School and Mountain View High School, tough teams that are both currently ranked above Paly in their league. Though it may seem like a daunting task, the girls are confident that they will be able to overcome any difficulties and ultimately extend their season.

“I know that our team is definitely able to do well in the second half of leagues, as long as team dynamics are strong and we don’t stress too much about errors,” Kim said. “No team is going to be 100 percent error free and what I love about this team is that no one lingers too long on a mistake… you have to shake it and you’re back in the game.”

The team rises to preseason expectations, with only two losses

JOANNA FALLA/THE CAMPANILE

Junior Angus Stayte hits in a game against Saratoga High School on Wednesday, April 20. Paly beat Saratoga with a score of 10-1.

JOANNA FALLA

STAFF WRITER

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fter beating Saratoga High School 10-1, the baseball team continues to add more wins to its league record, cementing its first place rank going into the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League tournament. The team made no errors while playing Saratoga in addition to playing great offense, with every player getting a hit. Sophomore pitcher Jake Varner knows that every win counts, but realizes that it is important not to get caught up in the numbers.

“It’s just another game,” Varner said. “We’re still just as equally prepared for it as we are for any other game.”

Just two days after, on April 23, the boys maintained their extreme lead by beating Henry M. Gunn High School 10-2 in a non-league game.

The team’s league record is 10-2, and its two losses were against Los Altos High School and Los Gatos High School, the team’s biggest competition. Senior captain Owen Plambeck believes that the team was not playing at its full potential the day before Prom, contributing to the loss against Los Gatos.

“Los Gatos for sure is our biggest rival, and unfortunately the second time we played them we came out a little flat and not at our full energy and paid for it with dumb mental mistakes,” Plambeck said. “We didn’t deserve to win that game.”

The other loss that the team suffered was against Los Altos, with a score of 1-0, on March 30. However, just two days later the boys rallied and crushed Los Altos in a 13-4 victory. Senior captain Alec Olmstead believes that the team went in with a high expectation of the other team, but created an aggressive lead in

the very beginning of the game and maintained it through each inning.

“We started to be a lot more aggressive at the plate ‘hunting fastballs’ early in the count which helped put a lot more runs up,” Olmstead said.

“We know they are good and we came in with the same mentality.”

Because of the team’s current standings, it is guaranteed a spot in the Central Coast Section (CCS) championships. The current champion is Saint Francis High School, who the boys will play in a non-league game on April 30. Saint Francis is Paly’s biggest competitor that it will face at the CCS championship.

“We’re expecting to have the closest game with Saint Francis for sure because they are our coach’s old school and they have been ranked nationally almost every year,” Olmstead said. “They are the defending CCS champs and they are also loaded with good players.”

Golf maintains its winning streak Vikings lose to Gunn Following an undefeated season, the boys aspire to win at CCS

Boys swim team is optimistic for SCVALs

PETER MAROULIS

MACKENZIE GLASSFORD

NEWS AND OPINION EDITOR

STAFF WRITER

I

n the year 323 BC, Alexander the Great knelt upon the shores of northern Africa and wept because he could not conceive of any more land and foes to conquer. His victories, however, pale in comparison to the mighty conquests of Paly’s boys golf team, a squad so legendary that words do not do it justice.

As Alexander smote in Carthage, so too have the Vikings cleared a path for themselves in the Bay Area, toppling respected institutions like Homestead, Harker and Los Altos High School.

On March 22, Fremont High School’s comparably meager golfers were pummeled on Paly turf by the Vikes, with sophomore Ahmed Ali and his blistering 3-under-31 leading the charge. After two days soaking in the spoils of victory, the boys bused down to Mountain View for a delicious encounter with the Spartans, who fell 202-183 on March 24.

Indeed, it seemed that limitless good fortune was guaranteed for Paly, as the team soon dismantled Los Altos 170-197 on March 25.

And then, as Alexander nearly yielded to Darius at Issus, Paly ran

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COURTESY OF ERIC MASER

Senior Matthew Lewis shoots in a match against Fremont High School on April 26.

into some trouble. The Harker Eagles were ready for the Vikes when game day arrived on April 12 at San Jose Country Club.

The Vikes, however, were also ready for Harker. The boys engaged in a battle for the ages with Ali’s 1-under-32, senior Matt Lewis’s 34 and Gordon’s 36 in a vigorous repost to Harker’s strong effort. When the dust cleared, the scoreboard read 178-179 in Paly’s favor, a huge victory for the visiting Vikings.

Propelled by this momentous win, the squadron proceeded to lay the wood (and iron) to Homestead on April 18, breaking the Mustangs 191-210. The golfers have stayed out

of trouble through the help of several 11th-hour saves by sophomore phenoms like Sergi Mata. “[Mata’s] been one of our top players this year,” junior Timothy Liu said. “We’re hoping he can carry his momentum into our season as well and bolster our team a bit more.”

As the season draws to a close, the team hopes to keep its streak alive, and even bring home a Central Coast Section (CCS) title.

“We’re looking to keep up the winning ways and surge into leagues and CCS with the same mentality,” Liu said.

It seems like that “same mentality” is getting the job done pretty well.

s the season draws to a close, the boys on the Palo Alto High School swim team look to shave their times and solidify their form. The team suffered a defeat to Henry M. Gunn High School on April 12, following a string of recent victories. Junior Alex Beaudry credits the loss to confusion among the team.

“The 200 [freestyle] relay was a botched job,” Beaudry said. “There was enough confusion and incompetence to completely ruin that race for us. It’s not that we didn’t swim well, there was just no communication among the team members, which is really why we lost.”

The team was also unable to step up and match Gunn in speed. However, despite the loss, Beaudry remains positive about the abilities of the Paly team.

“All in all, Gunn is a pretty good team,” Beaudry said. “The fact that we were able to keep it close against them even with some of our mistakes shows promise for the team. Even though we lost the meet, we all know that we’re still a good team and that if we keep our heads up and focus that we can succeed.”

The Paly boys’ next meet was against Los Gatos High School, and this time they came away with a win.

Junior Alex Liang is hopeful that the success will carry over into postseason.

“I think the meet went well, and I hope it means that we are in good shape to contend for the league title,” Liang said. “We did well against Los Gatos mainly because we all raced hard and were able to put up a lot of points.”

The team is now preparing for postseason, and are hoping to reclaim their Santa Clara Valley Athletic League title that they lost during the 2015 season.

“We’re preparing by working hard the last few days of the regular season and then resting in order to be ready for leagues,” Liang said. “I think that as long as we keep doing what we’ve been doing for most of the season that we will do well.”

Despite a few setbacks this season, Liang looked back on the season with positivity.

“The season as a whole was pretty good and I think we did well,” Liang said. “We had an unfortunate loss to Gunn, but we will definitely be able to get revenge at leagues, CCS and states.”

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

FOOTBALL FAILURES

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WORST NFL Text and Design by Cole Hechtman

RYAN LEAF

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SAN DIEGO CHARGERS quarterback

receding the 1988 draft, the Indianapolis Colts had been given the first pick, with the San Diego Chargers having traded up for the second pick. Both teams had clearly expressed their desire for a quarterback and looked at two players that were heavily anticipated to be franchise quarterbacks of the NFL, Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning. The Colts wisely used their first pick to select Manning, who would become one of the most successful quarterbacks of all time.

On the other hand, it soon became apparent that Leaf would never live up to the same standards. The Washington State University quarterback’s indolence and immaturity quickly exposed his true character, as he gained 20 pounds and missed his first mandatory rookie meeting. His rookie season began disastrously, having thrown only two touchdowns with 15 interceptions. His inability to communicate with his teammates, coaching staff and the media along with his poor work ethic lead to his precipitous downfall with the Chargers. After three unsuccessful seasons, he was picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yet again, his failure to comply with the team’s offer led to his final team, the Dallas Cowboys, where he was released after failed physical exams. In 2012, Leaf was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison for drug and theft charges.

TONY MANDARICH

GREEN BAY PACKERS OFFENSIVE TACKLE

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obody could have anticipated the devastating career of offensive tackle Tony Mandarich. After performing tremendously well at Michigan State University, scouts unanimously agreed he would be a legendary tackle in the NFL, surely to be inducted to the Hall of Fame. Sports Illustrated even published an issue featuring Mandarich on the cover as “The Incredible Bulk.” At 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, Mandarich’s physique seemed almost impossible to mimic. He was the second overall selection in the 1989 draft to the Green Bay Packers. However, Mandarich’s egocentric attitude, unsatisfactory play and drug abuse led to his eventual demise.

After three seasons and only 31 starts with the Packers, Mandarich left football for two years where he continued to abuse drugs and alcohol. Following his leave, Sports Illustrated published another issue featuring him on the cover, this time with the headline “The Incredible Bust.” Years later, Mandarich admitted to using steroids during his years at Michigan State. After finally becoming healthy years later Mandarich returned and played three mediocre seasons with the Indianapolis Colts before retiring in 1998.

CHARLES ROGERS

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Detroit lions Wide Receiver

harles Rogers was a superstar in college, breaking Michigan State records in single game receiving yards and career touchdowns, as well as a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) record for the most touchdown catches in consecutive games. Such accomplishments landed him the second draft pick in the 2003 NFL draft and a spot on the Detroit Lions roster.

In his first five games, Rogers showed promise with 22 catches for 243 yards. However, Rogers broke his clavicle shortly after, leaving him out for the rest of the season.

During the following season, the receiver’s bad luck continued when he broke his clavicle again on the third play of the season. Rogers was so disappointed that the team staff allowed him to go home for the remainder of the season. The following season, Rogers’ playing time was limited yet again due to a third violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Upon his return, he only played in nine games with three starts, catching 14 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown. In 2006, Rogers was released from the Lions due to his poor work ethic. He continued to work out with teams such as the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but none of the teams opted to sign him.

Every colle fan has routinely watche ress through multiple sea years. In most cases, these early in the following ye League (NFL) draft. Howe cases, these same players ne tations. Whether it be be ethic, substance abuse, a ineffectiveness, many colle themselves sitting on t as “

AKILI SMITH

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cincinnati bengals Quarterback

idely known as the Cincinnati Bengals’ biggest draft bust, Akili Smith was a highly anticipated quarterback coming out of a great season at the University of Oregon. In his first year starting as a senior, Smith threw 32 touchdown passes in his 11 starts. In the 1999 NFL draft, the year in which five quarterbacks were selected in the first round, Smith was the third quarterback and overall selection.

While Smith was athletic, many skeptics questioned his ability to perform in the NFL due to only being the starting quarterback during his senior year. After various contract disputes, Smith missed most of the 1999 training camp, which would prove to hurt him in the following seasons. Despite his athletic abilities, he was never able to work well with the team or effectively use the Bengals’ playbook. In his 4-year period with the Bengals, Smith started just 17 games, throwing a mere five touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In 2002, he was released after having sat on the bench for the previous two years. Smith finished his career in the NFL playing with the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where once again he was not able to make any sort of impact.

The Campanile

Friday, April 29, 2016

FOOTBALL FAILURES

DRAFT PICKS

ege football ed a favorite player progasons during their college e star players are selected ear’s National Football ever, in some unfortunate ever live up to their expececause of their poor work attitude issues or overall ege superstars have found the bench and labeled “busts.”

Design by Alice ZHao and Kiran Misner

JAMARCUS RUSSELL

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OAKLAND RAIDERS quarterback

alent was never the problem for 2007 first overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell.

Coming out of Louisiana State University, the 6-foot-6, 260-pound quarterback seemed unstoppable, and was often compared to legendary quarterback John Elway.

However, in his early years with the Oakland Raiders, Russell became increasingly inconsistent and unreliable. In his first 25 starts, he maintained a subpar 50.1 completion percentage, a 65.1 quarterback rating and turned the ball over a whopping 48 times. In 2009, Russell arrived at the preseason training camp having gained 30 pounds, and it became clear he was no longer devoted or interested in improving his game.

After three years, he was released by the Raiders, and the following day he cleared waivers, making him an unrestricted free agent. Later, members of the team's staff and roster publicly admitted their regret in drafting him.

“His work ethic had to be the worst [s***] man,” Cliff Branch, former Raiders wide receiver said. “He had all the talent in the world, but he didn’t prepare himself at all.

Russell was a party boy; they [the team] gave him all this money.”

LAWRENCE PHILLIPS

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fter rushing for over 100 yards for 11 straight games during his sophomore year of college, Lawrence Phillips had proven to be a consistent threat to opponents. His success had won the Nebraska Cornhuskers a national championship, beating Penn State in 1994. However, Phillips was arrested for assaulting his ex-girlfriend the following season, and his image had become crippled.

Despite his character issues and problems off of the field, Phillips was drafted sixth overall by the St. Louis Rams in 1996. In his first year, he started 11 out of 15 games and rushed for 632 yards with four touchdowns. Still, on Nov. 20, he was abruptly released by the Rams due to his inconsistency and inability to stay out of trouble. He was then seen storming out of the Rams’ facility and missed his remaining practices as a member of the team.

Hoping to make a comeback, he was soon picked up by the Miami Dolphins. He had only played two games before he was dropped yet again for assaulting a woman in a Florida nightclub. In the fall on 1999, the San Francisco 49ers gave Phillips a final chance. However, Phillips quickly began to miss practice and showed no interest in playing. He was released on Nov. 23, 1999 and did not play in the NFL again.

TIM COUCH

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Cleveland BROWNS quarterback

nlike many other draft busts, Tim Couch was not an awful professional quarterback; however, he certainly did not live up to the high expectations set for him during college. At the University of Kentucky, Couch completed 795 of his 1,184 attempted passes, including an unbelievable 4,295 yards and 74 touchdowns in his senior year. Couch still maintains the NCAA record for completion percentage in one game (with a minimum of 40 passes) as he completed 44 of his 53 passes against Vanderbilt in 1988. His accomplishments and performance led to his selection as the first overall pick in the 1999 Draft.

However, Couch had joined the team only three years after the former Browns team moved to Baltimore. As a result, he was forced to work with a severely underdeveloped offensive line, which led to persistent pressure and sacks from the defense. In 2000, Couch broke his thumb and missed the last nine games of the season. Couch’s prime was in 2002, where he threw for 2,842 yards and 18 touchdowns. However, he suffered a broken leg in the final regular season game and was forced to sit in the playoffs. By 2003, Couch had been replaced by Kelly Holcomb and was not be given the opportunity to start again.

St. Louis rams Running Back

ERNIE DAVIS

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St. louis RAMS running back

he unfortunate fate of former Browns running back Ernie Davis could have never been predicted. In his earlier years, Davis played for the University of Syracuse, where he showed his promising talent after leading the team to the National Championship and an undefeated season in 1960. In his Junior year, Davis set a record of averaging 7.8 yards per carry, and was the third leading rusher in the country. Unfortunately, his talent was often suppressed by the recurring discrimination he faced as a black athlete.

Despite this, Davis was selected as the first overall pick by the Washington Redskins in the 1962 draft. The founder and owner of the Redskins, George Preston Marshall, had been openly racist, and Davis demanded to be traded to the Cleveland Browns. As a result, he signed a three-year, $200,000 contract with the Browns in 1961, where his life would take a turn for the worse. In 1962, Davis was diagnosed with leukemia during training camp. As his condition furthered, he was only allowed to practice on the field without physical contact and draw up plays, but never played a single down in the NFL. On May 18, 1963, Davis passed away at the young age of 23 in the Cleveland Lakeside Hospital.

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Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

C6 SPORTS Kobe Bryant ends legendary career with a bang After winning five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, a game-changing athlete steps off the court

COURTESY OF WASHINGTON POST

COURTESY OF TOP BET

COURTESY OF NEW JERSEY.COM

Left to right: Bryant plays alongside renowned basketball player Michael Jordan early in his career. Lakers win NBA championship in 2010 with MVP Bryant. After 20 years of playing, Bryant ends career in Philadelphia.

KIRAN MISNER

STAFF WRITER

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nd with the 13th pick of the 1996 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets select Kobe Bryant!” On June 26, 1996, former National Basketball Association (NBA) commissioner David Stern unknowingly announced a new era of basketball.

Nicknamed “The Black Mamba” due to his agility and his aggressiveness, Bryant was introduced to the game of basketball by his father, who played professionally overseas. Bryant grew up in a Philadelphia suburb, where he played basketball for Lower Merion High School. Averaging over 30 points per game, Bryant was named the Pennsylvania Basketball Player of the Year, and gained the recognition of college and professional coaches alike early on. When Kevin Garnett, another prolific basketball player, decided to skip college in order to play professional basketball in 1995, Bryant took his chances as well, skipping college and proceeding directly to the NBA. As one of two notable players coming out of high school, Bryant

was drafted in the first round by the Charlotte Hornets. Immediately after he was drafted, the Hornets traded Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant’s impact on the team was immediately felt. He became the youngest player to ever play in an NBA game at just 18-years-old and helped his team to a Western Conference Finals berth, where they would eventually lose to the Utah Jazz. Although this would be the farthest that Bryant’s Lakers would get in the next two years, he still emerged as an elite player in the league and was invited to the 1998 All-Star Game.

They say a coach can change everything, and in Bryant’s situation, the hiring of Phil Jackson in 2000 changed his career for the better. With Phil Jackson at the helm, Bryant’s Lakers cruised to an NBA championship. Over the next two years, Bryant’s success would repeat and the Lakers would go on to “threepeat,” or win the NBA championship three times consecutively. After three outstanding seasons under Phil Jackson, the Lakers remained favorites for their title defense in 2003. However, the next two seasons would be upsetting, as Bryant’s Lakers were elimi-

nated in the first round of the playoffs and then heartbroken in the finals by an outstanding Detroit Pistons team.

Jackson was let go as the team felt that change was needed in order to win more championships.

After losing to the Pistons in the finals, not even Bryant could turn the ailing Lakers team around. Legendary center Shaquille O’Neal had left for sunny Miami, and without anyone to support him, Bryant’s play took a hit. He wasn’t named to the All-NBA defensive team and his allaround unimpressive play that season eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs.

Then, the Lakers decided to rehire Phil Jackson, allowing Bryant to show the difference between a superstar and a legend. In a midseason matchup, Bryant took over the game and scored a modern NBA record 81 points. According to many experts, this would be the masterpiece of Bryant’s career.

The signing of All-Star Pau Gasol assisted Bryant in having an outstanding season where he would be recognized as the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). Bryant impressed coaches and players all year, leading

the Lakers to an NBA Finals appearance. The Lakers won and Bryant was heralded as the NBA Finals MVP. Defending his championship yet again next year, Bryant would take the Lakers’ season into his own hands. Bryant commandeered the Lakers to an NBA Finals victory over the Boston Celtics and was once again named Finals MVP. Sadly, that would be the last time Bryant would play in an NBA Finals match. The rest of his career would be a slow downhill slide and the Lakers reputation as a dominant team waned. Two seasons in a row would end early for Bryant due to seasonending injuries, and after playing a memorable 20 years with the Lakers, he decided to call it quits.

His farewell season was filled with heartfelt videos, but his playtime decreased throughout the season in order to let the younger team members play. On April 13, 2016, Bryant would issue a final goodbye to the league his own way, scoring 60 points and eliminating the Jazz from playoff contention in his last game.

While Bryant should be recognized as one of basketball’s greatest, people’s opinion of Bryant will be

forever hindered by off the court issues. Bryant has had many problems with the law, and in 2003, was accused of rape. Bryant settled the case, and while admitting that he had a relationship with the victim, never pled guilty to rape. Many saw settling the case a way to avoid media scrutiny and this case remains controversial.

Nevertheless, Bryant’s legacy as a player will never be forgotten. His unique ability to take over a game and make the impossible happen was a rare quality. He was able to create shots by himself, while also assisting his teammates when needed. His five championship rings put him at the top of any “Greatest Players” list.

Bryant’s play isn’t the only thing that will leave him in history as one of the best ever. His work ethic and dedication to the game paralleled and usually outmatched any professional player. Additionally, his energetic, fiery and brash personality was appealing and relatable to his fans.

While basketball followers’ opinions on Bryant vary hugely, there is one thing that all fans can agree on: his play was simply awe inspiring and left them completely captivated. So for that, thank you Kobe.

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

SPORTS

Rio negligent in cleaning water for Olympics Polluted waters in upcoming Olympic city pose a threat to potential Olympic athletes CLAY WATSON

STAFF WRITER

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hen bidding to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, Brazil and the city of Rio de Janeiro made a commitment to the Olympic Committee that they would eliminate 80 percent of the pollution and toxins that plague the city’s major bodies of water. This cleanup was necessary to allow for water events such as rowing, kayaking and sailing to occur. However, with the Olympics only a few short months away, Rio has given up on its promises to clean up the water. Hundreds of tons of unprocessed waste not only pose a threat to the well-being of the local population, but they also jeopardize the safety of the many Olympic athletes who have been training for four or more years in preparation for the upcoming Olympics.

Rio 2016 spokesman Mario Andrada confirmed in an interview with

ESPN that the original goal of 80 percent toxin elimination will not be met, but offered a more optimistic look into the games.

If we are not able to reach the target, we need to keep working until the last minute and make sure that the athletes can compete in safe waters, and we have been doing [that].

Mario Andrada Rio 2016 spokesperson “It is not going to happen because there was not enough commitment, funds and energy,” Andrada said.

“However, we finally got something that the bay has been missing for generations, which is public will for the cleaning. Nobody wants to have guests at their house and show a dirty house. So if we are not able to reach the target, we need to keep working until the last minute and make

sure that the athletes can compete in safe waters, and we have been doing [that].”

While this fairly optimistic view on the water cleanup in Rio suggests a high probability of having a successful Olympics, the safety of the athletic community is still in question.

The Associated Press (AP) provided a grim overview of the situation, reporting high levels of viral pathogens, which would be dangerous to Olympic athletes and could serve as a deterrent to their attendance.

“The test results found high counts of active and infectious human adenoviruses, which multiply in the intestinal and respiratory tracts of people,” the AP reports read. “These are viruses that are known to cause respiratory and digestive illnesses, including explosive diarrhea and vomiting, but can also lead to more serious heart, brain and other diseases.”

The World Rowing Junior championship was held this past summer

[The viruses] are known to cause respiratory and digestive illnesses, including explosive diarrhea and vomiting, but can also lead to more serious heart, brain and other diseases.

While Rio continues to explore more cost effective and timely options to deal with the water pollution, Olympic team athletes of their respective nations will analyze the risks involved with competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Non-cut teams ruin quality, opportunities and experiences of high school sports teams STAFF WRITER

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ifferent students have many different motivations for trying out for a school sport.

While some students want to earn college scholarships playing the sport they love, others simply aim to escape Physical Education (P.E.) class.

Sports teams such as track and field, cross country and wrestling are noncut sports, which allow any student who shows up to tryouts to join the team. Allowing everyone on a school team comes with some complications.

While this inclusivity is good, all team members on non-cut sports are negatively affected by the varying skill levels of players on the team.

To improve the athletic experience for players as well as coaches and limit logistical hassles, all high school sports should only have cut teams.

Katie Cox, a junior on the girls varsity lacrosse team, acknowledges the benefit of having a coach select a team.

“I think having cut sports [teams] is a great idea because then the team has the best quality of players possible,” Cox said. “Everyone on the team

is at a similar skill level and you can push each other to be even better.”

When coaches have the power to select talented and skillful players, teams can then play at a higher level. As a result, spectators can enjoy exciting competitions and teams can develop stronger reputations. This increases the likelihood of student athletes being spotted and recruited by colleges.

Cut sports also keep team rosters at manageable levels. With non-cut sports, coaches cannot deny any student a spot on the team. This can lead to overcrowded sports, such as

Mamba Out: Farewell

as a trial run of the Olympic course.

From a competitive standpoint, the regatta was a great success for both men’s and women’s Junior National teams. Unfortunately 13 rowers suffered from stomach illnesses. These illnesses, while not directly linked to the water in Rio, suggest a danger to future senior national team athletes who plan on attending the Olympics.

Cut rule for sports teams should be ubiquitous UMA CHOUDHURY

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track and field, which currently has about 200 students participating. This overcrowding is detrimental to both coaches and players — coaches have a harder time trying to manage the team, and it is tough to help all the athletes improve their skills.

Having cut sport teams allows for players to have more time with the coaches. Junior Isabel Black, who is a varsity athlete on the track and field team, feels the stress from the large amount of people on the team.

“I think that track should be a cut sport because it is so hard with so many kids on the team,” said Black.

“I feel like I get hardly any time with the coaches, and half the time I am coaching other kids.”

Rather than focusing on competing against other teams, athletes on popular non-cut teams must concentrate on competing against their own teammates to get the coach’s personalized attention. A lower roster count in cut sports allows each player to get more individualized attention at practice.

With non-cut sports, less skillful athletes do not get as much of a chance to compete as more experienced athletes. For example, while track and field is non-cut, only the top performers compete at meets.

In some cases, this causes parents to complain about their child’s lack of playing time, ultimately putting more stress on the coach than a cut sport would.

Overcrowded teams also strain other resources, such as coaches, equipment and methods of transportation. Large teams need more than one coach to help keep practices and games in order, which results in the school having to pay for extra coaches. In some cases multiple busses are required to transport the whole team.

Having cut teams for all school sports not only makes sense logistically, but it also creates a more supportive, tight-knit community for student athletes. Kaitlin Chiu, a junior on the girls varsity lacrosse team, thinks that cut sports help athletes both on and off of the field.

“With [lacrosse] being a cut team, it’s a lot easier for the coach to give all of the players playing time,” Chiu said. “I think it also creates a smaller community where the players get to know one another off the field. This creates a better team, as we can learn to connect more easily with one another on the field. If [lacrosse] were not a cut [sport], we would have too big of a team, and it may [have resulted] in certain players not getting enough playing time.”

Some might argue that all students should be given an equal chance to experiment with any school sport no matter what their skill level. However, having players of vastly different skill levels on the same team, hinders the overall competitive success of the sports team.

Students can experiment with sports in P.E. or recreational leagues that are composed of local club teams, but all high school athletics teams should be selective, only accepting the most qualified athletes.

GREG EUM

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

F

arewell tours — occurring when iconic athletes who were significant or era-defining to their respective sports receive praise and honor throughout their final season as gratitude for their contributions — have always been present in sports.

There has been extensive debate on whether these farewell tours are necessary. But these tours are not simply about showmanship and extravagant ceremonies — they are about recognizing and respecting these great athletes who have contributed so much to their respective sports.

Currently, a highly-publicized farewell tour is wrapping up for Kobe Bryant of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A sure NBA Hall-of-Famer, Bryant received extensive adulation and respect from players, organizations and fans from all around the league. I had the amazing opportunity to attend his last game at Oracle Arena, the home of the Golden State Warriors, on Jan. 14. The Warriors, who are in the same division as the Los Angeles Lakers, have been subject to many defeats over Bryant’s tenure as a Laker.

However, out of respect for Bryant and what he has done for the NBA, the Warriors team prepared special “Thank You” events throughout the game, even showing highlight videos of Bryant’s best performances against the Warriors.

I especially remember the end of the game, when Bryant was shooting free throws, and crowd chanted “MV-P” and “Thank you Kobe,” despite the fact that the reigning Most Valuable Player and fan-favorite Steph Curry was on the same court. After the game ended, I stayed and saw Bryant giving his final interviews to local reporters. Every single Warriors player, including Curry, stayed to pay their respects to one of the league’s best players ever. Although I am a die-hard Warriors fan (since 2005, not 2015), I am a huge fan of basketball, and seeing my favorite players paying tribute was an exceptional sight.

The fact that the fans love and respect Bryant, a rival player who has previously stopped the Warriors short of a championship game, illustrates the power and importance of farewell tours. I was truly amazed with the response and respect Bryant received from people all over the world. Athletes are role models to many, and some who excel greatly at their sport are considered legendary icons whose influences are present beyond their sport.

Having a farewell tour is not a right that all athletes get; instead, it is a privilege to be recognized for their era-defining contributions to their sports. In order to preserve the legacy of these athletes, farewell tours are essential.

However, organizations have tried to commercialize these tours, leading angry fans across multiple sports.

Franchises such as the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB) tried to sell more merchandise after legendary Yankees Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter announced their retirements. The Yankees made a lot of money from merchandise based on the farewell tours of Jeter and Rivera.

Farewell tours become pointless when they deviate from respecting the player’s accomplishments and contributions to sports in an attempt to make money.

Ultimately, as great athletes are making their final laps around their league, such as David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox currently is, fans of the sport should recognize the significance of these athletes and celebrate their accomplishments and legacy to the sport.

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Campanile

SPORTS

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TEAMS ON THE MOVE TEXT AND DESIGN BY EDWARD KIM DESIGN BY DAVID TAYERI AND JESSICA WONG

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ith the recent relocation of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL), the contentious process of team relocation in sports leagues has come to the public eye once more. Although only the Los Angeles Rams and Winnipeg Jets have recently moved in recent years, several other teams have come close to switching cities and fan bases, including the Sacramento Kings, Oakland Raiders and Arizona Coyotes.

Most casual fans speculate selfishness as the primary motive behind relocation, which can often generate increased revenue. However, the truth behind relocation dives much deeper than that.

The NFL requires “the approval by the affirmative vote of threefourths of the member clubs for relocation” according to Article 4.3 in the NFL Constitution and Bylaws.

In a league with 32 teams, an owner must convince 24 different owners of fellow franchises that relocation would be a good idea.

Each owner has a different approach to gaining approval. For one, Raiders owner Mark Davis tried to garner sympathy from the NFL about the decaying state of his franchise’s old stadium. Along with the San Diego Chargers, the Raiders argued that the split relocation and stadium fees would make the move economically viable for the league along with filling the empty Nevada market.

In contrast, the Rams owner Stan Kroenke convinced the owners he had the resources to make such a move by buying a large swath of land in Los Angeles even before he made a move.

In January 2015, Kroenke and the Stockbridge Capital Group announced plans to build a stateof-the-art stadium on the land they purchased.

The vote, which the Rams passed on a 30-2 ruling, was also greatly influenced by the NFL’s mantra of “bigger and better.” Los Angeles, devoid of a football team for nearly three decades, has the ability to produce massive amounts of revenue for the league. Inglewood, the location of the future stadium, borders the vibrant atmosphere of downtown L.A. The new stadium, called “NFL

Disney World” by executives, has a capacity of 100,000 people for special events, a number that exceeds even the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium.

Kroenke is not just paying for a stadium with his contracted land — the development is projected to have a 6,000-seat performance venue, more than 1.5 million square feet of retail space, 2,500 homes, a media center and more than 25 parks.

However, stadiums are not oneday proposals that can be paid out of the pocket. Often worth over a billion dollars, stadiums take a lot of resources and labor to construct into the 80,000 seat caverns we see today.

The league and the teams that want the stadium to be built often do not fund the entire stadium by themselves — they receive a fraction of the money from government subsidies.

Of course, if subsidies are to be taken from the government and given to the NFL, taxpayers must take the brunt of the force. The building of stadiums, often a controversial process, faces obstacles from disgruntled taxpayers who are forced to pay for teams they do not even support.

Luckily for the Rams, Kroenke had the resources to privately fund the stadium without requesting public help. Out of his own pocket, Kroenke footed the $2.7 billion charge, along with the $550 million NFL relocation fee. In addition to the $180 million sales tax, Kroenke will have to pay a bill over $3 billion. To the average individual in the community, this may seem like a lot to pay for a single stadium. Kroenke, however, is not an average individual.

With a net worth of over $6 billion, he can afford to pay out of his own pocket, saving the taxpayers of Los Angeles from paying for the world’s most expensive stadium.

Neil DeMause, author of the book "Field of Dreams," recently called the stadium “one of the most publicfriendly deals ever” in an interview with ThinkProgress.

Next on the list of expansion is convincing the actual league why the move is necessary. Kroenke provided a “Statement of Reasons” on the detriments of St. Louis in comparison to the Inglewood Area. In his list, Kroenke “threw salt on the wounds” of St. Louis, calling out a sagging local economy and lack of fan support.

Overall, the 30-page statement centers around three sections: the eco-

The Colts secretly escaped the stadium at midnight to evade the law.

nomic feasibility of moving to Inglewood, the legal rights of moving the Rams from St. Louis and the benefits to the league.

The second point, the contract clause that gives the Rams the ability to move to Inglewood, is vital in preventing a situation that mirrors the Baltimore Colts’ move to Indianapolis in 1984. The city of Baltimore signed a bill that attempted to pass the Colts into eminent domain to force them to stay. In response, the Colts secretly escaped the stadium at midnight the day before the law would be passed into affect. With all the contractual and legal procedures finished for Kroenke, the move will be a smooth transit to Inglewood.

With its overwhelming majority support, the move for what was formerly the St. Louis Rams is expected to take place over the offseason. Unfortunately, not every team is as successful in relocation.

Around the same time as St. Louis, the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers had a bid rejected to build and share a new stadium in Carson, Nev. The Chargers, who only have a $15 million buyout fee on their previous stadium, Qualcomm, have the economic ability to pack up and leave.

In the Raiders’ case, owner Mark Davis wants to escape the dreary and old O.Co Colosium to the brighter lights in Nevada.

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the relocation process entered the public eye as recently as 2013, when the Sacramento Kings considered moving to Seattle. Just a decade ago, a sentence like that would inspire confusion, because of the presence of the once powerful Seattle Supersonics.

In 2009, the Supersonics departed for the sunnier pastures of Oklahoma City to become the Oklahoma City Thunder. As with any relocation, this move was met with considerable opposition.

The process began when the state of Washington refused to allocate funds or loan subsidies to the Supersonics ownership group to update and refurbish their home court, Key Arena. Disgruntled, the Sonics ownership group, led by Howard Schultz, sold the franchise to Professional Basketball Club, LLC, a business group headed by businessman Clayton Bennett.

Once the ownership group decided to sell the team, they were unable to locate an interested buyer in the Seattle market. Without any options in the Northwest, Schultz and partners had to look for buyers in the empty Midwest market. After a search, the group settled on Bennett’s team in Oklahoma City.

In 2006 after Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Hornets briefly stayed in Oklahoma City but moved out shortly after the team’s stadium was renovated.

Hungry for a basketball team, the community of Oklahoma City embraced the potential move to fill the void in the Midwest that the Hornets had left behind.

When the city of Seattle heard about the Sonics’ impending move to Oklahoma City, it tried to bar the Sonics from moving before 2010, which they stated was the definite length of residence in the contract.

In response, PBC sued the city, claiming that they had the right to break obligations and move cities due to the lack of support from Seattle and the state.

After the trial, a judge ruled that PBC should pay Seattle $30 million immediately as settlement for breaking the lease and obligations, and $45 million if no team replaced the Sonics in Oklahoma City.

Right when PBC won the right to move cities, the original ownership group led by Howard Schultz sued PBC for deceiving them and relocating the team to Oklahoma City.

Schultz accused PBC for going back on their word, which was to keep the team in the Pacific Northwest. A league arbitrator ruled against Schultz, saying that dragging the team back to Seattle would be detrimental for the league and disrupt team operations.Now, with the talented KevinDurant and Russell Westbrook, the Thunder teams are a far cry from the Super Sonic’s mediocre squads All in all, sports relocation processes aren’t one-step proposals than can be fulfilled in an hour-long meeting.

Each step, from building the stadium to obtaining legal rights, takes several months and lots of resources to complete. With relocation teams have opportunities to start anew in a fresh market under a name that isn’t synonymous with losing.

Kroenke footed the $2.7 billion charge, along with the $550 million NFL relocation fee.

ATHLETE OF THE

MONTH

Eric Chiang with The Campanile’s own

Josh Ng and Carissa Zou Senior Eric Chiang plays doubles for the varsity badminton team. He has been on the team since his freshman year, and now leads as a senior captain. Chiang’s stellar performance has led the Vikings to a strong start this season.

The Campanile: What is your event in badminton?

Eric Chiang: Mens doubles and mixed doubles.

TC: Who’s your partner?

EC: Carissa “Shuttlecock Smasher” Zou and Flavia “Flavor” Stiglich.

Both have been valuable assets to the team.

TC: What are your greatest accomplishments during your time on the Paly badminton team?

EC: My greatest accomplishments would probably be getting second at CCS and getting first at SCVALS as a junior.

TC: How would you describe your playing style?

EC: I like to minimize my movements and be efficient with my shots and footwork. This allows me to play in longer intervals so I can tire my opponent out and then finish them off with a variety of shots and fast smashes.

TC: How did you start badminton?

EC: I followed my ancestors’ passions since 2000 BC and didn’t want to dishonor my family. Just kidding. My friend asked me to play badminton one day and I tried it out. The sport started to grow on me, and before I knew it I was playing for a club.

TC: What is your favorite part about the badminton team?

EC: Helping and improving my fellow badminton teammates. I think the most important part about badminton is trying your best.

Encouraging and helping others to fulfill their potential has always been a dream of mine.

TC: Who is your favorite badminton player and why?

EC: AI. I love going to practice. I’m always talking about practice.

TC: Do you have any special rituals before you play in a game?

EC: I pray in the middle of the court and give it all to my lord and savior. He provides and he gives me the strength. Without him, there is no way that I would be playing badminton now. #buddhism TC: Are you going to continue to play badminton in college?

EC: Yes. TC: What do you enjoy about badminton EC: Besides playing the sport itself, over the years I’ve been able to meet new people every year joining the team and building a community that not many people will know about outside of badminton. Establishing teamwork with people that I’ve never worked before and encounter challenges with my teammates is great.

TC: Can you describe your relationship with your head coach?

EC: The past four years I’ve been here, we’ve had two head coaches and I think that I’ve been able to create a pretty close bond with them. The first coach, I got to know him outside of badminton and I got to know him pretty well until he had to leave. Our current coach, coach Jake Halas, has done a wonderful job even though he didn’t know very much coming in so I had to help him out a bit.

TC: Since you’re graduating this year, what will you miss most about the team?

EC: I’ll miss the Paly badminton community and the aspect of being able to teach people who are new to a sport.

TC: Alright this is the end of the interview, good luck on the rest of your season.