Issue 1, 9/8/2017 by The Campanile

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

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The Campanile

Vol. C, No. 1

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2017

www.thecampanile.org

Superintendent McGee to retire in June

McGee to resign after four tumultuous years as the face of the school district By Ujwal Srivastava & Paarth Sharma

Controversial Flex system debuted at Paly By Sam Hwang

Staff Writer & Managing Editor

alo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) superintendent Dr. Glenn “Max” McGee is retiring at the end of the 2017-18 school year, ending a four-year run filled with memorable highlights, but also marred with controversy. His decision, which caps off a 45-year career, comes after a string of criticisms on issues such as sexual assault allegations and the weighted GPA debate. However, there is more to McGee’s retirement decision than just criticism. Each year, the Board of Education conducts an evaluation of the superintendent and gives him or her either a positive or negative rating. According to McGee's contract, the school board is required to report any and all positive ratings but is not required to report negative ratings. This year, the board did not report an evaluation for McGee, which suggests he received a negative performance review. Many contend that this evaluation and the subsequent decision not to renew his contract could be a factor in McGee’s decision to retire. When asked whether the board gave McGee an unsatisfactory rating, Palo Alto School

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

PALY VOICE /USED WITH PERMISSION

Supt. Max McGee listens intently to questions from the public at a recent PAUSD school board meeting. Board President Terry Godfrey said the board simply “followed the contract.”

McGee's departure as superintendent marks the end of an eventful era in PAUSD history. As for McGee, he said multiple times that his decision to retire was entirely his own and was not influenced by any board evaluation, positive or negative.

“I’m 67-years-old,” McGee said. “I’ve spent 30 years as a superintendent and 45 years teaching. It’s time to dial it back a little. [I would like to do] something around education. I love to write. I’ll also be able to spend more time with my grandchildren, whom I love dearly.” Godfrey also echoed this sentiment, saying the board evaluation and McGee’s retirement decision were separate. McGee’s departure as superintendent marks the end of an eventful era in PAUSD history. McGee’s list of achievements in his time at PAUSD includes

establishing the popular and acclaimed Advanced Authentic Research (AAR) program at both Paly and Gunn which provides high school students experienced mentors to help conduct research projects on topics of the student's choice. McGee also introduced more flexibility between math lanes in middle school, increased the number of eighth graders in algebra and introduced full-day kindergarten. However, alongside these triumphs, there was a multitude of controversial moments dur-

McGee retirement

Staff Writer

new Flex schedule and attendance system began on Sept. 5, stiffening attendance requirements and reducing flexibility for students, but helping teachers with accountability regarding the whereabouts of their students. The new system, modeled on the system Gunn High School has used for the past two years, was announced a week ago in an email from Principal Kim Diorio to Paly parents. Most students were informed of the new system through a Schoology post last week from Assistant Principal Janice Chen. “I like [the new Flex system] because it has accountability for attendance because we are accountable for safety of the students,” said Paly math teacher Sharla May. In this new system, students are required to attend Flex on both Tuesday and Thursday from 2 p.m. to 2:50 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. to 2:35 p.m. respectively, and to remain in one classroom for the entire Flex period. In addition, the new attendance system requires students to check with a teacher in the beginning of Flex. There is also a new app which students can use to setup a meeting with their teachers. In June, the Palo Alto Unified

School District announced a new schedule for the 2017-18 school year because the old schedule did not fulfill the state requirement of 54,000 instructional minutes per school year. The Paly Bell Schedule Review Committee fixed this problem by adding additional time for a required Flex period on Thursdays for students whose advisory classes are not meeting. Teachers are mostly appreciative of the accountability with the new Flex system, because they are liable for student's safety during the period. However the general consensus among students seems to take a different stance. Many are not happy with the requirements, especially the mandate that students need to stay in one location for the entire duration of Flex. They say it does not allow them to take care of multiple tasks in one period and results in inefficiency. With a number of demanding courses, students feel the need to visit multiple teachers. Senior Nicholas Zhao said, “It’s not very flexible [to have to stay in one classroom for the whole period] and it’s ironic to the name because it’s supposed to be flexible.” Despite the changes and the seemingly restrictive new system, after only two completed Flex sessions administrators are asking students to give the system a try.

ASB to host biannual Club Day Six million dollar District blunder Several new clubs will be available to students this year

Missed deadline could cost PAUSD up to $6 million in salaries By Ujwal Srinivasta & Paarth Sharma

Staff Writer & Managing Editor

or Superintendent Max McGee and the rest of the Palo Alto Unified School District, 2017 has been anything but uneventful. Since the beginning of this year, the district has dealt with the controversial issue of weighted grades, the infamous Paly sexual assault case and changing bell schedules. The latest criticism for McGee revolves around a payment mishap that will cost the district close to $6 million, according to a Palo Alto Online story from August. Following last year’s budget shortfall, the district was supposed to enter negotiations to reduce teachers’ raises. The current dilema was caused by a failure to meet a deadline by which they were supposed to give

FILE PHOTO/THE CAMPANILE

Club Day is a celebration that brings together people of similar interested and cultivates community.

By Paarth Sharma

Managing Editor

tudents will flood the quad for the biannual Club Day on Sept. 15. Many of the clubs on campus will set up displays on the main quad. According to a survey conducted by The Campanile, 90 percent of Paly seniors plan to be a member of at least one club this year, with 73.6 percent of those intending to join multiple clubs.

As of last semester there were 90 clubs for students to join on campus. As of last semester, there were 90 clubs for students to join on campus, according to Paly’s Associated Student Body (ASB). The nature of these clubs vary widely, from academic like Science Olympiad to hobby-themed clubs such as Thespian Club to sports-oriented clubs like the

INSIDE

Palo Alto Basketball Association (PABA) or Juggling Club to many more variations. “Last year, Club Day was a huge success, and we had almost the entire school on the quad,” ASB Secretary Marissa Ludwig said. “This year, we’re looking to have even more participation by putting it on the final day of Quadchella, a music event on campus, which will hopefully lead more people to the quad and Club Day.” This year’s Club Day will feature clubs such as Agora Foreign Policy Magazine and TEDx Palo Alto High School, which have been around for many years and attract large numbers of visitors come Club Day and are waiting for new potential members during the extended lunch day festivities. Students are encouraged to join clubs as it builds community. Additionally, many schoolsponsored teams such as Paly Speech & Debate and Paly Robotics will be at Club Day. “This year, we’re holding our first [Speech & Debate] practice after Club Day so that anybody

who decides to join during Club Day doesn’t miss anything,” said Tanay Krishna, Paly Speech & Debate President. “We want to make sure that we can reach out to as many people as possible so that anyone who wants to join can.”

Many school-sponsored teams such as Paly Speech & Debate and Paly Robotics will be at Club Day. Students will have to wait until Club Day to find out which clubs will be offered to students this year, but according to ASB Site Council Representative Kasra Orumchian, the selection this year is better than ever. “There is going to be a diverse variety of new clubs this year, and I think that this year more than ever, there will be a club, if not multiple clubs, for every single student, regardless of their interests,” Orumchian said.

Lifestyle

an official notice to the teacher’s union as to whether or not they would renegotiate teacher contracts. While admin says it was simply a misunderstanding, the administration did not meet the timeline to request a renegotiation of the contracts. This mistake could cause spending per pupil to remain stagnant for the second year in a row according to Board President Terry Godfrey. “We, the Board, had assumed [negotiations] had been reopened. As it turns out our lead negotiator [Scott Bowers] did not officially reopen contract and that’s a mistake,” Godfrey said. “Obviously, we’re not in negotiations. And so legally our only response is to give the teachers the raise. What it means now is the raise is for the next couple of years, we’ll have less money to do the raises, we may have to make other cuts.

We don’t really have our financials completely solid yet.” Many in the community say McGee and the board have made a major error in their handling of the issue.

The latest criticism for McGee revolves around a payment mishap that will cost the district close to $6 million according to [Palo Alto Online]. This mistake has had an adverse impact on the way McGee’s administration is being viewed by the community, with many calling for his immediate resignation. Max McGee has already ssaid this year will be his last as a part of the school district and that he intends to retire after the year ends.

Title IX training implemented Teachers learn various strategies to improve school climate By Renee Hoh

News and Opinion Editor

o satisfy an Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Resolution and create awareness, the District has introduced a mandatory Title IX training for high school teachers and staff. The training specifically addressed Title IX policies on creating a safe environment for students. In partnership with the Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo Law Corporation, the District mandated a day-long training session for high school staff members on Aug. 10. “Back in March when [the OCR] issued their resolution agreement, there were quite a number of action steps that the district had to put in place ... and this is one of them,” Principal Kim Diorio said. “[We are] making sure we did a thorough training of all our staff and taking this very seriously." In addition to the Title IX training, teachers and administra-

Spotlight

tors also attended Mandated Reporter Training, which is required for individuals working with minors. Along with Title IX training, these may become annual occurrences, according to Diorio. “This isn’t just a response to the events that happened last May and June,” Diorio said. “This is an ongoing conversation.” The training targeted Title IX’s role in providing students with safe learning environments and equal access to education. “What’s happening is that girls on campus may be subjected to sexualized behavior or comments,” said English teacher Kindel Launer. “Federal [law] states that [the behavior] interferes with their ability to get an education. When the environment is scary and sexualized...you can’t learn.” During training, the staff received guidelines and steps for filing a sexual harassment report. The presentation delved into examples of actions that may constitute sexual harassment by illustrating specific examples along

Science & Tech

with hypothetical scenarios. This training aims to create a safer environment for students to come forward by prohibiting retaliation against students who report any instances. “The training was very instructive,” Launer said. “I’m glad to see that the District is coming into an understanding of where current case law is relative to Title IX.” Originally, Title IX was used in the context of athletics or high education. For instance, when Paly introduces a new boys’ sport, they also introduce a girls’ sport. As Title IX begins to encompass high school classroom situations, students and parents should also be aware of Title IX policies, according to Diorio. “I do think Palo Alto will be at the forefront of being experts in this area,” Diorio said. “We can certainly help improve our own school culture and climate around these issues and also share that knowledge with schools or districts that are experiencing similar things.”

Sports

the edition

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

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Social media monitoring

New and returning teachers

PAGE B1

PAGE B4-B5

Social media companies are censoring hate speech.

Read perspectives about new and returning teachers at Paly.

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23andMe

Genetic ancestry testing reveals unexpected truths. PAGE B8

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Finest Paly athletes

Find out how some of Paly's star athletes have succeeded. PAGE C4-C5

The Campanile

Friday, September 8, 2017

NEWS

ASB Update

Centennial Report: One hundred years of The Campanile

The Campanile celebrates its 100th anniversary of informative news as the oldest Paly publication By Philip Ericsson

By Leela Srinivasan

Multimedia Editor

he year 1917 marks the birth of The Campanile. As a paper, we are honored to be a part of this 100-year anniversary and have dedicated the special feature, “Centennial Report,” to exploring our history. In each issue, we will travel into the archives of The Campanile. Our first report will venture back to the first available historical issue, Jan. 22, 1919. The Campanile wrote its first issue in the fall of 1918. Students produced the first issues by writing on typewriters and printing the paper at a factory located on campus. The January 1919 issue included four pages, quite the change from our current 24-page issues. However, the overall structure of our issues have stayed surprisingly consistent over 10 decades. The nameplate font for our logo remains the same and our overall page layout is similar. This original issue did not include the range of stories that are now produced, but it highlighted several Palo Alto-centric stories, including those from the neighborhood, and covered Paly sports as well. The front page of this is-

PALY ARCHIVES/THE CAMPANILE

The Campanile includes articles from 1918, displaying updates on Paly school life around campus and student activities throughout the years. sue incorporated stories ranging from “Armenian Fund Drive Nets $177.10” to “First Game of Basketball Is Lost.” The top story on the page detailed Paly’s contribution to “feeding the starving Armenians,” referring to the extermination of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during the Armenian Genocide. Specific tags sold for 10 cents each ($1.50 today) to contribute to a fundraiser. The total amount

raised, $177.10 ($2600 today), obliterated the school’s past record of giving to worthy causes. John Domby was credited with selling the most tags, contributing $14 to the relief fund ($290 today). The second major story on the front page detailed the Paly basketball game against Campbell High School, which took place on Jan. 11, 1919. The game ended in a nail-biting 20-19 loss for the Paly team.

“Many Alumni in Hall of Fame” dominated the front page of the January 1919 issue of The Campanile and highlighted the achievements of former Paly graduates. This particular issue told the story of Paly graduate Edgar Kirk Soper, class of 1904. “On Wednesday of last week Edgar Kirk Soper, class of 1904, sailed with a party of geologists for the Island of Trinidad to investigate the southern part of

that island for deposits of oil. In high school Edgar Soper made a fine record in scholarship and was prominent in student affairs as president of the student body and as captain of the baseball team.” The Campanile has undergone changes in its 100 years. Librarian Rachel Kellerman has structured an online library, which will include the full archive of all Paly’s publications. It can be found at palyjournalismarchive.pausd.org.

PAUSD introduces new SELF program at Gunn High School

Program implements social emotional learning in an effort to help Gunn students with mental well-being

GUNN HIGH SCHOOL/USED WITH PERMISSION

Gunn High School integrates a new wellness program for freshman students that emphasizes the importance of social-emotional learning at school.

By Christopher Pierno

Senior Staff Writer

new program that aims to bring people closer together and create a tighter-knit community through teaching the importance of social-emotional learning was introduced to Henry M. Gunn High School freshmen this year. Last year, Titan Connect replaced Gunn’s freshman introductory course, Titan 101, as a test pilot program designed to focus more on social-emotional learning and less on academics. This school year, Titan Connect

itself has been replaced by a new program, Social Emotional Literacy and Functionality (SELF).

The SELF program advises on social issues and connections with the students mentors. While Gunn still has an academic advising program, the introduction of the SELF program advises on social issues and connections with the students mentors.

While previous programs such as Titan 101 and Titan Connect were only available during freshman year, SELF is designed to start in ninth grade and continue through all four years of high school. “The SELF Program at Gunn focuses on the core SELF competencies of social awareness, self-awareness, self-management, self-efficacy, social management and social responsibility, and draws heavily from the nationally renowned School-Connect curriculum,” said Courtney Carlomagno, an SEL teacher at Gunn along with Tara Firenzi and Mike

Heffner.

The ultimate goal is for all students at the school to be part of the SELF program by 2021. “At the heart of the program are the relationships that students will build with their teacher-mentors and their peers," Carlomagno said. "The idea is that for all four years, starting with freshmen year, students will meet regularly with the same group of peers and the same teacher mentor.”

State bill proposes a later school start time

Bill SB3283 mandates later start times for California public middle and high schools By Vivian Feng

Lifestyle Editor

tart the School Day Later (SB328) is a bill that proposes schools to start at or after 8:30 a.m. On Sept. 1, the bill was amended in the Assembly Appropriations Committee with a 12-4 vote.

Districts estimate that if there are later school start times, there will be a higher Average Daily Attendance (ADA), particularly for morning classes. SB328 is now heading to the third hearing at Sept. 7, 2017 Assembly Appropriations Committee (APA). SB32 will mandate all California public middle and high schools to change their bell schedules to accommodate the bill; this bill's requirement would not apply to zero period classes. In California, districts gain money based on period-by-period attendance of students. Districts estimate that if there are later school start times, there will be a higher Average Daily Attendance

(ADA), particularly for morning classes. The State Senate agreed that while SB328 could improve attendance rates, increase graduation rates and reduce tardiness, there could be “potential unintended impacts” on working and single parents who may not be able to accommodate the district’s new schedule or afford home-toschool transportation costs. One of the few associations that publicly oppose this bill is the California Teachers Association. This association argues that the bill does not consider hours for extracurricular activities and athletic programs in the afternoon, and that it also does not consider school transportation hours that are coordinated with other local school campuses and city ordinances. These opponents propose that public schools' start time decisions should be made at local levels instead. The bill will now need to go through the Floor Assembly, then back to the Senate again for concurrence. If the governor signs off on the bill, it would go into effect no later than July 1, 2020. SB328 was originally proposed by Sen. Anthony Portantino shortly after the APA issued

At the beginning of freshman year, the SELF program breaks students up into groups ranging 20 to 24 students that last for the entirety of their high school careers. Because the previous programs were not mandatory for sophomores, juniors or seniors, only freshmen are required to participate in the SELF program this year. However, students from other grade levels have the option to join the SELF classes during their Flex time. The ultimate goal is for all students at the school to be part of the SELF program by the year 2021. “How the program will be evaluated is still in development but evaluation will be guided by the goal of having all students on campus connected to a trusted adult,” Carlomagno said. “We are working closely with the district to develop mechanisms for getting clear, effective feedback and data from all stakeholder groups. This information will allows us to recalibrate when necessary, and make sure that we keep doing what’s working well.” Teachers are also supposed to incorporate social-emotional learning into the cirriculum of regular math, English, science and history classes, in order to foster a constant feeling of social safety and social learning throughout the school, even in classes that do not directly teach in alliance with the program, in this way, further uniting the school.

SEPT

GARRY KNIGHT/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED

a recommendation in 2014 for schools to align schedules to the biological sleep rhythms of adolescents. When the bill was formally introduced in February, there was mixed response from the public. Most of the positive feedback came from pediatrics associations and school districts, such as American Academy of Pediatrics, Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which has been researching adolescent sleep needs and patterns, recently issued a policy statement that said, “A substantial

body of research has now demonstrated that delaying school start times is an effective countermeasure to chronic sleep loss and has a wide range of potential benefits to students with regard to physical and mental health, safety, and academic achievement.” Later starts to the day generally result in higher ADA, which provides an additional incentive for schools to advocate for the bill. Although some states, such as Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, are preparing bills similar to SB328, California would be the first state in the country to pass a bill regarding school start times.

idn’t make it to Coachella this year? Paly’s Associated Student Body (ASB) has you covered with Paly’s very first Quadchella, a jam-packed week of music, artists and various activities on the quad at lunch to kick off the new school year. From Sept. 11 through 15, student-made art will be displayed in different areas of the quad, student performers will have the opportunity to share their talent and ASB hopes to invite outside performers to attend. Quadchella will give students a taste of Paly spirit and introduce freshmen to the school’s atmosphere.

"We are trying to come up with games that attract all audiences, not just athletes" Sarah Mitz ASB Spirit Commissioner Spirit Week is steadily approaching, and this year, ASB plans to publicize the event early in order to get all grades involved, particularly freshmen. To improve the school-wide participation and get different crowds involved in events, each person’s participation will be limited to one activity, and the activities will be altered to cater to a wider range of abilities, according to ASB Spirit Commissioner Sarah Mitz.

The goal of this event is to create a relaxing atmosphere for students and an opportunity to destress. “We are trying to come up with games that attract all audiences, not just athletes,” Mitz said. ASB Social Justice and Wellness Commissioners Claire Billman and Ricardo Lombera will be teaming with the Wellness Center, Sources of Strength and the Mental Health and Awareness Committee to plan an event on Sept. 29. On account of September being Suicide Prevention Month, the event will revolve around ways to cope with stress, posing the question: How do you handle stress? The event will offer art therapy, where students will get the opportunity to paint mandalas, relax and play volleyball in a friendly environment. The juggling club will be involved to teach students how to juggle alongside music, therapy puppies and various activities, such as making your own stress ball and scented pouches on the quad. The goal of this event is to create a relaxing atmosphere for students and an opportunity to destress.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SEPT

Bill was approved on Sept. 1 and will now go to higher assemblies.

Staff Writer

OCT

ID PHOTO RE-TAKES

Yeah, we know: "EW I LOOK SO GROSS."

CLUB DAY

Time to beef up that college app!

MINIMUM DAY

Wait in T&C lines for another two hours.

END OF FIRST QUARTER

Burn your mail before your parents see.

FIRST DAY OF FLOAT BUILDING

Gather in a dusty room and get bossed around.

HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME

At least it's not against Half Moon Bay...

HOMECOMING DANCE

The food's always gone before you get there.

The Campanile

Friday, September 8, 2017

NEWS

Kara to provide grief support training for Palo Alto community PAUSD partners with local nonprofit to hold two meetings for families and friends in grief due to recent student deaths By Marie Davis

Senior Staff Writer

ollowing the recent student suicide at Gunn High School, the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) has partnered with Kara to host two family nights with the hope of providing support to community members facing the difficulties of grief and loss. Kara is a Bay Area-based nonprofit specializing in “grief support, crisis intervention and education,” according to a quote from their website. Jaymie Byron, Kara’s Community Outreach and Education Director, led the events on Aug. 24 and 31 at the Cubberley Community Center Auditorium. The intention of these trainings were to help community members support those in grief by “developing a foundation of knowledge on grief, growing one’s sense of compassion and provid-

ing opportunities to reflect inward on one’s own grief history,” according to an event flyer. Byron began the event by welcoming participants into a safe environment and shared her own adolescent experience with grief, recalling her grandfather’s death by suicide when she was 13. “Everyone thought that I had it all together, but internally I shut down all emotions possible,” Byron said. Byron was unaware of her own grief until she started noticing new perfectionistic behavior in her schoolwork — a common reaction to loss. She also addressed other symptoms of depression and grief such as risk taking, lack of motivation and mood swings. “I didn’t want to let go of the pain because it would feel like I wasn’t connected with my grandfather anymore,” Byron said. Byron noted how significant of an influence a student’s peers have on their emotions and selfimage, whether it be a positive or

list of directions and queues really helpful for starting up conversation,” Gunn parent Karen Jacobson said. Kara leaders were touched to see community members uniting in support of those in grief.

“No acknowledgement and no act of kindness is too small” Jamie Byron

MARIE DAVIS/THE CAMPANILE

Jamie Byron gives a presentation about teens in grief at the Cubberley Community Center Auditorium. negative influence. “My advice to teens helping their friends in grief is that no acknowledgement and no act of kindness is too small,” Byron said in an email. “Going for walks to-

gether, laughing at a movie or joke, sharing a memory, all of these are good ways to stay connected and be supported,” Additionally, parents offered helpful advice on how to approach grieving adolescents

without being intrusive or condescending. “I was struck by what she said about being present on the heels of a tragedy without constantly problem-solving and I found her

“I feel we are a generation of parents who are really feeling for the community and PAUSD family,” Gunn parent Kimberley Lee said. In addition, the school board has posted several documents provided by Kara with specific instruction on how to manage grief and provide comfort to others on the Aug. 18 Superintendent Message.

McGee retirement Paly cheer coach unexpectedly resigns CONTINUED FROM A1

ing McGee’s tenure. Large-scale parent uproars like those that occurred over issues like weighted grades and the removal of zero period at Gunn High School had significant impact on McGee’s image in the community and earned him a fair amount of criticism. McGee acknowledged this criticism, much of which has come from online blogs, stating that “[as superintendent,] you have to have a thick skin. On blogs, if someone doesn’t sign their name, I don’t read it.” Godfrey has a different take on McGee’s abundant criticism. “I wouldn’t say it’s too harsh, I would just say we happen to live in a community where people are very interested and we have ways to let them know what’s happening,” Godfrey said. “I think Dr. McGee can take it. He is a big boy. He’s been at this for a really long time.” Many have called for McGee’s

immediate resignation, but such an action would not be feasible at the moment, considering the hunt for the next superintendent is in its early stages. “The hunt for the next superintendent is actually sort of a long process,” Godfrey said. “The way senior school administrators are hired, they really only become available at the end of the school year. So you can’t really just hire one in the middle of the year.” Since hiring a new superintendent is such an arduous process, the district will likely hire a search firm. She said with regards to an announcement, Godfrey “wouldn’t expect to see anything until the spring.” Regardless, McGee is looking to make the transition as smooth as possible. “[We have to] assure that the next person can continue the good we are doing,” McGee said. “Organizationally for the next superintendent, so that he or she can sustain what we’re doing well and strengthen what needs to be

By Shannon Zhao

Board Correspondent

n Tuesday, Hilary McDaniel, cheer coach and head of the Spirit Squad, sent an email to the parents of the Paly Spirit Squad announcing her resignation. McDaniel’s sudden resignation, she said, was driven by the lack of institutional support for the dance and cheer team program, which made handling the position entirely on her own nearly impossible. The inequities in pay and facility resources were major complications that made the job even more difficult, said McDaniel. According to McDaniel, the school and District are currently unwilling to make the provisions she requested in order to maintain her position. “I have been advocating for relief for years and little progress has been made,” McDaniel said in an email. Assistant Principal Janice

Chen and Athletic Director Therren Wilburn-Sudduth are devoted to supporting the new coach in her transition to managing the program, according to McDaniel. McDaniel said she wants to see positive change in the support system behind the Spirit Squad. “I hope the concerns that caused me to step down will be addressed as soon as possible to ensure this job is feasible for the next person,” McDaniel said. Although McDaniel is no longer overseeing the Spirit Squad, she said she will always support the program. “I am the Spirit Squad’s number one cheerleader, and you can always call on me to advocate for the program and your children.” Without a certified stunt coach, the cheer team is unable to hold practices, perform stunts at half times or even have the necessary means of transportation to attend sporting events. Members of the dance and cheer team say they are devastated that the Spirit Squad has come to

SPIRIT SQUAD PARENT/USED WITH PERMISSION

The Paly Spirit Squad after they performed in the May Fete Parade. this point of desperation. Junior and cheer captain Katie Gibson and the cheer teams are upset by McDaniel’s resignation. More specifically, she is angry about how the school has driven McDaniel to her decision to resign.

“For most people, this is our one thing we really look forward to after school so it’s really that something that means so much to so many people has been neglected by the school for so long.” cheer team captain Katie Gibson said.

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

NEWS

Citizens rally in San Francisco in opposition to alt-right Protesters from around the Bay Area gathered to denounce Charlottesville march and other white supremacist groups By Grace Kitayama

Senior Staff Writer

rotesters throughout the Bay Area assembled on Aug. 26 for the Peace, Love and Understanding rally, held at the Civic Center in San Francisco. Originally, a moderate conservative group known as Patriot Prayer had organized a protest in Crissy Field. However, in light of the recent events in Charlottesville, Va. in which an anti-white supremacist protest left protester Heather D. Heyer dead, the group decided to host a press conference instead to avoid potential violence. “Over what’s transpired over the last week, we couldn’t ensure the safety of all of the attendees,” said protest organizer Gabriel Silva in a Facebook livestream. Silva added that he felt a propagation of fear from Mayor Ed Lee and California Rep. Nancy Pelosi. “I think [Lee and Pelosi] just really called a lot of the extremists to come out [and exercise their right to freedom of speech] and we weren’t given the proper security measures to be able to control who comes to it and who doesn’t,” Silva said. “Intermingling of protesters [against the rally] and rally-goers would be a horrible, horrible idea. It would lead to nothing but casualties and possibly death. We’re doing the right thing right now. We’re stepping up the plate.” Though Patriot Prayer does not identify as a white supremacist group or an alt-right group, it has gained support from organizations such as the Oath Keepers —

GRACIE KITYAMA /THE CAMPANILE

Protestors gather in Union Square to watch speakers and mucisians perform in protest of Patriot Prayer. a non-partisan association of current and formerly serving military and police — and first responders, whose mission is to “defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Associations with such groups have lead people to label Patriot Prayer as a white supremacist group. “Patriot prayer is about going into these areas where people are too afraid to speak out and speak up,” said group leader Joey Gibson, adding that Patriot Prayer was not a hate group. In response to the press conference held in Alamo Square, people assembled throughout different neighborhoods in San

Francisco to protest the conservative group. “The overwhelming displays of racism and hatred across the country has only really been allowed to exist because of people being silent for so long,” said protest attendee Queenie Olalo. “I think that it’s really important that if we don’t want this to continue and we don’t want this to be the new normal, that we stand up and we come, we show up and we support each other.” Amid the various rallies against Patriot Prayer in San Francisco, a large group assembled on Castro Street to listen to different community leaders speak.

Sam Modest, a teacher from San Francisco, attended to set an example for his students. “I want to model for my students what citizenship looks like, and what active citizenship looks like,” Modest said. “I’m also someone who’s from primarily dominant groups. I’m white, I’m privileged. .. and therefore I feel a great responsibility to use that privilege towards good.” Though some locals celebrated that the Patriot Prayer rally was cancelled, Modest does not see this as something to be celebrated. “Personally, I see it as a strategic move and not necessarily a pure victory on our side which I

think some people are saying,” Modest said. “To me, it seems like a strategic move to try to have their rally without as much disruption, but also potentially create a rally that could result in more violence. . . so I saw it as a pretty irresponsible decision.” Similar to Modest’s opinions, many attendees felt that they had a responsibility to attend. “I’m here today because I can be here,” said nurse practitioner Kathy Herr. “I’m here today because this country is important to me and so are all of our rights. . . I think it’s a really scary time.” Though a rally in San Francisco was cancelled, a rally in Berkeley, Calif. held on Sunday resulted in violence and left Gibson in the hospital after being hit repeatedly in the head and ribs by members of Antifa and pepper sprayed five times. In response to news, Gibson’s hospitalization, Silva made a livestream on Facebook. “[This is] not what our movement needs,” Silva said. “We told everybody not to go to Berkeley today.” Gibson personally views members of Antifa as a terrorist group. “[Members of Antifa] are fueled by hate and justify using violence. Why would anyone support or be silent about these groups?” Gibson said in an instant message. Paly students have taken notice of the violence of the rallies stemming from both left and right-wing protesters. “I think that rallies are a form of peaceful protests, yet they’re becoming very violent,” freshman Azalea Wakelee said. Senior Jihi Kundu shared similar thoughts on the rally and

fatality that occurred in Charlottesville, Va.. “I think that it is good to stand up for your beliefs but I did not think[the alt-right’s] reason was good at all,” Kundu said.“It was very obscene and felt very greedy.” The Paly community has had different found different methods to approaching controversial topics in class. History teacher Eric Bloom believes it is important to discuss current events and works on teaching his students to look at sources objectively. “What I focus on with my students is getting them to see is that you can objectively look at sources of news and say ‘these are factually based, these have this leaning and they really do fill a spectrum,” Bloom said. “There’s value in looking at Breitbart, so that you can understand what that mindset is, but that’s not gonna give you a very realistic view of what’s going on, and so the idea is that you need to look at balanced views from the left and the right and see where they overlap and then you’re getting towards the real factual truth.” On the other hand, English teacher Kindel Launer does not incorporate the news into her classroom as frequently as Bloom for fear of how it will impact her students. “I’m very hesitant because sometimes students think that just because a teacher speaks to a conservative position or a progressive position, that they’re trying to push their politics on students,” Launer said. The rallies have stemmed conversation that will continue outside of the classroom and within.

Long-awaited Peery Center officially opens to Paly students The highly-anticipated gymnasium is finally open for sports teams, physical education classes and general student use By John Tayeri

Staff Writer

fter two years of construction, the Peery Family Center opened a week before the first day of school. Construction for Palo Alto High School’s new gym began in 2015, forcing Paly’s numerous athletics teams to find other locations to practice and compete. For the first time since 1929, Paly students can enjoy a new gymnasium. Paly students will no longer have to use dirty locker rooms, go to Gunn High School to watch “home” games or breathe in the dust from the gym’s construction. Student athletes believe that the gym can even improve their team’s performance because of its convenient location, which will enable students to spend less time traveling and more time practicing. Although not all of Paly’s athletic teams will compete in the gym, they will all use it for practice. “I like how we have a weight room, and it’s very nice that we have one that’s big enough for most of the team to use,” said junior cross country runner Caity Berry. “Another thing that’s great about the new gym is the amount of stationary bikes we have. We used to only have one or two, so not a lot of people could use them, but now, we can basically have a spin-cycle class.” Peery Center will definitely serve many purposes, especially

JOHN TAYERI /THE CAMPANILE

The basement weight room boasts a variety of weight machines among other equipment which is available to physical education classes, sports teams and all studnets after school. for student athletes. Having all athletic facilities gathered together in one place will increase efficiency and ease for after-school sports. “The new gym is helping us strategically,” said junior and football player Aiden Chang. “We can watch film, lift weights, change in the locker rooms and shower all in the same facilities, as opposed to last year when everything was scattered.” Teams that practice and compete exclusively in the gym had

many hardships during construction. Instead of having activities being scattered throughout the school, they were scattered throughout the city. Sports teams such as volleyball, basketball, swimming and many more can now return to facilities at Paly. “It’s way better than last year, when we had to take the buses each day to practice,” said sophomore water polo player Chesnie Cheung.

Although the Peery Family Center offers clear benefit to athletes, students who are not a part of any sports teams or classes may be surprised to find out that it includes many resources for them as well. “I believe the Peery Center will not only make our athletic teams better, but will definitely help our physical education department as well,” said Paly Athletic Director Therren Wilburn. The new facilities in the Peery Center have also led some stu-

dents to become more proactive about exercising. “I only used the old weight room for P.E., but the equipment here is much nicer, so I like to come here,” said sophomore Joshua Athayde. The weight room is open to all students from Monday to Friday. Courses such as Athletic Training, Sports Medicine and Living Skills are also taught in the Peery Center. The big gym is sunk down underground. Above the courts are photographs of Paly alumni who excelled in sports. Along with that, is a long hallway including trophies and achievements from all Paly teams. The small gym, which contains locker rooms, the weight room, classes, P.E. offices and film rooms, is open to all students. It also includes a multi-purpose basketball court.

“I only used the old weight room for P.E., but the equipment here is much nicer, so I like to come here.” Joshua Athayde Sophomore The small gym also includes a new dance studio and wrestling room. In comparison to the previous dance and wrestling facilities, the Peery Center is much more sophisticated. The two gyms are connected by a long hallway. There have been issues regard-

ing the accessibility of new gym facilities. Students are denied access into the large gym, where the main basketball court is located. “It’s a little frustrating that they won’t let people go into the gym unless they have their coach with them, because it is our gym and we should be able to use it,” Berry said. “Hopefully that changes in the future.” Despite the large funding for gym facility renovation, the aquatics facilities did not receive any major upgrades. The Peery Center will also be the location for many Santa Clara Valley Athletics League (SCVAL) and Central Coast Section (CCS) championships for any sports. “This year we are in fact hosting the CCS Girls Volleyball championships,” Wilburn says. “Hopefully that goes well and CCS will continue to utilize our facility moving forward.” One of the most exciting features for students is that they can cheer for Paly in their own gym at sporting events. All Paly students be looking to show their Paly pride at sporting events in the gym. On Aug. 31, Paly had its first event against hometown rival Gunn in volleyball in the new gym. Paly students showed their school spirit, driving a huge win for the Vikings. “We look forward to hosting all students at Paly,” Wilburn said. “The athletic department and the new Peery Center give students the chance to create lifelong memories.”

The Campanile

Friday, September 8, 2017

A5 OPINION Provided Meal Service plan needs improvements By Waverly Long

Staff Writer

any students have had the experience of being hungry in class. Your back arched forward, hands curled around your waist, mind focused on the fierce growls escaping your pleading stomach and the twists and turns interrupting your thoughts. It’s extremely distracting, and makes it practically impossible to focus in class. Imagine going through this discomfort every day, not only during lessons, but during tests and presentations as well. For students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals and rely on Paly for their breakfast, this is their reality. Breakfast at Paly is not served until Brunch, which means students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals cannot receive food until after the first period of the day. These students must take assessments on an empty stomach, yet they are still compared to those who have the privilege of coming to school well-fed. This leaves low-income students at a significant disadvantage. The 164 students who receive for free meals and the 49 students who receive reduced-price meals obtained this eligibility after completing an application process. The family applying for eligibility can easily find the application form on the Meal Plan page of Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD)’s website, and will receive notice of the outcome of the request promptly. “By law, eligibility determination must be made, the family notified of the status and the meals started within ten days of our receipt of the application,” Alva Spence, PAUSD’s Nutrition Services Director, said in an email. Student from low-income households as well as students who are homeless, migrant, runaway or participants in the

school’s Head Start program are all eligible for free meals. The process for determining eligibility is expeditious and straightforward. However, it is after eligibility is determined that problems begin to arise. The major problem is that students who rely on Paly for breakfast aren’t able to eat until after their first class. However, this hasn’t always been the case. “We have offered the early morning breakfast in the past and have had a number of issues,” Spence said in an email. “Students would take the early morning breakfast, brunch and lunch, but the Food Service Department could only claim two of the three meals eaten, creating a financial hardship on the Food Service Program. [Secondly], very few students would come to the early morning breakfast, creating a financial hardship on the Food Service Program because of the labor allocated to run the early morning breakfast.” One potential problem with providing breakfast before school is some students who qualify for the free meals take the bus to school and might not be able

to get to campus early enough, which may have been one cause of the low turnout for the early morning breakfast program when it ran before. This does not excuse the school from its responsibility of providing students with breakfast before school as an option. Students should have the chance to work around other obstacles preventing eating before class instead of having the school be another obstacle. According to Spence, without the early-morning breakfast program, students’ only options to get food before school are Town and Country or the vending machines around campus. However, these options both come at a cost, and students who are dependent on the school for meals cannot replace the breakfast they currently receive for free with these pricey options. These issues stem from the fact that the Food Service Department is a cost neutral program, and early-morning breakfast was costing the department too much. “The Food Service Department ... is designed to be a selfsupporting fund within the general fund of the district and not

allowed to encroach on the general fund,” Spence said in an email.

The major problem is that students who rely on Paly for breakfast aren’t able to eat before their f irst class.

Ultimately, funding is the major issue impeding the success of the early-morning breakfast program. It is ironic that a school that recently spent $15.8 million on a new gym (not including a tremendous donation) and built a $27 million Performing Arts Center and $36.8 million Media Arts Center cannot find the funding to ensure that all its students are fed before class and can participate in the classroom attentively and effectively. Food is a basic human necessity. It is imperative that the school ensures that all students have this necessity taken care of before attending classes. Without proper attention to the difficulties of studying on an empty stomach, students who cannot afford breakfast have a significant disadvantage, which is simply unacceptable.

Cell phones should be used as an educational tool

By Nick Melvin

Managing Editor

n a place like school, where learning is the number one priority, it only makes sense to give students access to every possible resource. That is what Palo Alto is terrific at: giving their kids every opportunity to better themselves as both a student and a person. Be it a $36 million gym, a $55 million theatre, countless tutors or one of the best teaching staffs in America, there is no shortage of tools to help guide students towards success.

If students were allowed to use their cell phones in class, they would be forced to make the correct decision and pay attention on their own.

But despite Paly’s efforts to help students reach their fullest potential, they are not perfect. There are areas in which Paly can improve our education system, and resources which could be better utilize. One of these resources is cell phones. Cell phones are given a bad rap, deemed to be objects that can do nothing but harm to a student’s educational endeavors. And

this is true. The way our school system is currently configured, cell phones have no place. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Cell phones are an incredibly powerful utility, with the ability to connect students to virtually any resource they could ever possibly need. Yet rather than take advantage of this, teachers often demand that students cram their mobile devices into their backpacks and refrain from so much as thinking about them until the bell rings at the end of the period. One way cell phones could be integrated into the classroom is by encouraging students to take notes on them. Students who are often on their phones typing to one another have developed a strong affinity for typing on their mobile devices, allowing them to take notes on their phone much faster than they could on paper or on their computers. In addition, students can take pictures of important visuals and, with consent, record their teacher demonstrating concepts or speaking. Students will then be able to refer back to these notes at any time throughout the day and will not have to worry about missing important notifications whilst in class, since their phone will be on and in their hands.

But since they are preoccupied with note taking, they will be unable to go off task and partake in matters unrelated to their schooling. Another way phones can be used in class is with music. While it may sound counterproductive to have students listening to something other than the teacher during class, there are a lot of students for whom listening to music helps to keep them present. The addition of music will help keep their minds from wandering from the topic at hand. Also, there are large portions of class time where students are doing classwork and music can be used to drown out the off-topic banter of their classmates. Moreover, phones can be used during lecture to ensure that students are staying engaged. There are websites that allow students to tune into a game-like, interactive activity with the teacher’s presentation where they have to answer questions based on the content in the lecture or material covered in the homework. These activities allow teachers can keep tabs on students throughout their lecture and see who is paying attention and who is not. In addition to this, teachers can use quiz games, like Kahoot!, to test how much of the lecture

students understood and to incentivize them to pay attention and learn the material. Furthermore, classes that allow phone use help students learn a skill that is often overlooked in the classroom setting: responsibility. Students are guided throughout their time in high school with teachers watching them at every turn, making sure that they are constantly on task. If students were allowed to use their cell phones in class, they would be forced pay attention on their own. They would essentially be given the option to succeed or fail based on whether or not they are able to control their urge to go off task. This skill is becoming increasingly important in our modern world where cell phone use is often deemed acceptable so long as the individual in question is able to monitor their own use and complete tasks required of them. Using these tactics, Palo Alto High School can help revolutionize the way cell phones are used in academia, and simultaneously create a world where students are able to learn to be responsible and differentiate between when it is appropriate or inappropriate to use their phone, a skill that is required in our cell phone-centric world.

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

OPINION

Student should take APs for passion, not for peer pressure

By Leela Srinivasan

Staff Writer

very underclassman has heard notorious stories of the dreaded junior year, and before long they find themselves engulfed in the chaos. The course options they were limited to in previous years have widened dramatically, broadened to include regular courses paralleled with an honors or Advanced Placement (AP) option. This gives students an opportunity to challenge themselves in whichever subject they’re interested. The atmosphere at Paly, however, is so demanding that many students are overwhelmed by the pressure to enroll in AP and honors-level courses that they don’t find fascinating or aren’t inclined to pursue in the future. They are instead swayed by how their application will be perceived by colleges, and take increasingly challenging classes solely to boost their GPA and strengthen their academic image. “A lot of the time, students don’t realize how social standards at Paly have evolved and shaped their class choices,” said senior Emily Tomz. “[Taking AP classes] seems like the norm now, and many of us just go with the flow

before actually thinking about what we want to study.” Students are constantly aware of what classes peers are taking and how they are pushing themselves academically, especially in their junior and senior years, making them extremely self-conscious about their selected courses. Many students have reservations about taking a prep their junior year because of how others might view their academic drive. It is common for students to think that in order to be successful, they must take a certain number of APs, as if the mere title or number will determine their admission into certain prestigious colleges. They focus on their academic image rather than the content of the course, which they will be devoting their entire year to studying. In this way, students are often so caught up in the competitive environment, they forget that taking rigorous classes isn’t the one and only path to success. “The stress that results from having too much work and/or feeling like there isn’t another option to achieve one’s goals seems to really be an issue in this area,” said junior Maria Fletcher. Some students are mainly incentivized by boosting their

weighted GPA. This attitude is detrimental, because it discourages learning and following personal passions and instead promotes the end result. Weighted GPAs exist to give students credit for challenging themselves, not to be the deciding factor to take a course. Thus, many take on an overly demanding schedule in order to satisfy the demands of their parents. The unrealistic expectations to follow in their parents’ footsteps may contradict their true aspirations. If students enrolled in classes that they were truly passionate about, their interest in the subject would naturally drive them to work hard and want to succeed in the class. They wouldn’t have to invest energy into trying to falsely enjoy and get the most out of the course. It is much more difficult to motivate yourself to reach your potential when you aren’t absorbed in the material. There is no correct answer to this problem, and it’s not realistic to expect Paly as a whole to change its mindset, at least in the short term. Students can make a change themselves, though, by preventing the overachieving atmosphere from shaping their academic decisions and instead pur-

suing their interests, regardless of what their peers are doing. “The trick is to somehow get to the point where you’re comfortable telling people about what classes you’re taking, but to get there, you have to truly love the classes you choose,” Tomz said.

Students are often so caught up in the competitive environment they forget taking rigorous classes isn’t the one and only path to success.

For example, Tomz has always loved the popular television comedy “The Office” and creating puns, so she chose to enroll in a class called Comedy Literature during her junior year. Very few students consider taking this course, but Tomz describes it as “the best class [she has] ever taken.” “Balance is key, no matter what people say and no matter how much you think you can handle,” Tomz said. It is important for students to challenge themselves in a subject that suits their personal passions, because it is the students who are responsible for their futures, and by pursuing their true interests will they have the most success.

Classes ought to set clear expectations of curricula

By Ethan Nissim

Staff Writer

veryone has had a ‘chill’ teacher at some point in their life — a teacher who is willing to take their hands off the wheel a little bit, and allow students to dictate the speed of the class. Over the past few years at Paly, I’ve had my fair share of teachers who were willing to give their students more freedom than is typical. However, a lack of clear goals or direction for a course can cause decreased motivation in students and harm academic performance. Regardless of teaching style, any instructor who wants to lead a successful class needs to make sure that their students know what is expected of them.

A less-involved teacher can end up creating a classroom environment no one can focus in, where expectations are unclear and there is little to no incentive to do work. Certainly, there’s no problem with teachers who are willing to

make their class less stressful or work intensive, but issues start to present themselves when teachers begin to let up a little too much. A less-involved teacher can end up creating a classroom environment no one can focus in, where expectations are unclear and there is little to no incentive to do work. If expectations are not made clear very early on, classes typically tend to derail fast. Truly effective teaching needs to set clear expectations and goals early. According to the Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching, setting clear goals in an instructional environment increases motivation and achievement. This is corroborated by a study conducted by Morisano et al, who found a 30 percent increase in academic performance among college students that set clear goals compared to those that did not. In 1996, William L. Sanders and June C. Rivers conducted a study regarding the impacts of effective teaching on student performance. Their findings concluded with the shocking statistic that an ineffective teacher can cause as much as a 50 point deficit in students’ test scores or assessments. They also found that,

as teacher effectiveness increases, lower scoring students are the first to benefit. Similar findings were discovered in studies by Robert L. Mendro in 1998. It is undeniable that an ineffective teacher can severely impact a student’s results. Believe me when I say I recognize the temptation to slack off. In classes where students are trusted with more freedom when deciding assignment schedules, many students succumb to the urge to push everything off as far as possible and spend hours on end doing nothing productive. Knowing that you might not be held accountable for the work you do not complete only compounds the issue. However, this is one of the many pitfalls that a lazy teacher can expose a student to, and learning to keep yourself on schedule can be key to surviving the year. This is not to say that teachers who stay flexible are in the wrong. In fact, flexibility is an asset for any class. The main issue is drawing a clear line between staying open to change and blatantly not having some sort of plan or goal in mind for the class. After a while in any public schooling system, most students should have a decent idea of what both sides of the

fence look like. Most students will also likely remember which class they learned better in, and which class ended up feeling like a waste of time. A common sentiment, especially at Paly, is that the credit a class gives is more important than the actual learning. To many students, the ideal class is one that counts for honors or AP credit but has a teacher that will keep the class easy. The problem with this outlook is that, even if the credit is obtained, students are still stuck in classes that they may not want to be in, further draining motivation on top of the detriments that come with a directionless course. Ultimately, the responsibility of creating a successful class falls to both the teacher and the students. Teachers need to step up and make expectations clear, regardless of how much work they assign or how difficult the material might be. Similarly, students need to set personal goals and work outside of class to ensure that they do not fall behind. Learning doesn’t need to a chore, and goal-setting is the best way to make the task of graduating from high school a little less overwhelming.

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

OPINION

Social Emotional Learning curriculum needs adjustments Courtney Kernick

Guest Writer

n the first day of the 2017-18 school year, social-emotional learning (SEL), made its formal debut. Freshman and seniors alike at both Gunn and Paly participated in icebreaker activities centered around SEL curriculum. The next day, students spent 45 minutes judging each others' handshakes during advisory. This activity may be beneficial for middle schoolers or freshmen, but for seniors who are dealing with college applications and countless other obligations, it was more of a nuisance than a help. Social emotional curriculum should be introduced earlier and not forced upon seniors who are about to graduate. So what exactly is SEL? According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning website, SEL is “the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”

The curriculum needs to be adjusted to match the intellectual level of high school students, instead of simply introducing rudimentary concepts. The District decided to utilize this program after the Social Emotional Learning Curriculum Committee (SCC) recommended its implementation in February 2017. A large factor in the decision was the seemingly unending issue of student stress — which this program is intended to alleviate.

Though the application of SEL curriculum in the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) high schools had the best intentions, it has come up short. Although there is a valid reason for teaching these skills in classrooms, the lesson plans waste large amounts of time on trivial topics and have not yet proved to be beneficial. A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that teen stress rose during the school year and that 34 percent of teens nationwide felt that their stress would increase during the next school year. Some teachers have also begun to incorporate aspects of SEL into daily classroom agendas. For some, this could be seen as a step in the right direction, but for others, it takes up valuable time that could otherwise be dedicated to academic learning.

To be most effective, the curriculum needs to be adjusted to match the intellectual level of high school students, instead of simply introducing rudimentary concepts. Many organizations and educators support the idea of incorporating social emotional learning into the curriculum. They argue it's necessary because students in PAUSD graduate with more than sufficient academic knowledge, but inadequate skills for dealing with real-world social and emotional issues that may arise. "The current SEL initiative is to create a more comprehensive K-12 approach to SEL that will ensure that all students, regardless of school or age, will have access to Social Emotional Learning through evidencebased practices," said Miriam Stevenson, the District's Director of Student Services.

Though learning how to cope with life experiences is important, trying to force the content on students while they are preparing for the SATs or applying to colleges is not the right time. If these SEL practices and concepts are to be most effective and helpful to PAUSD students, they should be started earlier on, in elementary and middle school, and should be condensed for high schoolers. Additionally, teachers should receive some kind of training that addresses how to introduce SEL curriculum in the classroom, as well as what wise uses of class time would be. Although SEL could prove to be extremely beneficial for PAUSD in the future, the school district must take steps in order to make the transition more efficient by providing teachers and administrators with many more techniques for implementation.

Perceptions of men's mental health need to be changed Because men tend to avoid seeking help, suicide attempts for men are far more fatal than those for women. In fact, women attempt suicide three times more often than men according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). However, men die three and half times more often by suicide than women do. This has to do with suicide attempts needing to be reported while completions are all accounted for. Many men may not feel comfortable reporting on having attempted suicide, skewing this statistic. It is clear that males are more vulnerable than females when it comes to mental health — so what can we do to help this issue here at Paly? For starters, creating a welltailored mental health program focused on treating men could help. Kesi Soundararajan Lifestyle Editor

ith the issue of adolescent mental health constantly on the minds of many Palo Alto students, parents and teachers, it’s hard not to become absorbed in the new research and initiatives constantly emerging within the field. However, while new evidence is constantly brought forward, more established theories are being overlooked. And while the community struggles to identify the signs of depression, it is easy to forget that depression can manifest itself in different ways in adolescents. Young males in

particular may feel uncomfortable seeking help from others. Much of the reason why men feel so uncomfortable in seeking help comes by way of the cultural expectations imposed on them. “There may be certain attitudes about which emotions men are ‘supposed’ to feel,” explains Eva Whitney, a licensed clinical social worker currently working with Paly’s Wellness Center. “Men are supposed to feel anger and the more aggressive emotions without acknowledging what many think of as feminine or softer emotions.” Men are portrayed as tough, self-sufficient and unfeeling in mainstream media. Many regard actively seek-

ing help as showing weakness, and therefore in direct conflict with what a “man” should be. “Generally speaking, there’s kind of been this misconception that you’re weak if you seek help,” said Paly’s wellness coordinator Elizabeth Spector. “Sometimes male students are less open to talking to their peers about their issues because they worry about how they’ll be perceived.” The consequence of these cultural expectations can be huge. Of the youth (10-24 years old) suicides committed in Palo Alto from 2003 to 2015, 75.1% were committed by males. Overwhelming statistics like these illustrate the true severity of the issue.

Much of the reason why men feel so uncomfortable in seeking help comes through the cultural expectations imposed on them. However, much of the issue stems from a climate where men feel uncomfortable seeking help. The only way to combat this is to be aware of and actively working against it. Additionally, we should rethink perceptions we have regarding males seeking help, as well as how men are ‘supposed to act’. If both these factors are addressed, I believe this issue can be mitigated and our community can begin to address the mental health difficulties faced by males.

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

EDITORIALS

McGee ought to stay as PAUSD New gym must be more accessible superintendent until end of year T

uperintendent Max McGee has had a tumultuous journey as the face of the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) for the past three years, and things seem to be getting even more complicated in light of the latest scandal to occur during his tenure. On Aug. 25, the Palo Alto community was hit with the unsettling news of a $6 million budget mismanagement caused by McGee and the rest of the administration’s failure to communicate with the Palo Alto Educators Association (the teachers’ union) about raises for this school year. While the union was under the impression that teachers would receive a 3 percent raise, the District failed to communicate their plans to reopen negotiations to cancel the raises before the March 15 deadline. Although the District has enough funds to cover the $6 million that will go towards the unplanned teacher raises, the money used for this could have gone towards improving students’ education. A week later, the Palo Alto Weekly published an editorial calling for the immediate termination or resignation of McGee. Incensed, community members — many parents of PAUSD students — rallied against McGee in the comments section, citing his failures to properly handle previous predicaments. Before delving into the nuances of the issue, we think it is appropriate to respond to the claims of McGee’s supporters. Simply because he wasn’t directly responsible for the failure to re-enter negotiations with the teacher union does not mean he is not respon-

sible. The fact of the matter is McGee is, as school board president Terry Godfrey said, a “big boy” and should behave accordingly. McGee, in an interview with The Campanile, accepted complete responsibility for the error, but it is time he should communicate this clearly and publically. McGee’s job is to ensure that things such as legally binding teacher contracts are fulfilled and accounted for in the yearly budget. If he chooses to delegate tasks

If we react rashly and oust McGee from his position without a suitable replacement, we will only cause more instability in an alreadydifficult time. to others, it is his responsibility to ensure that those tasks are completed. There are certainly others who must be held accountable for failing to ensure that the District’s plans were properly communicated and carried out, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the man in charge. Unless McGee was blatantly deceived regarding the beginning of negotiations with the teacher’s union, there is no reasonable interpretation of this situation which clears McGee of culpability. Since McGee failed to follow up on the contract issues, the question resurfaces once again: Should McGee be asked to resign, as suggested by the Palo Alto Weekly, or would doing so only bring more chaos to this already-

disastrous situation? The Campanile recognizes the lack of communication between PAUSD administration and the teachers’ union as a major misstep for the District and McGee, and it should not be dismissed without further investigation. However, in order to preserve what’s left of our District’s stability, we think McGee should remain as superintendent until the end of the school year. The District does not have an adequate replacement ready, and McGee will have to be paid until the end of his contract, regardless of whether or not he is still superintendent. Replacing Dr. McGee immediately could leave us with a new unqualified superintendent, and would waste District money that we can’t afford to lose by paying two superintendents. If we react rashly and oust McGee from his position without a suitable replacement, we will only cause more instability in an alreadydifficult time. Some may be wondering how McGee should respond in the wake of this easily-avoidable blunder, and The Campanile has some advice. McGee must continue to hold himself accountable for the tax money he mishandled, and the students whose education may be affected as a result. While Palo Alto has sufficient tax money and an emergency fund large enough to account for McGee's blunder, his mistake cannot be overlooked. Lastly, McGee is the leader of this district. He gets the credit for improvements and he most definitely should publically take the blame when things go wrong.

he start of the school year debuted Paly’s muchanticipated Peery Family Center, the new gym. The 92,000 square foot center features two courts, a weight room, several team rooms, a dance room, an aerobics room and much more. While the highly-awaited gym has opened its doors, it still remains largely off-limits to the majority of students and teachers. The gymnasium is an asset to the campus, and The Campanile thinks that the facility should be available to more than just school athletes and physical education students. We acknowledge the weight room is available to all students after school, but the use remains modest due to poor publicity. Additionally, this is the only facility open for student use which is restricted to just after school hours. During school hours, the weight room is often busy or locked, making it difficult for students to work out during their free periods or lunchtime. The dance room, aerobics room, courts and other premises are restricted to use by athletes and physical education students only. From an administrative standpoint, giving total access to stu-

dents is extremely unrealistic. With 16 entrances and dozens of rooms, the administration cannot hire enough staff for full supervision, but they say they would like to maximize student use. Assistant Principal of Operations Jerry Berkson has said that student access will be increased incrementally as the years progress, using trial and error.

The Campanile thinks that the facility should be available to more than just school athletes and physical education students. While we agree that it would be too large of a liability to allow full access to the swimming pool to students, there should be a more liberal access to other areas, such as the courts and dance studio. The Media Arts Center can serve as an example of how a costly new facility built to cater to the needs of a specific program can be open to the full student body. While the facility hosts only journalism and other media and English classes, it is open to the

rest of the school population and it often serves as a great hangout spot to socialize or get work done. The center also accommodates community events on certain occasions. The facility has proved to be more useful than just housing for a single program, becoming a focal point for creativity and socialization at Paly. The Media Arts Center’s precedent should be considered when figuring out how to open the new gym up to students. The Campanile proposes that the school create some variety of a student pass that would allow students to freely use the majority of the facilities, such as the basketball courts, the aerobic room, the dance room and similar facilities that require minimal supervision. Students should have the opportunity to not only see the interior of the gym, but also to actually use it as well. A multimillion dollar facility is a superb asset to the campus, especially when it is topped off with state-of-the-art equipment. Yet, when it is only being used by a minority of the school population, it is not being used to its full potential. Measures should be taken by administration to increase student usage of the gym, and to publicize the facilities currently available to students.

Construction hinders convenience

aly’s landscape has undergone drastic changes in the last few years. The historic Haymarket Theatre is now overshadowed by the new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center (PAC). The Media Arts Center (MAC) boasts the latest technology and resources for Paly’s journalism program and the new gym, the Peery Family Center has opened after two years of development. However, there are some clear drawbacks to Paly’s perpetual state of construction. The equipment can be loud and disruptive to learning, machinery can delay students from getting to school and, in cases like the gym where a building had to be demolished before it could be rebuilt, it displaces a whole group of students. The renovation of the library brings many of these same challenges along with it, but while projects like the gym mainly affected underclassmen and certain athletic teams, the absence of a library affects almost every student at Paly. And while the construction of the library is inevitable, The Campanile hopes that the school will take action to compensate for the loss of this essential resource. One of the biggest issues is space. This year’s incoming class of freshman is the largest yet, at 555 students. And unlike previous construction sites, the library is positioned in the center of campus, protruding into high-traffic areas like the Math and History building. As a result of the increase in students and decrease in space, many already-congested areas of campus have become impenetrable. This traffic forces

students to either map out alternate routes to their classroom, or brave the masses of students, both of which could make them late to class. Two areas in particular have been the biggest sources of traffic: the space in between the Math and History building and the 400s building, and the hall in between the library and the portables. Opening these pathways up just a few feet would be a minor change to the school and construction workers, but would be a huge relief to the nearly 2000 students who pass through those halls up to nine times each day.

The MAC, the most commonly used study space, is often crowded and loud, with mingling prep students, creating an overwhelming and distracting environment. Previously, the library was a unified space that contained books, computers, textbooks and study spaces. Now, all of these important resources are scattered in the Media Arts Center (MAC), P3 (a portable) and the Student Center. Someone who wants to use a textbook to complete their homework in a quiet and spacious study space needs to walk from the Student Center to the MAC. This proves to be inefficient for students and many opt to go home instead, when they should feel encouraged to use schoolprovided resources. The Campanile thinks that the school could combat this prob-

lem by moving study-based resources to study-based areas, like the MAC, which would make it easier for students to grab a book and study. Additionally, the tear-down of the library presents yet another issue: less study spaces. Although congestion due to traffic is definitely frustrating, it is especially exasperating that a large student body has very little space to work and study in. Although other buildings are allocated for study spaces, they are meager replacements for the spacious library. The MAC, the most commonly-used study space, is often crowded and loud, with mingling prep, journalism and English students, creating an overwhelming and distracting environment. Although there are plenty of quiet study spaces on campus, they are often not publicized enough for students to know about them. Setting up a list of places to study in the MAC and having librarians direct students to these places would both alleviate the congestion in the MAC and encourage students, especially those prefer to work in quiet spaces, to get work done. These spaces would include conference rooms and classrooms that are not in use during specific periods. The construction of the new library presents improvements as well as challenges to all Paly students. The Campanile understands that construction naturally comes with predicaments; however, with modification, Paly students will hopefully be less affected by this transition.

SEPTEMBER'S TOP TEN LIST Top Ten Back to School Tips

The Campanile Editors-in-Chief

Maya Homan • Niklas Risano • Ehecatl Rivera Allison Wu • Ashley Zhang Online Editor Edan Sneh

Managing Editors Nicholas Melvin • Paarth Sharma

News and Opinion Editors Noah Baum • Renee Hoh

Lifestyle Editors Vivian Feng • Kesi Soundararajan

Science & Tech Editor Peyton Wang

Sports Editors Eric Li • Kiran Misner

Multimedia Editor Philip Ericsson

Business Manager Edward Kim

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

10) Getting your wifi extender (or USB drive) for those handy bathroom visits. 9) Transfer out of the class with your ex.

Staff Writers Raj Lele John Loftus Waverly Long Lucy Nemerov Navid Najmabadi Kaylie Nguyen Ethan Nissim Christopher Pierno Yusra Rafeeqi

Photographers

8) Scrounge for pencils on the ground. 7) "Brainstorm" for college essays with Netflix in the background. 6) Perform "cutting edge research" at the Silicon Valley internship your mom hooked you up with. 5) Attempt to escpae your prison cell during Flex. 4) Get PTSD after the first fire alarm of the year. 3) Realize your minimum wage job only gets you a month of lunch at Town & Country. 2) Start a Spirit Week flame war on Facebook. 1) Die of heatstroke.

—KESI SOUND & PAARTH SHARMA

Peter Gold Gracie Kitayama Kaylie Nguyen

Jonathan Stoschek John Tayeri Shannon Zhao

William Robins Riley Short Leela Srinivasan Ujwal Srivastava John Tayeri Ben van Zyll Byron Zhang Shannon Zhao

Illustrators

Khadija Abid Kimberley CisnerosMartinez

Marie Davis Renee Hoh

Advisers Esther Wojcicki • Rodney Satterthwaite

Writing Coaches Evelyn Richards • Elisabeth Rubinfien

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

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

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

LI ESTYLE SOCIAL MEDIA CENSORSHIP

A pro’s guide to napping

In wake of protests in charlottesville, tech COMPANIES COMBAT growing hate groups through content filtration

everal days after the Charlottesville protest, where neo-Nazis clashed violently with counter-protestors, social media platforms, including Google and GoDaddy, began shutting down neo-Nazi and white supremacy pages. Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi and white supremacist website, was among many right-winged pages that were removed due to hateful content. However, this censorship begs an important question: Is it a violation of the First Amendment for social media platforms to monitor hate speech? The Electronic Frontier Fo u n d a t i o n (EEF), an organization dedicated to defending digital world rights, believes that it is a violation. “Protecting free speech is not something we do because we agree with all of the speech that gets protected,” said the EEF in an article that was published after recent events. “We do it because we believe that no one — not the government and not private commercial enterprises — should decide who gets to speak and who doesn’t.” The organization also cited concerns that companies might begin to abuse their filtering power and extend the practice beyond just hateful content to the media we use everyday. The CEO of Cloudflare, Matthew Prince, agrees. Cloudflare is an organization that provides internet content delivery, through internet security services and domain name services. Prince said censoring hateful content will set a precedent that any type of censorship should be allowed. Cloudflare, unlike GoDaddy and Google, slightly delayed removing Daily Stormer from their services. Yet, seeing that Cloudflare had not intervened with them on their systems, Daily Stormer began to suggest that Cloudflare was a fan of the Daily Stormer. In Cloudflare’s blog, Prince recalls that the Daily Stormer claimed that Cloudflare employees were “secretly supporters of their ideology.” Angry, annoyed and frustrated, Prince regretfully called his legal team and gave his team the go-ahead to take down Daily Stormer. Prince later publicly apologized and criticized himself for doing so. “Literally, I woke up in a bad mood and decided someone shouldn’t be allowed on

the Internet,” Prince said in an email to Cloudfare staff. “No one should have that power.” In saying that he decided that someone “shouldn’t be allowed on the Internet,” Prince is referencing his removal of Daily Stormer from Cloudflare’s services. In a blogpost later that day, Prince said, “You, like me, may believe that the Daily Stormer’s site is vile. You may believe it should be restricted. You may think the authors of the site should be prosecuted. Reasonable people can and do believe all those things. But having the mechanism of content control... subverts any rational concept of justice.” Similar to the EEF, Prince is opposed to taking down these hateful pages because he thinks it’s a violation to take content down due to the ideas that it contains. He thinks doing so would be a violation of free speech. Google has also taken steps to monitor hateful content. In February, the company unveiled a new system that uses an algorithm to filter content based on its levels of profanity, rather than the unpopularity of its ideas that it contains. Its message was clear: anything can be said, as long as it is done professionally. Once the Charlottesville Protest, happened Google started censoring hateful content, in addition to profanity. Google’s original intent was to keep users from exemplifying excessive profanity. However, once organizations began cracking down on hateful content, Google joined in. Many Paly students disagree with EEF and Cloudflare’s motives and disagree with those who believe that hateful speech should be pre-

“Protecting free speech is not something we do because we agree with all of the speech that gets protected.” Electronic Frontier Foundation

served. Junior Bridget Leonard believes that online content should be monitored by social media platforms. “Hate speech…[is] offending and harming [to] other people,” Leonard said. “It should be restricted.” Since the rapid censorship of hate speech, free speech has obviously been in question. Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLUNC), an organization that works to defend free speech, are expected to take action. However, ACLUNC has not issued their stance since the protests. When asked about their perspectives on the banning of neo-nazi and white nationalist pages across online platforms, the ACLUNC did not provide anybody to speak on the subject. They also declined to be interviewed by phone. Senior Nicholas Blonstein believes that since social media platforms are private corporations, they should have the right to filter content. He believes that digital free speech is different, because the social media companies set their own terms. “[These platforms] are private corporations and therefore they have their right to restrict content on their websites,” Blonstein said. “I agree that it’s their right to s p e a k , but that’s only guaran-

teed in public, and because it’s a private company, that right is surrendered when they’re using their product. That company sets those rights themselves and [these corporations] have the right to [set those rules].” Paly United States history teacher Justin Cronin agrees and said that users who get censored still have free speech, just not on the digital platform they are using. “If you agree to those terms of service and then break your terms of service they should have the right [to remove the content because] they are a business,” Cronin said, “I think people still have free speech; they just can’t tweet out to their one million users if Twitter decided to shut them down.” The argument of private corporations’ right to censor content brings up the similar issue of net neutrality: the idea that Internet service providers (ISPs) should enable fair and equal access to all products and websites. Failing to comply with net neutrality laws is illegal, but there have been recent efforts by government officials to overturn the net neutrality laws currently in place. Should net neutrality apply to private corporations? If Internet service providers are replaced with social media platforms and products, and websites are replaced with ideas, it is, in essence, the same issue. The entire debate lies on the question of what counts as free speech: something that has been questioned for centuries. However, now the stakes are higher. With new growing platforms to share ideas, it does not take rallying hundreds of people, nor lighting stuff on fire, nor giving hateful speeches to spread hateful content. This way of spreading hate is at everybody’s fingertips: social media. It comes in the form of Facebook. It comes in the form of Google. In the form of Instagram, Twitter, Reddit and Youtube. This increasing ability to share ideas and content has given a few people the ability to monitor what millions of others say. As the power to spread content, both hateful and unhateful, has increased for users, the power to restrict content has increased for the media companies if they choose to do so.

“Literally, I woke up in a bad mood and decided someone shouldn’t be allowed on the internet. no one should have that power” matThew prince

THIS WAY OF SPREADING HATE IS AT EVERYBODY’S FINGERTIPS: SOCIAL MEDIA. IT COMES IN THE FORM OF FACEBOOK. IT COMES IN THE FORM OF GOOGLE. IN THE FORM OF INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, REDDIT AND YOUTUBE.

TEXT & DESIGN: BERNIE KOEN

DESIGN: kesi sound

Art: Marie Davis SPOTLIGHT

New and returning teachers

The Campanile explores perspectives of Paly’s new and returning teachers. Find out who you will be seeing on campus this year and what advice returning teachers learned from their first year at Paly.

MIKE BEN-SHAUL/THE CAMPANILE

PAGE B4-B5

Arts

KAYLIE NGUYEN/THE CAMPANILE

Arts festival

Local Palo Alto artists showcase their newest pieces at event hosted by city. PAGE B2

Food

KESI SOUND/THE CAMPANILE

Tony’s Chicken

A look into Town and Countryís newest restaurant addition. PAGE B3

By Edward Kim

Business Manager

s the grind of the school year starts again, it’s important to get the sleep you need. For every late night staying up working on college apps, APUSH homework or whatever freshmen do, you’ll need to make up the sleep lost. Whether you slept at 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 a.m., naps are the best way to catch up on those vital hours of rest. To help anyone in need of such reprieve, I’ve put together this comprehensive guide to napping. The Power Nap The most common type of naps among high-achieving high schoolers; these naps range anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Because of their short nature, a power nap can occur on couches in the MAC, in class or right before dinner. Commonly scheduled in the afternoon, these naps are strategic because they happen before REM cycles kick in, leaving the napper refreshed and ready to tackle the post school day rigor. The Extended Nap My personal favorite, these naps are generally at least over an hour and a half in length. Extended naps vary in length between 90 minutes and seven hours, and are the best way to replenish lost sleep on days with minimal after-school activities. By covering more than one REM cycle (1.5 hours), these naps can leave one completely disoriented after waking up at 2 a.m. However, if used correctly, they can make one prepared to work through the night. The “This was a mistake” Nap In such scenarios where you should have been doing something during the time such you were napping, nappers often wake up to hundreds of messages, many of which are about missed plans. In extreme cases, these naps can lead to friends angrily banging at your door, attempting to wake you up. The “Pre-Test” Nap Also known as the “when I wake up, hopefully this was a bad dream” nap, these naps are best taken before deadlines. Personally, I’ve taken these naps directly after sending an email to teachers begging for extensions for assignments due at midnight. These naps are another way to procrastinate on studying, pushing back study time several hours. They are generally the least effective, as the stress sitting over the stressed students’ head limits the potential for solid sleep. The “Post-Test” Nap Most commonly used after a large unit test, these naps feel the best. Without the weighty stress of impending Scantron doom, sleep is restful and filled with happy dreams of college acceptance letters. Out of all the different post-test naps, four naps stand up above them all. In order, the least stressful naps are, from least to most: summer break naps, winter break naps, Thanksgiving naps, and Spring Break naps. The ZZZ-Quil Nap These naps derive their name from the popular sleep medicine which enhances sleep quality. For anyone preparing to board a long flight or car ride, swallowing a pill of ZZZ-Quil right before lowers the napper into a deep sleep. The Extended Naps need a bed for maximum comfort, but ZZZQuil Naps can happen anywhere, from the middle seat of an airplane to shotgun on a bumpy car ride.

Technology

CONCAVO WHEELS/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED

New Tesla model

Taking a peek into the features of Teslaís latest automobile. PAGE B7

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

LIFESTYLE

Festival of the Arts celebrates unique styles of craft An inside look into the artists behind the colorful displays, varying in mediums and motifs By Kaylie Nguyen

Staff Writer

nce a year, tens of thousands of people mill around the streets of downtown Palo Alto to enjoy the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts. Hosted by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, the festival celebrated its 36th year on Aug. 26 and 27. This community event brings together 300 artists and crafters from all different background and places, each with his or her own story and inspiration. Photographer Oliver Klink, a seven-year veteran to the festival, incorporates the message of “don’t forget today for a better tomorrow” in his art. Klink, who is originally from Switzerland, first began photography when his father gave him a camera at 7 years old. Together they would go hiking together and take photographs in the Swiss Alps. Klink’s turning point in his career, however, was when he began to study physics and photography. After getting his masters in physics, Klink learned to manipulate light in his pictures. Klink’s favorite photograph he has taken, called “Javeena,” shows a young girl stroking an elephant. “I think [the photograph shows] the bond between humans and animals,” Klink said. “If everyone bond[s] this way, the world would be better.” Klink especially likes to capture elephants because “they are very charismatic and giant, but in danger.” Through his works, Klink reminds people of the beauty of things that are forgotten by society.

“We all get entangled in modernization and our busy lives that we forget about today.” “We all get entangled in modernization and our busy lives that we forget about today,” Klink said. “If we preserve today, we’d get a much better tomorrow.” Another artist at the festival was Jenny Hill, a first timer, who specializes in making fashion from fiber. Hill began her art when she was an organic farmer for a year in 2012. During that time, she worked with a shepherd and a

By Maya Homan Editor-in-Chief

KAYLIE NGUYEN/THE CAMPANILE

Artists Annie Quigley. Elisabeth Sullivan, Jenny Hill and Oliver Klink present their work at the Festival of the Arts in downtown Palo Alto. textile master, who taught Hill how to make clothing with a process called felting. “It just really spoke to me,” Hill said. “The way you can feel and touch it and mold it. You can go a lot of directions with it and I will never get bored ever.” Hill draws inspiration from many sources. She incorporates patterns, structures and textures she sees in nature and in her travels into her clothes. For example, Hill used the bolts from edges of metal to pattern one of her pieces. “Wearable art has the ability to transform how you feel about yourself, the places you go, the people you talk to, the conversations you have, and that’s the power of art,” Hill said. Ceramic artist Annie Quigley was another first timer at the festival. All of her work is created on a pottery wheel and hand-carved. Quigley is from Los Angeles, so it was not hard to believe that she was originally an actress. Quigley got into art as a way to relieve the stress of auditions. She started out painting and drawing, but then after trying out a ceramics class, she fell in love and that eventually took over her acting career completely. “I found my medium,” Quigley said. “Ceramics was what I needed to find.” Quigley draws inspiration for

her designs from her travels. “It started with Yosemite and national parks and then I went to Southern Spain, where Moorish or Middle Eastern Art is heavily influenced,” Quigley said. Quigley spends a whole week just carving patterns into bowls, vases and other pieces. Her only hope is that her art “finds a good home and people love it for a lifetime.” Painter Elisabeth Sullivan participated in the festival for the fourth time this year. She has been practicing her art since she was a child.

[Hill] incorporates patterns, textures and structures she sees in nature and in her travels into her clothes. Sullivan took art classes throughout her childhood and high school career and then went on to major in art. Now attending her fourth year at the festival, Sullivan displays her collection of colorful, nature-inspired, surreal art paintings. Sullivan draws inspiration from her observations, and her imagination does the rest. “The inspiration is kind of

inside and it just takes one little thing to set it off,” Sullivan said. For example, the idea for one of her paintings that depicts penguins sitting on islands made of clouds came to her while she was on a plane. As the plane was flying over the ocean, she looked down the window and thought that the clouds looked like islands in the water. “I didn’t have a very happy childhood, so [my art] was a way of escaping the world,” Sullivan said. “It’s my happy place and people respond to it.” Some of Paly’s very own artists also contributed to the festival, participating in the Italian Street Painting Expo, where 60 chalk artists created large works of art using only the asphalt as their canvas. Senior Vivian Nguyen has been participating in the expo since she was a freshman. Nguyen began chalk painting after watching artists at the Festival of Arts the previous year. “If you accidentally touch it, your hand gets covered in chalk, but I think that’s the joy of chalk painting,” Nguyen said. “You get really messy, but in the end, you have a finished art piece.”Nguyen gets inspiration from anything that interests her at the time. “It’s usually things that I’m

inspired by or things that I see,” Nguyen said. “Like, sometimes it’s movie posters because I enjoyed the movie and I wanted to have a tribute to it, but majority of the time, like all the ones I’ve done so far are just portraits because I really like drawing people.”

Sullivan draws inspiration from her observations, and her imagination does the rest. Juniors Renle Chu and Maurice Wang participated in the expo for the third time. For their inspiration, they usually decide on a general theme and then look for reference pictures on the internet. Chu said that her favorite thing about chalk painting is the monstrosity of the canvas because she get to see how all the details come together at the end. “You never see the bigger picture until you step back and look at it,” Chu said. Next year, when the Palo Alto Festival of Arts rolls around, stop by and take a look around. Seize the opportunity to talk to the artists there because the possibilities to the stories they might have are endless.

Students use music to alleviate stress from their busy lives

Teen musicians share their passions for their respective instruments and enjoy the benefits of music By Lucy Nemerov

Moreover, science has proven the plethora of benefits to being a musician. According to the Huffington Post, “musical training can change brain structure and function for the better, improve long-term memory and lead to better brain development for those who start in childhood.” Thus, it’s not so surprising that so many musicians, including Gainwad and Donelly, thrive in academic environments as well.

Staff Writer

ithout a doubt, stress is a big part of students’ academic lives, especially for Palo Alto teens who reside in the heart of the Silicon Valley. However, some students have discovered their personal remedy for calming their chaotic lives — music. “When [students] are going through a really stressful and confusing time in their lives, music can be like an anchor, something you can always come back to,” said sophomore Emma Donelly Higgins. Students can find a release from endless schoolwork in music, a calm and therapeutic activity.

Emotional release is not the only attribute music provides for many students, it also allows them to belong to communities much larger than themselves. Donelly Higgins has been a violinist for as long as she can remember, putting in hours of practice in the precise and demanding art of classical music. For Higgins, practicing music allows her to relax and catch her breath during some of her most difficult times. In its essence, music is able to act as a new voice for Higgins. Donelly Higgins discovered that instead of taking an unhealthy and angry approach to her frustrations, she could use her talents to express her frustration in a universal way

Column: Freshman’s guide to guidance

Such skills will contribute to many aspects of life ... the workplace or another academic setting.

LUCY NEMEROV/THE CAMPANILE

Sophomore Emma Donnely-Higgins practices the violin to improve her skills and reduce stress. “Instead of screaming, you can turn that frustration into something beautiful,” Donelly Higgins said. Opposed to putting frustration towards negative activity, a musician can channel their emotion into something positive, as oppose to creating more negativity.Emotional release is not the only attribute music provides for many students; music also allows them to belong to communities much larger than themselves. Among the many students passionately involved in musical communities is junior Komal Gainwad, a violinist and thirdyear member of the Paly orchestra. Gainwad loves the unconditional support she gets from being part of orchestra.

“Music is an absolute stress reliever,” Gainwad said. “Especially in orchestra, there’s a sense of community, acceptance and support that makes it feel like a second family.”

As we age, our reaction times become slower; however, playing a muscial instrument has been found to increase reaction times. This feeling of community helps Gainwad explore her music and, like Donelly Higgins, speak volumes without even opening

her mouth. “It’s an advantage to be passionate about music,” Gainwad said. “It’s a way to express yourself without actually having to speak words.” Both these young musicians thrive in music and have found a safe space to express emotion, whether it’s happiness or frustration, to name a few. From simply practicing in their room to executing complex pieces alongside more than 40 other equally dedicated students, the benefits of playing an instrument are obvious. Merely a few conversations with these avid violinists showcase how music can help one relieve stress and find a new and welcoming community to join.

As we age, our reaction times become slower; however, playing a musical instrument has been discovered to increase reaction times significantly. Therefore, people who begin practicing music at an early age can more likely avoid these effects compared to those with no musical experience. Musicians also improve longterm memory through repeating a series of notes, knowing the proper sound the instrument should make and eventually memorizing pieces of music. Such skills will contribute to many aspects of life, whether it be the workplace or another academic setting. Gainwad and Higgins are only two of many who have found a haven and source of stability in their art. Even though some may think of music as a waste of time, it has been proven again and again that music is highly beneficial, more so than most would believe.

ntering Paly for the first time can be a daunting experience, whether you start as a freshman or transfer in during junior year. Friend group dynamics are tricky to figure out, there’s a weird schedule and what is an open campus anyway? However, there is one person here to help you navigate through all the intricacies and adversities of high school life: your guidance counselor. For the freshmen who don’t know about Paly’s guidance system, here’s the basic rundown: each grade gets one guidance counselor for the entirety of high school who deals with everything from class changes to college planning to personal predicaments. However, these counselors who are so integral to our wellbeing are also notoriously hard to track down. Never fear, for I have gathered a couple of pro tips to ensure that you not only find your guidance counselor, but that you end the school year as besties (secret handshake included). Step 1: Finding out who your counselor is. This is probably the most fundamental part of the process. After all, you can’t spill your deepest, darkest secrets to your counselor if you don’t know who that person is. For this operation, I suggest bringing binoculars, a marsh-green bodysuit and a trusted friend. First, scan the perimeter of the Tower Building to familiarize yourself with the uncharted territory. Use the binoculars to peer through the windows and catch a glimpse of the main office. Once you’ve done enough recon, it is time to don your green bodysuit and enter the premises, heading straight for the main office. Sneak into a counselor’s office through a window or rappel down from a ceiling vent to snoop through their paperwork and find the right name. The bodysuit will help you eavesdrop by allowing you to blend in with your surroundings. For instance, if you are caught spying at a suboptimal time, you can simply collapse onto the floor or smash your body against a wall to instantly disappear into a sea of green paint. If all else fails, signal to your friend and have them elaborately fall in the middle of the hallway. (Fake blood is not necessary but highly encouraged.) The concerned Wellness Center staff will provide the perfect cover for you to make your escape. Step 2: Making an appointment. Thanks to your extensive espionage skills, you now know the correct guidance counselor for your grade level, but still need to make the infamously-hard-tobook appointment. Since each guidance counselor is in charge of roughly 500 students, it is understandable that they will be busy. Therefore, I like to apply the same philosophy to Guidance that I use when making DMV appointments: assume that you have no choice but to schedule your meeting three months in advance. For immediate concerns, such as start-of-the-year schedule changes, I would recommend setting up camp in front of the Tower building starting in mid-July to ensure that you will be able to secure a time slot in the first quarter. More hard-core students have been known to pitch their tents the moment finals week ends in the spring. In the meantime, record fun little anecdotes for your appointment. In fact, it might be easier to take up journaling, so your guidance counselor can read extensively about your life. This way, they can get a more accurate sense of everything that has happened to you in that time period, instead of having you narrow your problems down to just two or three major dilemmas. Step 3: Bonding with your counselor. Now that you’ve made an appointment, it’s bonding time! In case you are shy or unsure of what to say, I’ve compiled a list of conversation-starters that are always a hit with the adults: 1. Mention your cat’s pregnancy 2. Exchange dating tips 3. Ask them about the world before the internet. Or texting. Or Russia. 4. Talk about what you had for dinner last Tuesday 5. Despair over your meager 1590 SAT score 6. Bring them a bottle of chardonnay from Trader Joe’s With all these tips and tricks, you and your counselor are guaranteed to end up with a relationship your real friends will envy.

The Campanile

Friday, September 8, 2017

LIFESTYLE City construction causes congestion Excessive roadwork on Lincoln and Middlefield creates traffic nightmare for all

Volunteering: How to get involved Use a volunteer website to find the best match

MATT HALL/USED WITH PERMISSION

Paly Link Crew members pose for photo after freshman orientation.

By Riley Short

W BEN VAN ZYLL/THE CAMPANILE

Kingsley Ave, a popular street students take to school, has a long history of construction, forcing drivers and pedestrians to take detours.

By Meera Bharat

Staff Writer

t’s finally the end of the school day and all you want to do is go home and relax. Yet, as you’re driving home from Paly, a bright orange detour sign blocks your way and a large excavator looms ahead. You see dust flying around and piles of cement everywhere as the loud drilling continues and you realize you have no choice but to turn around and take the long route home. Many residents of Palo Alto claim to have witnessed streets excavated and filled, only to be excavated again mere months later. This excessive roadwork affects everyone, from residents and workers to Palo Alto students. The real question is: what exactly is happening with the roads and why is the city doing this? The answer to this question lies in the FY 2017 Asphalt Paving Project, a project proposal passed by the city which entails the repaving of several city streets from June to December. In this project, the contractor will replace damaged concrete road bases, sidewalks and curbs to meet the Palo Alto City Standards. Additionally, the FY 2017 Lincoln Avenue and Middlefield Road Resurfacing Project is causing sections of Middlefield Road to be dug up and resurfaced According to Palo Alto’s Public Works Department, all street corners will now receive new

concrete curb ramps to follow the current American with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. As for Lincoln Avenue from Middlefield Road to Bryant Street, the Public Works Department said the storm drain replacement project was completed in February 2017 and the road is now ready for repaving. The road surface will be milled to the base and resurfaced with asphalt concrete. Any damaged concrete road base will be replaced along with sections of damaged curbs, gutters and sidewalks. However, residents of Palo Alto have noted that this section of Lincoln Avenue has been dug up several times. Additionally, since it is right off Middlefield and next to a public school, this road is one that should be easily accessible for all residents, but lately it has been a mess. Though some residents aren’t affected by the roadwork, many Palo Alto drivers said it is a big issue in regards to the existing traffic.

“I was delayed getting home by 15 or 20 minutes a couple of times” Hunter Reardon

“It snared traffic on Embarcadero the week before school started, and I was delayed getting home by 15 or 20 minutes a couple times,” said Hunter Reardon, a

Paly English teacher. “I found the construction was easy enough to skirt with a little help from Melville and Webster though.” Elizabeth, a resident of Palo Alto who declined to give her last name, said how the roadwork has also affected parking and accessibility to parking garages. “My parking place was in the Cowper-Webster parking garage and because of the roadwork I had to leave an extra 30 minutes early to get around the roadwork,” Elizabeth said. She of digging up the same street multiple times, the city should simultaneously accomplish all the different objectives they currently undertake in separate projects. Also, according to the Public Works Department, “during asphalt milling and paving, streets will need to be completely closed from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.” People have said there are many solutions that can be implemented by the city to better facilitate commuting for everyone working and living in Palo Alto. “[The City] can probably enforce local traffic laws, making sure pedestrians don’t cross when it’s not their light or cars aren’t rolling reds,” said Dennis, who commutes to Palo Alto every day for work and declined to give his last name. Oftentimes, fixing local road signs and traffic lights instead of enforcing laws will help with the circulation of people and cars throughout the city.

“Good signage is really important. It seems like they’re making good progress but it’s good to look at other countries like France and Spain for ideas on how to make the roads safer,” said Wendy, a resident of Palo Alto who declined to give her last name. In the last year, Barcelona created a set of “superblocks,” which are large car-free spaces. Each superblock combines 12 city blocks to form grid that will give pedestrians and cyclists priority and maximize public space. This has worked quite well for the city. Roadwork also affects schools, adding on to the usual rush of traffic when commuting to and from school. It affects everyone, from students to parents and teachers. “I have sat at Paly’s exit trying to go left onto Embarcadero in the evening for more than ten minutes on several occasions,” Reardon said. “The same is true trying to make left turns onto Page Mill [Road] and Oregon [Expressway]. If the City has the power to decrease the length of the light cycles by, say, a factor of three, I think the quantity of traffic on main thoroughfares will be diminished significantly.” No one wants to hear the roads being drilled and large excavators digging up the cement, with dust flying everywhere. There needs to be a more efficient way for roads to be fixed in Palo Alto, and though it may require more upfront planning and batching of jobs, it is worth trying out.

Staff Writer

hen you think of getting your volunteer hours, you may be filled with dread at the thought of spending hours working on a project that is of little interest to you. On top of all that, finding time to fit in volunteer work into your busy schedule can be quite challenging,. Despite what you might think, there are interesting and fun ways to get volunteer hours that don’t involve tedious manual labor. Many new organizations are trying to develop a better way of volunteering that makes volunteer projects more meaningful. Additionally, there are many more ways to volunteer than you might think. Get involved in Palo Alto One organization that promotes meaningful volunteering is Get Involved Palo Alto. Their mission is to not only make volunteering enjoyable, but to make it a learning opportunity that supports real world skills. “What I discovered in 10 years of working in Palo Alto is there are many organizations, and it’s hard to find something that interests you,” said Christina Owen, Founder of Get Involved. “Get Involved curates volunteer opportunities so you can find and pursue what you are interested in more easily.” So far, Get Involved has had over 80 students and has partnered with over 100 local volunteer organizations. Palo Alto Animal Services Another great volunteer opportunity is suited to pet lovers. Many animal shelters are always seeking help caring for the animals they house. Places including Palo Alto Animal Services accept high school volunteers over the age of 16. If you love pets, this might be the best way to get your hours done and have fun doing it. Most of the positions offered

would allow for volunteers to care for all different kinds of pets. Jobs could include walking, playing with, or feeding the animals which would be a great way to have a part-time pet if you don’t already have one. Sign up to be a Tutor at Paly’s ARC Although you might not have heard about it, Paly’s Academic Resource Center (ARC) along with offering free tutoring, also provides volunteer hours to students willing to tutor. This can be a great way to volunteer as well as sharpen up your skills in many subjects. There are no minimum hours, and you can choose whichever day of the week works best for you. Use a volunteer website to find the best match Sometimes the best way to find a volunteer opportunity you’ll enjoy is by using a site designed to do so. VolunteerMatch.org has a huge selection of categories and interests that make it easy to find something that you will enjoy doing. Searching on a volunteer website like this one will broaden your possibility for a close and fun opportunity. Online Volunteering Yes, there actually is a way to volunteer online. Using a volunteer website like volunteer match, you can select either volunteering at a physical location or online. Volunteering online is a bit more restrictive because many of the opportunities consist of teaching or writing something that usually requires lots of experience. There are a few opportunities for high school students that range from helping educational institutions gather information, to web development and graphic art creation. Volunteering doesn’t have to be boring; it can be a valuable experience and also a fun one. If you pursue your interests and find the right opportunity, volunteering doesn’t need to be that hard.

Silicon Paly: How Bay Area’s innovative culture inspires youth Successful startups, companies, and students are birthed from the competitve atmosphere of Silicon Valley in Palo Alto

JACQUELINE MOORE/THE CAMPANILE

History teacher Jack Bungarden came to Palo Alto to work at a startup before eventually giving in to his passion for teaching.

By Khadija Abid

“

Staff Writer

deas are cheap; execution is key,” said Sundeep Madra, CEO of Autonomic, a prominent startup that works with autonomous vehicles. Autonomic is located five minutes away from Paly in an inconspicuous building. Madra said he chose to place their headquar-

ters in Palo Alto, the heart of the technological revolution, because of the innovative atmosphere and talented population. There are over 2,250 companies based in Palo Alto, with major businesses like Shazam, Palantir and SurveyMonkey all located in the bustling downtown area. “There’s something about this area and the type of folks that come here,” Madra said. “It’s gen-

erally a really interesting cross pollination of folks that have been here for a while, folks that have been here recently, and all those folks share a common ambition. They’re all here to be part of something that could have a big impact. There’s always that kind of underlying idea in the back of everyone’s minds, like hey, if I work hard, we can be the next big thing out there.”

As Madra said, Silicon Valley, and more specifically Palo Alto, is a place full of opportunity and innovation. Even at Paly, those key characteristics of Palo Alto are heavily represented. In fact, Jack Bungarden, the Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History teacher, originally came to Palo Alto to work at a startup. As one of the original employees,

he spent several years at that company before landing “the best job in the world” and discovering his passion for teaching history and more importantly, giving students quizzes. In addition to our multi-faceted teaching population, countless students have entrepreneurial aspirations as well. Ria Vora, a 16-year-old junior, started Vora’s Hub, a small business that provides 3D-printing services at a reasonable price. After doing extensive research and formulating a business model, she persuaded her father to invest in the Flashforge Dreamer, a high functioning 3D printer that would allow her to expand her business. “I think we have a really unique and prominent advantage because of where we live. The main reason I was able to start Vora’s Hub was because of the access I had to tools to pursue whatever ideas or interests I wanted,” Vora said. Madra agrees, saying that many hurdles emerging companies faced in the past, such as funding and marketing, are no longer such large issues thanks to social media and technological improvements. “The ecosystem is so different,” Madra said. “You in your room can download XCode, make an app, and have users and then go and raise funding.” Vora created a website to mar-

ket her product using 3D Hubs, an online 3D printing service platform, as well as utilizing social media sites like Instagram and Facebook. She credits the various mediums in helping her reach a vast audience. Though the tools to create a startup or personal project are plentiful in Palo Alto, making that startup successful is a whole other issue. Madra, who has a history of successful projects such as Xtreme Labs, a company that created apps for tech giants such as Facebook, Uber and Instagram, as well as the National Football League (NFL), emphasizes that hard work and perseverance are vital in order to create a profitable business. “Luck prefers the prepared,” Madra said. “You’ve got to put in the hard work so that when your moment comes, you can take advantage of it.” Madra said although having a good idea is key, the perseverance and determination in following through with the idea is what generates profit and success. Anyone can have a billiondollar idea, but the execution and creation of an actual product is what separates a lucrative business from a mere dream. As for students who are thinking about creating their own business, Madra said it’s never too early to start.

The Campanile

Friday, September 8, 2017

SPOTLIGHT

2017-18 New and Re New Staff Cristopher Bautista, English

Vivian B

Photo by: Vivian Feng

Photo by: Leyton H

"Last year, I taught in a storage room. I've been in a classroom where ceiling tiles have fallen on children’s heads. [I’m excited to] be a part of a high school experience where there are all these opportunities, and to see students take advantage of that and be grateful for that.”

Andrew Dakopolos, Special Ed. Lizzie D “Have fun. Don’t be one-dimensional in high school. It’s easy to become onedimensional when there are such high stakes and it’s such a high-achieving school. Don’t let academics dictate your life. There’s so much more to life. Find some things that are interesting to you that are outside the box.”

UpcomingAssignments: September 12-15:

Photo by: Vivian Feng

Photo by: Leyton H

Christina Gonzalez, Spanish

James H

Photo by: Ujwal Srivastava

NormaH

Photo by: Vivian Feng

Photo by: Ujwal Sr

“Paly is very intense; we’ve already had two drills before the official practice drill. Since 1988, I’ve taught Chinese. There’s more variety in people here. I feel like the students here have a lot of energy, and as a teacher that’s very exciting. The teachers here are wonderful.”

September 15: Club Day 1

End of Quarter One

AngelinaMichael,WellnessCenter Elizabet “I actually went to Paly a long time ago, so it’s kind of nice to just see so many familiar faces, to see teachers that I had and a lot of staff that I know. Also all of the students that I’ve worked with and met with have been pretty amazing so I definitely think the people at Paly are very special.”

October 17-21: SPIRIT WEEK! *TheCampanilechoseasampleoffirstand secondyearstafftointerviewforthispiece

Photo by: Ujwal Sr

Ching-Fen Huang, Chinese

Quadchella

October 13:

“ I love how diverse the school is, I love that there are people from many different countries, I love that there are people who speak another language at home. My goal is that I can maybe get them excited because language is very important not only to communicate, but culture and what you can learn from other people.”

Photo by: Vivian Feng

Photo by: Leyton H

The Campanile

Friday, September 8. 2017

SPOTLIGHT

eturning Staff : Perspectives on Paly* Second Year Staff

Byun, Science

Zachary Barnes, Math

“I strive to inspire students to love science and engage in it in their future. Ultimately, they don’t all have to be scientists, but I hope that they will take what they have learned in my class and somehow find a way to apply it in their futures.”

Joshua Hinrichs, English

“There is the bigger career goal of

“I think it’s probably more than I ex-

trying to make mathematics understandable to students that find mathematics challenging. It’s different for every kid, and I think I am better [at that] than I was a year ago.”

pected, in a positive sense. I didn’t have too many preconceived notions, but I did base what I thought it would be on my experience at Gunn when I was in high school. And there are some interesting cultural differences, and that’s probably because so much time has passed.”

Photo by: Leyton Ho

Photo by: Vivian Feng

DeKraai, English

Paul LeGris, Science

Daniel Nguyen, Math

“I love the fresh air [and] open campus. It’s really nice to work outside with students and to get sunshine during the day instead of just staying in the classroom all day. So that’s really nice. And I love the staff in the English department. Everyone is so kind and welcoming and supportive and my students are great.”

Hamilton, Counselor

rivastava

“It’s a pressure cooker, and I’ve noticed a number of students seem pretty stressed, and I think a big part of my role here is to come in and bring in a little reality back. Enjoy being a teenager ... have a work-life balance. That’s important for the rest of your life. Be a kid and also don’t get fixated on the college craze.”

Hymes,CampusSupervisor

rivastava

I love seeing the kids a little older, a little more mature and [the] staff is really really nice. I’ve really been enjoying this year. [And] the dedication– I haven’t seen such dedicated kids in a classroom. They all look like they want to be really successful and that’s really nice.”

thSpector,WellnessCenter

“I hope to reach more students [and] to destigmatize mental health. I hope to make the Wellness Center a place where all students feel like they can come and feel comfortable, and I hope to build connections with students so that if they ever need support, they know they can reach out to me.”

Photo by: Vivian Feng

“[What] I’ve come to appreciate is just how supportive the teachers are and how self-motivated the students are – it’s a wonderful thing to see. I’m looking forward to the ‘aha’ moments that I see in my students. Especially in chemistry, there are certain labs and things when you see the eyes go big and the excitement happen.”

Hunter Reardon, English

Photo by: Ujwal Srivastava

“The biggest thing is get involved as much as you can. Like I went to prom last year. That was a lot of fun – to chaperone it. Go to sporting events; I was there when our boys team won CCS, with a buzzer beater – that was great. Just get involved [and] be out there; try to surround yourself with Paly culture.”

Diana Rivera, Science

“I am really looking forward to helping these kids to not only be able to extract really strong meaningful ideas from literary texts, but also to help them build really strong writing skills,[and] really strong analysis skills that they will use forever.”

“Part of why I came here [was] because I wanted to try something new and have a challenge. It was great. Pace yourself, make sure to take time to balance and be kind to yourself once in awhile, because work can be your 24/7 so it is nice to take so time to do something good for yourself.”

Photo by: Vivian Feng

Photo by: Leyton Ho

Mary Sano, History

DJ Shelton, History

“I loved it [last year]. I just loved it. I

“My major goal last year was to not really have any homework for the class, to not have busy work and to focus on writing. My advice to new teachers would be to follow your heart in the educational sense. Paly is very accomodating to teachers if they want to try something.”

loved my transfer over from Jordan.

I think that the age difference makes a huge difference. Tenth graders are

a lot more confident, more fun, more

opinionated, more dynmaic and more complicated.” Photo by: Vivian Feng

Photo by: Vivian Feng

Andrea Struve, History

Tara Vereyken, Science

Photo by: Leyton Ho

Photo by: Ujwal Srivastava

“One of my goals was to constantly try new teaching techniques and incorporate technology into the classroom. I have learned to incorporate tech in at least two out of the three classes that meet every week. I did achieve that goal last year.”

“My goals for the first year at Paly were [to] really understand how Paly works, get to know my department and learn from other people. That’s what I really wanted to be able to do; collaborate, learn and just really be there to listen. I think it’s always a learning process; there’s always room for growth.”

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

LIFESTYLE

Town and Country’s newest restaurant: Tony’s Fast Chicken New chicken restaurant at Town and Country has many shortcomings but shows potential for improvement By Eric He

Staff Writer

s customers enter Tony’s Fast Chicken, they are either greeted with an empty restaurant or with a line out the front door spilling into the parking lot, all depending on the time of day. The small establishment does not have any indoor seating, except for three fold-out movie seat chairs, which I assume are part of the somewhat confusing aesthetic that is apparent in other aspects of the restaurant. The only seating that is available consists of a couple metal tables and chairs scattered outside the eatery, remnants of the last business that was there. Tony’s Fast Chicken is in the corner of Town and Country near Sushi House, with large glass windows surrounding it. The walls are bare white wooden planks with assorted sticker decor. Parked off to the side is a small cart with lemonade and iced tea. Further to the right of the cart is an enlarged version of the menu. To order your food, customers need to walk up to two wooden tables, populated with assorted chips, desserts, milk crates and various drinks. A smaller copy of the menu is on a piece of paper on the wooden table. The prices shown on the menu are extremely high. Excluding the Paly special, the cheapest item is two-piece fried chicken ($7.00),

ERIC HE/THE CAMPANILE

Fried chicken sandwich from Tony’s Fast Chicken (left) and a behind-the-counter setup of the restaurant with drinks and wall decor (right). not including fries or a drink. Sides can be added for two dollars, while drinks range from two to five dollars. Tony’s Fast Chicken also offers wings, fried chicken sandwiches, baked chicken, nachos and a baked fish sandwich, the last three which do not really fit with the theme of a fried chicken joint. The Paly special is seven dollars, and the options include either a fried chicken sandwich with a drink or fried chicken nachos. However, the high pricing for the standard menu does not translate into the quality of food. Out of the two Paly specials, the chicken sandwich is the option

with the most monetary value. Anyone who visits Town and Country knows that there are two distinct sides of the shopping center: one with the Paly lunch rush and one on off-hours. During the lunch rush, Tony’s prepares a selection of premade sandwiches, packaged in small paper bags on a large baking tray off to the side of the counter. After receiving the sandwich, I decided to eat it back at Paly, and embarked on the three minute journey back onto campus. Unfortunately in that short time, the sandwich had become soggy and cold. Seeing that the bottom bun had ample time to soak up all liquids from the chicken in the

sandwich, one could imagine how long they had been sitting out. The bottom bun was akin to a glob of partially dried Elmer’s glue, while the chicken was unevenly thick. Although the pickles and the coleslaw blended nicely with the rest of the sandwich, they did not make up for the poorly-fried, dry chicken or the untoasted buns. Understandably, the employees assemble the food this way in order to be prepared for the explosive crowd that surges through Town and Country every weekday. However, small improvements to their technique could drastically improve the quality and experience of the food for

their customers. For example, they could assemble the chicken sandwiches as we order them, assuring that the buns stay dry. Additionally, they could use heat lamps or some other form of warmth to ensure that the sandwiches stay somewhat warm. The sandwich was, to say the least, a disappointment.The following day, I went once again to Tony’s, hopes still high, certain that their fried chicken would be better than the sandwich I had ordered. After all, the sandwiches were pre-made and meant to cater to the masses of Paly students. This time, I decided to order the three-piece fried chicken,

which came in at eleven dollars. The chicken looked promising, with a crispy, even breading. However, biting into the first piece changed my mind. The fried chicken was mediocre in terms of seasoning, texture and taste. After these two trips, I came to a reasonable conclusion: the food at Tony’s is too expensive and comes in too small of a portion, and the food that is reasonably priced is of terrible quality. Compared to other restaurants in Town and Country, Tony’s is close to the bottom of the ladder. However, Tony’s Fast Chicken has potential. Being the only place in Town and Country where one can get fried chicken, they already have a niche menu. However, they have much to improve upon. With no indoor seating and meals being delivered in cardboard boxes, it feels that they are only geared towards Paly students. How will they plan to survive the summer, when students are no longer their biggest customer? Additionally, they need to seriously rethink their menu, not only in pricing, but in terms of content as well. Many customers are not going to a fried chicken eatery to order a baked fish sandwich, so why offer it in the first place? Should Tony’s Fast Chicken reconsider their menu pricing and content, as well as food quality, they would definitely be a top dog in Town and Country. If not, they will crash, and crash hard.

International cuisines offer healthy and tasty options Research and a side-by-side comparison of nutritious benefits of authentic cuisines from different countries By Yusra Rafeeqi

Staff Writer

ver thought that eating healthier meant missing out on all the wonderful flavors in the world? One of the most common misconceptions of eating a healthy diet is that it is restricted to bland, tasteless food. But the beauty of food across the world’s cultures is that every cuisine contains rich nutrients and benefits — you just have to choose the right dishes. Mediterranean cuisine: It is widely known that Mediterranean cuisine is one of the healthiest diets worldwide. Foods from regions in Greece, Turkey and Italy have been known to help maintain a healthy weight and reduce disease-causing inflammation, a constant immune response incited by eating certain foods too frequently.

It is important to get all the nutrients you need to play well and perform your best. Micaela Wong Although it has been around for thousands of years, the Mediterranean diet was not recognized for improving heart health, losing weight easily and aiding with other health issues until the 1990s, according to a study done by Harvard doctor Walter Willett. But what actually makes Mediterranean food so healthy? For starters, the base of the diet is filled with tons of anti-inflammatory foods, like tomatoes, fish and leafy greens, then built upon plant-based foods and healthy fats. The copious amounts of olive oil as well as the limited amounts of sugar and processed foods increase cancer prevention. Nutritious Mediterranean dishes include salads, pastas, breads, soups and more. A special dish known as “Taramasalata” is comprised of a salted and cured type of fish, usually cod, carp or grey mullet, mixed with olive oil, lemon juice with almonds or vegetables such as potatoes as a side.

From healthy, fresh ingredients, this dish is a perfect representation of the tasty Mediterranean cuisine in all its glory. Japanese cuisine: Another food cuisine that is tasty yet healthy is the Japanese cuisine, which includes large amounts of rice, fish and a vast variety of vegetables. The Japanese have some of the longest life expectancies in the world due to a reduced risk of early death and cardiovascular disease influenced by eating a Japanese diet, according to a study done by the British Medical Journal in 2016. Because of the country’s proximity to water, the Japanese diet includes large amounts of fish and sea vegetables, packed full of health-boosting minerals. It also includes an abundant amount of tea, a tradition with tremendous links to prevention of cancer, viruses and heart disease. The Japanese are also popular for their attitudes to portion control. They live by the famous saying, “hara hachi bu,” which warns one to only eat until they are 80 percent full. The way the Japanese serve their food, in small, several different dishes rather than one large plate is a key to a well-balanced meal, allowing them to eat small samples of different types of food rather than one large portion size. Elizabeth Spector, the Wellness Coordinator at Paly’s Wellness Center, talks about her time in Japan and experiencing the Japanese food culture. “It was amazing,” Spector said. “The food was unreal; it was so good. There were some dishes that were unhealthy, but overall the food felt very clean.” Spector said that one of her favorite memories was going to the Tsukiji fish market in the mornings. “I remember getting the freshest sushi of my life at 6 a.m.,” Spector said. “That was the best, and also walking around the market and seeing all the types of fruits and vegetables people had to offer.” According to someone who has experienced Japanese food in its truest form, it is safe to say that the Japanese may have some of the healthiest eating habits in

Congratulations Class of 2017!

YUSRA RAFEEQI/THE CAMPANILE

This combo plate from Mediterranean Grill House contains hummus, pita bread (not pictured), salad, basmati rice and chicken-beef kebab. the world. Vietnamese cuisine: Vietnamese food is a great way to boost immune systems, aid in weight loss and provide energy. The salads and soups in the Vietnamese diet are full of vitamins and protein with antioxidants that delay aging. Their foods are flavored with herbs and spices instead of oils and dairy, and are packed with fresh vegetable and fruit.

Being open to trying new things was really important. Angelina Michael Dressings and sauces are also low in calories, covering all the dietary needs of protein, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Much like the Japanese, the

Vietnamese way of eating also improves digestion and assimilation of nutrients through the use of chopsticks, which allow for savoring one piece at a time, and multiple dishes and the the sharing of food with several others A good example of a wellbalanced Vietnamese dish is the famous and delicious “pho.” One of the most popular vietnamese soups, this dish contains healthy proteins — usually beef or chicken — carbs, some fat, lots of water and fibers, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The Mediterranean, Japanese and Vietnamese cuisines have a lot to offer. But that doesn’t mean that the rest of the world doesn’t. Wellness Outreach Worker Angelina Michael shares her experience with food in West Africa. “Being open to trying new things was really important,” Michael said. “But there is a large fishing industry there, and one of my favorite dishes was a whole

grilled fish that they would stuff with herbs and ginger and garlic.” Michael said that it was difficult finding foods and dishes she enjoyed, but said it is important to look and try different things to see what you liked.

I remember getting the freshest sushi of my life. Elizabeth Spector “The best part was that there was a tropical fruit stand at every corner,” Michael said. “On your drive home from work, you would get someone to cut up the most amazing pineapple and passionfruit and mango for you.” Another perspective comes from junior Micaela Wong, who describes the emphasis of eating healthy from the aspect of being an athlete for the Palo Alto Soccer Club. “I think that it is important to

get all the nutrients you need to play well and perform your best, specifically fruits, vegetables, and protein,” Wong said. She says that one of her favorite food choices is Indian food. “It’s generally a really flavorful healthy choice because it incorporates many healthy spices like turmeric, and plant based proteins, like lentils,” Wong said. The Indian cuisine is known to contain a great source of proteins, vitamins and calcium in a range of vegetables and superfoods. From Greece to Vietnam and from Japan to West Africa, there is a diversity of cultural foods, all with distinct tastes, ingredients and health benefits. It is important to note that the fresh versions of the foods provide the most sustainable way of eating and that eating inauthentically often will not provide a genuine experience. So, if you wish to experience the benefits of a certain cuisine, remember to eat authentically!

TALLMANS’ HOUSE OF FOAM 150 HAMILTON AVE PALO ALTO, CA 94301 (650) 327-4300

650.387.2716 lorib@apr.com LoriRealEstate.com CalBRE# 01859485

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

SCIENCE & TECH

STEM’s new diversification movement

Paly students and teacher Gul Eris talk about women’s current role in STEM By Edan Sneh

Student dependence on caffeine likely has harmful effects

Online Editor

rganizations at Paly such as Science Olympiad (SciOly) and Robotics have been increasing gender diversity by encouraging women to apply, and having women in leadership roles. In the past couple of decades, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), have evolved into more gender neutral fields, which rely more heavily on social skills than commonly believed. The myth of men being better suited for STEM has led a Google engineer to send a memo about women not being biologically-suited to work in tech. The engineer was fired shortly after releasing the memo on Aug. 7. Senior Annalee Soohoo has been an active member of the Paly Robotics Team since her freshman year, and said she hopes to pursue computer science in college.

[Women do not] dislike STEM, and that is the very idea we should stop spreading around. Gul Eris According to a survey conducted by the College Board on college graduates in 2001, 13 percent of men graduated with a degree in STEM, while only 6 percent of women graduated with a degree in STEM. “I think the [gender] gap [initially] increased because women had not been exposed to [personal computers] through video games like many men had,” Soohoo said. While Soohoo has observed a disparity between the amount of males and females on the Paly robotics team, she believes that the team encourages participation regardless of gender. “On the Robotics team, there are more guys [than] girls, but I feel like there is a lot of support for anyone [in Robotics] no matter what you are interested in,” Soohoo said. Every year, more opportunities and programs are opening up for women interested in STEM, such as the National Girls Collaborative Project, the American Association of University Women and the Association for Women in Science. Over the summer before her junior year, Soohoo attended a seven-week program hosted by Microsoft called Girls Who Code. “We learned some languages like C++, Java, Python and some web development,” Soohoo said. “It was really nice to meet other girls who were also interested in

Coffee cravings in Silicon Valley By Kennedy Herron

A EDAN SNEH/THE CAMPANILE

Madeline Li, a senior who participates in STEM activities, poses next to the Paly Robotics team’s robot learning computer science.” While Soohoo is a big fan of Paly Robotics’ inclusive environment, Neelima Valluru, a senior at Henry M. Gunn High School has a different opinion about Gunn’s Robotics Team (GRT). Valluru has been on GRT since her sophomore year. “On GRT, many girls face people undermining [their] ability to do things,” Valluru said. “People [assume] that if you and another guy were working on something, the guy automatically knew more than you did.” However, though Valluru thinks GRT’s environment has much more room to improve, Gunn senior Joshua Chen believes that GRT is still heavily diversified. “The environment presented to girls may sometimes deter them from trying to participate,” Chen said. “But I actually think it’s getting better by a lot. Our team is pretty much split half and half girls and guys and most of our leadership are girls.” There are many factors that discourage women from participating in STEM jobs, such as a lack of female representation in STEM leaders, according to Valluru. “You don’t really see a lot of women professors in STEM and not as many women in research,” Valluru said. “The lab I interned at had no women [postdoctoral researchers] at all, which I thought was really disappointing because that’s what I want to do in the future.” Gul Eris, who teaches AP Physics and Physics Honors at Paly, thinks the lack of women in STEM has nothing to do with biology. “[Women do not] dislike STEM, and that is the very idea we should stop spreading around,” Eris said. “It is true that there are less overall women enrolled in STEM courses and related jobs, but I believe there are contributing factors to that such as a short-

age of role models and mentors in STEM fields.” Eris also believes that words like “diversity hire” have negative stigma and make it so female workers have to prove themselves more often. She thinks that the amount of women in STEM classes has improved at Paly and can be seen in her class enrollment. “When I first started 15 years ago [my] physics honors courses had about 25% girls, now it is about 46%, close to being equal,” Eris said. “AP physics has about 33% girls, but I believe this shall increase as well.” Paly junior Annie Tsui, who hopes to major in STEM in college—specifically biochemistry and computational biology—believes stereotypes play a large role in deterring women from STEM. “Stereotypes affect women every day, even now,” Tsui said. “Math professors are [usually] associated with men. In TV shows and movies, the scientist is always a man and not a women, which ends up getting to women subconsciously.”

People [assume] that if you and another guy were working on something, the guy automatically knew more than you did. Neelima Valluru According to a PEW Research Center article written by Columbia journalism graduate Drew Desilver, not only is STEM attempting to make room for more women, but social skills are also starting to play a bigger role in STEM than before. Empathy is one of the big social skills appealing to people in STEM. “I think that it’s important

to be able to express yourself and care about others,” Soohoo said. “When you are working on a team, it is important to drop your egos at the door and work together.” Vallaru thinks that awkwardness is an important social skill to master. “Social skills are super valuable because being able to communicate with other people on projects you are working on is incredibly important or you will run into big problems,” Valluru said. “You should be able to voice your opinions without feeling awkward and feeling they aren’t valuable.” According to articles like “Different World Views: STEM Students and Student Affairs” by Mary Lou Santovec a writer for the Women in Education Newsletter, awkwardness has been largely associated with many parts of STEM fields, yet many people involved in STEM are pushing to change that stereotype. “The worst social issue I have encountered in my STEM classes is making a situation more awkward than it should be,” Tsui said. “If you think it is awkward, then it is definitely uncomfortable for everyone.” While STEM is making improvements each year, in order to further dissolve the gender gap, both Tsui and Valluru highly encourage girls explore the field of STEM to decrease the gap. “I definitely encourage more girls to be interested in STEM and to do what they want and not be shot down by some stereotype,” Tsui said. Valluru especially emphasizes that girls are just as capable as men in STEM, and should not be afraid of the stereotypes they will face in the fields. Valluru said, “I hope there are a lot more girls in CS and they realize that it is not as intimidating as people make it seem, and I hope that girls are viewed as equally competent in STEM as men.”

Staff Writer

fter a long night of homework, which included an all-nighter, junior Kaitlyn Ho makes her way to school. Despite having her daily Peet’s coffee, she stumbles into her classroom disoriented and half-asleep. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the average American drinks 300 mg of caffeine each day, while teenagers consume about 100 mg. Many students depend on caffeine to get through school and additional hours of extracurricular activities.

I drink more coffee during testing weeks because I want my brain to be actively thinking and remembering... Articus Scherer “I drink coffee because it provides me with the energy I need to get through my classes,” Ho said. “It just makes my day better overall and helps me keep focused.” Michelle Hamilton, Assistant Manager of Peet’s Coffee at Town and Country, takes orders from many Paly coffee lovers. Hamilton said many students purchase drinks with caffeine on a daily basis. “We probably serve 100 plus students a day,” Hamilton said. “We absolutely have regulars. Some come in more than once a day.” According to Hamilton, the Iced Latte is one of the most popular drink at Peet’s. This drink contains substantial amounts of caffeine; in a small sized cup, there is approximately 140 mg of caffeine. To put that in perspective, there is about 95 mg in the average cup of coffee, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

We probably serve 100 plus students a day. Michelle Hamilton Some students say they drink up to three cups of coffee a day, especially on test-filled and homework-heavy weeks. That means that some students rely on caffeine for over 8 hours a day. This level of caffeine consumption is an exorbitant amount, especially for developing adolescents. “I drink more coffee during

testing weeks because I want my brain to be actively thinking and remembering material while I am taking a test,” said freshman Atticus Scherer. While many students say coffee is a plausible option for successfully getting through the day, other argue that growing teenagers should not resort to caffeine. “I’m against young people drinking coffee,” said Paly science teacher Alicia Szebert. “It is a big issue if students are drinking coffee at this young of an age for the energy.” Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, which causes a person’s blood vessels to constrict and heart rate to speed up. It is a drug that is addictive; regular coffee drinkers often depend on caffeine excessively. Most students drink coffee for the source of energy rather than the taste, which is one of the biggest problems in youth coffee consumption, according to Szebert. “Scientifically, the constriction and increase in blood pressure is very mild, if even at all,” Szebert said. “The unhealthy part of it is not the caffeine itself, but the fact that you’re needing the caffeine. [Students] should be getting energy naturally through more sleep, their diet or finding a way to relax.”

The unhealthy part of it is not the caffeine itself, but the fact that you’re needing the caffeine. Alicia Szebert Those who drink excessive amounts of coffee can build up a tolerance to the caffeine, according to a research report by Jasvinder Chawla, a Neurology professor at Loyola University Medical Center. After a certain tolerance level, the amount of caffeine necessary to fulfill the drinker’s needs increases to the point where the drinker is encouraged to consume more caffeine than before. In fact, for those who have built up a tolerance to coffee or other caffeinated drinks, it is extremely difficult to abruptly quit drinking. According to Chawla, some people may even experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, dehydration, depression and fatigue. Despite the pros and cons of coffee Scherer deems coffee to be a necessesity in his life and will remain a dedicated coffee drinker “There are definitely pros and cons to coffee,” said Scherer. “For me, I need my daily dose of caffeine to get through the school day.”

Tesla’s new Model 3 car at risk of sabotaging the Tesla brand The new car model has a greatly reduced price compared to its previous models, potentially damaging Tesla’s other sales By Byron Zhang

Staff Writer

arly 2016 brought with it the unveiling of the Model 3, a moniker for Tesla’s newest and arguably most important vehicle to date. Within the first 24 hours of opening reservations for the vehicle, the auto manufacturing company received over 180,000 pre-orders. On July 28, 2017, the first customers received their new vehicle. Although the company has gained in popularity, it faces a series of problems caused by a huge decrease in the price of Model 3 compared to older models.

Cannibalization by the Model 3 is clearly a risk. Toni Saconaghi The Model 3 is priced at $35,000, or approximately half the price of Tesla’s preceding variant, the Model S. Slight changes and increased efficiency of the car’s structure have resulted in its significant price drop from Model S’s $68,000. Although the two models have similar designs, Model 3 is shorter than Model S by 11.8 inches, so less spending is required on the amount of material used to build the car. Additionally, the Model S frame is fully comprised of alumi-

num, while the Model 3 incorporates less expensive steel. Cheaper batteries used in production also contributed to its lower price. According to a study conducted by McKinsey & Company, a business management company, battery prices dropped 80 percent, from about $w1000 in 2010 per kilowatt-hour to $227 per kilowatt-hour by the end of 2016. Due to Model 3’s significant price drop from Model S, it is quickly gaining popularity among Silicon Valley residents. “We actually put an order in for it the day it opened,” junior Donald Taggart said. “Since we had heard beforehand about the car, and we were so happy with our Model S, we figured it would be good to have another like it.” Although the decrease in price has attracted many customers, it has diverted attention away from older and more expensive Tesla models, such as Model S and Model X. Tesla repeatedly emphasized that Model 3 is not an upgrade of Model S. “Model S is our flagship, premium sedan with more range, acceleration, displays and customization options,” Tesla said on its website. “It’s the safest car in its class with unlimited Supercharging for the duration of ownership when referred by an owner.” Despite the effort in emphasizing the difference between Model

3 and Model S, the release of the “long range” Model 3 on July 29 may further decrease Model S sales. Users can pay $9,000 more to upgrade from a standard Model 3 with a base mile range of 220 to a “long range” with 310. A Model S with a mile-range of only 249 costs $68,000, while a 310-mile Model 3 costs $44,000. This difference in range and price may convince more customers to purchase a Model 3 than a Model S. The result of a survey conducted by Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst from sell-side research company Bernstein, showed that 30 percent of previous Tesla owners out of the 286 participants held reservations for Model 3.

We are going to be in production hell. Elon Musk “Cannibalization by the Model 3 is clearly a risk,” Sacconaghi said on the CNBC wessite. “The fact that nearly a third of current owners hold reservations raises concerns that the Model 3 may cannibalize sales of higher-end Tesla models upon launch.” The “cannibalization” of Tesla Model S brings up another problem—shortage of production. According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a presentation on July 29, the sales from Model S and Model

BYRON ZHANG/THE CAMPANILE

Tesla’s new cars have better batteries, allowing their frame to be much smaller than the old models above. X will support Model 3’s production. “We are going to be in production hell,” Musk said at the presentation on July 29. “When you have 10,000 unique items in a vehicle, any one of them can slow down the production process.” According to CNN, Tesla indicated that the main reason for the “production hell” is the shortage of lithium-ion battery banks. Tesla already owns a main factory situated in Fremont, but not enough for company’s plan to combat production shortage. The company is to continue the construction of the Gigafactory

in Reno, Nevada, which manufactures lithium-ion batteries, to boost the production rate of Model 3. According to Musk, whewn the construction of the is finished, the Gigafactory will supply more lithium-ion batteries than the combined production from everywhere else in the world. With the more open units in the factory, Tesla aims to increase production exponentially. Kelty was in charge of negotiation with Panasonic, Tesla’s main partner on the Gigafactory project. Losing such a key figure contributed to the delay in the

production of battery cells made in the Gigafactory. Currently, only Tesla staff who purchased Model 3 received their deliveries. Although the company is providing estimates for delivery dates, no one is sure whether the date will be final due to the multiple problems with the company. “Based on the type that we want, [Model 3] will come around fall of next year,” Taggart said. Although Tesla faces many problem in finance and manufacturing at this moment, customers still have high hope for the upcoming model and Tesla’s prospects in general.

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

SCIENCE & TECH

Putting Genetics to the Test

A look into the ethical implications and methods of genetic testing The Ethics of Ethnics

ollowing the recent events in Charlottesville, Va., white nationalists are scrambling to take genetic ancestry tests (GATs) in hopes of proving their racial purity. However, many tests yielded unexpected results, shocking customers who were not as racially “pure” as they thought, according to a CNN article. Despite scientific evidence, many people struggle — or simply refuse — to accept the results of share GATs. In 2013, white supremacist a comCraig Cobb was invited on day- mon ancestime talk show “The Trisha Show,” tor and consist where he agreed to take a GAT. of the same buildTo his surprise, Cobb found he ing blocks of life. The had 86 percent European and 14 company promotes inclusion percent African ancestry. How- and said its service has the power ever, Cobb to change peodismissed the ple’s minds. People looking GAT as “sta“Our hope tistical noise” is all individuto use our services and “junk scials see our test to prove they are ence.” Eventuas an opportually, he posted nity to learn ethnically pure are his results on more about going to be deeply Stormfront, a themselves, white nationand also undisappointed. alist online foderstand we Tom Sullivan rum, to express are more his dissent. alike than eo of ancestry LLC Cobb’s bedifferhavior has been compared with a ent,” its blog post read. “In recent study conducted by Aaron fact, science tells us we’re Panofsky and Joan Donovan, so- 99.5 percent genetically ciologists at the University of Cal- identical.” ifornia, Los Angeles (UCLA), in Research has shown which they analyzed Stormfront that people from all raposts that discussed the results of cial backgrounds often GATs. According to The Atlantic, have mixed ancestry. Panofsky and Donovan’s study According to the New found that most white national- York Times, geneticists ists rejected the validity of GATs from The American when their racial identity was Journal of Human Gechallenged. Coincidentally, two netics (AJHG) recently days after the Charlottesville rally, conducted a study in their research was presented at a which they administered sociology conference in Montreal. GATs on 160,000 par“The ethics behind [genetic ticipants who claimed to testing] are interesting because be a certain race. Researchthere are definitely going to be ers found that 3.5 percent of people who always refuse or don’t people who said they were white want to know their results,” said had African ancestors. The highErik Olah, a biology teacher at est percentages were found in the Paly. “In the future, I could see South, specifically in South Carous all knowing right away all the lina, where at least 13 percent of different markers we have at birth, people who claimed to be white tesbut I can see a lot of pushback on had African ancestry. Participants ville,” that because there’s going to be who identified with other races S u l l i people who think the government also found surprising results. For van said. is meddling with a database of all example, those who identified as “We not only the our DNA.” black received overall results of condemn 23andMe is a private genom- 73.2 percent African, 0.8 percent violence that occurred ics and biotechnology company Native American and 24 percent but are deeply disturbed by the ideologies based in Mountain View, Calif. European. of the white In 2008, the company’s product, Launched s u p re m ac i s t a saliva-based direct-to-consumer in 2012, AnOur hope is all groups who (DTC) genetic test, was named cestry LLC, “Invention of the Year” by Time a privately individuals see our test m a r c h e d Magazine. 23andMe is currently held Interas an opportunity to there.” Ancesheaded by Anne Wojcicki, the net company company’s CEO and co-founder headquartered learn about themselves, try aims to as well as the daughter of The in Lehi, Utah, and also understand bring shared diversity to Campanile’s adviser Esther is the world’s public Wojcicki. largest for- that we are more alike the eye in hopes In a recent post on 23andMe profit genealthan different. of spreading Blog, the company said it had ogy company. 23andme equality, acbanned people from its forums Over the years, due to inappropriate comments. the company accumulated ap- cording to Sullivan. “We are against any use of 23andMe’s customer care team proximately 16 billion historical moderates 23andMe-specific records and over 2 million pay- our product in an attempt to channels and will ban users if nec- ing subscribers. The company’s promote divisiveness or justify essary. large database enables its custom- twisted ideologies,” Sullivan “[We] condemn all forms of ers to compare their GAT results said. “People looking to use racism, including people who are (700,000 markers) with a wide our services to prove they are ethnically ‘pure’ are going to using genetic testing to advance range of DNA samples. hate-based dogma,” the blog post In a post on Ancestry Blog, be deeply disappointed. We read. “These individuals, who use Tim Sullivan, CEO of Ancestry encourage them to take their their data in this way, are missing LLC, writes about the company’s business elsewhere.” Other companies that prothe fundamental point that their reaction to the Charlottesville vide autosomal DNA testing DNA is connected to the world riot. and everyone on it.” “The entire Ancestry family is for genetic genealogy include 23andMe insists there is no horrified and appalled by the trag- MyHeritage, Family Tree DNA superior DNA, as all humans ic events that occurred in Charlot- and Genographic Project.

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t the end of the school year, Paly students in Advanced Placement (AP) Biology have a genetic testing lab, in which they test non-consequential SNPs, such as muscle type and eye color. Students obtain their DNA sample with a cheek swab and run the samples through gel electrophoresis in a PCR machine, according to senior Audrey Li, who enrolled in AP Biology last year. Li was not surprised with her results, as the most of traits tested were easily observable. “We compared our gel patterns

Paly Experience

with a new sequence to determine which traits we had, such as muscle type and lactose intolerance,” Li said. “However, we weren’t able to test for disorders and diseases for ethical reasons.” Although Li has never taken a genetic test that evaluates more in-depth and consequential SNPs, such as health and ancestry, she hopes to have the opportunity to take one in the near the future. “I’ve always wanted to do a test from 23andMe to find out my ancestry, but I haven’t found time yet,” Li said. “Some people prefer to stay neutral if they have

esearch has shown that cestry percentages to 0.1 percent the DNA of each hu- and gives customers the option to man is 99.5 percent explore their results. “We don’t test for race, rather identical. However, minor differences called variants, or-sin- we seek to match customers’ DNA gle nucleotide polymorphisms to that of reference populations (SNPs), can distinguish indi- from 31 geographic regions from around the world,” said Andy Kill, viduals from one another. “[SNPs] are markers through- a senior public relations specialist out your DNA,” Olah said. “At at 23andMe, in an email. “These reference each position, populations there’s one alMinor differences are meant to lele or another and it can called variants can reflect populations before change completely what distinguish individuals great migrations began the trait is.” from one another. occurring.” 23andMe’s Ancestry tests process a person’s DNA with a genotyping LLC consists of several sites and chip that reads thousands of SNPs services, including AncestryDin their genome. These SNPs can NA, a subsidiary of the company, be linked to ancestry composition, which offers DTC genealogical allowing customers to trace their DNA tests. Like 23andMe, Aninheritance, view a chromosome cestryDNA’s saliva-based GAT breakdown of their ances- focuses on autosomal DNA. try and compare their However, it only tests for SNPs DNA with new rel- linked to ancestry groups. The test atives. The test searches for DNA overlaps, in provides es- which the more markers in comt i m a t e s mon, the more likely the relationof an- ship. In addition to ancestry composition, 23andMe’s customers have access to a variety of healthrelated results. Genetic health risk reports can detect diseases such as Late-Onset Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, but cannot offer a diagnosis, according to 23andMe’s website. In addition, 23andMe’s wellness reports can relate a person’s DNA to their caffeine consumption, muscle composition or sleep movement. Lastly, carrier status reports determine if a person carries a SNP for a genetic condition, including cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia. Although most carriers are not afflicted with these conditions, many of these SNPs are hereditary, increasing the likelihood that carriers will pass them onto their children. While SNPs provide information about carrying genetic markers associated with health risks, environmental and lifestyle factors can also play a role. These factors are one of the reasons why genetic tests can never be completely accurate. “It’s more about the likelihood of having a trait,” Olah said. “If you have a high percentage of this trait, you’re more than likely to have it, but it’s not like you definitely have it if you have a specific allele.”

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a family disease, but others like me who are curious may want to be tested.” However, some Paly students and teachers have chosen not to take genetic tests for personal reasons. “For certain things, I am more than happy to be tested, like if I was testing for muscle type [or] to see if I was lactose intolerant,” said senior Julia Qiao, a former AP Biology student. “However, I don’t think I would be comfortable taking genetic tests to see if I had certain diseases. For me at least, knowing these kinds of

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things would be stressful.” Although Olah has been interested in taking a genetic test, he has decided against it for similar reasons. “I haven’t taken [a genetic test], but I’ve considered it,” Olah said. “I feel like ignorance is bliss in these situations. I would love to know if there are certain diseases I can prevent, but I don’t really want to know about something I can’t prevent.”

ab a j i ad

The Campanile

Friday, September 8, 2017

SPORTS

The Future of

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Expansion Teams Text & Design: Eric Li

ART: MARIE DAVIS

This edition featuring:

MATTHEW NEMETH with The Campanile’s own

ERIC LI

ver his 13-year career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Marc-Andre Fleury has accomplished what most other goaltenders in the National Hockey League (NHL) could only dream of doing: he was one of three goaltenders in the history of the league to be selected first overall. Additionally, he has won three Stanley Cups and a gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics. However, despite his accolades, Fleury will have to say goodbye to his team, but not because of a trade or free agency. He has been selected by the Vegas Golden Knights, the newest team in the NHL, during their expansion draft.

As popularity in sports leagues reaches a new high, so does the demand for more teams in more cities. Traditionally, to fulfill the demands of growing markets, low-profit or unpopular teams chose to move to a different city, typically rebranding their franchise along the way. Recent examples include the Winnipeg Jets, Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers. Compared to creating an expansion team, the time and cost required to move an existing team is much less. Leagues can avoid the problem of restructuring schedules and divisions, while teams can start with a competitive roster. Despite all benefits, moving a team to a different city comes at an invaluable cost: leaving faithful fans empty-handed despite all their support. Moving facilities

Despite all benefits, moving a team to a different city comes at an invaluable cost.

and players comes at a relatively low cost, but it is impossible to import fans to across the country to different cities. Once you move a team, you strip these fans of their pride and joy and nothing can be done to fulfill the void in their lives. By adding another team, you allow for more growth of the popularity of the league and the sport without losing fans in the process. Longtime fans of the Seattle Supersonics, Quebec City Nordiques, and the St. Louis Rams are left stranded. Creating a new team without any players can be a daunting task, which is why most sports leagues have an expansion draft whenever a new team is created. Typically, new teams are able to select players from other teams in the league through a couple guidelines. This year, every NHL team was able to protect a total of either seven forwards, three defenseman and a goalie or eight skaters and a goalie from being drafted, with the Golden Knights only able to select one player per team. Because of this, the Golden Knights lack many of the all-star players that headline the league. Most season projections place the Golden Knights near (if not at) the bottom of the standings due to their lack of team chemistry, reliable front office and a pure lack of good players. Most teams eventually outgrow their post-expansion draft woes. But sometimes, having a lack of good

SPORTS

A decade of Paly athletes

Palo Alto High School is one of the nations epicenters for sports. Recap the best athletes of the past 10 years of Paly graduates, including players competiting in basketball, football and table tennis.

DUSTIN NOSLER/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED

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management and poor player pool can spell trouble for teams in the long run. Since their return to Charlotte, N.C. in 2004, the Hornets (formerly known as the Bobcats) have only made the National Basketball League (NBA) playoffs three times, failing to make it out of the first round in each appearance. A d ditionally, during the 2011-12 NBA season, the Hornets finished with the worst win percentage in all of recorded history with a record of 7-59. The Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL also experienced similar woes, as they have only made the playoffs three times since their inception. Throughout the years, expansion draft rules have begun to favor the expansion team more than the rest of the leagues, but as shown with the current Vegas Golden Knights roster and other teams, it might not be enough. With an increasing number of ways to follow sports, smaller leagues have also begun dramatic growth in both popularity and revenue. Major League Soccer (MLS) has plans to increase the number of teams in its league from 22 to 28 in the near future, with Los Angeles

Baseball

BUCK SHOWALTER/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED

FC and a probable expansion to Miami increasing the number of teams to 24. Many cities including Nashville, Indianapolis and Phoenix have already applied for one of the four remaining spots. As the MLS rapidly expands, we will likely see it become a major sports league with a comparable following to that of the NHL or NBA. It will not be long before we see all of the major sports leagues choosing to expand the number of teams in their leagues. There have already been numerous talks about the return of the NBA to Seattle, a city that already has the infrastructure and arena to support a sports team. As long as there is money to be made, sports leagues will undoubtedly expand, allowing for more opportunities for eager fans to watch sports played at its highest levels. “It’s inevitable at some point we’ll start looking at growth of franchises,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in an interview with the Players Tribune. “That’s always been the case in this league, and Seattle will no doubt be on a short list of cities we’ll look at.”

It will not be long before we see all of the major sports leagues choosing to expand the number of teams in their leagues.

Basketball

JEFF BLAKE/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED

MLB’s Dilemma

Rise of high school basketball

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Tensions rise between players and umpires in Major League Baseball.

Young stars make high school basketball more entertaining.

The Campanile (TC):Who are you and what sport do you play? Matthew Nemeth (MN): I’m Matthew Nemeth and I am a senior at the Palo Alto High School varsity mens water polo team. TC: Typically there is a stereotype that water polo kids can tend to be rambunctious. What’s your take on this view? MN: I really think itdepends on the person. Last year’s senior class fit that description pretty well but this year our senior class is much more serious about setting a better example for the younger players on our team. TC: What are your goals for the next season? MN: Hopefully beat Gunn at leagues since we’re pretty sure we’ll meet them at the championship, and get as far as we can in Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships. It’s going to be a rougher year for us because we lost a huge amount of our firepower in our senior class, but we will see what we can do. TC: Your twin brother has done track for Paly. How does his experience with Paly sports compare to yours? MN: He does track which, although is a team competition, requires much more of an individual mindset, as opposed to water polo where you all have to work together and be on the same page. TC: What’s your favorite memory of playing water polo for Paly? MN: Last year, the night of the practice before one of our CCS games, our coach showed up late and told us to stand on the pool deck and hold each other’s hands in our Speedos. After that, he gave a ten minute motivational speech about teamwork, brotherhood and love. We were all pretty confused... TC: What’s your worst memory of playing water polo for Paly? MN: Definitely last year at leagues, getting the last goal scored on me by a Gunn player in the championship game. It was pretty depressing. TC: On a lighter note, who’s the funniest person on your team? MN: Besides me, that’s got to be Ben Rapperport, the vice president of the junior class. His personality is as fiery as his hair. TC: That’s nice to hear. I’ve noticed that you’re very fit, how much work do you put in at the Peery Center outside of practice? MN: I love the Peery Center. All the equipment there is so amazing I just want to live there. Unfortunately, the amount of stress water polo puts on your body kind of limits how much other stuff you can do outside, but I try and hit the gym a few days a week, mostly on the weekends when we’re not in the pool. After the season, though you’ll find me there everyday with Bryan Look. Scrawny to brawny, baby! TC: Good to hear; any closing thoughts? MN: Please come support us at our games, we got like five students yesterday at our first home game in three years. TC: You heard it here first, go to the water polo games guys!

Profile

SHANNON ZHAO/THE CAMPANILE

Freshman on varsity

Trisha Radzan is one the few freshmen on a varsity sport team. PAGE C7

Friday, September 8, 2017

SPORTS REPORT FOOTBALL RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Patterson 8/25, L, 37-27 Paly vs. Half Moon Bay 9/1, L, 48-7 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Mountain View 9/8, 7:00 p.m. Paly vs. Aragon 9/15, 7:00 p.m.

TENNIS RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Gunn 8/31, L, 3-4 Paly vs. Sacred Heart 9/7, L, 3-4 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Homestead 9/12, 3:30 p.m. Paly vs. Cupertino 9/14, 3:30 p.m.

B WATER POLO RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Monta Vista 9/5, W, 17-7 Paly vs. Los Altos 9/7, L, 7-3 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Saint Francis 9/8, 5:15 p.m. Paly vs. Los Gatos 9/12, 3:30 p.m.

G WATER POLO RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Mountain View 9/5, L, 12-7 Paly vs. Los Altos 9/7, L, 14-8 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Los Gatos 9/12, 6:45 p.m. Paly vs. Gunn 9/14, 3:30 p.m.

CROSSCOUNTRY RECENT SCORES

Gunn Alumni Meet 8/31 UPCOMING GAMES

Early Bird Invitational 9/16, 8 a.m. SCVAL Meet #1 9/26, 3:15 p.m. SCVAL Meet #2 10/3, 3:15 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. St. Ignatius 9/6, L, 3-0 Paly vs. Menlo 9/7, W, 3-0 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Santa Cruz 9/9, 8:30 a.m. Paly vs. Notre Dame 9/9, 10:30 a.m.

GOLF UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Gunn 9/8, 3:00 p.m. Paly vs. Saratoga 9/12, 3:00 p.m. Paly vs. Monta Vista 9/14, 3:00 p.m. Paly vs. Saratoga 9/18, 3:00 p.m.

The Campanile

SPORTS Varsity football takes loss on opening night Team lost 48-7 but is preparing to come back stronger and win subsequent games By Waverly Long

Staff Writer

ith a team determined to dominate the season and a new gym containing stellar equipment to whip the team into shape, the football team is ready to tackle any challenges the season might present, according to players and the head coach.

“We’ve been grinding through the offseason to make this season better than before” Cullen Tellez Team Co-Captain “My expectation for this season is to [have] a winning season and, of course, win Central Coast Sections (CCS) and go to state,” said senior Cullen Tellez, one of the two varsity team captains. “I

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

Paly faced off against Half Moon Bay last Friday, taking a loss 48-7 think that it’s time to bring the Paly football program back up to its feet and be on top again.” The addition of the Peery Center as a facility for the team has already provided an inspiration to the players, according to junior Wes Walters, a varsity linebacker. “We’ve got a new weight room, which I think we’ll use a lot, and we’ll get a lot stronger,” Walters said.

The team is going into the 2017 season with a focused mindset and their eyes on the prize. Despite their opening losses, they still remain optimistic for the rest of the season. The ambitious squad has been training hard for months, putting in work on and off the field. “Some differences about this upcoming season compared to past seasons is that all the players have a winning demeanor,” Tellez

said. “We’ve been grinding through the offseason to make this season better than before, especially with junior varsity ( JV) joining us after going 9-1 last year.” The players aren’t the only ones with high expectations for the season. “I think that we are looking to compete for league title, that’s always goal number one,” varsity football coach Danny Sullivan said. “Anything positive after that is a bonus.” Unfortunately the team’s strong spirit and determination weren’t enough to pull off a win in either of the team’s first two games. Their away game against Patterson, located near Central Valley, ended in a 37-27 score. The more devastating loss was the team’s game against Half Moon Bay at Opening Night last Friday. Though the stands were filled with spirited and supportive Paly students, the high-level technique of the opposing team resulted in a defeat for Paly, ac-

cording to Tellez.

“Adversity fuels us for motivation to win games”

Cullen Tullez Team Co-Captain

However, this loss led to a more focussed attitude for the team and a strong determination to have a successful season away and at home hasn’t faded. “I think we’re going to bounce back,” Tellez said. “We’re hearing people saying ‘we already know the football team is going to lose’ and we kind of use that as fuel to motivate us, to work harder and win games. Adversity fuels us for motivation to win games.” The highlight of this season will be the big night of the Homecoming game, which will be on Oct. 27 against the Saratoga Falcons.

Girls varsity volleyball off to impressive start Vikings, with new coaching staff and team members, open with a win against Gunn By Kennedy Herron

Staff Writer

fter years of construction, students have eagerly awaited the chance to use the new Peery Family Center, and what better opportunity than a volleyball game against rival Gunn High School. The Palo Alto High School girls varsity team defeated Gunn in all three sets with a final score of 3-0. “We played really well together for almost the whole game,” said junior Ashlyn Callan. “Although there were a few times when things didn’t end up working out as well as they could have, everyone still worked hard and supported each other.” There was a great turnout for the first few sets in the new gym, according to Callan.

“Everyone worked hard and supported each other” Ashlyn Callan Junior

This season, the varsity team welcomed four new members — freshman Trisha Razdan, juniors Mallory Kuppe and Britney Fan and senior Juliana Roth — and have high hopes for their two underclassmen, freshman Trisha and Gibbs, according to captains

PETER GOLD/THE CAMAPANILE

The varsity girls volleyball team defeated town rival Gunn three sets to none at first home game, thanks to a strong performance all around. Chelsea Fan and Susanna Limb. After losing the graduated seniors from the previous year, senior team captains Fan and Limb said the new team’s spots have shifted. Many of the returning players had to step up and take over different positions. “A lot of the graduated seniors were a part of our starting lineup, so we had to switch that up, but

luckily we play with a lot of returning players,” Fan said. After finishing first in the league last year, the varsity team has high expectations this year, according to Limb. The team had a bumpy start in the first match against Valley Christian High School losing 1-3, but defeated Sequoia High School 3-0 and Gunn High School.

Eleven new players joined the girls junior varsity team, starting the season with just three returning members. The team faced many new changes at the beginning of the season. “We got a new coaching staff and a new team so there are some major changes, but volleyball players are used to adapting because we have a new team every

season,” said sophomore Rebekah Limb. The JV team started the year off with a 2-1 win against Valley Christian High School and 2-0 win against Sequoia High School. However, in their third game against Gunn High School, the final score was 0-2. Both teams will face off against Lynbrook High School on Sept. 12.

Cross country hopes for success By Navid Najmabadi

Staff Writer

s the cross country season sneaks closer, the team is looking to build on last year’s season after reaching second place in Central Coast Section (CCS) championships. Last season, the boys were able to clinch a spot in the state finals. This year, they look to “return stronger than ever and claim the top spot,” according to senior captain Sam Craig. However, reaching such heights this year could be difficult as they lost five influential seniors that provided great leadership. Nonetheless, junior Henry Saul, Palo Alto’s second fastest runner in cross country last year, looks to lead the Vikings to a glorious season filled with triumph. Other runners, such as junior Alex Evans have been training hard over the summer to help the team reach their full potential. Evans, who spent the summer with his friends and family, kept his discipline and didn’t stop his daily routine of waking up in the morning to go on his typical twomile run, to keep his cardiovascular system in shape. Evans also mentioned that cross country dedicates time to have runners maintain a strong core and work on other muscles in the body to maintain a good

balance. “I think each muscle in the body, especially the core plays a major key in being able to keep up with your competitors because in order to be a top runner every pet of your body needs to have strength,” Evans said. Many cross-country runners say they will become more agile with the help of the newly-built gym, which will aid them in keeping a steady advantage over opponents. Improvement is expected to show. Palo Alto’s first official meet is an invitational on September 16th at Monterey, where they will be lead by captains Sam Craig (‘18), Reed Foster (‘18) and John Tayeri (‘19). Palo Alto’s cross-country runners take responsibility to the hard work and dedication needed to be made in order to find themselves in the same position as last year so that they can capitalize. With a fairly young group of athletic, hungry and courageous runners, Palo Alto can’t be counted out and hopes to come back with a first place trophy. “This season I am looking forward to making states with my team,” Saul said. “It will be more challenging this year with senior departures, but we think we can pull it off.” The team is currently training hard for their next meet.

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The Campanile

Friday, September 8, 2017

SPORTS

Golf team hopes for big season after key additions to team Girls aims to qualify for California Interscholastic Foundation (CIF) State Championships this upcoming season

Byron Zhang Staff Writer

fter placing sixth in the Northern California (NorCal) Championships last season, the girls golf team aims for a bigger goal: to set foot in the California Interscholastic Foundation (CIF) State Championships this year.

“Making it to States would be amazing and an unforgettable experience as a senior and the captain of the team.” Stephanie Yu

Over the past two years, the team has improved from only qualifying for the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships to playing in the NorCal Championships. Although many team members were satisfied with their performance in NorCals, competing for the State Championship is the chief aim for returning players this year. Most team members have high hopes for this achievement.

“During my years on the team, the farthest we’ve made it was [the NorCal Championship],” senior Stephanie Yu said. “Making it to States would be amazing and an unforgettable experience as a senior and the captain of the team.” The girls started its first practice a week before school began, and the team played the first scrimmage against Harker School on Aug. 23 at the Palo Alto Hills Country Club. Although most members of the team were somewhat unsatisfied with their performance, the team still defeated Harker School with a score of

“Although I feel the loss [of the seniors], I’m excited for the new season and opportunities to bond with the new members of our team.” Stephanie Yu

Stephanie Yu hits ball on par 4 to start off the new 2017-18 season. The Lady Vikes won the match and continued its undefeated season.

198-229. “Our goal was to get 185 under,” junior Jasmine Choi said. “Some people shot really well and others could have shot better. The team played in another tournament on Sept. 7 at the Pen-

insula Golf and Country Club and placed first in the tournament with a total shot of 396. “In our team, Stephanie Yu played the best,” Choi said. “She shot 75.” The majority of the team is made up of returning players, de-

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

spite the loss of six seniors and the addition of five freshmen. Paly does not have a junior varsity ( JV) team this year. “Although I feel the loss [of the seniors], I’m excited for the new season and opportunities to bond with the new members of

our team,” Yu said. Since the team’s home course, Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course, is undergoing renovation, it has been difficult for members to find a course to practice on cohesively. However, members are still improving their skills by com-

peting individually. Especially in tournaments. “Every player in our starting lineup plays competitively outside of school, and many of us participate at the national level,” Yu said. “As a result, I have very high hopes for the team.”

Boys water polo team optimistic for another strong season With key returning players and a stronger focus, the squad is ready for a run just as successful as the last years.

ers this season include seniors Bryan Look, Matthew Nemeth and Jack Anderson. Their experience will help guide the team to victory and fill the slots left by

“It was disappointing when we lost in triple overtime to Gunn in league championships, but we’re hoping to go undefeated in leagues [this year] which is fully possible.” Ben Rapperport

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

Senior Matthew Nemeth prepares to pass the ball to his teammate in a recent game against Gunn. Nemeth scored two assisted goals to cap off a 8-6 win at Paly’s home pool.

Yusra Rafeeqi Staff Writer

he boys water polo team aims to start strong after a successful season the previous year. “This year, we have a lot better focus, and it’s mainly going to be setting a good example for all the people who tend to get

distracted,” junior goalie Ben Rapperport said. “We also have a lot of great captains that want us to succeed, so we’ll be able to work hard and get the results.” From the 2016 starting lineup, Rapperport and senior Jack Anderson are the two returning starters from last year’s seven players. The team will start two more

seniors, two juniors and one sophomore for this season. Last season the team reached the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament quarterfinals and achieved a second place finish in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL), where crosstown rival Henry M. Gunn High School defeated them.

Gunn also defeated both teams in leagues. “It was disappointing when we lost in triple overtime to Gunn in league championships, but we’re hoping to go undefeated in leagues [this year] which is fully possible,” Rapperport said. Head coach Aaron Johnson also conveys a similar goal for the team’s upcoming season.

“We’ve been working super hard from day one,” Johnson said. “Everybody has the same goal in mind, so it’s a pretty easy goal to work towards when everyone has the same thing in mind.” The boys are determined to go as far as possible in CCS as well as in leagues, according to Rapperport and Johnson. Johnson said his key play-

graduated seniors. “They just have a ton of experience between them,” Johnson said. “They’ve been playing together for a long time and they’re great leaders. There are also some young guys — some freshmen actually — that are showing some promise, one being Charles Mitz.” Johnson also said sophomore Dexter Gormley is an important player. “So we have a little bit of firepower coming in, especially from the younger side,” Johnson said. The team had its first game at Junipero Serra High School on Aug. 30. and were defeated 8-19. Their next game is at Los Altos against Los Altos High School at 6:45 p.m. on Sept. 7.

New coaches excited to bring fresh Tennis takes harder new league perspective to girls water polo team Girls varsity team to move up a divison with high hopes Varsity aims to prove its strength with a run at the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament

John Tayeri Staff Writer

fter an impressive run in last year’s Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament, the girls water polo team looks to have even more success with two new coaches. Deke Rowell will coach the junior varsity team ( JV) and Doug Stotland will coach varsity. Both coaches are familiar with the sport and, additionally, have daughters playing on the team.

“Winning that game made everyone realize how far we have come and how hard we have worked, and it was a positive reminder of our progress.” Deke Rowell Over the summer, Stotland started a summer program to get to know everyone and to begin the

road to becoming CCS champions. “I started the summer program about three weeks in, and Coach Doug had already created really strong relationships with the girls,” said junior and varsity player Grace Rowell. “A lot of people were excited about the abundance of passion he displayed for water polo and the increased player-coach communication he provided.” “Our goal is pretty straight forward,” Rowell said. “We’ve got 15 freshman on the team, and we want them to learn to love the game, learn how to play it and enjoy it. We also want to get these girls to the point where they’re competitive and ready to play on varsity.” The opening of the Peery Family Center has allowed the water polo teams to return to the pool at Paly. “The opening of the gym has definetly helped all the teams in terms of efficiency as well as relationships between all water polo players at Paly,” Rowell said. On the other hand, the varsity team will not be changing much. Nine seniors will return this year,

and many juniors will return as well. Chesnie Cheung, a sophomore who plays on varsity said, “We are losing two seniors who played vital roles on our team. Haley Chalmers was extremely fast and was a good player, and Joanna Falla, our goalkeeper from last year, left as well. I still think that we can exceed expectations and perform at a high level this year.” The varsity squad has already played three out-of-conference games this season. The girls won two of their three games, the last one being won 11-3 against Carlmont High School. “Winning that game made everyone realize how far we have come and how hard we have worked, and it was a positive reminder of our progress,” Rowell said. The girls hope to gain motivation from this year’s captains, and are optimistic for a great season. The captains this year include Hollie Chiao, Sabrina Hall, Sophie Frick and Talia Stanley, all of whom are returning seniors from last years girls water polo team.

Bernie Koen Staff Writer

or me being on the team has always been a second home,” said Paly girls tennis team co-captain Mailinh Truong. With the season set to begin, Truong is excited for more than just tennis competition, but also for the home that being on the team creates for her as well. The girls tennis team is entering the new season with hopes to continue of the success from their previous season. After winning the El Camino League last year, the team has now moved up to the De Anza League, the top league in the Central Coast Section (CCS). The team was in the De Anza League two years ago, where the team faced many obstacles. Nonetheless, senior captain Emma Cockerell is optimistic for the season, and said that the team can prevail. “When I was a sophomore, we were in [the De Anza] League as well, but we weren’t as well matched against [other teams],” Cockerell said. “I think this is the first year in a while that we have a chance to shine in the upper league.” This year, the team is bigger

“

JONATHAN STOSCHEK/THE CAMPANILE

Sophomore Claire Li returns a serve for a backhand crosscourt winner.

than previous years, with 17 players as opposed to the usual 10. Truong attributes much of these high hopes to the strong skillset of the incoming freshmen. “We’re really impressed with the amount of talent we’ve seen from the freshmen,” Truong said. The team is especially excited about the addition of one freshman, Madeleine Page. As of Sept. 3, Paige is ranked 174th in the nation. “She’s probably the best player on our team right now,” Truong said. According to Cockerell, Page was a lucky addition to the team.

“[Page] actually was originally going to go to Gunn, but ended up being able to come to Paly, so we feel really fortunate to have her on our team,” Cockerell said. Much of the hopes for the upcoming season can be attributed to the team’s recent success in singles competition, according to Cockerell. “We have really talented singles players from previous years,” Cockerell said. “Our singles and upper doubles will all be really solid.” The team has its league opener on Sept. 12 against Homestead High School.

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

SPORTS SPREAD

Text & Design by Kiran Misner

A DECADE OF P

March 2006 Jeremy Lin brings Paly basketball a CIF championship.

December 2010 Davante Adams leads to CIF championships

2006 June 2006 Jeremy Lin graduates from Paly to attend Harvard University.

June Davante Adams July 2010 scholarship to Jeremy Lin signs with Golden State Warriors.

Jeremy Lin

uring the winter of 2016-17, Palo Alto High School’s basketball team had a season that would be remembered for the ages. Filled with last minute victories, exciting plays and a California Central Section (CCS) championship to top it all off, the team gave students and fellow supporters something to be hyped about every time they stepped on the court. While many Paly students may see such a good athletic team as a novelty, it was just a few years ago that a point guard from Paly gave Viking basketball arguably its best season. Since he didn’t get any collegiate offers, one would assume Jeremy Lin was a good, but not great, high school basketball player. However, the stats and Paly’s run to the state championship show otherwise. Averaging 15.1 points, 7.1 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 5.0 steals, Lin led Paly to an impressive 32-1 season and a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division II state championship. The road to the championship wasn’t a lucky draw, either. Paly had to beat nationally-ranked and consistent powerhouse Mater Dei High School in the final. The cherry on top: Lin was named a finalist to 2006 Mr. Basketball State Player of the year, alongside current NBA colleagues James Harden and Ryan Anderson. And still, colleges slept on him. No National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I school offered Lin a scholarship. However, Lin’s outstanding academic record helped him get recruited at Harvard University. Impressive stats at Harvard brought some National Basketball Association (NBA) scouts to see him, but like college scouts, they slept on him. Lin went undrafted at the 2010 NBA draft and was eventually picked up by the Golden State Warriors. His unrelenting work ethic impressed, but Golden State still didn’t think Lin was a good fit for the team, so they dropped him. As the Warriors took him off the roster, the New York Knicks picked him up in free agency. And here was the beginning of an underdog story that not only Palo Altans, but also people everywhere recognize as one of sport’s most heartwarming stories. ‘Linsanity,’ as it was called, was the name for Jeremy Lin’s rise to stardom in 2012, as he made headline plays such as hitting a game-winner against the Toronto Raptors and scoring 38 points in an electrifying game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The New York Knicks, despite having a subpar season, were rejuvenated by Lin’s play and even ended up making the playoffs that year. Lin’s story took over the NBA, and with it, put Palo Alto in the spotlight. Linsanity and Lin’s solid play for the rest of the year got him a contract with the Houston Rockets. Sadly, Lin’s career has been set back by a number of injuries, and his stint in Houston has been followed by short moves to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Charlotte Hornets and the Brooklyn Nets. In following seasons, fans across the league hope he can return to the same glory and success that he had as a Viking and as a Knick.

Davant

n a tough season full of battles, the footba Championship, would either be accomplis the game on the line and less than a minute they should give the ball to. “Hike!” Quarterback Christoph Bono yelle step. He scoured the field for a receiver to throw going. From the 30-yard line, Bono threw a l crowd's eyes followed the ball as it dropped Adams,” the commentator said, barely audibl Adams’ touchdown would not only be the but woud also spark a State Division 1 Cham champions against Centennial High School. Fast forward through an outstanding care 19.0 touchdowns a year. With the 53rd pick i Adams. Hoping to bolster their oﬀense and gi sive weapon, Adams has flourished under his This season, Adams looks to raise his game 17 campaign, Adams totaled 12 touchdowns In fact, Adams is the only receiver in NFL reaching 1,000 yards on the season, emphasi receivers in the NFL. Even when Adams is producing on the fi tance of giving back to the community where Adams returned to Palo Alto High School to According to former Henry M. Gunn Hig experience was something that he’ll cherish fo “It’s just a great opportunity to be around h said in an interview with the Mercury Times. too. That was my favorite part.” Adams’ goal at the camp wasn’t just to tea player, but also to teach responsibility and ma “In the huddle, we were talking, and they take care of business,” said DJ Barnes, a mem For diehard Vikings fans, Adams’ catch in forever remember and his rise to the NFL ha Fame.

The Campanile

Friday, September 8, 2017

SPORTS SPREAD

PALY ATHLETES Paly football

April 2014 Green Bay Packers select Davante Adams.

e 2010 graduates with a July 2012 o Fresno State. Lily Zhang goes to London to compete in the Olympics.

ed as he snapped the ball and took a two- step drop

w to, but the whole crowd knew where the ball was long arcing spiral to the back of the end zone. The into the receiver’s hands. “Touchdown, Davante le over the crowd’s deafening voice. e game-winner for the 2010 CCS Championship, mpionship run, where the team would be crowned

eer as a Fresno State Bulldog, where he averaged in the NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers selected ive stud quarterback Aaron Rodgers another oﬀenfirst few seasons as a Packer. e to greater heights than last season. In the 2016and 997 yards. L history to catch 12 or more touchdowns without izing that Adams is one of the best scoring wide

field in Green Bay, he still recognizes the imporhis football career started. In the summer of 2016, o hold a football camp. gh School football player Hudson Alexander, the or a long time. him and the whole camp was a success,” Alexander . “It was great that we got to win a championship,

ach them about how to become better as a football aturity. were teaching us how to be men, be responsible, mber of the camp. n the corner of the endzone will be a moment we’ll as further cemented his spot in the Viking Hall of

Design by Leela srinivasan

July 2017 Lily Zhang wins U.S. National Table Tennis Championships.

2017 June 2014 Lily Zhang graduates Paly and moves on to attend the University of California, Berkeley.

te Adams

all team could taste victory. Its dream, the CCS shed or failed within the next few plays. So, with e left, the Vikings knew that there was only player

Lily Zhang

hile ping pong can be a game shared between friends as a cherished pastime, a game to escape daily life or even part of the intense focus of Paly’s Associated Student Body ping pong tournament, for Lily Zhang, table tennis is passion and career. Zhang’s father immigrated to the United States from China and brought along with him his passion for table tennis. This passion was instilled in his daughter, who started to play with the Palo Alto Table Tennis Club at age seven. A fast learner, Zhang picked up the game and improved under the tutelage of coach Dennis Davis. She quickly rose up the youth table tennis ranks, making the United States Cadet Team at age 12. A year later, Zhang made history by becoming the youngest player ever to be selected by the U.S. Women’s team and was ranked number two in the Women’s Junior Table Tennis rankings. In 2012, Zhang would face her biggest test yet. Known as the mecca of sports, the Olympic Games is an elite meeting spot for athletes of all kind, from soccer to swimming to javelin to table tennis. Zhang’s trip to the London Olympics had not been easy; she barely qualified for the United States team, taking the third and last spot after winning a crucial match against Canadian Anqi Luo in the North American Olympic Trials. However, a spot on the team is a spot on the team, and with a determined mindset, Zhang left for the London Olympics in the summer of 2012. Unfortunately, Zhang’s trip to London was cut short by a loss in the first round against Croatian Cornelia Molnar. No, she didn’t win gold, but making the Olympics was a testament her hard work and dedication. Persevering like the Viking she was, Zhang returned to the Olympics just a few years later; this time with a vengeance. Taking a gap year in 2015, Zhang set her goals on the Rio Olympics in 2016, specifically on improving from her last experience. Zhang came to play, winning her first match easily by a score of zero. While the second match came fatigue, Zhang was again able to pull out a win. Sadly, Zhang’s inexperience led to a third round loss, but she had finished as Team USA’s best competitor at the Olympics, a certain improvement from London 2012. Throughout high school, Zhang continued perfecting the art of table tennis while being just as active in school: she was a staﬀ writer for The Campanile and maintained good grades throughout. Zhang currently attends University of California, Berkeley and hopes to major in psychology. She said her life as both a table tennis player and a student can be a lesson for people of younger ages. “This shows juniors and kids that they don’t have to give up their passion,” Zhang said in an interview with SB Nation’s ‘California Golden Blogs'. “They can do both.” Zhang is currently training for the 2020 Olympics and holds the title of U.S Women’s National Champion in table tennis.

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

C6 SPORTS The rise of pre-collegiate basketball MLB’s dilemma High school basketball gains national attention with recruits dominating courts Player and umpire relations strained By Raj Lele

COURTESY OF ALL BLACK MEDIA

Foothills Christian point guard Jaylen Hands prepares to pass the ball during a game against Chino Hills, in which Foothills Christian lost.

By Navid Najmabadi

Staff Writer

oung stars have made high school basketball an increasingly popular activity. According to The National Federation of State High School Associations, 541,479 boys and 429,504 girls played on their high school basketball teams as in the US during the 2016-2017 season, an increase of 70,000 players over the course of five years. Additionally, many high school basketball teams have extreme local followings, more specifically on the West Coast and in the South. Lately, NBA superstars such as James Harden and Nick Young have attended games that high school students such as LaMelo Ball and Zion Williamson played in. Ball, a sophomore point guard for Chino Hills High School, has gained attention from media outlets like ESPN after dropping

92 points in a division one high school game. Throughout his freshman season at Chino Hills, Ball helped the team win the Open Division California state championship with the help of his brother Lonzo who recently was drafted by the Lakers and his other brother LiAngelo, who will be a freshman at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) this coming season. The Ball family also created their own “Big Baller Brand” due to all the attention attracted by the three boys. In his recent clash with Zion Williamson, the game was streamed on Facebook with over 120,000 viewers. According to SB nation, “The gym was so packed police officers had to barricade the doors and push back against a standingroom-only crowd that was reportedly filing in seven rows deep. Paly has also experienced the widespread attention towards basketball’s recent rise with varsity basketball player Marvin “Future” Zou saying the attention

on these young players motivates lesser known players like himself to improve. “I think it’s pretty cool how Melo has his own shoe brand because of all the drawn attention to him and is young and already famous,” Zou said. “I think it causes basketball players to take the next step and strive to be improve to become the next Zion Williamson.” University of Alabama student Collin Sexton is another player at the top of his class. A five star recruit, Sexton didn’t just make the National U-17 youth team, but he ended up winning MVP in his first ever international competition. He led the team with 17 points per game as the sixth man and set the single-season scoring record on Nike’s EYBL team that was coached by Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul. Fellow competitor Jaylen Hands plans to attend UCLA next year and spent the summer

playing ball with his High School, Foothill Christian averaging 12.6 points and 4.5 assists on the Adidas. Standing at 6’2”, Hands brings a solid skill set with the ability to score comfortably. Like Sexton, Hands played with USA Basketball’s U16 training camp and coaches said, “Hands looked good hitting shots off the catch and dribble, thrived in the pick and roll and stood out in his age group.” according to UCLA head coach Steve Alford. Paly Junior Wes Walters (‘19) says, “There has been a major change in atmosphere, at Palo Alto basketball games, the bleachers are filled with fans, and I think some of that credit is due to athletes such as Collin Sexton and Jaylen Hands.” The level of competition for high school basketball has drastically shot up given the opportunities to get college scholarships from top colleges and the desire to go professional according to junior Jacob Gullman (‘19).

Senior Staff Writer

n baseball, it’s common for a player or manager to dispute an issue on the field with the umpire. Over time, these relations have become increasingly tense. Whether it is Bob Melvin furiously spiking his hat to indicate where the ball crossed the plate or Bruce Bochy arguing that the ruling of an instant replay call was incorrect, players and coaches have always taken issue with umpires’ calls. Fans are always complaining, players and coaches have been frustrated, and as a result the war between players and umpires has further escalated. Umpires have become the villains of baseball. Recently, Detroit Tigers’ second baseman Ian Kinsler sent a few barbs along longtime umpire Angel Hernandez’ way. Kinsler said Hernandez is “ruining baseball games” and that “nobody wants [Hernandez] behind the plate.” While Kinsler could have criticized his officiating with more class, the fact that he called out an umpire and aired his grievances is a step forward. Players shouldn’t fall victim to criticism for voicing their opinions regarding an umpire’s performance. Too often do we see umpires abuse their power. Players are always under the scrutiny of fans, and now it is time for umpires to be subject to the same level of criticism because players have been taken advantage of far too many times. Athletes like Kinsler should not only be applauded but held up as role models, because if the MLB is making changes to many aspects of the game, it should focus on and strive for improving officiating quality more than anything. Umpires rarely get criticized aide from meaningless screaming matches on the diamond, and for players to make umpires aware of

their mistakes in a public setting, it will only make umpires better at their job. On the same token, umpires should start to express their feelings about players or managers more often. In early August, umpire Joe West expressed his distaste for batters’ approaches during at bats. According to USA Today, West called Texas Rangers’ Adrian Beltre the biggest complainer in baseball. “Every pitch you call that’s a strike, he [Beltre] says, ‘Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!’ West said. “I had a game with him recently, and the pitch was right down the middle. He tells me, ‘That ball is outside,’ “I told him, ‘You may be a great ballplayer, but you’re the worst umpire in the league. You stink.’” Although players, coaches, and umpires should start to voice their opinion more often, they should do so with much more diplomacy and grace. In non-professional games, that tends to be the case. Unlike MLB players, student-athletes on Palo Alto High School’s baseball team say they appreciate the work umpires put in and realize that umpires will make mistakes once in awhile, even if it does go against their team. According to senior and starting shortstop Max Jung-Goldberg, the umpires in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) don’t deserve to be scrutinized or verbally attacked by players because mistakes are human. “I honestly don’t worry about umpires,” Jung-Goldberg said. “If they make a bad strike or out call, it’s what they saw. They’re human. You have to live with their mistakes and not dwell on them. It’s not worth my time to argue with them, so I don’t really worry about it too much.” Jung-Goldberg’s feelings regarding umpires are shared by his teammates. Continued on thecampanile.org

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

SPORTS C7 Fantasy football tips: How to Freshman volleyball player dominate your competitors impresses in varsity debut By William Robins Staff Writer

he 2017-18 National Football League (NFL) season is fast approaching, which means one thing and one thing only: fantasy football is back. Whether you are a “fantasy veteran” or “virgin,” you’re going to need to have a successful draft in order to win. The following are a few picks to help you assert your dominance over your friends.

Sleepers Here are some stellar picks which will leave less-savvy league members in awe. Sleepers may not be household names, but don’t be surprised to see them rack up points throughout the season. Kareem Hunt, RB Kansas City Chiefs Hunt’s draft stock is on the rise as Spencer Ware, Kansas City’s former running back, tore his Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) during a preseason game against the Seahawks. With little competition, Hunt will be the “featured back” according to a press conference with head coach Andy Reid following Ware’s PCL injury. During his 2016 season at Toledo University, Hunt totalled 1878 yards rushing and averaged 6.2 yards per carry. Reid has confidence in Hunt, enough to establish him as one of the lead rushers and as a key part of the passing game as well. Hunt is currently a fantasy RB2 running back with RB1 potential. This means that Hunt should be drafted as your second best running back in the draft, but could become the number one back on your team. Due to Ware’s injury, Hunt is now being taken in the fourth round in typical fantasy drafts, so if he is one of your prime targets, you might want to draft him in the mid to late 3rd round. Devante Parker, WR Miami Dolphins In most leagues, Parker is cur-

rently being taken around the eighth round, which is a steal. He is being eclipsed by the shadow of Miami’s number one wide receiver, Jarvis Landry. This makes him a prime candidate of a major fantasy sleeper. During Miami’s second preseason game against Baltimore, Parker brought in two completions for a total of 78 yards. Post-game, Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler considered Parker a “faster Alshon [ Jeffery].” Last year when Cutler was a Chicago Bear, his favorite receiver to throw to was Jeffery. They had amazing chemistry together and Jeffrey had a huge impact on the team’s success of the team. Cutler has hinted that he hopes to get Parker a larger role in their offense, which gives Parker the potential to end the season as a top 15 wideout. If Parker outperforms Jarvis Landry, Miami’s current top wideout, his fantasy production will rise tremendously. In addition, if he stays healthy and continues his great offseason, he will be an excellent flex option/WR2 this year. Corey Coleman, WR Cleveland Browns Coleman had a solid start with Cleveland during his rookie season last year. During week two, he made his presence known his receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns against Baltimore. Days after the game, Coleman suffered a broken hand and didn’t come back until week nine. He stayed quiet until the end of the season, not receiving more than 41 yards in any game. While Coleman was injured, Cleveland’s passing scheme mostly featured wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, Sr. and tight end Gary Barnidge. But with the absence of both, Coleman now has the potential to a have a bigger impact on the offense. Depending on his health, and the outcome of Cleveland’s endless struggle to find a reliable quarterback,it is possible that Coleman could have a breakout season. He is a handy flex option if you are desperate, but he

should definitely be added to your bench as he is a solid backup. Break-Outs Some of these players have had mediocre seasons, but are likely to become fantasy stars this year. Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Winston is a favorable option if you’re willing to wait until the later rounds for a quarterback (which you should). Unless you’ve got you heart set on Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, two quarterbacks who significantly outperform the rest, the better play is to wait until the eighth round and pick up Winston. He’s been in the league for two years without much help on offense, but this year Tampa Bay snatched speedy wideout Desean Jackson from the Redskins. Mike Evans will likely remain the number one target in spite of the addition, but now that Winston has options, he will have far more success passing the ball. The only downside is Winston’s aggression and lack of accuracy. He threw 18 interceptions last year, the second most in the league. If Winston increases his vision and judgement, he could very well be a top 10 QB. Christian McCaffrey, RB Carolina Panthers McCaffrey was an great addition for the Panthers struggling offense. He was a Heisman Trophy runner-up at Stanford University and broke Barry Sanders’ all-purpose yards record of 3,250 yards. This stat proves his impact on offense rushing the ball and in the passing game. Carolina had a constant problem with its running scheme and Ron Rivera is looking to make McCaffrey the featured back over veteran Jonathan Stewart. Rivera’s choice to make McCaffrey the main running back on the team shows his lack of confidence in Stewart. McCaffrey had an impressive preseason and seems to be a workhorse in the backfield and far more importantly a solid addition to your fantasy squad.

SHANNON ZHAO/THE CAMPANILE

Trisha Razdan, a freshman at Palo Alto High School, is all smiles before her first game on varsity at Paly

By Shannon Zhao

Board Correspondent

ut of all the athletes competing in the fall season, Trisha Razdan is among the few freshman students who play on a varsity team. Radzan has played volleyball for a total of three years, first with “A team” spread across club teams Palo Alto Volleyball Club and then with Vision Volleyball. She has also played on the team during her three years at Jordan Middle School. Most “A team” athletes in middle school will continue on to play at a more rigorous and burdensome levels in high school, but the leap to higher level athletics can be intimidating for many freshman. Razdan said her transition from middle school to playing on the varsity team taught her about the vastly different levels of competitiveness when it comes to freshman versus varsity sports. “Paly volleyball is a whole

new ball game,” Razdan said. “It’s really inspiring to have the ability to play with girls older than me because it motivates me to work harder and get better.” Although both levels of rigor challenged Razdan in different ways, Razdan says middle school and club volleyball never gave her the opportunity to play with older and more competitive girls. Radzan said she hopes to continue to improve so one day she can be just as strong as the more skilled players on varsity.

“It’s always humbling to be able to play with such amazing girls, and I hope I can get to their level.’’ Trisha Razdan

Despite only being a freshman, Razdan said that she has plans to expand and grow her skills and athleticism into college volleyball.

Although it may seem like Radzan was destined to be a volleyball wunderkind, the athlete had previously played nine different sports, ranging from fencing to gymnastics, before finally settling on volleyball. “My mom’s philosophy was to let me try everything I was interested in and then decide on one to focus on,” Radzan said. During the school season, Razdan plays at least 10 hours of volleyball in addition to one to two hours of conditioning per week. The extensive training schedule during the club season varies slightly, with fewer hours of volleyball being interchanged with added hours of conditioning. Although volleyball is a full-time commitment and physically demanding, she said in the end, it is all worth it. Radzan said, “It’s always rewarding to play extremely well and to know the hard work you put in paid off.” .

855 El Camino Real, #157 Palo Alto

2100 El Camino Real, Palo Alto

(650) 326-9251

(650) 424-9000

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Campanile

SPORTS TEXT & DESIGN BY LEYTON HO

THE ATHLETIC:

DESIGN BY NOAH BAUM & RENEE HOH

CHALLENGING THE BIGGEST PUBLICATIONS IN SPORTS

im Kawakami didn’t need to uproot his career and leave the San Jose Mercury News job he had held for over a decade. He didn’t need to start unblocking a significant portion of the 8,873 Twitter users he had blocked since 2009. He is choosing to do so because he thinks he is part of a movement, a step in the evolution of sports writing. He believes in the vision of two young entrepreneurs with a business model and a goal of revolutionizing sports journalism. Kawakami is spearheading the Bay Area outlet of a revolutionary sports journalism start-up called The Athletic. For decades, sports journalism has been monopolized by power players such as ESPN and Sports Illustrated. Sports fans across the country subscribe to magazines and tune in to the most prominent cable channels. These methods of sports consumption are still big businesses, but have seen a decline in demand over the past couple of years. “I’ve been in newspaper my whole career and I’ve watched everything slide and slide for years,” Kawakami said in an email. “I’ve sat in the meetings where newspaper people have tried to convince ourselves that this isn’t coming to an end soon. I probably stayed too long.” Sports journalism behemoth ESPN is the most prominent example of the growing trend of sports fans turning to streaming services and You-

Tube for game highlights. According to “Business Insider,” ESPN has lost over 12 million subscribers in the past six years, and its viewership is steadily declining. In response to this decline, ESPN has been steadily laying off a significant number of employees to cut costs. In May, ESPN laid off 100 on-air personalities and analysts in a move that left many established journalists without work. Jon Greenberg, a former ESPN columnist laid off in December 2015, was one such employee. After a hiatus, Greenberg decided to join a group of writers to form the first outlet of a new subscription-based sports journalism website called The Athletic. The Athletic was built on the idea of targeting a local audience with high quality, ad-free writing. Greenberg headed this first outlet of The Athletic in Chicago, serving as the founding editor, and The Athletic has exploded from there. The brainchild of San Francisco-based entrepreneurs Alex Mather and Adam Hansmann, who are currently the CEO’s, The Athletic now boasts outlets in Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, Toronto, the Bay Area and Cleveland. The Bay Area outlet of The Athletic launched at the beginning of August and has already attracted many local sports writers. They are united by the common belief that The Athletic is a step ahead in sports journalism. Kawakami, the editorin-chief of the publication, is leading them forward. The subscription-based model of The Athletic marks a bold leap into

unexplored territory. The online sports journalism world is predominantly free, with online publications like SB Nation and Bleacher Report, as well as powerhouses like ES P N a n d Sports Illustrated off er ing free and accessible writing. “Our model is built on giving readers stories they cannot get at the free sites,” Kawakami said. “Is ESPN as locallycentric and as connected to the players, teams and community as we are at The Athletic Bay Area? I don’t think so. Does Bleacher Report have our level of writing? I would say there’s no chance.”

subscription costs $3.75 a week for the most basic package. According to Kawakami, the pay-to-read model of The Athletic hopes to capitalize on the rapid dec line of the newspaper industry. According to Pew R e search Center, the circulation of both print and digital versions of U.S. daily newspapers fell by around 8 percent in 2016, the 28th consecutive year circulation has decreased. “For most of the newspaper industry, it’s coming to an end,” Kawakami said. “The economics are unavoidable. But I also realized if we could just peel away what readers really want — the kinds of stories that will always be read — and we step away from the things that tie down the newspaper industry, then we’d still have something.” While Kawakami acknowledges some readers may be scared away by a paywall, he said The Athletic possesses a quality of writing that makes the fee worth it. “Some percentage of readers will always avoid the paywall and go to what’s free, " Kawakami said. "I understand that, it’s our responsibility to deliver things that you cannot — or will not, o n c e

“We’re reclaiming the right economic model, you pay for stories that are worth it.” Tim Kawakami

The Philosophy

he Athletic is designed to be a unique experience for its readers. One major selling point is the ease of the reader experience. The Athletic offers ad-free articles, pop-up autoplay videos and hidden content. It also claims to offer premium local content written by first-rate writers, with each outlet catering towards the passionate fanbase of local teams. Subscription costs $7.99 per month, or $30 for the first year. This fee may seem intimidating to many sports fans, but is seen in the broader news world. For comparison, a New York Times online

the free model is totally eroded, which is happening now — get anywhere else. People do pay for the paper that’s delivered to them. Giving this stuff away for free is a relatively new development. It has decimated our industry. We’re reclaiming the right economic model — you pay for stories that are worth it.” Having covered teams like Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers, the even year San Francisco Giants and the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, Kawakami knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level and said he sees the right pieces in place for The Athletic. “Organization, thoughtfulness, planning and funding — you can do this without maybe one of those things, but it wouldn’t be easy,” Kawakami said. “Heck, it’s not easy even with all of these things. But if you’ve got a resourceful, creative, patient blueprint, and you hire the right people, and you have the right expectations, you really have a shot. That’s The Athletic, right there. Right place, right time, definitely the right mindset.”

Early Promise

he Athletic, although still new, has already received major financial backing from investors, raising $2.1 million in a seed round near the beginning of 2017. According to CEO Alex Mather, each outlet of The Athletic needs around 2,000 subscribers per team covered (i.e. 49ers) to break even, a number that is feasible in big sports markets such as the Bay Area. According to partner Deepen Parikh

of Courtside Ventures, a main investor in The Athletic, the company has already brought in six figures of revenue. The Bay Area branch has received a positive reaction and is broadening out its full time staff. “The reception has been terrific,” Kawakami said. “I don’t know our exact subscription numbers right now, but I know my cofounders are extremely happy with the results so far, which means I’m happy.”

Future Goals

he Athletic is still in its incubation, but already has taken steps to ensure growth. A Philadelphia outlet is being unveiled in September, and features, such as college football coverage, are being launched. According to the Twitter account of the Chicago branch of The Athletic on Sept. 5, paid subscribers are greeted to the website with “You’ve successfully become a member of the fastestgrowing sports media outlet in the US and Canada.” The rapid growth The Athletic is experiencing makes it an intriguing alternative to the likes of ESPN and Sports Illustrated. Kawakami believes the growth will come from The Athletic's model: high quality, locally-oriented sports writing. “We want to be the staff that provides the stories you have to read if you want to know these teams, these players and this sports region,” Kawakami said. “I think we’re already on our way there.”