Issue 9, 4/28/2017

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

PAI D PALO ALTO PERMIT #44

The Campanile

Vol. XCIX, No. 9

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

Friday, April 28, 2017

Private student data temporarily leaked

Names, addresses and test scores of over 14,000 PAUSD students were publicly accessible NOAH BAUM

STAFF WRITER

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GRACE KITAYAMA

fter targeting Schoolzilla, a former data warehouse platform of the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD), a computer security researcher found the personal information of about 14,000 current and previous PAUSD students was exposed, as announced by the District last Thursday.

The information included students’ names, school ID numbers, addresses, dates of birth, genders, test scores and information about 504 plans. Additionally, the data included the names of some parents in the District, according to the District.

Along with a notification of the leak to all PAUSD families via email, families with information in the leak will receive a letter in the mail informing them of their situation.

California Law requires the District send the notice in the mail, according to Derek Moore, the District’s Chief Technology Officer.

"This is a very unfortunate and serious mistake that [Schoolzilla] made, but they have been very forthcoming — even telling us the mistake was made."

Derek Moore PAUSD Chief Technology Officer The District decided to enact the regular data breach protocol because the security researcher who accessed the unsecured data, Chris Vickery, was not commissioned to access the data by either the District or Schoolzilla, according to Moore.

Vickery said in a blog post that

One Acts to feature six student plays STAFF WRITER

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1.3 million students had information that was exposed during his targeting of Schoolzilla. Schoolzilla secured the information soon after Vickery reported it, the company said.

Vickery said in his blog post that the “sheer volume” of student information he accessed convinced him to purge it from his storage in an “expedited fashion.” MacKeeper Security describes Vickery’s role as assisting companies in “plugging serious data exposure vulnerabilities.”

Schoolzilla confirmed to the District that the only external user in their past data logs was Vickery, ac-

Sex ed curriculum sparks controversy

cording to Moore.

The District also said in a letter to parents that Vickery provided a sworn affidavit to Schoolzilla declaring he had deleted all of the data he accessed in the incident.

Social Security Numbers, California ID numbers and driver’s license numbers were not exposed in the breach as PAUSD does not collect the any of the said information from families, according to the District.

According to Moore, Schoolzilla informed the District about the breach later than other users of the platform because PAUSD no lon-

ger uses the company’s services and Schoolzilla did not intend to still have the District’s student data.

“It wasn’t until [Schoolzilla] did further research that they figured out our data was still exposed there,” Moore said.

Schoolzilla was supposed to delete the District’s student data after PAUSD terminated its contract with the company in May 2016.

“This is a very unfortunate and serious mistake that [Schoolzilla] made,” Moore said. “But they have DATA BREACH

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tudents are in the early stages of producing and directing their very own one-act performances as Palo Alto High School’s theater department readies for its final production of the year. This year’s One Acts showcase will feature six unique plays, all of which are student produced and directed.

Instead of a single long production that takes several months to prepare for, One Acts are several smaller shows created so students can participate in a low-stress production at the end of the year.

“I’m excited to see all the different variety of shows ranging from really funny shows to more dramatic ones,” said junior Sam Kim. The One Acts productions are generally favored in the Paly Theatre Department because they give students the opportunity to try different aspects of theater that they would not otherwise have tried.

“It’s really inclusive and it’s a really great time to go outside your comfort zone,” Kim said. “I know a lot of actors that are working lights and sound and just the technical aspects of the show while there’s actually a lot of [stage technicians] here that are acting. It also allows students the chance to produce and direct shows.”

Junior Emily Zhang is going out of her comfort zone for One Acts by doing multiple stage jobs for the production.

“I’m doing both acting and tech A3

ONE ACTS

ASB hosts annual volleyball tournament Paly's most popular intramural sport entertains students on the quad

Parents protest "vulgar" new program reforms RENEE HOH

STAFF WRITER

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petition against the newly implemented sex education curriculum in the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) middle schools garnered 1,600 signatures both online and in-person in regard to the potentially explicit and age-inappropriate content. The petition was presented to the PAUSD Board members at the District Board meeting on April 18.

The petition cites the “age and cultural inappropriateness” of the curriculum in highlighted excerpts of the Health Connected program, Teen Talk for seventh graders.

“The petition had a lot of misleading information and parts of the curriculum taken out of context and didn’t have all the information necessary, which may have alarmed some parents."

Laura Prentiss PAUSD Parent Additionally, the petition states the curriculum promotes risky behavior such as underage drinking, drug use and increased students’ curiosity in sexual activities.

The topic was discussed during the open forum portion of the board meeting. Over 20 individuals, ranging

INSIDE

News....................................A1-A4 O pi n i on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A 5 - A 7 E d it or i a l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A 8 Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B1-B3, B6-B8 Spotlight...............................B4-B5 Sp or t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C 1 - C 5 , C 8 Sports Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C6, C7

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Check us out at www.thecampanile.org

from community members to parents to students, spoke for or against the new sex education curriculum.

Parents opposed to the new curriculum argue that the scenarios, which include real teenager’s experiences with sex, may be insensitive to cultural values, contain explicit descriptions of oral, anal and vaginal sex and feature 14- to 18-year-olds rather than the target audience of seventh graders.

“People from different cultural backgrounds have different values they use to raise their children,” said Farha Andrabi Navaid, a PAUSD parent. “In order to teach sex education we do not have to use material which might be considered vulgar in certain cultural or religious viewpoints.”

Other individuals spoke out in favor of Health Connected program and how PAUSD has addressed the issue of sex education.

“The petition had a lot of misleading information and parts of the curriculum taken out of context and didn’t have all the information necessary, which may have alarmed some parents,” said PAUSD parent Laura Prentiss. “I think the program itself is very good and very necessary.”

Parents in favor of the program also argue the real world scenarios provide students with clearer and more realistic viewpoints about sex.

SEX EDUCATION

NEWS

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PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

Students prepare to return the ball in the annual Associated Student Body Spring Volleyball Tournament on the quad at lunch.

SHANNON ZHAO

STAFF WRITER

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alo Alto High School's most popular intramural sport tournament drew an impressive crowd this past week.

ASB presented the fourth annual Spring Volleyball Tournament that took place on April 24-28 on the quad during lunch time.

Kasra Orumchian, ASB Sports Commissioner, encouraged all students to come out and cheer on the teams.

As a participant himself last year, Orumchian learned that having a large audience when playing is very motivating.

“I'm confident that with the amount of teams participating, the audience size will grow as well,”

DAN DELUCA/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED

LIFESTYLE

Orumchian said.

This year’s tournament experienced a major upset. Just on the first day the 2016 champions, the Dab Daddies, lost during the first round.

The level of competition on the courts rose higher when compared to last year.

A particular team that gained attention quickly within the first few days of the tournament is Team24, primarily a YMCA basketball team.

However, they expanded their horizons and served as the tournament's underdogs.

“We came in nervous, we heard they had game,” said junior Team 24 member Ole Erikson. “But we competed and were able to pull out a big win. It feels as if we got the best chemistry in the tournament.”

Each team was allowed up to eight

PALY SJP/USED WITH PERMISSION

SPORTS

Sports and Social Justice pathways graduate their first seniors.

An in-depth look at the team that almost won it all.

The importance of sleep

The road less travelled

PAGE A2

PAGE B1

PAGES B4-B5

Giving up down time comes at a much greater cost than most think.

KAI ODA/THE CAMPANILE

SPOTLIGHT

Vicente Fox speaks at Paly

Former Mexican president discusses the importance of unity.

members with a quorum of six members.

The only requirements was that each team had to include at least one underclassman and one upperclassman. Teams also could not consist of more than five players from the same grade or more than one varsity player per team.

ASB posted online and used oncampus publicity to acquire participants early on.

Volleyball nets were set up two weeks prior to the tournament to promote the event. The top three winning teams received gift cards to various businesses, worth $20, $15 and $10 dollars.

The team brackets were chosen randomly and posted outside the Student Activities Office, on Schoology and on ASB Social Media.

Paly basketball 2017 PAGE C8

The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017

A2 NEWS TO KNOW

NEWS

Former Mexican President speaks in MAC Vicente Fox promotes unity among all races and attacks Trump's wall and policies NICK MELVIN

STAFF WRITER

NOAH BAUM

STAFF WRITER

CHUCK KENNEDY/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED

@ABC Former Pres. Obama says he hopes to help inspire the younger generation to get more involved in civic engagement.

@ABCWorldNews Senate votes 87-11 to confirm the nomination of Sonny Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture.

@BBCBreaking Marine Le Pen says she’s stepping aside as leader of far-right National Front party as she seeks French presidency

@nytimes “They starve you. They shock you”: Gay men in Russia are being lured into weeks of government torture

MARCO CASTRO/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED

@AJENews Former Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad disqualified from next month’s presidential election, state media reports

@AFP Russia became the world’s third largest military spender in 2016, while the US remained the top spender

@ABCWorldNews Thousands of scientists worldwide take to the streets to protest what they say are mounting attacks on science

@BBCWorld North Korea “ready to sink” US aircraft carrier, state media says.

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ormer President of Mexico Vicente Fox visited Palo Alto High School on April 17 to share his insights with the Palo Alto community.

Throughout the presentation, which was mainly comprised of a question-and-answer panel, Fox took a stance that revolved around the ideals of unity and togetherness.

“It’s very important to work together,” Fox said. “It’s not just one America and one great American. It has to be a great world, it has to be a great Earth.”

When the discussion turned to the topic of the recent election of Donald Trump, Fox had strong opinions to share with the audience. “[Trump] and those who support him are making the same mistake [as those who voted for Brexit],” Fox said.

However, Fox does not believe that Trump’s term will have any significant effect on relations between the U.S. and Mexico.

“In the end, my opinion is that he will not affect a relationship that has been built, for such a long time, with such a great sacrifice, with so much work,” Fox said. “That cannot be destroyed. The bridges have been built a long time ago. We share friendship.”

However, while not concerned about the wellbeing of bridges, Fox was concerned about a different type of structure: walls.

“That wall, that f-ing wall that we are not going to pay for, we Mexicans, that is going to cost you United States citizens $35 billion,” Fox said. “With $35 billion, you could create immediately 10 million U.S. jobs with the further consequence of more and more jobs.”

Parodying Trump's famous campaign slogan, Fox called out walls, claiming that America needs to keep its doors open to immigrants, who technically and culturally have so much offer the country.

“Building walls is not the answer, that is certain,” Fox said. “Not accepting refugees is not the answer. We human beings were created with brains, with intelligence… I don’t think to make America great again you have to close the door.”

Fox reminded the audience the importance of the individual in any democracy.

“Building walls is not the answer, that is certain. Not accepting refugees is not the answer. We human beings were created with brains, with intelligence I don’t think to make America great again you have to close the door.’’

Vicente Fox Former President of Mexico “The world belongs to humanity, not to individuals, not to single people. We all have to be active in politics — no president can hold your dreams.

My political godfather used to say we

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

Vicente Fox speaks to a crowd of students, parents and engaged community members.

should have as much society, as much community and as much citizenship as possible and that the least government. It is people that move nations, it is people with their everyday work, learning and decision making that build the world. It is not institutions.”

In the panel, Fox also touched on other controversial topics, such as climate change. “[Climate change] is absolutely a mandatory issue to take care of,” Fox said. “Today it is proven that you can grow at a fast pace and still protect the environment, and I think that’s the way we should go.”

Fox also reminded the audience of

Program introduces mental health services Children’s Health Council to focus on youth counseling for anxiety and depression ALLISON WU

STAFF WRITER

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n May 8, Palo Alto’s Children’s Health Council (CHC) will debut its newest branch, the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), which will focus on aiding teenagers struggling with depression or anxiety.

The IOP will use a variety of therapeutic methods, including mindful movement and family therapy, to provide comprehensive support and treatment for high schoolers, specifically those with high levels of anxiety, selfesteem problems, suicidal thoughts and histories of self-harm.

“The goal of the IOP is to meet the needs of the community — of Palo Alto and also of the greater Bay Area,” said Jennifer Leydecker, a licensed marriage and family therapist and primary clinician at the IOP. “There are adolescents struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, and [the IOP] is definitely needed because there are

few resources for higher-level needs in the Bay Area.”

The outpatient program is the first of its kind to open in Palo Alto.

While there are other IOPs and teenage mental health facilities in the Bay Area, they concentrate mostly on substance abuse; this IOP will primarily target combatting depression, anxiety and threats to harm.

“There are teens in the area who need more help,” said Lynette Hsu, head of adolescent mental health at the CHC and medical director of the IOP. “There are many with severe depression, difficulty with chronic suicidal thoughts and self injury behaviors.”

Students who meet the threshold of symptoms for higher-level therapy will be referred to the IOP through their school counselors, therapists or hospital staff. Patients will include both those coming straight out of residential hospital programs as well as teens coming from a once-a-week therapy session schedule who need a

step up to higher degrees of treatment.

“A lot of the things we see when people struggle with severe depression is that it affects your functioning in many parts in your life,” Hsu said. “They will probably need help academically, with family conflicts or might be having problems with friends and do not know of strategies of how to cope with how they feel.”

“There are teens in the area who need more help. There are many with severe depression, difficulty with chronic suicidal thoughts and self injury behaviors.”

Lynette Hsu Medical Director of the IOP At the IOP, therapists will use dialectical behavioral therapy as their main curative tactic. Dialectical behavioral therapy focuses on improving the mindset of those with severe mood difficulties and suicidal thoughts, and

Study on downtown parking suggests support for parking meters CLAY WATSON

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owntown Palo Alto is known for its diverse assortment of restaurants, and retail stores, but as the area continues to attract more people, it is becoming increasingly characterized as a difficult place to find parking.

During the study’s outreach, Some business owners “expressed their concern that paid parking may discourage people from visiting downtown because there are other nearby shopping destinations with free parking.''

In response to this issue, the city of Palo Alto funded a study conducted over several months that looked at parking habits. The results of the study were released on April 11 and are expected to heavily influence the City Council who are looking to impose changes regarding parking downtown over the next several months.

Most notably, visitors of downtown Palo Alto should expect to have to start paying for parking spots as

the study suggests the implementation of parking meters throughout all downtown areas. This would mean replacing the time restrictions on parking currently in place, with monetary incentives, both giving parkers more flexibility and generating income for the city.

In addition, the study further looked to address congestion in Palo Alto by suggesting the implementation of programs aimed at reducing reliance on private automobiles. The Palo Alto Transportation Management Association (PATMA) is a nonprofit organization tasked with this goal. While a clear course of action is decided on, the PATMA will likely receive a portion of the parking revenue in efforts to fund a find a way to reduce automobile reliance in Palo Alto.

The study suggests a three-tiered system that would break up the downtown and surrounding areas into separate zones with different rates. Rates will likely vary between $1.50 and $2.50 per hour.

The overall goal of this study was to find ways to make going to downtown Palo Alto a more efficient experience.

In trying to make further improvements to parking in the future,

the study suggests a system that would track the times each parking spot is taken throughout the day. This information could be used to alter pricing of meters in efforts to respond to certain areas being empty and others being full.

During the study’s outreach, some business owners “expressed their concern that paid parking may discourage people from visiting downtown The study suggests a three-tiered system that would break up the downtown and surrounding areas into separate zones with different rates. because there are other nearby shopping destinations with free parking.”

The study states that, “While this may be true for some consumers, there is a segment of the population that may be more likely to go downtown and pay for parking if it means that parking is easier and quicker to find,” the study continues, “it is important to recognize that parking is a limited and expensive resource, especially in a vibrant downtown like Palo Alto, and paid parking can help maximize this resource through strategic rate structure and technology enhancements.”

involves work around mindfulness and changing behavior.

“One of the core skills we will be working with is how to not think so black and white, which means seeing the gray area around things and recognizing that things aren’t always good or bad,” Leydecker said. “There are positive, negative and neutral aspects.”

The IOP will consist of two main therapists that will run the program, an educational specialist and an occupational therapist. Currently, the staff is working in consultation with dialectical behavioral therapy specialists and putting together a curriculum in preparation for its premiere in the beginning of May. Patients at the program will work with therapists every week from Monday to Thursday, and will participate in a spectrum of activities, ranging from individual therapy to multi-family skills groups, where patients and their families will build healthy, proactive skills and address issues that arise within each family in productive ways.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Palo Alto considers parking measures SENIOR STAFF WRITER

the most important trait of a leader, one that he believes everyone possesses.

“The only successful and transcendent leadership is compassionate leadership, all other types will fail,” Fox said. “It happened to Napoleon, it happened to Hitler. When you don’t have a good cause, when you don’t have the right cause you don’t transcend.”

Fox closed with a point about the importance of being able to make change.

“Make things happen,” Fox said.

“That’s the real challenge to most everything. Ideas come and go, but they are not happening.”

MAY

MANDATORY FRESHMAN ASSEMBLY

MAY

ONE ACTS SHOWCASE

MAY

SJP CAPSTONE TALKS

MAY

LAST SENIOR ADVISORY

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6

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MAY

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Assembly wins award for most absences at a mandatory event.

It’s like a play, but so much better.

The culmination of four years spent triggering the Alt-Right.

Nope.

FIELD DAY

Yup.

The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017

NEWS A3 Palo Alto undergoes seismic danger evaluation Risk assessment study reveals that Palo Alto’s infrastructure would be severely impacted by a major quake PHILIP ERICSSON

STAFF WRITER

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he danger of being located on the tectonic boundary which forms the San Andreas Fault between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate is an issue that should concern residents of Palo Alto as another massive earthquake is imminent.

A recent risk assessment done for the City of Palo Alto shows that an earthquake would devastate the infrastructure of our city.

Altering building codes could be a vital step in protecting against an earthquake that is expected to hit in the next 30 years.

The study included tax-assessor files, GIS data and Fire Department surveys which were used to collect data on over 2,300 buildings in Palo Alto.

According to experts using new mathematical models of predicting large earthquakes, Northern California has a staggering 99 percent chance of having a magnitude 6.7 earthquake or higher within the next 30 years. A quake of this magnitude requires major planning and care

COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

According to the study, University Ave in Palo Alto would experience heavy damage if a large earthquake were to hit the city.

throughout all neighborhoods in the Bay Area, including Palo Alto.

Experts largely agree that earthquakes of terrible magnitude happen once a century. The massive San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was of a 7.8 magnitude on the Richter Scale and caused severe damage all around the Bay Area.

Even the significantly smaller earthquake of 1989 (6.9 magnitude) caused severe damage, including 67

deaths and the collapse of the Bay Bridge.

The fault lines running over San Francisco pose a huge danger to people living in the Bay Area, and a potential earthquake could cause more loss in damages and human lives than Hurricane Katrina.

“The longer a fault, the larger an earthquake it can produce, and if the Hayward and Rodgers Creek faults went together along their entire

length, it would cause up to a magnitude 7.4,” said US Geological Survey (USGS) geophysicist Janet Watt in an interview with CBS News.

If an earthquake of this magnitude hits the Bay Area, it would likely cause around $2.4 billion in damage and devastate more than 200 buildings. The types of buildings in Palo Alto range from wood-frame homes to newer buildings with concrete shear walls. A major earthquake

Newly implemented sex education Sensitive Updated curriculum’s “insensitive” content causes controversy CONTINUED FROM A1

“If we are not presenting a balanced, accurate and healthy education around sex, our kids will have warped perspectives of what is appropriate and what is not appropriate behavior,” Prentiss said.

The new curriculum was introduced as a result of the California Healthy Youth Act, which calls for school districts to implement material addressing all modes of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV prevention and gender identities and orientations; the act became effective on January 2016.

Health Connected, a nonprofit based in Redwood City, provides PAUSD with curriculum intended to teach the topics required by state law through its program Puberty Talk for fifth graders.

Teen Talk for seventh graders, according to PAUSD Communications and Community Engagement Officer Jorge Quintana.

The district’s relationship with Health Connected began when the non-profit provided support to PAUSD living skills classes, which includes a high school-level sex education unit.

“Selecting Health Connected to provide elementary and middle school sexual health information allows for K-12 alignment in the district and continuity for our students and families,” Quintana said.

At both Terman and JLS, where the programs have been completed, the opt out rate was approximately one percent.

The district notified parents of the new curriculum after it was chosen.

“The content was fully vetted by our school principals and our chief academic officers,” Quintana said.

“Parent meetings were offered at each middle school this year, and interactive parent education sessions were also offered by the district.”

California Law, PAUSD and Health Connected all give families the right to opt out their students from the programs. At both Terman and JLS, where the programs have been completed, the opt out rate was approximately one percent.

The opt out numbers for Jordan have not yet been released as the program is currently ongoing, according to Superintendent Max McGee.

However, parents against the Health Connected program emphasize that they want their children to be educated in the subject of sex education, just not using the aforementioned programs.

“Opting out is not an option we are seeking,” Navaid said. “We want [students] to be educated, but we also want to adopt a measure which is sensitive to all cultures and religious values, the diversity that we like to boast about in PAUSD. Let’s embrace that diversity and the responsibilities that come with it.

Parents opposed to the Teen Talk program are pushing for more parent input in the selection of a new sex education program and the ability to work with the Board to make changes to the current curriculum.

Parents feel as if it is also their responsibility to decide what their kids are learning.

“The school district will survey teachers … students and parents,” Quintana said. “District staff will present the results of the survey to the Board of Education along with recommendations for revising the program, replacing it with a new one… or developing either an in-house or hybrid model drawing.”

data leaks CONTINUED FROM A1

been very forthcoming — even telling us the mistake was made.”

In an email sent to parents the District said, “We are continuing to dialog with our vendors regarding the implementation of safeguards to protect your personal information.”

Social Security Numbers, California ID numbers and driver’s license numbers were not exposed in the breach as PAUSD does not collect any of such information from families, according to the District.

The email also said the District has reported the incident to the California Attorney General. Additionally, PAUSD has contacted the US Department of Education’s Privacy Technical Assistance Center for “further guidance.”

“We have been taking those steps,” Moore said. “However, because of this incident we’re also ... going above and beyond.”

would completely wipe out the older homes in Palo Alto, most of which were built prior to 1970. However, an earthquake of a 7.9 magnitude would also cause extensive damage to the new buildings.

Despite more advanced materials, the newer buildings use a “tilt-up” construction method where concrete is poured into the ground, cured and lifted. This method creates ground that is susceptible to earthquakes.

Palo Alto could follow cities like San Francisco or Berkeley which have revised their building codes to prevent their cities from being completely demolished by the “Big One.” Following their building codes would result in changes to soft-story buildings, which have large open spaces where walls would usually be required for stability, and other vulnerable building types.

However, the city would have to decide whether to mandate that buildings in danger be changed or whether to simply make suggestions to change. They would also have to set a time frame in which the owner of the building would have to make the required improvement, and decide which buildings would be changed.

One Acts

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stuff. So that means I’m acting and I’m doing hair and makeup,” Zhang said.

The Department also enjoys producing One Acts because of the lowstress environment that surrounds production of the show.

“I think [One Acts] probably gets bigger turnouts because it’s not the same amount of massive commitment that doing a whole show is,” sophomore Anna Hetterly said. “It’s less prep time and stage time but you still get the whole fun theater experience.”

Though One Acts has been an annual tradition, this year’s production marks the first year that the show will be held in Paly’s new Performing Arts Center, which offers more space and better acoustics.

“In past years, the Haymarket did get a little crowded because ... there are many groups performing,” Zhang said. “The new theater’s just going to give us a lot more space so a lot more people can come see it. [One Acts are] pretty popular. So the space is going to be great to work with.”

One Acts will be performed May 4, 3 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults.

Second opportunity for Paly athletes to sign letters of intent to colleges Many Paly athletes who plan to play on a varsity sports team in college got a second chance to participate and sign officially EHECATL RIVERA

STAFF WRITER

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any students dream of continuing athletics at the collegiate level. On April 19, 14 Palo Alto High School senior athletes were honored for their engagement in collegiate athletics at the annual Spring Signing Day in the Media Arts Center.

The Spring Signing Day Ceremony, usually held in the spring, is a ceremony held to honor those athletes who did not make decisions as rapidly as those who signed in February. It allows for a later signing of a Letter of Intent for a sport listed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

The event was organized by the Paly Athletic Director Kathi Bowers, who opened up the event by speaking on the importance of supporting student athletics and later talked about

MALCOLM SLANEY/FAIR USE

Kent Slaney (who will be running track and cross country at MIT) in a track race.

continuing success in both the classroom and on the field.

“We wish these athletes continued success and happiness at the next

level,” stated Bowers. “We look forward to following your careers and we hope that you will come back and visit often.”

For some, the signing was more ceremonial since some of the athletes had already signed their letters of intent prior to the event. The list included sports ranging from wrestling to baseball to water polo.

The list of athletes include Seth Goyal (George Mason University), Marion Sellier (Brown University), Jared Stanley (Bucknell University), Michel-Ange Siaba (Humboldt State University), Sarah Aguilar (Menlo College), Benjamin Beaudry (Rochester Institute of Technology), Ryan Chang (Grinnell University), Lauren Koyama (New York University), Maya Lathi (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Spencer Morgenfield (California Institute of Technology), Naveen Pai (Carnegie Mellon University), Kent Slaney (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Emma van der Veen (Pomona College) and Jessica Wu (Wellesley College). Following the naming of all the athletes,

they all signed their Letters of Intent to their respective colleges in unison and took a group photo.

Seth Goyal, who will be attending George Mason University for wrestling, stated that for him, athletic recruitment did not help him too much in terms of admissions. Nonetheless, he was still excited to be given the opportunity to play his sport at the collegiate level.

“In terms of aiding college acceptance I hoped it would provide an alternate pathway to get in,” Goyal said. “Surprisingly, I didn’t even need it because my grades and test scores were enough but it was good to get recruited too.”

Students acknowledge that balancing athletics and academics in college will be difficult.

“It will be a struggle like high school and will require a lot of planning and excellent time management,” Goyal said.

Friday, April 28, 2017

The Campanile

A4 NEWS Cubberley in need of updates District tackles Construction of multi-purpose community center remains stalled programs offer music and dance performances, language classes and child care, as well as religious, cultural and wellness services.

And yet the call for a concerted effort to better utilize the space and modernize the current infrastructure of the Cubberley site has been suggested for decades. An unimplemented master plan devised in the early 1990s highlighted the lack of air conditioning, high maintenance costs and poor use of space within the Cubberley buildings — critiques that are still very much relevant as of today.

PALO ALTO PULSE/FAIR USE

Palo Alto residents are now calling for better utilization of the community center.

TRISTAN WANG

STAFF WRITER

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our years have passed since the city-appointed Cubberley Community Advisory Committee released a comprehensive report urging the City of Palo Alto and Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) to develop a joint-use plan for the Cubberley site. The report highlighted the potential of accommodating a multipurpose community center as well as a third public high school. Yet there is still no sign of the needs assessment it recommended as the “crucial” first step in the process.

On March 9, 2016, PAUSD superintendent Max McGee and Palo Alto City Manager Jim Keene signed the “Cubberley Futures” compact, committing to a “collaborative effort and a creative design process” for the shared space. But the road map promised for last fall has still not been produced, and no concrete plans of what to build on the site have been made.

The Cubberley plot was originally the site of Ellwood P. Cubberley High School. Opened in 1956, it was eventually closed in 1979 in response to declining enrollment and decreased

revenues following Proposition 13, a state initiative to limit property taxation. As of now, the school District owns 27 acres at Cubberley and the city owns the remaining 8 acres, with the lease between the school district and the city expiring in less than three years.

The call for a concerted effort to better utilize the space and modernize the current infrastructure of the Cubberley site has been suggested for decades.

In the fall of 2016, Foothill College, the largest tenant of Cubberley since 1984, vacated a 39,000 squarefoot rented plot by relocating its satellite campus to Sunnyvale. Ever since, Cubberley has served as a temporary home for a number of local organizations undergoing renovation, like the Mitchell Park Library, Avenidas and, in the near future, the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo. A wide variety of organizations also utilize the site. Children’s sports camps host weekly practice sessions and the Friends of Palo Alto Library conduct monthly book sales. Other

Many of the community organizations currently renting at Cubberley offer important services and would find it difficult to relocate elsewhere in the city.

As of today, it is generally agreed that the school district will not consider the Cubberley site for a high school in the foreseeable future.

However, debate over how to best utilize the plot remains tediously inconclusive. Many of the community organizations currently renting at Cubberley offer important services and would find it difficult to relocate elsewhere in the city. Calls for using the site for affordable housing, which dominates the city’s current political agenda, are also under consideration.

It will be extremely difficult for the various parties to come to a mutual consensus. A task list for this project will likely include a robust needs assessment with community input, a creative design charrette, a strong implementation team and affordable financing. All must be undertaken before the construction plan can be executed. Despite the difficulties, some regard the failure to complete the project as a reflection of poor city management regarding an important community resource.

budget problems Budget shortage puts programs in jeopardy

AVI TACHNA-FRAM

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

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fter much public discourse as to the proper route to solve Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD)’s $3.9 million budget shortfall, staff have proposed some specific line items to cut.

Three potential lists of budget cuts were proposed, one list (List A) showing proposed cuts, another (List B) showing potential cuts and a third (List C) showing cuts not currently being recommended.

However, due to a proposed cut that received blowback from members of the public and a renewed commitment to end meetings by the established 10 p.m. time, many potential cuts were not discussed.

“When we are talking about the work that this role has played in mentoring artists who don’t necessarily have the pedagogical knowledge of what is appropriate or relevant that’s where I get concerned.’’

Jennifer DiBrienza Board Member With the Elementary Arts Coordinator Sharon Ferguson retiring, staff saw an opportunity to make cuts by consolidating her position with the Music Coordinator position. This proposal drew the criticisms of many people in attendance.

“Our kids come into middle school having been trained in the elementary program by the SPECTRA art teachers, fostered by the leadership of the person in [the Arts Coordinator] position,” said Paul Gralin, a Jordan Middle School arts teacher. “It is absolutely crucial that that person is a visual arts person with content specific knowledge about what they are

doing in that area.”

All five Board members listened to the public’s complaints and opposed the proposition.

“If this were a question of scheduling or paperwork, then [we could consolidate the positions], but when we are talking about the work that this role has played in mentoring artists who don’t necessarily have the pedagogical knowledge of what is appropriate or relevant that’s where I get concerned,” said Board member Jennifer DiBrienza.

“Our kids come into middle school having been trained in the elementary program by the SPECTRA art teachers, fostered by the leadership of the person in [the Arts Coordinator] position. It is absolutely crucial that that person is a visual arts person.’’

Paul Gralin Jordan Middle School Art Teacher Also in question is a proposal to cut the $375,000 set aside to hire more teachers in case of higher than expected enrollment at the high schools for the 2017-18 school year.

Some question this proposal as class sizes are expected to increases at the high schools over the next four years.

Board member Todd Collins proposed dipping into the reserve fund that the Board had previously set aside for opening a new school, a proposal that the Board has since rejected.

“There is going to be so much pressure on class sizes and we’re never going to know the exact enrollment numbers before August or September,” Collins said. “There’s always going to be pressure and it’s going to be easier to let those class sizes slip up.”

The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017

OPINION A5 Armenian Genocide: a gap in Paly's curriculum BYRON ZHANG

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STAFF WRITER

n an effort to remove the Mount Davidson Cross, a monument in San Francisco, two TurkishAmerican organizations filed lawsuits that the United States Supreme Court ultimately denied in 2004. The reason was that the cross was bought to commemorate the Armenian Genocide, a genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire in 1915, and has since then been denied by the Turkish government.

Between 1915 and 1923, the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire was systematically destroyed on orders from the Turkish leadership.

Approximately 1.5 million Armenians, or more than half of the entire Armenian population, were annihilated with all their property seized, according to the Genocide Education Project.

Due to the Turkish government’s denial, all who spoke about the genocide were silenced. Hrant Dink, an Armenian newspaper editor in Turkey, was assassinated in 2007 for recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Even European countries’ governments have been concerned about “dig[ging] out the truth” because Turkey currently plays an important international role.

The scale of the injustice of not teaching this event is tremendous, denying 1.5 million deaths and confiscation of all the personal and community properties of the Armenians.

“In Europe, they’ve never heard about, never talked about [the Armenian Genocide], until I heard it from someone here [in the United States],” said Lenci Farkas, a Holocaust survivor who was born in 1923, around the time of genocide.

Farkas indicated that the U.S. was one of the first countries informed of the Armenian Genocide. However, the U.S. Congress has not officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. Every time it was voted on, the Turkish government protested, and the resolution

was tabled. Although the legislative branch was unable to recognize the occurrence of such genocide, as of now, 12 states are required to incorporate the knowledge of the Armenian Genocide in their high school social science curriculum. However, textbooks usually include only one paragraph dedicated to those 1.5 million lives.

“There is always the one bugging question for history teachers,” said Mary Sano, a history teacher at Paly.

“Do you learn the broad way or the deep way?”

The Armenian Genocide is usually considered to be too specific to learn about when compared to broader topics like the Holocaust. However, the Armenian Genocide actually links to many notable historical events and trends, such as World War II and the Holocaust, despite the fact that it happened during World War I. As the first “modern genocide” after the Industrial Revolution, mass murdering could be carried efficiently. From there on out, the Armenian Genocide served as a template for later genocides across the globe. One of the reasons why Hitler was unafraid to commit gruesome crimes like the Holocaust was because he had seen and

experienced an earlier example — the Armenian Genocide — and noted that the Ottoman government did not have to take responsibility for it.

Hitler even once said, “Who, after today, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”

The Germans also took part of the Armenian Genocide during World War I, as an ally with the Ottoman Empire.

“They helped them to figure out ways to exterminate the Armenians, and some of the German military officials in Turkey went back to Germany and became Nazi officials,” said Roxanne Makasdjian, a descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors and the executive director of The Genocide Education Project, a non-profit organization. “The fact that there was no punishment or no remembering, no accountability or reparations proved to Hitler that [the genocide plan] worked effectively.”

Because of the Turkish government’s denial of the crime, there has been no commemoration, so justice was never restored. Although those like Farkas who heard about the Armenian Genocide in the U.S. in the 1950s, it was not publicized until 2004.

“You can imagine how I feel: [it is] terrible that people will do things like that like they did to us [in the Holocaust] and still deny it.” Farkas said. “It is always important to raise awareness in order to restore justice.”

The U.S. educational system emphasizes the importance of social justice issues: Paly even offers its own social justice pathway. So it does not make sense why Paly is not teaching about the Armenian Genocide, as it is a hugely important social topic to address.

The scale of the injustice of not teaching this event is tremendous, essentially denying 1.5 million deaths and confiscation of all the personal and community properties of the Armenians. It is essential to add to the Paly curriculum in order to educate the students of the atrocities that occurred.

“When students learn about social justice issues, they also need to learn how to solve them,” Makasdjian said.

“The biggest purpose in learning this history is to prevent similar massive human rights violations from happening in the future. If students can be educated about [the stages of a genocide], they can prevent genocides from happening in the future.”

Meditation is a long-term solution for stress

CHARLOTTE CHENG

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STAFF WRITER

t is widely known that students at Palo Alto High School suffer from stress and anxiety. Knowing that students are taking rigorous courses, managing countless of hours of homework every night while keeping up with extracurriculars, administration has tried their hardest to find solutions to combat the issues regarding stress while also keeping Paly’s academics top-tier.

Many of these solutions have included “No Homework Nights,” creating a Wellness Center in the office and changing the bell schedule.

Although all of these changes that attempt to solve the looming stress dilemma are good ideas, they are only temporary resolutions to fundamental issues. The best answers to these problems include meditation and finding one’s inner peace.

Having nights without homework is not to be understated. Following a stressful week of school, getting a break even for a short amount of time is relaxing. However, the homework and stress return the next week just as before.

The Wellness Center has been one of the more successful aspects Paly has incorporated into its campus. With free tea, magic sand and a cozy place to relax, it has truly given students a chance to wind down from a stressful day.

It also gives students easier access to counselors and the support that they may need, but have not reached out for. However, it hasn’t been advertised enough, and many students don’t take full advantage of the services it has to offer.

Recently, Paly created a bell schedule committee in an attempt to create a less stressful, more student-oriented schedule for the next school year. For

example, many students complain about C days, a day that remains stressful for students because of the increased levels of homework due that day and the rushed pace of the schedule.

This committee proposed three new plans for next year’s schedule, and students had an opportunity to voice their input through an online survey on Schoology.

One of the bell schedule changes included an option of starting school an hour later, giving students an extra hour of sleep. This is not an effective solution because it would only cause students to sleep later, not decrease their stress.

As a student who recently discovered meditating and the wonders it performs in terms of reducing anxiety, I am a strong advocate for all students to try it out. There are both physical and mental benefits to the practice.

Although it isn’t mainstream and of-

ten looked at in a weird, hippie way, there are many people around the world who practice it. Studies have shown that meditation is effective because it helps your mind and breath work in tandem; when your breath slows down, your brain waves also begin to slow down, leading to a more relaxed state of mind.

[Bell schedule changes, no homework nights and the Wellness Center] are only temporary resolutions to fundamental issues. The best answers to these problems include meditation.

The measures Paly has taken to reduce student stress have been effective but temporary solutions. In order to properly decrease anxiety in the community, students should be exposed to meditation in order to help them find their inner peace.

The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017

A6 OPINION Economic status a determinant in college acceptances

YAEL BEN-SHACHAR SENIOR STAFF WRITER

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s May 1 approaches, an increasing number of seniors will be thrilled to have decided which college they will attend in the fall. Unfortunately, not all seniors have been served well by the college admissions process, as a major problem with college admissions is the inequity between socioeconomic statuses.

Poorer applicants have disadvantages in all areas of college applications — not to mention that they may not even able to afford college — including SAT and ACT testing, Advanced Placement (AP) courses and college counselors.

More affluent school districts are at an advantage because their students can both have a demanding course load that looks good on college applications, and have higher AP test scores that are appealing to admissions officers.

Top-notch SAT and ACT test scores are crucially important for acceptance at universities. However, these standardized tests do not really test what one learns in class, so students are forced to prepare outside of

class. This can be difficult for poorer students for many reasons.

First, they might have to work in order to support their family, greatly limiting the amount of time they have to study for the SAT or ACT. Furthermore, wealthy students have far more access to resources that help them prepare, such as preparatory books or tutors, that less affluent students might not be able to afford or obtain.

These resources provide an enormous advantage because they not only supply students with the motivation to study, but they also teach students many extremely beneficial test-taking skills that are often specific to the SAT or ACT test.

All these reasons contribute to the strong positive correlation between family income and SAT scores shown from the data provided by the College Board in 2014.

Due to this massive inequality that these standardized tests create, college admissions officers should stop incorporating SAT and ACT scores into their decision-making process.

Instead, there should be a standardized test that tests students on what they actually learn in school, similar to the tests required for many other countries.

That way, students are being tested more on how dedicated they are to

their school work, and not how much money they can spend on a private tutor.

Another issue causing inequity based on family income is AP courses. Because AP courses can cost thousands of dollars to implement in schools and hundreds for students to take, school districts in impoverished areas often have fewer AP courses available to students. This can be detrimental to students because a major factor admissions officers look for is the rigor of each student’s academic schedule.

Thus, if the students do not have access to AP courses, it is much more difficult for them to have a rigorous course load, even though they may want to challenge themselves.

Additionally, some students may choose to take an AP test for which their school does not have a course, likely resulting in a lower score than if they had taken the course.

Consequently, more affluent school districts are at an advantage because their students can have both a demanding course load that looks good on college applications, and have higher AP test scores that are appealing to admissions officers.

What may be the most beneficial advantage wealthy college applicants have is access to college counselors.

College counselors, specifically private

ones, can greatly increase the likelihood that a student will be accepted into his or her dream school.

College counselors make the application process much easier by taking them through the process step by step.

They help students write their college essays, as they know the nuances that admission officers look for in essays. They also often have connections to various universities, giving their clients a stronger chance of getting into prestigious colleges.

However, if a student does not come from a wealthy family, they cannot afford the thousands of dollars required to find a private counselor.

Additionally, poorer schools cannot afford to hire college counselors for their students, therefore students do not have anyone to ask if they have questions about the admissions process.

As a result, only wealthy families have the resources to provide their student with the best preparation for the college admissions process.

The issues with equality largely caused by AP classes, SAT and ACT testing and college counselors in college admissions is systemic.

Therefore, without drastic changes to the priorities of the universities, low-income families will remain at a disadvantage when it comes to college acceptance.

However, there is one major problem — all of the sources are tend to further portray the liberal point of view and shun any conservative perspectives.

According to junior Varun Dutta, when they learned about “race, identity and social justice,” not a single conservative source was provided for the students.

“In our last major unit, Race, Identity and Social Justice, out of the 32 sources provided, there was not one conservative source,” said Dutta. “Instead, we confronted articles that called those who challenged the liberal narrative naïve and racist.”

By failing to present more conservative views, Living Skills has done a disservice to Paly student.

Without conservative articles to balance liberal arguments, many assumptions within the Living Skills curriculum, such as “the smog of racism,” go unchallenged, leaving students with a narrow view of the world.

It has led to the belief that conservatives are always wrong rather than individuals who simply have different solutions to societal problems.

This belief has had a chilling effect on society because many liberal college students have attempted to suppress the First Amendment rights of conservative speakers, such as political commentator Ben Shapiro, by justifying themselves through the belief that the speaker and their values are wrong regardless of what they may say.

Furthermore, the Living Skills curriculum is currently weak because the curriculum focuses on the experiences of a situation rather than statistics or facts.

Johnny, whose name has been changed to protect his privacy, thinks that the foundation of Living Skills imposes on student perspectives and are exclusive to the beliefs of only some students in the class.

“I’m a math person, and so whenever I hear of a situation — perhaps police brutality — I like seeing facts and empirical evidence to back it up,” said Johnny. “When I see trends, that tends to help give me a better sense of what’s going on. Unfortunately, when I hear things in class and might be able to disprove it, it becomes really hard to

do because Living Skills has fostered an environment that values experience, which could be easily cherry-picked over statistics.”

Disproportional liberal biases plague Living Skills class RAJ LELE STAFF WRITER

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very student in the Palo Alto Unified School District has had the misfortune of taking Living Skills. Some people complain that it is too boring and a waste of time, while others argue that the class does not teach students practical skills, such as how to do their taxes.

However, the biggest flaw in Living Skills is that students are exposed to sources that are incredibly skewed — in particular, sources that favor liberal stances — and aren’t offered sources to balance out these views.

In Palo Alto, many people acknowledge that we live in a political bubble.

Not only do we live in a city where almost every household is liberal, but we live in one of the most liberal states in the country.

As a result, classes at Palo Alto High School curate their material so that it is presented in a fashion that students can relate to and don’t feel uncomfortable with.

Due to the liberal atmosphere at Paly, classes typically present students with articles from sources such as CNN and the New York Times and liberal television like the Daily Show.

Unfortunately, one of the worst offenders of this practice is Living Skills, a class students can not escape.

Instead of fighting this problem by seeking out conservative viewpoints to broaden our horizons, the Living Skills curriculum further entrenches us within our bubble by closing off any conservative means of media.

As many who have gone through Living Skills know, the class falls far left on the political ideology spectrum.

Claims such as Americans are misinformed due to the smog of racism that permeates our society saturate its curriculum.

Liberal claims are supported by a variety of sources ranging from opinion pieces based off of personal stories to TED talks by social justice activists.

Without conservative articles to balance liberal arguments, many assumptions within the Living Skills curriculum, such as “the smog of racism,” go unchallenged, leaving students with a narrow view of the world.

It seems that, while Living Skills does an excellent job at informing students about various walks of life, current events and social issues, it certainly could improve its unbalanced distribution of sources and use more statistics and factual evidence to support its claims.

If Living Skills is required for everyone, then it is necessary that each student receives an education that is much more neutral — or at least takes into account the other point of view — and accurate.

The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017

OPINION

A7

Media portrayal of Indians is reprehensible, encourages racism

PAARTH SHARMA

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STAFF WRITER

o back to your country,” mutters the man in line at Peet’s Coffee and Tea as I head out of the shop with a coffee in my hand.

It was the third time that week.

First the kid in the chemistry class.

Then the man on the street I bumped into. Now him.

“Go back to your country.”

The phrase echoed through my head.

“Go back to your country.”

I turned and stepped towards the man, ready to yell some obscenities at the latest attack on my racial background. But his back was turned.

Obviously, he didn’t expect a response, not from a weak Indian like me. He didn’t get one. I walked out of the store, punched the nearest stairwell and left.

“Go back to your country.”

The phrase echoed through my head.

“Go back to your country.”

The same phrase would be the words that Deep Rai, a 39-yearold Sikh man in Kent, Washington, would hear before a masked assailant put a bullet in his arm on March 3.

“Go back to your country.”

The same phrase that would be the last words that Srinivas Kuchibhotla, a software engineer who had recently immigrated to the United States from India, would ever hear. He was gunned down in the middle of a Kansas bar after being called racial slurs all evening. Not much earlier, his wife had begged him to leave the country, as she was wary of growing racism against Indian-Americans.

His response? “Good things happen in America.”

America’s response? “Go back to your country.”

Indian-Americans in the United States find themselves in an increasingly unique situation. A “model minority,” Indian-Americans are well-educated, with 70 percent of Indian-Americans above the age of 25 holding a college degree.

We also face a unique form of discrimination. It seems that the Indian-Americans are treated less and less like people, and more and more as living jokes, living memes and not human beings, but objects to be made fun of and ridiculed.

The image of the modern IndianAmerican is truly depressing. We are seen as weak, both physically and mentally, stereotypically nerdy and incredibly awkward. The spreading of this stereotype alongside the normalization of racism against IndianAmericans can be attributed largely to our media portrayal as soft, awkward nerds.

Just take a look at Disney Channel’s Phineas and Ferb. At first, it seems just like any other children’s television show — two brothers work with their friends on wacky inventions that oftentimes end up accidentally saving those around them from the evil dealings of Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, a local mad scientist.

However, upon taking a closer look at the show’s characters, one young man in particular stands out.

Baljeet Tjinder, an Indian-American boy, rarely fits in with the other characters. He is comically awkward, spends excessive time doing math and studying while other children are on summer vacation and is constantly bullied by those around him.

If this weren’t enough, Baljeet comes from a self-described “long line of losers.” His great-grandfather, grandfather and father have all been

killed in tiger attacks and, as if that wasn’t all, he literally dirties his pants when presented with physical confrontation. Really.

But making fun of Indian-Americans doesn’t stop there. Television shows repeatedly mock Indian culture, a phenomenon exhibited by Disney Channel’s “Jessie.” The show portrays Ravi as a young IndianAmerican character who maintains an excessively strong Indian accent despite being born and raised entirely in the United States. Much like Baljeet, Ravi is awkward, weak and constantly bullied by other characters on the show.

Upon wearing a traditional Indian sherwani, Ravi is humiliated by fellow characters, being described as looking like a “nightclub act” and a “traffic cone with hair.” When his babysitter finally sticks up for him, she is comically unable to pronounce the word “sherwani” — yet another jab at Indian-American culture.

Other shows, including CBS’s critically-acclaimed sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” also have characters who exist almost entirely to ridicule Indian culture and play off the stereotypical Indian-American image.

Television is an integral part of American culture. It shapes how we act in our everyday lives as well as how we view ourselves. Portraying an entire racial group in the way that television shows portray IndianAmericans is not only racist, but provides a depressing image for young Indian-Americans.

This relentless attack on IndianAmericans in the name of comedy has real world impacts. The media portrayal of a group has a significant impact on the way the same group is viewed in real life, both by members of the group and society as a whole.

By portraying Indian-Americans as

awkward shells of human beings, we are telling the next generation of Indian-Americans that they must fit this image­— that these depressing, awful people they see on television are their future.

From those who defend this portrayal, a common argument always seems to be that this rampant stereotyping and racist portrayal is somehow “just a joke.” The truth is that it stops being a joke long before the moment that people are killed in hate crimes.

It stops being a joke the moment that an Indian-American embraces the stereotype and becomes a real-life Ravi in order to get laughs. It stops being a joke the moment a fifth grader gets bullied like Baljeet because his classmates think it’s acceptable, even normal, to treat him that way.

Portraying an entire racial group the way that television shows portray Indian-Americans is not only racist, but provides a depressing image for young Indian-Americans.

It seems odd to me that this blatant stereotyping and racism is somehow normalized and considered acceptable in the name of comedy.

While we can all agree that stereotypes can be funny, there is a line that is more than crossed when an Indian-American character on television, after being tied up to a door in a sleeping bag by his abusive friends, awakens and yells “Great Ganesha! I am a human samosa!”

We get it, you think we’re funny.

But the truth is that Indian-Americans are more than jokes. We’re people with lives and emotions and no, we aren’t all antisocial, awkward weirdos who are bizarrely obsessed with traditional aspects of our culture. We’re just people, and all we want is to be treated as such. Is that too much to ask?

Friday, April 28, 2017

The Campanile

A8

EDITORIALS

District should reconsider ending relationship with ACS

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for alternative service providers is a step in the wrong direction.

Changing providers may cause disruption in relationships that students have with counselors and ignores the comfort students take in knowing that our provider has helped our schools through 37 years worth of necessary counseling.

PAUSD must re-evaluate its Non-profit ACS, which has mental health counseling vision been paid $100,000 annually, by considering the importance has been unable to support itself of long-term counseling, revisitwith the budget. In the past year, ing the budget to allocate funding ACS has asked for more money better to meet our mental health from the District several times: needs and ultimately remember initially $200,000 for the upcom- the issue of mental health pering year, which the District didn’t tains to student well-being — the grant, and then later proposals for District needs to hear from the $147,000 and $137,000 which students who depend on ACS for were rejected as well. help before making big decisions Facing a multi-million dol- such as denying ACS funds. lar budget shortfall, the District is doing everything it can to cut A disconnect in vision costs, according to SuperintenA big reason why ACS chose dent Max McGee. not to respond to the RFP was “We sent RFPs [Request for because of its tradition of proProposals] out for legal services, viding long-term counseling to and we sent one out for audit ser- individuals. Until this year, ACS vices,” McGee said. “So [the ques- offered long-term counseling sestion is], are there people that can sions to Paly students, but because do the job more effectively? It’s the District wanted to ensure that really a standard business prac- no students were placed on the tice.” waitlist for ACS services, ACS While the District obviously began conducting shorter-term, must re-evaluate its budget to al- 12-week sessions to accommoleviate the shortfall, The Campa- date more students. nile thinks ACS was the wrong “With the short-term model, place to cut costs. Mental health someone may have developed must continue to be a community a relationship with a counselor priority, and sending out an RFP and to end that relationship and n light of Palo Alto High School’s recent California Healthy Kids Survey highlighting worrisome statistics about Palo Alto Unified School District’s (PAUSD) mental health situation, it is shocking that the District has discontinued its 37-year relationship with Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) and has decided to seek other counseling providers instead to reduce costs.

Toppling tyranny: End the College Board

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merica was once a nation grounded in trust: The Iron Trust, The Salt Trust, and The Railroad Trust namely. This was a time known as the Gilded Age, a few dark decades in our history when corporate greed nearly suffocated the American dream. We’ve kicked trusts – or so most people think – under the mantle of the Sherman Act. Yet a few monopolies still exist today, some encouraged by the government, and others simply left alone.

The Campanile doesn’t care to delve into the nuances of federally-operated liquor stores or to carve up the oligarchical tech industry, but there is one monopoly near and not-so-dear to our hearts: the College Board.

Annals confirm the birthday of the Board as 1899, smack dab in the middle of the Gilded Age. Founded as a non-profit on the hallowed grounds of Columbia University, its mission is to streamline the college exam process – and get rich doing so.

For a “non-profit” it’s awfully profitable: Advanced Placement (AP) Exams and the SAT/SAT II, essentially required at the majority of American universities, all fall exclusively under the domain of the Board and cost upwards of $100 a pop. For the intellectually inclined, that’s thousands of dollars to pay over a four-year high school career, thousands of dollars in the pocket of Board execs (19 of whom pull in over $300,000 a year); CEO Gaston Caperton nets close to

$1.5 million annually for his role at the helm of this behemoth.

Monopolies are not inherently evil, but the College Board is. Students have their backs to the wall when it comes to standardized testing and that has to change. When schools they apply to specify the need for the SAT, that means THE SAT, as in the one owned by the Board, not just an SAT. Of course there are exceptions, like fee waivers which Board proponents like to laud. In theory a low-income student could test for free, but in practice there’s a massive bureaucratic headache involved in doing so.

Complaints have bounced around for years over the inaccessibility of waivers to no avail.

Satisfaction in today’s system of higher education is a goal that seems to grow less attainable each day. With a $1.2 trillion-dollar combined student debt and high rates of underemployment, it seems like nobody can catch a break. Eradicating the Board – whether that means putting it under government control or breaking it up entirely – is a power move that’s bound to pay off in the long term.

Activism and boycotting are the next logical steps to making this happen, and The Campanile would like to offer its full support in the fight against the Board.

A century ago, America decided that it didn’t trust the trust. One hundred years later not much has changed; neither do we.

MAY’S TOP TEN LIST Top Ten Ways to Prepare For AP Exams 10) Scroll through social media with an open textbook nearby 9) Remind everyone of how many APs you’re taking this year 8) Post a picture of all your notes on your Snap story 7) Visit Rogerhub three times every hour 6) Don’t start studying until 12 a.m.

5) Google colleges that don’t consider AP scores

to start fresh with someone else [after 12 weeks] is a huge interruption,” said Elizabeth Spector, Paly’s ACS site supervisor.

This explanation is reasonable, but the way to reduce a waiting list should not be to compromise the quality of counseling, it should be to invest more money in the services and hire more ACS staff. Jane, a senior who asked that we not use her real name, said long-term counseling is critical to ensuring that students receive the care they need.

“It takes a lot of time for a counselor to acquaint themselves with a new patient,” Jane said.

“So you can obviously read notes taken from previous counselors, but it’s really the personal connection that really gives them an idea of what they are going to have to deal with. ” McGee said that while the District would like to pursue short-term counseling, PAUSD also hopes providers will be able to refer students to external counseling services if a longer-term relationship is necessary.

However, ACS’s School and Community Based Services Director, Christine Tam, said referrals cannot sufficiently replace long-term counseling services.

“Referring people to outside counselors sometimes gets tricky because students may not follow through,” Tam said.

PAUSD should not rely on referrals as a loophole to avoid

giving students on-campus longterm counseling, because the only way to guarantee the availability of such a resource is to provide it on campus. Long-term counseling worked for Paly students for over three decades; the District should have continued to pursue long-term counseling with ACS and solved problems with waiting lists differently, perhaps by hiring more staff.

there is yet another reason why PAUSD should have matched ACS’s request.

Furthermore, it is not as if ACS’s request was unreasonable; they are simply following the trend of the counseling market, and even McGee recognizes this.

“Frankly, when we had brought in our wellness workers, we were paying them more than ACS is paying their counseling staff,” McGee said. “So I think ACS felt that they needed to be competitive with what we were paying people and with the general market.”

Of course ACS felt the need to be competitive — the District should pay the necessary price to get the job done. If the entire mental health counseling market has truly experienced a rise in costs, it would be naive to expect to receive similar quality counseling for significantly less money. A measly $37,000 — less than half the salary of the average teacher at Paly — was all ACS asked for.

Mental health must be the District’s priority. Sending out an RFP for legal and audit services may make sense because such tasks are less personal and more technical than providing mental health services.

Mental health is deeply personal and emotional, and making rash changes, even if they seem better on paper, can backfire and harm relationships that are im-

Issues with funding

It should come as no surprise that ACS asked the District for more money this year; the demand for high-quality mental health counseling is simply outstripping supply, especially in Palo Alto. A lack of funding has led ACS to be unable to hire and keep counselors and supervisors.

“I don’t think it’s a secret that it had been hard for us to keep the same supervisors for over more than one school year,” Tam said.

“And part of the reason was because the salaries of supervisors has significantly gone up. What we were offering was not enough to get the quality of supervisors that we want to provide.”

The fact that Paly has to switch counseling supervisors every year is exactly what the District should try to solve; a lack of continuity severely damages both the credibility of mental health services at Paly and the student-counselor relationships created at the start of each year. With this in mind,

Continued at thecampanile.org

The Campanile Editors-in-Chief Peter Maroulis • Jacky Moore • Kai Oda Ethan Teo • Jessica Wong Online Editor David Tayeri News and Opinion Editors Sam Yun Ashley Zhang

Managing Editor Alice Zhao Lifestyle Editors Eli Gwin-Kerr Annalise Wang

Sports Editors Cole Hechtman Kiran Misner

Multimedia Editor Mads McCluskey

Business Manager Bethany Shiang

Staff Writers Maya Bailey Noah Baum Yael Ben-Shachar Josh Brigel Ethan Bundy Charlotte Cheng Uma Choudhury Kate DeAndre Philip Ericsson

Joanna Falla Vivian Feng Mary Fetter Mackenzie Glassford Renee Hoh Maya Homan Edward Kim Grace Kitayama Riya Kumar Raj Lele

Photographers

Maya Homan Peter Gold

Gillian Robins Jordan Schilling

Eric Li Will Leighton Jacques Manjarrez Nicholas Melvin Anna Moragne Jordan Quigley Niklas Risano Ehecatl Rivera Gillian Robins Paarth Sharma

Renee Hoh

Edan Sneh Kesi Sound Jared Stanley Avi Tachna-Fram Peyton Wang Clay Watson Allison Wu Byron Zhang Shannon Zhao

Illustrators

Jacques Manjarrez

4) Have a “study party” with all of your friends 3) Take a three-hour long bath 2) Subtly flex how easy it was to get an A, so the teacher must have underprepared you 1) Bomb the test, but tell everyone you got a five

-GRACIE KITYAMA & SHANNON ZHAO

Advisors Esther Wojcicki

Rodney Satterthwaite

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We reserve the right to edit submissions.

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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!

L FESTYLE The Campanile

Text & Design By Maya Bailey & Maya Homan

Friday, April 28, 2017 Summer Jobs for Teens

From lab work camp work, the summer employment possibilities for Paly students are endless.

PAGE B6

Stay Woke, Paly

W

e’ve all been there: eyes barely able to focus, difficulty processing simple information, mood swings, impaired memory and the body begging for more and more coffee. Simple tasks like driving become hazardous pursuits as human limits are tested.

No, we’re not talking about alcohol or substance abuse, but a much more widespread and pervasive problem: sleep deprivation.

Sleep -- or a lack thereof -- is hardly a new issue. In fact, the Center for Disease Control has classified sleep deprivation as a public health problem due to its contribution to decreased workplace productivity, motor vehicle crashes and chronic disorders such as diabetes and cancer. And while over 90 percent of students said that sleep matters to them, over a third still consistently get under six hours of sleep per night.

But why? Why, if our school district has been so adamant about reducing student stress and pressure, are so many students operating in a state of mind that is inefficient at best and lifethreatening at worst?

Within our current school system, it’s inevitable. When you’re a high school student, you have more classes, more activities and more responsibilities. These responsibilities come in all shapes and sizes and not only affect students stress levels, but also the amount of sleep they're getting. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teens ages 14 to 17 require at least eight hours of sleep, which can become nearly impossible when students have so much on their plates.

Technology & Social Media While schoolwork is usually the go-to scapegoat for students’ lack of sleep, social media can be just as culpable. About 68 percent of Palo Alto High School students use social media before bed, whether just for a few minutes or for hours. When media is at our fingertips every second of the day so easily, setting boundaries and keeping devices outside of the bedroom can feel impossible.

Social media isn’t the root of all evil but its overuse, especially during our sleeping hours, can be detrimental. Because students are so busy during the day, they don't always get to interact

with their friends. Being forced to give up a social life for schoolwork can lead students to try and compensate by staying up late on social media. However, the blue light emitted by laptops, cell phones and other forms of technology can also damage prospects of sleep.

"Struggling to focus in class? Get more sleep. Struggling to understand your homework? Sleep. Struggling to study? Sleep."

Christopher Farina Paly History Teacher “Social media use itself is not necessarily bad; it’s the backlit screen that is more of the culprit,” said Christopher Farina, a Paly history teacher.

“When you shine light directly into your eyes from 1-2 feet away right before you’re trying to go to sleep, that light sends a signal to your brain to stay awake, and it therefore delays sleep onset and degrades sleep quality.”

The light from screens has also been found to decrease melatonin production in the body.

This in turn messes up circadian rhythms (the body’s internal clock that determines when you feel alert and tired), making it harder to both fall asleep and wake up.

Schoolwork & Stress Although social media is a major element of sleep deprivation, it cannot be denied that schoolwork and stress play a significant role in the quantity and quality of students’ sleep. Even though the majority of Paly students aren’t getting the recommended amount of sleep, over 90 percent of students recognize its value.

“Sleep is really important,” said Bellarmine junior Erik Mintz. “Especially if you play sports or want to work out, not getting the right amounts of sleep will affect performance, which will affect how much energy you have during the day.”

Without the right amount of sleep, students can’t complete their necessary day-to-day re-

Design By Alice On & Peyton Wang

sponsibilities without putting in extra effort, which can make students emotionally volatile and more susceptible to stress.

“If you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re not operating at full cognitive capacity, and it affects everything you do,” Farina said. “Struggling to focus in class? Get more sleep. Struggling to understand your homework? Sleep. Struggling to study? Sleep. Struggling with music/sports/ theater/hobbies? Are you getting enough sleep?

Sleep deprivation has also been shown to increase the risk of depression, weight gain, and heart disease.”

The sleep dilemma is something most Paly students are familiar with, especially as upperclassmen deal with the combined weight of AP classes, college applications and an increasing amount of extracurriculars and responsibilities.

Students can easily resemble zombies, struggling to get out of bed and dragging their feet to get to school.

“I see kids coming to class late, struggling to focus and occasionally dozing off in class,” Farina said.

So what can be done to alleviate this problem?

Solutions Although it can be hard to cut out huge chunks of your schedule like school, homework or extracurriculars, there are steps that can be taken to help alleviate some of the factors of sleep deprivation.

“Put devices away 30 minutes before bed and read a book or write instead,” Farina suggested.

For a more widespread solution, schools can adjust their bell schedules and shift the school day forward. Because many teenagers have circadian rhythms that favor waking up and going to sleep later, simply trying to sleep earlier in the evening is often ineffective. However, according to the National Sleep Foundation, “schools that have set later bell times find that students do not go to bed later, but get one hour more of sleep per school night.” A later start to the school day would give students five extra hours of sleep per week.

It's time to decide whether the stress of sleep deprivation is worth it.

cant sleep

On average, how many hours of sleep do Paly students get per night?

ugh dude what should i do?!? i have 3 tests & a presentation tmrw!

9+ 7-9

rip

3-6

BETHANY SHIANG

BUSINESS MANAGER

As I walked out of the movie theater to refill my large butter popcorn, I came across Zac Efron's shirtless cardboard cutout in the summer remake of “Baywatch." Standing next to “him” I could feel, what could only be described as, complete incompatibility.

My family has often taunted me about my back rolls, “at-risk” chin, and indiscernible mass of neck. So , I’ve decided that this summer I will not just be “beautiful on the inside” but “beautiful on the outside” as well.

However, exercising is not my strong suit — just ask Mr. Duran, who reluctantly gave me an A- in P.E. after weeks of begging. In pursuit of my goal, I decided to try yoga for the first time ever (even though my brother has been teaching yoga around Palo Alto for the past two years). So for you fellow first timers, here’s a few trials, tips and tricks I learned: Yoga isn’t just about flexibility, but also about strength.

Yoga makes you engage all your muscles. There’s no break during yoga, rather it’s engaging one muscle group and moving on to the next one.

Within 15 minutes, I had soaked through my three coats of deodorant and my shirt. I also learned that Downward Dog IS NOT A RESTING POSITION. So if you really want to see how strong you are then go to a yoga class.

For beginners: The back corner is your haven.

I walked in and saw everyone in tank tops warming up and stretching out their ultra-defined back muscles, which I distinctly lack. The back corner is for the people who want the experience, but also to avoid the humiliation.

The yogis in the class know that the back corner is for the “new kids” so just grab your mat, act confident and stride on over to that dark corner.

It’s a humbling experience.

It’s mostly just following the people in front of you.

I didn’t really understand terms like “happy baby” or “cat and cow.”

They kind of just sounded like names of famous Asian movies like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

It’s really all about how well you can mimic the person next to you, but, dear God, have some pride and at least try to seem like you know what you’re doing.

u know u could just get off fb rn & go sleep

1-3

My first yoga class

oh maybe... nah "he's" online smh go sleep rn

There’s a big emphasis on the breath.

There’s a lot more focus on the breath than I expected; there isn’t much guidance for the moves, but very specific cues on when to inhale and exhale.

Paying attention to your breath is surprisingly difficult, but it puts you in a good flow with your body. Rather than just panting from say, running, you’re focusing on how to synchronize your body and breath.

Yoga is also a good way to calm yourself and extend gratitude. You’ll feel a lot more grateful to things or people when you’ve got endorphins flowing through your body.

LIFESTYLE

Perspectives on the Senior Deck

Paly's Senior Deck is much more than a painted wooden platform; it is a symbol of unity, a Paly tradition, a reminder of the seniors' collective work on the art project and indeed a rite of passage.

ETHAN KAO/THE PALY VOICE

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LIFESTYLE

GILLIAN ROBINS/THE CAMPANILE

PEXELS/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED

MAYA HOMAN/THE CAMPANILE

LIFESTYLE

LIFESTYLE

From yoga to picnics, there are many ways for students to destress.

New restaurant on California Avenue appeals to everyone.

Truth Booth in Palo Alto

Activities that relieve stress Food review: Zareen's

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PAGE B3

Simple technology brings hoitytoity Silicon Valley down to earth.

PAGE B7

Friday, April 28, 2017

The Campanile

B2

LIFESTYLE

Truth Booth launches “In Search of the Truth”

Project aims to capture the perspectives of people different nations and walks of life through short video clips GILLIAN ROBINS

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

W

hat is the truth? Or as TIME magazine advertised in ominous red letters on the front cover of this year’s March issue: is the truth dead?

“I’m not an expert on truth, maybe that’s why I’m asking people for their truths,” said artist and co-founder of the Truth Booth, Jim Ricks.

Ricks is a member of the innovative art team The Cause Collective.

They create and install public art displays, including one that appeared in downtown Palo Alto on April 19.

An inflatable structure shaped like a giant speech bubble with the word “TRUTH” in bold black letters on its side, the Truth Booth welcomes anyone to step and record a two-minute video, completing the phrase: The truth is…

“It’s very straightforward, and we translate the text itself, into whatever language, whatever country we’re in,” Rick’s said. “So in Afghanistan, we changed it to Persian that they use there, so you know, in that sense, it just kind of says speak the truth, and it’s this thing and it draws curiosity and pulls people in,” Ricks said. “So I think that that’s in itself an interesting experience.”

The Cause Collective makes art and inserts it in public spaces in the hopes of generating conversation about societal issues. One of their projects was a moving kaleidoscopic installation that was placed in the Birmingham International Airport in Alabama. It depicted eras of historical movement and migration in Birmingham, such as the Civil War and the Selma Marches.

The idea for the Truth Booth was born around seven years ago, and was successfully established five years ago.

This project was based off a public

GILLIAN ROBINS/THE CAMPANILE

Truth Booths have popped up in various locations both nationally and internationally, and are hard to miss. Those who wish to are encouraged to record a short statement.

art installation at UCSF called “In Search of the Truth.” A series of small speech bubbles were hung along a corridor with lines from a poem about truth and identity written in the different languages that students speak at the university.

“People that have done it have actually gotten a lot out of that experience of getting something off their chest.’’

Jim Ricks Truth Booth Co-Founder “And the guys [co-founders] Ryan and Hank, were basically like, this word [truth] means something different in every single language,” Ricks

said. “It’s actually really difficult to translate, and that was really the genesis of the idea.”

“We’re putting this booth into some interesting contexts,” Ricks said. “So, whether that’s in Afghanistan where the buddhas were blown up, or in South Africa, or in Belfast in northern Ireland, it takes on a different meaning, but it also takes on a different look.”

The initial impact that Ricks and the rest of the team expected from the Truth Booth varied from what they saw when people started participating. The videos that people were submitting were much more personal than intended.

“It’s actually been surprising because people that have done it have

Teacher band entertains with impressive versions of ‘90s songs

actually gotten a lot out of that experience, kind of getting something off their chest in a way,” Ricks said. “So that’s something that we didn’t necessarily think of at first, but it became apparent.”

The recorded videos are later uploaded onto YouTube for the public to view them. If you scroll through the YouTube channel dedicated to the project, you will find a breadth of topics as diverse as the people who speak them.

Some choose to answer the statement by interpreting the concept of “truth” and how it affects society.

Others cover societal problems, like incarceration and racism, to more existential matters, like religion and the meaning of life.

“A neighborhood in inner city Detroit is very interesting to hear what poor black people are saying about the truth,” Ricks said. “It has a political weight going to a wealthy neighborhood might not have.”

Ricks and the whole Cause Collective team have a large vision for what to make of the videos.

“It’s actually really complicated,” Ricks said. “Because, on one hand, I want this multi-million dollar website where you can look and see what are young men talking about, what are people in Afghanistan talking about, what are women talking about, what do older people say about love, where you can categorize each video.”

The booth is off to Australia after its visit to Palo Alto.

“Wall of Shame” eradicated due to lack of submissions

Paly teachers from different departments come together to perform NOAH BAUM MARY FETTER

STAFF WRITERS

O

asis’s “Wonderwall” and Britney Spears’ “...Baby One More Time” are not songs most Paly students would ever expect to hear sung by their teachers.

Nevertheless, at Paly’s Pops Concert on Feb. 15, six staff members came together to serenade students with these hits from the ‘90s.

The faculty members who performed that night were history teacher Grant Blackburn as lead guitarist, English teacher David Cohen as rhythm and acoustic guitarist, science teachers Kelli Hagen and Elizabeth Brimhall on vocals and journalism teachers Rod Satterthwaite and Brian Wilson on bass and drums respectively.

The band calls themselves Progress Report.

“We tried to come up with something teacher-y,” said Satterthwaite.

They are a self-led and self-organized band. The idea originated when Paly’s choir director Michael Najar asked the faculty if anyone wanted to perform at the Pops Concert.

“When I saw that they were doing this variety show, and were looking for staff submissions, I thought ‘that sounds kind of cool,’” Wilson said.

He and Satterthwaite both played instruments at their respective high schools in Michigan before they moved to California.

“We had a talent show, and we had a faculty band that would open the show,” Wilson said. “We were ter-

rible, but it was fun.”

Wilson was aware of other teachers at Paly who also played instruments, and wanted to gather everyone to play at the Pops concert.

Starting in January, Progress Report practiced during lunch, as well as after school whenever possible. They spent about two months practicing two to three times a week.

“We didn’t have a lot of time to get it together,” Satterthwaite said.

“It was a real struggle finding time to practice because all of us are very busy, and we each have other things we do besides teach.”

Although Wilson formed the group, there was no official leader of the band.

“No one stepped up and said: ‘this is how it’s gonna go,’” Satterthwaite said. “It was a pretty democratic band.”

Since Najar oversaw the Pops Concert, he made sure the group stayed on task.

“We’d get in there at lunch and start goofing around, playing riffs and just being weirdos laughing and [Najar] was finally like, ‘hey, we’ve got to focus,’” Satterthwaite said.

Najar sent Progress Report a list of songs he thought would work well, and immediately the group decided on playing “Wonderwall” by the band Oasis. The teachers had more trouble coming up with the second song, however.

“We had a little email group, where we would email back and forth, throwing out song ideas. We all came at it from our own personal musical tastes,” Wilson said. Finally, someone had the idea of playing another song

from the 90s.

“We tried Britney [Spears], and then we tried it kind of with a reggae beat. And then we tried it with a rock song. And we were like ‘oh, I think that’s it,’” Satterthwaite said. “It felt like the vibe we were going for: sorta silly, because we don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

The teachers had a variety of skill levels, but they all worked together well in both “Wonderwall” and “...

Baby One More Time.”

“I think it’s cool to get a group of people together and hit on a groove.

Even if you’re not that talented,” Wilson said. “That’s a really cool thing about music that’s hard to get anywhere else.”

The Pops Concert was considered a success from the members of Progress Report.

“People were screaming and yelling and cheering,” Wilson said. “We felt like we had connected with the crowd. At the end, we did a little bow and I tossed my drumsticks out to the audience.”

Regarding the band’s plans for the future, no gigs are currently planned for Progress Report.

“In my head, I have this vision of us getting up on the senior deck at lunch, to do these shows, and everyone would go crazy and think it was awesome,” Wilson said. “But I don’t know if we’ll be able to practice again. If they’re out there, and they’re listening, I would be happy to put the band back together.”

Whether or not Wilson’s vision will come true is unclear, but it is abundantly clear that Paly as a whole needs the Progress Report.

MAYA HOMAN/THE CAMPANILE

College rejections are difficult to process, and many felt Paly’s wall helped them cope.

ANNA MORAGNE

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

L

iving in Palo Alto, more students than average are primed to be admitted into a top Ivy league school. This pampering is an extremely long process, and constitutes hours of dedication towards extracurriculars.

But in reality, regardless of all this effort, very few people are actually admitted into these highly sought after schools. This in turn leaves many students with feelings of worthless and humiliation, so they turn to the wall of shame.

This wall is in fact not a wall, but instead some windows along the Paly library where students used to post helpful information such as AP schedules, class times and more.

To students, it is known as The Wall of Shame because during college season, some seniors have posted their rejection letters on the windows of the library for other students to see.

“The wall of shame allowed students who had been rejected, to see

that they were in fact not alone, that there were other people in the same boat as them,” said Paly alum Rebecca Moragne.

Although this year was an anomaly, no seniors have posted their rejection letters to the wall, leaving it empty. This is the first time in many years that such an event has occurred.

“I was honestly surprised and disappointed that nobody posted to the wall this year,” said senior Ethan Ho. “When I felt down from my rejections, I was unable to turn to the wall and find solace that I was not alone in receiving rejections. ” Although the wall of shame may seem like it has negative connotation due to the title, to students this wall symbolizes and means something much greater.

The wall of shame allows for seniors, almost all of whom will have received rejections, to embrace their rejections and not feel alone. It also shows underclassman the other side of the college application process — one not shown by the printed college map that shows where students are headed.

The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017

LIFESTYLE B3 Stress management strategies It’s Father John Misty versus Activities to reduce stress resulting from end-of-the-year assignments RIYA KUMAR

G

I

t’s that time of the year again. AP tests and finals are approaching, stress-levels are building up. Fear not: there are plenty of things you can do in order to make sure you are still sane when the last bell of the school year rings.

1. Sign up for a yoga class

2. Animal shelter

Cuddling puppies? Yes please!

Animals are proven de-stressors. The act of petting or stroking a pet releases endorphins, which make you feel happy, and reduces your blood pressure. Also, having a companion

ELI GWIN-KERR

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

STAFF WRITER

You may think that this is the most generic thing that could be suggested. However, there is reason it is associated with de-stressing. The focus of controlled breathing is what makes it so relaxing. As busy people we rarely have time to take a deep breath, and this is the perfect way to focus on yourself and your wellbeing for an hour. After focusing on yourself, it becomes easier to check in with your priorities and make sure that you’re making the right decisions. The best part about yoga is the fun of trying out the different poses.

Think you aren’t flexible? Trust me, in truth most people who do yoga aren’t so you will never be the odd one out.

Clia Tierney, a yoga instructor for all types of people, from pregnant women to middle schoolers, describes why she thinks yoga is such a good de-stressor.

“Stressing your body in certain ways can actually physically create relaxation but it’s also fun,” Tierney said.

Tierney holds a yoga class just for teenagers across from Town and Country for free on Tuesday afternoons, so grab an herbal tea from Mayfield and head on over for an hour of relaxation!

the world on “Pure Comedy”

RENEE HOH/THE CAMPANILE

Afternoon yoga breaks are a perfect way to reduce stress as AP testing approaches.

to hang out but not discuss GPAs and test-prep with, is a nice and much-needed break. A main part of volunteering is playing and exercising animals at the shelter, which includes plenty of petting, companions and the extra good feeling of doing something for others. Palo Alto Animal Services is a local option for helping, (and playing) with all sorts of animals, so be sure to go on over and have fun with cute and most likely disease-free animals.

3. Have a picnic

Find an open field (Foothill Park), and just chill. Whether it is getting lost in an entertaining book, or jamming to some Bob Marley, make time to do nothing. Take in the scenery and the amazing California weather for a whole day, or just an hour or two. Being outside and doing something that is fun but not tiring will help you put things in perspective and realize that 23 days will not last forever.

Yes, you can do this at home, but being in nature and getting some sunlight is a sure way to lift your spirits

4. Go to a playground

I know that you aren’t a five-yearold, but remember that exciting, heart-stopping feeling when you’re

high up while swinging? It can still happen! Go to one of Palo Alto’s 20 parks and monkey-bar to your heart’s content. Running and sliding around will bring back those happy memories and help you to escape the life of a high-schooler for a while.

5. Have a pasta party

The perfect choice for a free couple of hours in the evening. Get some friends together and boil boxes and boxes of pasta.

Let each person put their own sauces and other “toppings” (cheese, meat and veggies), and savor those carbs.

While enjoying your personalized bowl(s), binge-watch something funny (“The Office”, anyone?) and laugh away the fight for an A- overall grade.

Spending time with people, shows and food that make you happy is the best combo for a night of fun, and fun is always a de-stressor!

It doesn’t matter what activity you choose to destress, as long as it makes you a little less scared for whatever tests you have to take. Remember, these tests are just tests!

Summer will be here before you know it, and you can de-stress the whole time (while you get ready for the next school year).

oing on an interview circuit is the typical route of many artists when an album is in the works or readily approaching, and Josh Tillman knows this well — as is apparent from his recent appearance on BBC Breakfast. Any fan of the former Fleet Foxes drummer would be surprised to see Tillman, who now performs as Father John Misty, on a morning talk show not particularly known for hosting sarcastic indierock misanthropes. But there he was, answering questions from hosts Charlie Stayt and Steph McGovern, rarely straying from the dry responses that have made him such a polarizing figure with listeners over his recent career.

“There’s a distinction to be made between entertainment and art, and entertainment is largely about forgetting about your life,” Tillman said.

“But art can serve the function of remembering your life, and I think we’re pretty inundated with entertainment as it is.”

The relationship between art and entertainment has become somewhat of an irony for Tillman — who is, ultimately, someone who is constantly toeing the line between the two. His latest release, “Pure Comedy,” is a departure from 2015’s “I Love You, Honeybear.” Leaving the heartfelt cynicism and tender self-loathing of “Honeybear” for much more ambitious statements on the human condition, “Pure Comedy” sees a Father John Misty that is done looking inwards and is now focusing his efforts outwards.

The album was preceded by the single “Total Entertainment Forever,” which opened with a line about virtual reality sex with Taylor Swift (an artist who he sarcastically covered).

Tillman is adept at creating scenes within his music, whether it be one of a faulty one-night stand or a near-future world obsessed with being enter-

tained. The song was sung on Saturday Night Live in a performance that showcased his vocal abilities against the typical piano rock background — vocals that sound like they shouldn’t contain as much substance as they do.

His lyrics sometimes lend him a sense of intellectual loftiness, something that might make a casual listener fall prey to the image of a self-enamored Father John Misty rather than just a critical defeatist.

“Pure Comedy” retains and amplifies the core of Tillman’s image: arrogant. It’s hard not to sound like one when you’re being an insufferable social commentator over a simple guitar and piano. He keeps himself grounded with an air of sincerity, which is just what made “Honeybear” such a convincing piece of affectionate pinings. “Pure Comedy” doesn’t pick up where “Honeybear” left off, it just finds Tillman confronting bigger themes. The epic, 13-minute-long “Leaving LA” depicts the many versions of Father John Misty — young Tillman, the Fleet Foxes, drummer, Misty himself — and is a familiarly introspective dive into the psyche of his many incarnations. The song shows that Tillman not only realizes how he is hated just as much as he is loved, but that he relishes in it, and it’s all held down by the sweet memory of a childhood incident that sheds some more light on Josh Tillman’s opinions and motives.

“Leaving LA” might possibly be the backbone of the album, but the swan song comes later in the album via “So I’m Growing Old on Magic Mountain.” Referencing Thomas Mann’s novel “Magic Mountain,” Tillman shows that he’s ready to leave behind any kind of self-deception that the Misty identity may provide him. “So the longer I stay here / The longer there’s no future,” he sings, and it seems like he’s trying to prove that he now sits on some vantage point with a sweeping bird’s-eye view of humanity in the 21st century and himself ­— but just maybe.

Friday, April 28, 2017

B4

The Campanile

SPOTLIGHT

Two pathways, Three years

TEXT & DESIGN BY KESI SOUNDARAR A

s his freshman year drew to a close, Jordan Schilling was feeling unchallenged and even a bit apathetic about high school. To get the most out of his next three years, something needed to change.

That’s when Schilling found the Social Justice Pathway, an unconventional new program set to be implemented the following fall.

“Taking Social Justice was kind of a risk, but I knew I had to jump on it,” Schilling said recently. Now, as a graduating senior, Schilling looks back and knows joining the pathway was “a great decision. I would do it again 10 times out of 10.”

Schilling is one of the 25 seniors in the first "cohort" (or group) of Palo Alto High School’s pioneering Social Justice Pathway, whose mission is to empower students through projectbased learning to make an impact on their community. This year also marks the first graduates of Paly’s other specialized passage -- the lessstructured Sports Career Pathway.

The Campanile talked with more than half of the graduating students in the Social Justice and Sports pathways in an attempt to examine the successes and pitfalls of the innovative programs. The research found that, on average, the social justice students interviewed were very pleased with the program, while the sports pathway cohort interviewed was too small to draw any meaningful conclusions. Of course, no program, especially ones as experimental as these, is without flaws, and both have seen students drop.

corresponding concepts in their history course, for example reading Persepolis when studying the Iranian Revolution. Students also take Hu-

riculum right now is formulated through teacher and student collaboration. Mrs. Angell and Mr. Bloom both decide the primary lessons and

on their community, whether that be through aiding local law firms that focus on social justice issues, for example, or volunteering to tutor

manities, Applied Statistics and Economics in their junior and senior years.

The social justice program is the brainchild of Eric Bloom and Erin Angell, teachers with a passion for social justice who believe students learn best with open-ended assignments. Initially they attracted roughly 30 students for the pilot year and since then attracted more sophomores each year -- 50 in the class of 2018 and 60 for the class of 2019. Each cohort has two teachers, with one teaching English and the other history.

“Mr. Bloom and Ms. Angell are the best teachers I’ve ever had,” said senior Avery Pearson. “The amount of work they put into each lesson and the whole pathway is insane. I think it’s turned out this well because they care so much about it.”

Student involvement in the classroom is a pillar of the Social Justice Pathway. “The cur-

some of the topics, but how we are tested and demonstrate our knowledge is primarily chosen by the students and discussed,” said Social Justice Pathway senior Matthew Seto.

“For the past few periods we’ve been talking about what it is in the book we want to learn, what we have to learn, and how to run the classroom to ensure that learning is a success,” said senior Layla Solotan. “Today, we spent the majority of the class speaking up and coming up with ideas for what we should do.”

Pathway teachers take a different approach to grading. Sometimes they don’t give grades on work, and they often grade by giving narrative comments rather than number or letter assessments on assignments.

What’s more, social justice students are also given opportunities to work in internships provided by the program. Internships offer students experience making a positive impact

middle-school students.

The Sports Career Pathway, led by Theresa McDermott, is not as cohesive as social justice. Partly, that’s because students are given flexibility in selecting courses, and there isn’t a fixed path. Students in the Sports Career Pathway can choose courses designed to be in the pathway, but they are not held to a strict list of courses and are not required to be in the pathway for three years, according to Assistant Principal Victoria Kim. They can choose a course here or there, or they can choose to take many of the courses to get the full experience of taking a Sports Career Pathway in high school.

Perhaps for that reason, Paly’s administration did not disclose the number of students “in” the pathway.

Still, the Paly website defines three concentrations within the Sports Career Pathway oriented around sports and fitness: Sports Medi-

Curriculum

B

oth pathways are motivated by their unique curriculums. For social justice, classes are based around projects, and the curriculum is heavily influenced by students, while in the sports pathway, there is not an official curriculum but instead a selection of sports-related classes, with a heavy emphasis on helping students find careers in the field after high school.

Students within the Social Justice Pathway are automatically enrolled in modified English and history courses that address the subjects through the lens of social justice.

“You get to relate what you learn between English and history and also you get to learn about and potentially tackle community problems,” said senior Nicole Li. Teachers aim to present students with novels told through the perspective of minorities, such as the graphic novels Persepolis and Maus and the acclaimed novel "Cry Me a River." The novels are introduced when students are learning

The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017

SPOTLIGHT

B5

Students from THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS TO HAVE ACCESS TO PALY’S TWO PATHWAYS RECITE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND MEMORIES.

RAJAN & VIVIAN FENG

DESIGN BY PAARTH SHARMA

cine and Science, Business and Marketing or Journalism Media and Communications. The flagship class is “Getting into the Game: Sports Career Exploration.”

The course underscores one distinguishing element of the pathway, which is that students are supposed to graduate with a concrete postsecondary plan in place. Similar to the Social Justice Pathway, each student who uses the resources of the Sports Career Pathway will have received mentoring, gained work experience and developed a digital portfolio.

“I chose the pathway because I knew I wanted to continue my sports career in college by being involved in the inside of a program as a player [baseball] or on the outside as a coach or a physical therapist in training,” said senior Aron Ecoff, “The pathway curriculum developed in the sense that there are more speakers now, giving us more real life examples on how to integrate into the sports field.”

Ecoff also appreciated the connections he made. “I’ve even talked to [Warriors Assistant General Manager] Kirk Lacob about a spot with the program in bio data,” he said.

“The pathway is an option among many other Paly programs and has attracted students, but not as many as we would like. It needs to be examined and we are about to embark upon that process,” McDermott said.

“Before spring break, an email was sent out to the staff at Paly inviting them to be a part of the rebooting process of the Sports Career Pathway,” she said.

“The pathway is very much a work in progress. About 15 staff members responded to the email and Ms. Laurence will be helping us to facilitate this rebooting process.”

Nevertheless, Ecoff found the program worthwhile. “Mrs. McDermott has been really supportive of all her students, and will do anything to lend the extra hand,” he said. “She has connections and has even helped some of our students get jobs.”

He estimates that three or four students dropped out of the class this year “because they weren’t serious about pursuing a career in sports.”

changes

W

hile most students found their time in the social justice to be an enjoyable experience, many agree there is still room for improvement. Critics include seniors Yotam Ponte and Jason Pollak, students who dropped out their sophomore and junior years, respectively.

Both complain their ideas were not being heard by teachers. “My communication with one of the teachers wasn’t very effective,” Ponte said. “I tried to approach the teachers with some of my ideas, but that never really got anywhere. I wrote

"We've been gaining a lot of interest this year." erin angell

them letters, we had a meeting, but there was never any follow-up. I would have liked the teacher to come to me more and be a little more empathetic in understanding my issues.”

Additionally, the student-run classroom can be a double-edged sword for some, who feel that classes can be disorganized, or dominated by only a few loud voices. “We, as a class, needed more aid,” Ponte said. “We were thrown into the deep end and couldn’t handle it. During our second year of the pathway we tried

to do a town hall. The point was to have it be completely student run with a goal of getting issues out of the way. Each town hall proved to be very unorganized; we spent the whole time arguing about how we’re going to fix things, but never got anywhere. The teachers should have realized we needed more help and guidance.”

Finally, the addition of classes like Statistics Application and Advanced Authentic Research (AAR) to the pathway polarized many students, including those who otherwise gave the pathway high marks. Pollak, an avid thespian, could not reschedule his seventh-period theater class to make room for Stats Application. “The addition of Stats App was a huge problem for me,” Pollak said. “It felt like I had signed a contract, and now the terms of the contract had changed and was no longer valid.”

This change in vision left a bad taste in Pollak’s mouth and alongside other factors, caused him to drop the program. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay in. A lot of things changed.

There were a lot of times in which I felt the learning I wanted to have, I wasn’t really having.

We weren’t really learning a lot in class and that was an issue,” Pollak said. Ponte also took issue

with the addition of classes saying the addition of AAR was “not helpful at all” and “just an additional stressor.”

Conclusion

L

ooking forward, the Social Justice Pathway plans on making a couple reforms.

“We want to streamline and increase the opportunity for student exhibitions for the parent community, the school community, the student community as well as the Palo Alto community," said Angell.

"Based on some networking with other schools who have similar programs, we want to improve the way that we provide narrative feedback to students."

From the students’ perspective, looking back at the risk they took in joining a new pathway three years ago, almost all the seniors interviewed by The Campanile expressed that they would make the same choice were they given a second shot at high school.

The project-based learning helped foster a creative atmosphere within the classrooms and additionally gave students a broader perspective beyond the classroom.

“I really liked how the program made me think about the world." yotam ponte “I think that SJP has taught me a lot about how I work, and how I work best,” said Seto.

“Being able to work individually, in groups and as a cohort have taught me the importance of your classmates and how your setting affects your work. I think that the pathway is a great thing for students who want to do something different from normal classes that each grade takes and if they also just want to learn about social justice and creating change in communities. You also are able to get to know your fellow students better than normal classrooms.”

The question remains: are pathways the future of education or passing fancy? For many at Paly, the answer is clear.

The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017

B6

LIFESTYLE

Students plan summer jobs around passions Incoming juniors and seniors are securing fun and unique jobs, making money in the process over long break PEYTON WANG

STAFF WRITER

A

s summer break approaches, Paly students look forward to attend summer programs to learn about topics that pique their interests or participate in internships and jobs. However, many students in Palo Alto engage in programs that deviate from the norm of summer teenage jobs, such lifeguards and baristas. From business interns to assistant theatre costumers, these students hope to gain more experience in a specific career path.

Christopher Clark: MIT Launch This summer, Paly sophomore Christopher Clark will attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Launch, a four-week program on the school’s campus. The program works with high school students to launch real startups and build their entrepreneurial skills.

After searching for programs relating to entrepreneurships on the Internet, Clark found MIT Launch and believed it would be a good fit for him.

“Growing up in the Silicon Valley, the entrepreneurial environment has rubbed off on me,” Clark said. “My true passion is to become an entrepreneur and start a business.”

Clark was introduced to the facets of real-world business after interning with a startup called SerCle, a company that specializes in improving the workflow of small businesses, where he learned about how marketing in businesses operate.

Last year, Clark supported Synopsys Silicon Valley Science & Technology Outreach Foundation, a nonprofit by teaching computer science courses. The program aims to provide a STEM education to underprivileged youth in the community.

“To me, an entrepreneur is passionate about making other people’s

decided to apply his past experiences and knowledge to the real world.

“Business is just one of the many things I currently have an interest in, so being able to have an internship relating to it will really open my eyes whether or not I want to continue this interest in the future,” Moreno said.

lives better by identifying problems and developing solutions,” Clark said. “I thought to myself, ‘what can I do to help others?’ I realized that many underserved youth lack a solid STEM education.”

Currently, Clark teaches a Java coding class and a 3D design class with the program “This endeavor has opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities,” Clark said. “I realized that every little difference I make in my community helps. I hope that by attending MIT Launch, I can turn those little differences into even bigger differences, and make an even greater impact on the world.”

India Phills: Assistant Costumer Paly sophomore India Phills will work for eight weeks as an assistant costumer and camp counselor at the Hope Musical Theatre (HMT) summer program at Paly. Each session of the program lasts ten days, in which campers prepare to put on a musical with the help of professional choreographers and directors.

When Phills was young, she was a camper at HMT. She hopes to give back to the program and people who inspired her.

“I always looked up to the counselors in training (CIT) and the staff,” Phills said. “I knew that when I became too old to be a camper, I wanted to do that.”

“I hope that by attending MIT Launch, I can turn those little difference into even bigger differences.”

Christopher Clark Sophomore Previously, Phills worked as a CIT, an unpaid position. After years of dedication to the program, Phills was offered a full-time summer job at HMT, where she works not only

PEYTON WANG/THE CAMPANILE

behind the scenes to ensure the show runs smoothly, but also as a role model for the campers.

“I help fit kids for costumes for the show, dress them on show days, fix costume pieces that have broke, help with sign in and out and lead activities,” Phills said.

Phills is excited to return to HMT again this summer and share her theatre and leadership experiences with the campers.

“It’s a great place,” Phills said.

“Getting to go from camper to counselor in training to staff member and getting to be on the other side of the table is a super cool thing to experience.”

Miguel Moreno: Business Intern In the second week of June, Paly junior Miguel Moreno will intern for Metadata. Over the course of three months, he will about the ins and outs of sales and marketing.

“I will help the sales team try to inform other companies if they would be interested in Metadata’s services and any of their marketing needs,” Moreno said.

In his sophomore year, Moreno took Business Law at Paly, which encouraged him to broaden his horizons and pursue a possible future career in the business field.

“I have an authentic interest in what I do, and I choose to do it because I want to, not for the purpose of looking good on the application.”

Chloe Hong Junior “I’m interested in business, specifically marketing, and wanted to learn how it could be applied in the workforce,” Moreno said.

To continue his exploration in the business world, Moreno joined two of Paly’s business clubs: Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), where students learn about business through competitive conferences, and Next Generation Investing (NGV), which informs students about the role of finance in the business world.

After Moreno heard about the internship from a family friend, he

Chloe Hong: SIMR Chloe Hong, a Paly junior, will participate in Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR), an eight-week intensive research program that focuses on biological sciences and medicine to teach students about how scientific research is performed. Unlike other summer programs, SIMR has an acceptance rate of 3 percent and participatints will receive a stipend.

On June 12, Hong will begin her biomedical research and work on bioengineer projects.

In her freshman year, while taking Biology Honors with Ms. Loomis, Hong’s interest in biology grew.

“I would sometimes sit in on other biology classes during my prep,” Hong said. The teacher told me, ‘go do something fun!’ My response was, ‘this is fun!’”

Currently, Hong participates in Paly Science Olympiad, a selective club that offers over 20 competitive events, and Paly Science Bowl, where teams face off in a fast-paced science quiz bowl.

Over time, Hong has developed a true passion for science, specifically in biology, and expresses it throughout her daily life.

“Walk down any street with me in Palo Alto, and I’ll probably stop to point out the differences between male and female cones on a nearby conifer or pause to identify a passing songbird,” Hong said. “I have an authentic interest in what I do, and I choose to do it because I want to, not for the purpose of ‘looking good on the application.”

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The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017

LIFESTYLE B7 Guide to Zareen’s, California Ave’s newest addition Pakistani-Indian restaurant presents a variety of dishes with diverse flavors that cater to a myriad of tastes

MAYA HOMAN/THE CAMPANILE

Zareen’s has a delicious meal for everyone. Left: The Punjabi Chicken Burger mixes American and Indian flavors. Center: Chicken Tikka Masala is the classic Indian dish. Right: Aloo Tikki provides a vegetarian option.

MAYA HOMAN

STAFF WRITER

C

alifornia Avenue has experienced something of a renaissance over the last few years. New bike racks line glittering glass sidewalks, and new trees can be spotted next to storefronts. However, this transformation has come with a cost: rising rent prices have driven many businesses away, including the latest victims: restaurants Fire Oak and Barley and well-established business Keeble and Shuchat. But Zareen’s, California Ave’s newest acquisition, is here to stay.

With a wide range of Pakistani and Indian food, unique decor and a convenient location, Zareen’s has become a local hit. Books line the walls, hovering on floating shelves over booths and stacked next to the menus for customers to read while waiting in line. Cartoons taped next to the glass explain the concept of consent, and a

poster next to the menus label the establishment as a proud sponsor of the ACLU, NPR, Planned Parenthood, Doctors Without Borders and more.

In short, it is social justice heaven.

The place is packed most nights and the air is filled with a restless, lively hum. There are friends catching up over mango lassi, couples looking for unique cuisine and families frantically seeking a restaurant that will suit everyone’s tastes. With an assortment of nut-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options (not to mention up to three cups of free chai), Zareen’s has something for everyone.

For the Beginner: Punjabi Chicken Burger ($8.99)

I chose the Punjabi Chicken Burger as a gateway food. It is designed for those who want to get a taste of Indian cuisine without the full force of Indian seasoning. The burger is made of ground chicken with on-

ions, jalapeños and other vegetables.

Sadly, this plate did not meet expectations. Although I found the sauce excellent, and the cucumbers on the burger were an interesting twist, the chicken itself turned out to be rather unappetizing. The jalapeños made everything a bit too spicy to really appeal to those unfamiliar with Indian food, but it didn’t have very much flavor besides that. The hamburger bun was soggy when the food arrived, and my overall impression of the meal was that it was American food trying too hard to seem “cultured.” The one redeeming quality was the masala fries. The fries were salty and dusted with masala seasoning, which gave it an unexpected but enjoyable kick.

However, the burger on its own was not very appetizing.

For the Vegetarian: Aloo Tikki ($9.25)

For a more vegetarian-friendly option, I chose the Aloo Tikka. With

potato cutlets and sides of curry, rice and dahl, this dish was an instant favorite. The potatoes were the perfect combination of buttery and salty, with a subtle hint of pepper. The spices were more subdued in this entree, making it perfect for those who may not be used to über-spicy food. The Madras curry was creamy and the tomato flavor complemented the spices nicely. I would recommend getting a side of Garlic Naan ($2.99) with this meal. The curry is spicier than the potato cutlets and the naan helps balances the spices in the curry while bringing out the tomato flavor.

The “salad” was more of a blend of chopped-up cucumbers, onions and carrots, but it went well with the meal. Although I normally avoid vegetarian entrées, this dish left me pleasantly surprised.

For the Traditionalist: Chicken Tikka Masala ($9.95) From those who have never had

Indian food in their life to those who eat it every day, it’s hard to go wrong with this classic Indian dish.

This entrée mainly consisted of boneless grilled chicken marinated in a creamy tomato curry similar to the one in the Aloo Tikka. The chicken had an enticing, lightly-charred flavor that accompanied the curry nicely.

The spices balanced the flavor of the chicken without drowning the meat in seasoning — a nice addition to the dish. The side of rice went very well with the curry and salad, but I would suggest getting a side of Tandoori Naan ($2.99) to cut the heat, especially for those unaccustomed to spicy food. The crisp, almost-charred aftertaste of the just-baked naan gave the meal a more authentic feel, enhanced the grilled flavor of the chicken and made the curry taste slightly sweet.

Although I wouldn’t say this dish was my favorite, it was thoroughly enjoyable, and definitely something I will be ordering in the future.

Netflix’s“13 Reasons Why” delves into mental health New television show follows the story of what led to 17-year-old Hannah Baker’s suicide and the aftermath JORDAN QUIGLEY

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

A

new, thrilling and suspenseful television series out on Netflix called “13 Reasons Why” has garnered attention very quickly due to its great casting and unapologetic analysis of modern teenage life, as well as because it was executive produced by Selena Gomez. The show consists of just one season of 13 episodes that debuted on March 31.

The show focuses on the events leading up to the suicide of 17-yearold Hannah Baker. Hannah explains why she ended her life by recording the misdeeds of 13 key people who wronged her in high school. Through Hannah’s taped recordings, “13 Reasons Why” explores many problems in our contemporary society that are difficult to face, including suicide, sexual assault and bullying.

The show begins with the male

protagonist, Clay, one of Hannah’s former classmates and coworker at a movie theater, getting the tapes and slowly listening to all of them shortly after Hannah’s death.

Intertwining Clay and Hannah’s past and present experiences while explaining the horrible events that Hannah had to go through not only creates a chilling and dramatic story of a girl who committed suicide, but also shines a light on the challenges and trials of being a modern teenager.

Viewers can see Clay in the present in each episode, struggling to listen to every tape when he learns of the difficult realities of Hannah’s life as her voice narrates each tape. This is contrasted with flashbacks where we can see Hannah’s life through her

own eyes.

Each new episode of the series centers around one person who emotionally or physically hurt Hannah.

What makes the story so compelling, however, is that each of the people on Hannah’s tapes have histories and motivations of their own. What seems like a list of inherently cruel people is something completely different — while some are intentionally cruel to Hannah, others indirectly or unintentionally harm her.

There have been many contrasting opinions about this show. Some say that “13 Reasons Why” glorifies suicide and that it doesn’t follow suicide protocol. However, others say that it brings awareness to mental illness and shows that there are many different factors that can trigger someone’s desire to end their life.

I have mixed opinions about this show. I think that there are some great aspects of “13 Reasons Why,”

such as how they bring up important issues on bullying and sexual assault that promote awareness of these topics that are often ignored.

Through Hannah’s taped recordings, “13 Reasons Why’’ explores many problems in our contemporary society that are difficult to face, including suicide, sexual assault and bullying.

On the other hand, I think that certain parts of the show are inappropriate in its discussion and portrayal of suicide. For one, the main premise of the show is that there are certain people who caused Hannah to kill herself. This seems very wrong because there are many other factors including mental health, which is mentioned very little in each episode. The idea that suicide is a direct

cause of the behavior of others can be detrimental to the family and friends of people who committed suicide, as it could cause them to blame themselves. Although the portrayal of suicide might be flawed, it is important that there is finally a show that covers suicide because it is usually not discussed because of the stigma.

While the show does have some issues, it still is worth the hype. There are a lot of great television shows on Netflix, but there are very few shows that delve into so many controversial topics while still remaining relatable and empathetic, which is something that “13 Reasons Why” does so well.

Intertwining Clay and Hannah’s past and present experiences while explaining the horrible events that Hannah had to go through not only creates a chilling and dramatic story of a girl who committed suicide, but also shines a light on the challenges and trials of being a modern teenager.

Friday, April 28, 2017

The Campanile

B8

LIFESTYLE A Cultural Colossus:

The Senior Deck Design by: charlotte cheng

A

n intramural icon. A local landmark.

A symbol of unity. Sitting pridefully on the western side of the grassy quadrangle known as the quad, the Senior Deck represents much more than a lunchtime spot for Seniors to flex on the rest of the school.

At first glance, the Senior Deck looks like just another platform, wooden boards nailed together into a roughly rectangular pattern peppered with the occasional bench.

However, during school hours the Deck changes from a wooden outcropping into a cultural paragon that, by all purposes, signifies the privileges endowed on the Senior class after three years of hard work. Off limits to any and all underclassmen and juniors, the Deck is the sole property of the graduating class, passing down from one set of high schoolers to another.

Creation

Prior to the 2016-2017 school year, several rising seniors gathered to remodel the Deck from the decrepit mess it had become over the summer.

Senior Timothy Liu, a well-known artist around campus for his many prom poster designs, took on a leading role in the project.

“I've been a leading part of the float building team for the past few years, and I've really enjoyed that experience,” Liu said.

“It's been incredibly rewarding helping my class design and create the float each year, and when I was offered a role in helping paint the Deck, I immediately jumped on board as well."

Just like the float — the epitome of a unified class effort across Spirit Week — the Senior Deck represents the collective work of the senior class.

“Both of these experiences have been all about class pride and unity, and creating a product that represents who we are as a grade, and thus, I really wanted to be a part of the Deck project as well,” said senior Melissa Cheng.

After taking the project on, the seniors took time deliberating over their final product before finally compromising on a mutually satisfactory design.

“We modified the camo design, and also made our '2017' logo much more prominent and bold,” Liu said.

However, the group still had to straddle the balance between tradition and innovation.

text & Design by: Edward kim “We mostly modeled [our design] after past three years,” Cheng said. “It's a feeling the Deck from years before us, but we want- of, ‘I've worked hard three years to finally ed to make sure we took some of our own reach this point, and now I've finally made it creative liberties on it as well,” Liu said. “Af- to the top.’”

Now, amidst its lofty status within Paly’s ter all, this was finally our chance to manage society, the vaunted the Deck, and we wanted to Senior Deck still ensure that it had our own personal flair.” "having owner- exists for the pleasure of the seniors.

Unluckily for the senior ship of the Deck “I really think of class, controversy soon folis like a sense of the Senior Deck as lowed the successful ena place where I can deavor they had completed. pride after the just go to chill with “At the beginning of work I've put in my friends,” Cheng the year, we had to deal said. “I go there to with multiple instances over the past eat lunch, or just of graffiti and vandalism three years." hang out where I on the Deck,” Liu said. can sit and observe “They were mostly random melissa cheng the happenings phrases or words referencaround the school. ing pop culture, but they Of course, the first day where everyone wore still infuriated most of the senior class.”

Having worked so hard together, the se- camo was amazing.”

One can observe this by simply walking niors felt slighted by the vandalism.

“We felt as though other people were dis- through campus during school. Especially respecting our Deck; since we viewed the during the earlier days of the week when Deck as a symbol of the senior class," Liu the majority of seniors are on campus, said. "Thankfully, the administration was re- the Senior Deck is standing-room ally great about getting to the bottom of the only. During Spirit Week, the Senior Deck looked like a miniaissue, and the vandalism quickly ceased.” ture version of Times Square.

Even those who aren’t seniors are cognizant of the Senior Deck and its omnipres This year’s current graduating seniors, the ence on the Paly campus.

"I feel the Senior Deck Class of 2017, happily acknowledges their ownat Paly is a staple of Paly ership of the Senior Deck. After persevering culture due to its through the stigma of not being allowed on the importance to Deck for the past several years, the 2017 seniors the seniors,” are sure to appreciate what they have. junior Cheng, for one, is fully aware of the privi- said Elliot Clark. lege she has as a senior. “ W h e n e ver “I think of the Senior Deck as a sort of I, or anyrite-of-passage into the upper echelons of high school,” Cheng said. “The Deck was one walks always this untouchable cultural icon during around at my first three years of high school, so finally lunch, it being able to stand on it and enjoy the view seems to be the from above the quad was a great feeling.”

Senior pride

Although seniors are essentially “given” the Deck when the previous year’s class departs, the students who use it feel like they deserve the Deck for their long trek through high school.

“I feel like having ownership of the Deck is like a sense of pride after the work I've put in over the

Design by: Paarth Sharma main hub of the quad with its seniors and music playing."

For next year, the current juniors look forward to being able to use the Deck.

Just like the senior class, they acknowledge the deck.

“I’ve avoided using it for the majority of my three years at Paly, so finally being able to sit upon it at the symbolic top of the school will mean a great deal to me next year,” Clark said. "I know that the rest of the class will appreciate it."

The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017 ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

SPORTS

Senior baseball star Michael Champagne talks about his success during his last season on the varsity team.

PAGE C7

The truth about not-so-fun 5K runs

THE SUPERIORITY OF KENYAN RUNNERS TEXT AND DESIGN BY COLE HECHTMAN

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here are only 17 American men who have run a marathon in under two hours and ten minutes. In October of 2011 alone, 32 Kenyans beat that time.

Furthermore, Kenyan runners Geoffrey Kirui and Edna Kiplagat won the men’s and women’s open in this past Monday’s 121st annual Boston Marathon. With Kenyans breaking ground in all aspects of running, one question persists: Why are Kenyan distance runners so fast?

When Kenyans emerged in the long distance running scene in the late 1980s, Americans credited their aptitude to cultural differences. Many claimed that when growing up, Kenyan children “trained” by running and walking to school miles away and increased their endurance by working in the fields at home. Conversely, American children were often driven or took buses, and spent hours motionless with technology upon returning home.

The theory led researchers Yiannis Pitsiladis from the University of Glasgow and Daniel Lieberman from Harvard University to team up and investigate the idea.

They used vo2 scores, a measure of potential running success, to evaluate Kenyan runners who traveled long distances frequently.

Much to their surprise, they found that each of the 30 male and female Kenyans used in the sample failed to produce the highest vo2 scores, indicating that individuals who exercised the most were not necessarily the fastest.

Even with the results, the 4.6 miles per day that the sample population averaged are incomparable to the severity of a marathon.

In fact, they soon concluded that distance was not an important variable, but rather that the Kenyans’ body mass index (BMI), or a person’s weight divided by height, played

DESIGN BY ASHLEY ZHANG GRACE KITAYAMA

the largest role. When testing Kenyans who possessed a low BMI and were physically fit, they tended to produce the highest max vo2 scores.

To prove this, 14-year-old subjects from Rift Valley were tested on a rigorous interval routine on a makeshift 400-meter track.

According to Jack Daniels’ “Oxygen Power” tables, untrained Kenyan boys with a BMI of approximately 15.5, with 18.5 classified as underweight, averaged a max vo2 score of 73.9, translating to a two hour and 19 minute marathon. As a reference, the median marathon finishing time in 2015 for men in U.S. marathons was 4:20:13, according to Running USA. Of course, BMI typically fluctuates significantly as one matures. Taking this into consideration, Daniels conducted a following study based on longitudinal trials, where he found that while the runners gained weight, they also gained muscle and were able to maintain their scores. In addition, continuing to travel long distances daily, living at a high altitude and having no access to unhealthy food prevented the subjects from falling out of shape.

Clearly, each of these factors are important, but only one explains why Kenyans posses such a low BMI in the first place. The answer, which is the leading belief behind Kenyan runners’ success, falls under genetic predispositions.

Many Kenyans have little fat to begin with, but also have particularly slim ankles and calves — a common body type for those growing up near the equator. In running, this can be extremely advantageous, as the leg serves as somewhat of a pendulum. The less weight there is from the center of the body, the easier it is to move and therefore run faster.

If a runner were to add weight to their torso, they might be slightly slower, however adding weight to one’s ankles or legs would take a considerably greater amount of energy when attempting to run. For this reason, David Epstein, a senior editor at Sports Illustrated, says a runner’s body type is the most important aspect in their speed, and variables such as training and aerobic respiration have little overall effect. In fact, he says that by measuring and finding the smallest ankles of a starting line of runners, you could statistically predict who would likely win the race.

Given the large distinctions between body types and habits, Pitsiladis predicts a grim future for Western runners, even compared to former runners outside of East Africa.

“It is not surprising that Steve Cram, David Moorcroft and Sebastian Coe still hold important [best running] times in the United Kingdom with little or no chance of their records being broken,” Pitsiladis said. “Our young population is simply too unfit in general, so there is little chance of extremely talented athletes emerging.”

With American and European lifestyles becoming less active following technological advances, Kenyans will continue to push ahead.

“This data explains why East Africans will continue to dominate middle and distance running, and further perpetuate the unproven idea that Kenyan distance runners have superior genetics for distance running,” Pitsiladis said.

Will the spread of technology affect these runners? Will elite runners exclusively include East Africans? As this gap widens and more East Africans, specifically Kenyans, dominate major stages of running, such as the Olympic Games and regional marathons, these questions will soon be answered.

JOANNA FALLA

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

It’s spring! The clouds have cleared, the ground is dry and the air is fresh, signaling the beginning of recreational outdoor activities. Hiking, going to the beach or having a picnic are common things for people to do this season, but what leisurely activities are there for the more athletic people to participate in? Five kilometer (5k) races! The Spartan race, the Color Run or the Bubble Run are examples of “fun runs,” or races that revolve around a central activity to get a break from just running. These races seem like a fun break from the monotony of a regular 5k, but it’s really just a bunch of smoke and mirrors (or paint or bubbles or mud). Just to clarify, I still enjoy running and it’s definitely a different experience than just a normal run in the park. However, it’s not much of a race for more experienced runners, and if you’re looking for a fun, spontaneous thing to do, this is not something I would suggest. There are a lot of people who really enjoy these races, but I’m here to warn you. Before you take on the challenge of running a 5k, there are some complications that many first-time runners don’t think about.

The Health Effects

I thought that the Color Run would be cool, but there are a few things that the website doesn’t mention. The best memory that I’ll have from my first completed 5k is not the excitement of my finishing my first race, but the following events. After I washed off the colored powder, I thought that my skin was dyed red all over my arms and legs. It wasn’t. It turns out that I had a mild allergic reaction to the powder, leaving me with a rash for the rest of the day.

Even when I ran in the Bubble Run, I knew what I was getting into, but that didn’t stop me from slipping and sliding all over San Jose. I left that race with scrapes and bruises and red eyes from the soapy bubbles. The Spartan Race was the only event that I was proud of my injuries. That obstacle course left me with cuts and bumps from going through the mud, jumping moats and throwing javelins. I left all of the races with cool gear and awesome pictures, but some races hurt more than others.

The Reality of the Fun

My first fun run was with a group of friends and was a last minute event to sign up for before we all went on vacation for the summer. With our white T-shirts ready for color, we began. For the first five minutes, it was so fun! Colors and laughter were everywhere, but as the running continued, the air cleared and the noise died down; it was just a normal race. There was one color station in the middle and one at the end for the photo ops, but that was it. This pattern is basically the same for every race, with a big group activity at three or four stations. Again, I want to emphasize that the stations are very well executed and enjoyable, but it only happens three times. If you decide to go on a fun run, go with others and enjoy the company, and then relish in the fun every three miles.

The Running

So I didn’t prepare to actually run a 5k, ok?

A piece of advice I would give to anyone running any kind of race would be to try running or walking the distance in one sitting. The Color Run was very fun, but it took me over an hour and a half to complete. I definitely spent a lot of time at the Color Stations, but I could not find a comfortable pace the entire time. It’s hard to see other people who actually prepared for the race speeding by you. From sprinting to barely moving, it was never a comfortable race to run.

SPORTS

Tanking in professional sports

Professional sports teams look to losing as a solution to championship struggles through the draft. As a result, sports leagues experience a notable drop in competitiveness, which decreases fan’s enjoyment.

KEVIN BURKETT/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED

PAGES C4-C5

MALCOLM SLANEY/USED WITH PERMISSION

Track team sets record

Palyís distance track team beat the 4x1600 Paly record by 15 seconds.

PAGE C6

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

The man behind the mitt

A look into the life of assistant baseball coach, Pete Colombo.

PAGE C7

DAVID HICKEY/USED WITH PERMISSION

2006 vs. 2017 Paly basketball

An investigation into the evolution of the boys basketball team.

PAGE C8

Friday, April 28, 2017

C2 VIKING REPORT BASEBALL RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Mountain View 4/21, W, 3-1 Paly vs. Carlmont 4/22, W, 6-4 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Los Altos 4/28, 4 p.m.

Paly vs. St. Francis 4/29, 12 p.m.

SOFTBALL RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Cupertino 4/19, W, 15-5 Paly vs. Saratoga 4/21, L, 6-4

BOYS LACROSSE

RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Los Gatos 4/20, L, 9-4

The Campanile

SPORTS Tennis remains optimistic despite losses Team finishes season with a 7-9 record, falling just short of making the CCS tournament EHECATL RIVERA

STAFF WRITER

U

nfortunately for the boys tennis team, the last few weeks have yielded more losses than wins. As the team approaches the end of their season, they hope to ameliorate their performance on the court and their overall record of 7-9.

The last three games the team has played have ended in loss after loss.

The team was tested on April 20 against Monta Vista High School when they were shut out 7-0. Despite their best efforts, no one on the team was able to take a win home.

“After the first set we didn’t think of Monte Vista as a super good team, we just saw them as a team that needed to be beaten,” said junior Johnny Loftus. “But in the end we sadly lost our focus and choked. The key also was playing aggressively at the net, but knowing when to play two back.

Why we played better in the second set was because we calmed down and didn’t pay attention to the fact that the rest of the team was losing. Monte Vista is also probably the best team in our league.”

“Losing some games has been rough but we know that if we train more we can win.’’

Andrew Shieh Paly Junior

UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Mountain View 4/27, 7 p.m.

Paly vs. Los Altos 4/28, 4 p.m.

GIRLS LACROSSE RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Saratoga 4/21, W, 16-10 UPCOMING GAMES

Paly vs. Gunn 4/27, 7:30 p.m.

Paly vs. Pioneer 4/28, 7 p.m.

BOYS TENNIS RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Monta Vista 4/20, W UPCOMING MATCHES

SCVALS 4/25, 1 p.m.

TRACK AND FIELD RECENT SCORES

Arcadia Invitational 4/7-8 Paly vs. Los Gatos 4/13

SWIMMING RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Homestead 4/19, W Section Challenge 4/22, W

BADMINTON RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Saratoga 4/20, W, 16-14 Paly vs. Milpitas 4/25, L, 20-10

GOLF RECENT SCORES

Paly vs. Saratoga 4/26, W

The game against Monta Vista was not the first of their losses this season. The team experienced similar results against Saratoga High School and Los Gatos High School on April 11 and April 13 respectively.

The home conference match against Saratoga resulted in a 2-5 loss. While this match was not a shutout, it was

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

The boys varsity tennis team played in the top division, forming a difficult season that was cut short, but continue to look promising.

nonetheless devastating for the team.

Two days later, the team received a loss with the same score. The team has had an inconsistent season from the start, with their losses being offset by triumphant victories. Yet as the season has progressed, the boys fell into a losing streak.

“We’ve had some pretty good wins this season,” said junior Andrew Shieh. “But a lot of our losses have been pretty narrow. I think that’s helped us work even harder so that we can get more wins. Losing some games has been rough but we know that if we train more we can win.”

While the team has experienced

many losses, it is important to note that the team is currently competing in the highest division in California, and tough competition is expected.

The struggle will be a learning experience for the team and will hopefully improve their performance.

“As we approach the end of the season, the whole team has experienced significant growth,” Loftus said. “For the last few games we have left, it will be crucial we stay focused and anticipate the tough opponents that we may face.”

As the season comes to an end, the team was unable to reach their goal of reaching the Central Coast Sec-

tionals (CCS) tournament, but they remains optimistic about next year.

“Overall I thought we had a pretty successful season. Our league was tough as always.’’

Hunter North Paly Junior “Overall I thought we had a pretty successful season,” said junior Hunter North. “Our league was tough as always but we were able to hold out ground for the most part. Unfortunately we came up just short of CCS. However, I’m confident that we will be competing in it next year.”

Track team motivated to finish season strong Vikes aim to continue momentum from early-season dominance into leagues and SCVALs ASHLEY ZHANG

NEWS AND OPINION EDITOR

A

fter delivering a crushing blow to Los Gatos High School on April 13, the Palo Alto High School track and field team will look to bring its speed and prowess to the upcoming meets — the De Anza League finals, the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) finals, Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships and States.

“Right now, our goal in mind is states, and doing as much as we can to get as many runners as possible to States and to CCS,” said Sherwin Amsbaugh, varsity runner and sprint captain. “We’ve worked all season on strength and now we’re getting into speedwork and doing our hardest workouts of the year. That way, everyone’s times are dropping and we can get as many kids as possible to

States.”

As Paly’s biggest competitor in the league, the Los Gatos Wildcats presented a tough challenge to defeat for the Vikings.

However, all but the varsity girls team were able to handily outrun their opponents, with Los Gatos’s varsity girls barely edging out Paly’s varsity girls with a final score of 64 to 61.

“We’ve worked all season on strength and now we’re getting into speedwork and doing our hardest workouts of the year. ’’

Sherwin Amsbaugh Team Captain “We wouldn’t have won by as much [against Los Gatos] if their top runner [ran] in all his events,” Amsbaugh said. “He kind of took it easy that

meet, so we were fortunate but it was really good to build our confidence up going into championship season where we have Leagues, SCVALs and CCS in the next month.”

“This season has been really great, especially as a senior.’’

Sherwin Amsbaugh Team Captain Prior to the Los Gatos meet, a select group of about 20 runners competed at the Arcadia Invitational, the most participants that Paly had brought to the meet in several years.

Every single person did incredibly well,” Amsbaugh said. “It was such an amazing experience. I’ve never felt so outclassed by some athletes before.

There were Olympians there, national records were set multiple times over the night and it was just incredible to see some of the country’s not only top

high school athletes, but top athletes in the nation.”

As the season comes to an end, the team hopes to continue their string of successes and end the season on a high note in their final races.

“This season has been really great, especially as a senior,” Amsbaugh said. “The new coaches have done an incredible job getting everyone ready for the championship season. Varsity boys are undefeated this year in our dual meets, so it’s been an incredible experience.”

In the last meet before League trials, the Vikings easily defeated Henry M. Gunn High School on April 26, hopefully foreshadowing success in the championship meets.

The championship season starts on May 2 with the De Anza League Trials followed by the finals on May 4. From there, the Vikings head to the SCVAL meet on May 12.

Girls lacrosse looks Baseball, coasting in league, to try new strategies preps for CCS playoff game Injuries have slowed but not stopped girls MAYA HOMAN

STAFF WRITER

T

he girls lacrosse team began its season on a high note with three successive victories against both Los Altos High School, Leland High School and Saratoga High School. More recent victories include the girls’ triumph over Saratoga High School, defeating the Falcons 16-6.

Since then, the team has hit a couple of bumps through the course of the season, particularly concerning its biggest rival, Los Gatos High School. Though the team fought valiantly, they lost 6-7 to Los Gatos in two consecutive matches, the last game going into overtime.

“Los Gatos is definitely one of the tougher teams in our league,” junior and defensive player Michaela Fogarty. “Although it was unfortunate that we lost in overtime in our last game, I think we played well and will only become more motivated from that.”

The team has managed to main-

tain a relatively successful season despite the loss of a key player: senior and goalkeeper Matilda Kenrick.

Kenrick is unable to play this season due to Central Coast Sectional (CCS) requirements, but her position has been filled by junior Mattie Orloff. Although the team has suffered from some setbacks, they have become more confident in their abilities.

“I think our performance so far in the season has been great,” Fogarty said. “We’ve learned how to work as a team and motivate ourselves and each other.”

Throughout the season, the Vikings have remained committed to improving their technique and team cohesion “We have been practicing new strategies for defense which we used against Los Gatos,” Fogarty said.

“They were super effective and I think we will continue to use them throughout the season.”

Their next game is on April 27 against Gunn High School.

Team feeling confident with a 17-4 record ERIC LI

STAFF WRITER

A

ll good things must come to an end for the Palo Alto High School baseball team.

Their winning streak was no exception. In a stretch of nearly a month, the Vikings went undefeated, dominating nine games in a row with season sweeps over Homestead High School, Saratoga High School and Los Gatos High School. Highlights of the streak include a 6-1 win over crosstown rival Gunn High School and a blowout victory over Leland High, with the score of 12-2.

Currently, the Vikings stand at the top of their league at a 10-1 record, the lone loss from their recent game against Mountain View, where they lost 2-3. They have improved to a fantastic overall 17-4 record and a winning percentage of 0.810, also best in the league. The teams expects to play even better later in the season.

The Vikes have also lead the league in runs with 123 total, and have the

league’s lowest count for runs allotted at 55. On the individual end, senior Ethan Stern has the league’s secondhighest batting percentage at .457, but has the league’s highest slugging percentage at .714. Stern has 16 hits and 10 runs in 10 games after returning from Paly’s fantastic boy’s basketball season.

The team has a shot at redemption against Mountain View on their game on April 21.

The Vikings finish off their season with a two games against league opponent Los Altos High and one game against St. Francis High. They have yet to play against either of them.

With their season coming to a close, the Paly baseball team set their sights on playoffs. As the team has already won the competitive Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL), they must have higher goals set. Their goals for this season are to win the Central Coast Sectionals (CCS), a feat that last year’s successful baseball team failed to accomplish.

The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017

SPORTS

C3

Softball team starts off season with powerful swing

Paly’s softball team has dramatically improved their game with an 8-4 record and high spirits all across the board NICK MELVIN

STAFF WRITER

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mere 12 games into the season, the Palo Alto High School softball team has already compiled more victories than they managed over the entirety of the 23 game 2016 season. Sitting at 8-4 (4-3 in league), the Vikings are standing firmly in the center of the pack, waiting for an opportunity to swoop in and capture a league championship when the tournament comes around.

“In order to get there we just need to keep practicing hard and working on reducing mental errors.’’

Madeleine Frick Senior The reason for their success compared to last year is due to an older and more experienced team.

“This season we have a much older team who is more used to each other

so that has helped a ton,” said senior captain Madeleine Frick. “Last year we had three upperclassmen and this year we have ten.”

Paly had been on a roll, winning three games in a row dating back to April 12, but faced a minor hiccup on March 21 when they lost to Saratoga, who is currently leading with an 11-3 (7-1 in league) record.

During their three game winning streak they took down cross town rival Gunn at Paly in a close 9-8 match along with beating Harker and Cupertino while on the road.

The game was a nail biter, with the score tied at 4-4 heading into the seventh inning in an intense pitching duel between Paly’s Mackenzie Glassford and Saratoga’s Rachel Devey, each of whom threw complete games.

Unfortunately, Saratoga was able to squeeze across two runs in the top of the last inning to take home a 6-4 victory over our Vikings.

All four of Paly’s runs came on one swing of the bat, with a booming grand slam by Frick.

MADS MCCLUSKEY/THE CAMPANILE

Senior Maddie Frick takes a swing while at bat in a game against Saratoga High School, defeating their opponents with a 15-5 score.

“I was just trying to get a base hit because the bases were loaded and there were two outs so a base hit would have been a run batted in,” Frick said. “After hitting it, when I was rounding the bases I was very excited because I’ve never hit a grand slam and I will be trying to hit one

over the fence again this season.”

Looking ahead, Paly will take on Fremont at home on May 1, and then their cross town rivals, Gunn, on the east side of town (at Gunn) on May 5.

With only three games left in the regular season, the Vikings are hop-

ing to close the season strong and put themselves in a position to take the league championship, and then at the CCS championship.

“In order to get there we just need to keep practicing hard and working on reducing mental errors,” Frick said.

Boys’ lacrosse on winning streak Swimmers bounce Vikings dominate the field with an extra emphasis on defense back from Gunn defeat Paly swim on track to qualify for States KIRAN MISNER

SPORTS EDITOR

H

MADS MCCLUSKEY/THE CAMPANILE

Junior Peter Gold prepares for a potentially game winning shot, as players from Saint Francis surround him from every direction.

PAARTH SHARMA

STAFF WRITER

W

hen the Palo Alto High School boys lacrosse team takes the field, opponents panic in fear, quiver behind their lacrosse sticks and pray that one day they will be able to speak of the impending destruction that is guaranteed to leave them scarred for life.

Take, for example, the team’s 13-0 slaughter of “rival” Gunn High School, or more recently their 9-8 conquest over Grayslake Central High School. Despite the score being close after the first quarter against Grayslake Central, the Vikings dominated their way to four consecutive

goals in the second quarter.

For the mental sanity of our readers, we cannot go into detail of what events transpired in this period, but the end result was an utter and total destruction not seen on this planet since an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

“We came out and had a great game,” said senior captain Ryan Mitra. “The second quarter was huge for us. Anytime you score four goals in a quarter, that’s a successful quarter.”

The team’s incredible offensive is also backed by a top-line defense.

This defense is known for its ability to surround and suffocate opponents the way vapor clouds do to those in bathrooms across Paly. The defense

has made its appearance in many of the team’s key wins, including their back-to-back victories against Gunn and Grayslake Central.

Just 48 hours after destroying Grayslake Central, The Killer Cloud took on Saratoga High School. The result was no surprise, with the Vikes cruising to a 14-8 win over the Saratoga Falcons.

Well before the game’s completion, Freddie the Falcon, Saratoga’s mascot, was seen walking away from the stands in total and complete disgust with his team’s performance.

But all things must come to an end. On April 20, the team lost to Los Gatos 9-4, ending the team’s run of domination.

alfway through its 2017 campaign, the Palo Alto High School swim team is looking just as dominant as they hoped to be at the beginning of the season.

The team has battled their way through the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) with one heartbreaking loss against crosstown rivals Henry M. Gunn High School.

According to junior Zachary Chen, the loss was seen as an opportunity to grow.

“We got destroyed by Gunn, but we learned that we shouldn’t feel bad about [our losses],” Chen said.

Additionally, Chen emphasized that the loss was not indicative of the team’s improvement and performance throughout the season, as they faced various challenges in the meet against Gunn.

“We were missing a few of our best swimmers because injury,” Chen said.

“We were not 100 percent due to the fact that our coach is making us train extra hard for the league finals.”

For junior Julia Qiao, team chemistry has created even more success for them.

“We are a very close and strong team this year,” Qiao said. “Our captains have worked extremely hard to foster a strong community by having dress up days for every meet as well as team bonding events.”

Since the start of the season, head coach Danny Dye has drilled in the

mindset that the team will do well in the league finals and hopefully qualify for the state championships.

At first, the players were not fully convinced of their ability to complete this goal.

However, as the team slowly turned self-doubt into wins through hard work and dedication in practice, the confidence within the group has risen.

“The season has taught ourselves to believe in ourselves more and our mindset has changed in that we have confidence in winning leagues,” Chen said.

As the focus starts to turn to both SCVAL finals as well as Central Coast Section and California Interscholastic Federation meets, the team’s training regimen has been altered to prepare for these meets.

“As a team, it is about going to practice, getting stronger and faster and building our technique,” Qiao said. “We have six practices a week that go for about two hours and fifteen minutes [each], which can be extremely tiring.”

Despite the long practices which can sometimes include swimming more than five miles total, Qiao believes that the team knows the training will help them succeed in upcoming games.

“We know [to take this into] perspective and that it will pay off in the long run,” Qiao said.

The Vikings will compete at SCVAL league finals on April 28 at Gunn High School against the very best the league has to offer.

Badminton recovering Vikings golf dominates the range Boys golf staying strong, currently undefeated with a 7-0 record from a tough season The team plans to work together to build upon the struggles they faced this season EDWARD KIM

STAFF WRITER

I

n 1886, Isaac Newton proposed the law of gravity: what goes up, must come down. By this definition, the Palo Alto High School badminton team defied this natural law. Unfortunately, the badminton team managed to avoid the entire first half of Newton’s proposition, traveling on a downward trajectory the entirety of the season. The team started out the season on a three match losing streak, and closed it with a record of 3-7, aided by a forfeit at the hands of Gunn.

However, just as how each cloud has a silver lining, the dark storm that was the past season for the badminton team may have a bit of sunshine to it.

Although the team has had a difficult season, several members of the

team look to advance to the postseason.

The majority of the team’s seasons will end this Tuesday with their final match against Los Gatos, but a number of players look to compete in the upcoming league playoffs.

Junior Michael Chau for one, still hasn’t seen his goals accomplished by merely starring on the Paly badminton team as a lone wolf.

“I may have had a good individual season in leagues, but it means nothing if I can’t get to CCS and beyond, and maybe to States,” Chau said.

In spite of all the struggles this season, the team looks to build upon what they see as a year for improvements “As a captain, we may have not had the season we hoped, but I admire the tenacity of our young players for not giving up in the face of adversity,” Chau said.

NIKLAS RISANO

STAFF WRITER

D

espite the departure of several key players, the Palo Alto High School golf machine has continued to annihilate the competition since the start of the season and now boasts an undefeated 7-0 record. This puts them atop the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) and in prime position to make a run at the Central Coast Section (CCS) trophy, and maybe even the NorCal championship.

Despite the tragic loss of several golfers to college, the golf team’s leaders have largely remained unchanged. Leading the pack is junior golf prodigy Ahmed Ali. He has continued to improve from last year’s performance. Some notable finishes include the match against Cupertino High School, during which Ali shot an impressive 34 for nine holes and received a medal. Early on in the season against Sacred Heart Prep, Ali shot an even more impressive score of 33 at Sharon Heights Country Club,

a notoriously difficult course.

Timothy Liu and junior Sergi Mata have also both shown their ability to score well for the team. While Liu has been scoring well, Mata is often only a few strokes off Ali. Although consistency has been a minor issue, he has been an important part of the team. Perhaps the most impressive storyline of the season is in regards to the golfer’s who compensated for the loss of key players.

“Ahmed has stepped up as captain of the team and is doing a really good job.’’

Sergi Mata Junior “Despite losing a few seniors, we have had several new freshmen take their places,” said junior Joonsung Ha, a returning player.

In fact, those freshmen have been integral in the team’s undefeated run.

In a close match with Cupertino, freshman Akira Isayama was the second lowest scorer at 39. Freshman

Ben Felter has also shown his abilities to be competitive at a varsity level with a 44 against Sacred Heart Prep.

Yet another high achieving freshman is Bob Zhu, who has posted several competitive scores, including a 40 against crosstown rival Gunn.

It may be surprising to see so many freshmen competing at such a high level, but Mata believes Ali has had a large role in the development of the younger players.

“Ahmed has stepped up as captain of the team and is doing a really good job working with the new freshmen, helping them out when they struggle and giving them feedback after the matches,” Mata said. “I believe it is helping a lot.”

With ample returning skill and impressive emerging talent, Paly is poised for a stellar postseason run.

“I have high expectations, and look forward to achieving a good position at CCS,” Mata said. “State will be hard to make, but Amed and I are looking forward to stepping up and working hard to get ourselves a spot in the state championship.”

Friday, April 28, 2017

The Campanile

SPORTS

C4 Text and design by:

Eric Li

Tanking: The Lus

The Campanile explores the growing tr

Staff Writer

S

ome might say that being the most successful team in a sport means having the most fans. Others might say that it requires making the most money. But the majority of the world values what sports were designed to do in the first place: win championships.

Today, major sports leagues suffer from

season just to have a better chance of receiving such players. The method of tanking, defined as losing intentionally or not competing, is implemented by many sports teams around the world due to the lack of feasible options for the future success of a franchise unless they can acquire new players.

In basketball, it is clear how one player can significantly affect a game. The sport only re-

ever-coveted championship victory. In cases fessional play. First o like these, it proves to be the worst than to be McDavid, Patrick Kan close to the lead th First overall picks have his- sum of worst, as having the The Ha first overall torically been successful — since the mo pick grants Na 1953, 69 percent of players who the access to (NHL) the cream of have been selected at this point won by the crop in a but one draft class, of the draft have been to the NBA 2005 lo potentially In e n s u r i n g All-Star Game at least once. fairly r success for the future of a franchise for mul- changing player declar tiple years. are willing to wilt away In hockey, one player can dramatically for that player. After st impact a game as well, even with evenly dis- Manning suffered a tributed playing time among players. If one early in the 2010-11 se player is able to score a goal where most play- Colts realized that the ers cannot, he can change the entire pace of quarterback was over. a game. One team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, As a result, they fell has mastered the art of tanking. Their abil- from a 10-6 record to ity take high picks in drafts has resulted in an abysmal 2-14 resome of the most successful players to ever cord with the hopes grace the ice. In the 1983-84 season, the Pen- of being able to pick guins had amounted the worst record in the a franchise quarterhistory of their franchise with only 16 wins, back to lead the fubut for a greater cause. Mario Lemieux stood ture of the team. The as a clear-cut first overall pick and one who Colts selected Ancould improve the series of terrible Penguins drew Luck, who led seasons prior to that year. Lemieux ended up them back to grace being who many regard as second-greatest by granting them three hockey player of all time, leading his team to and playoff appearance two championships. He is the current chair- Angeles Rams (former man and owner of the franchise, showPeople dedicate themselves ing how tanking can transform every facet to becoming great fans, but are of a team. Later, the Penguins tanked given no gratitude from the during their 20032004 and 2004-2005 team that they hold dear to their seasons, receiving heart. the number two and number one picks, for these years, respectively. They selected cen- future for their team. S ters Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, who able to manufacture s immediately boosted the franchise, as they any other source. As ea had made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006 and and more popular, eac won the championship the season after that. becomes better and bet Without tanking, the Penguins would not Former Philadelphi have access to these generational talents and Hinkie has stood as a may have never won a championship. ment, leading the 76er First overall picks clearly dominate pro- teams. In this stretch, t

“

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this modern lust to win it all, sacrificing the desires of fans and players alike in order to achieve said goal.

The draft, a process that distributes players from either college or overseas to professional leagues, staggers its pick order. This means that the worst performing teams get the best players. Although seeming like a fair process: the worse you are, the more advantages you should receive.

But the draft does not account for special athletes who are just light-years ahead of their peers. Prodigal talents are unaccounted for, increasing the value of a higher draft pick. Many of them immortalize themselves as potential hall-of-famers before their career even starts, directly impacting how good a team is the exact moment they are drafted. The desire for these players are so great that teams are willing to throw away hopes of being successful in a

quires one player to score and play immaculate defense on the player they are guarding.

If both are done better than other players in the league, the slight edge can be very evident in the final result of games. First overall picks have historically been successful — since 1953, 69 percent of players who have been selected at this point of the draft have been to the NBA All-Star Game at least once, even counting the numerous budding young stars that have yet to reach their prime.

Lebron James, one of the National Basketball Association’s best players, was touted as the best talent of his year due his athleticism and technical skill. Immediately, he made an impact on his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, which went from winning 17 games to 50 games in only three seasons. However, had the Cavaliers not earned the first pick of the draft, they might have never emerged from obscurity, thus never being able to earn an

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The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017

SPORTS Design by:

st for Draft Picks

rend of purposeful losing in sports leagues

overall picks Connor ne, and Sidney Crosby he league in points, the f total goals and assists. art Trophy, awarded to ost valuable player in ational Hockey League ) each year, has been y a top five draft pick all e times since the 2004ockout. football, tanking is rare, but when a game res to the draft, teams y their season at a shot tar quarterback Peyton season-ending injury eason, the Indianapolis eir time with their old

cure rookie of the year candidates Joel Embiid and Dario Saric along with a plethora of draft picks over the next few years. However, after three seasons at the bottom of the league, Hinkie was pressured to step down, unable to experience the fruits of his labor during his tenure with the team. Many executives struggle with the concept of losing or possibly losing their job, so they evade tanking for benefits in the short term even though it will be much more beneficial in the long term.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were able to massively revamp their team after losing a heartbreaking series in the 2012-13 season.

The Maple Leafs prioritized starting from a clean slate, using their prestige as a famed organization to hire a respected developmental program In the process, the team traded away their star players and started the rebuild of their team. As a Having the first overall pick result, the team had losing seasons from grants access to the cream of three years , finishing in 2016, earning the crop in a draft class, poten- last the first overall pick. tially ensuring success for the However, they have been able to foster future of a franchise for multiple many great, young players, such as rookyears. ie of the year candidates Mitch Marner e straight 11-5 records and Auston Matthews. es. In contrast, the Los On the other hand, teams that tank are able rly the St. Louis Rams), to develop younger players by giving them a team that finished playing time. Athletes typically have a hard with a mediocre 7-8- time adjusting to the climate and schedule of 1 record, have yet to professional leagues, so giving them a chance best that record in to play against more experienced opponents the years since. is beneficial in the long run. Not only does it With all these introduce better players for a team to both use successful stories, it and potentially trade, but young players also is clear why many typically start out at relatively small contracts, teams have resorted minimizing a team’s costs. to tanking as a way Tanking doesn’t always work — it is largeto ensure a brighter ly dependent on a year’s draft class. If a team Stacked draft classes are encounters no viable prospects in a draft, they star players faster than will have wasted all their efforts as they have ach sport becomes more yet to get a good player out of their draft. If ch incoming draft class a team picks a player that doesn’t work out, tter. then they will have wasted a season on top of ia 76ers president Sam losing potential and current fans. symbol for this moveFree agents will be also cautious about rs to three lottery pick signing with a team with a history of tankthe team was able to se- ing, as they would rather play for a team that

C5

Ehecatl Rivera Staff Writer

wants to win than play for a team that values its success in the future. As players get older, they value a chance at winning a championship over more money, with a large population of players take veteran minimums to play for better teams.

However, there are ways to draft good players that are not lottery picks. Many franchises value a stellar development team and

teams that are at the bottom of the standings, high caliber teams will be able to monopolize championship wins, a system seen in soccer leagues and early stages of the NBA. However, if there are too lax restrictions on tanking, then teams will treat games much less as competitive matches, but rather means to get better players.

One remedy that both the NHL and the

management compared to better players. Out of the draft, many players have yet to acclimate themselves to professional play. A good development team will help unlock Furthermore, tanking is not necessarily good for the health of each sports leagues.

Teams reward their dedicated fans with forcibly losing in order to be able to have a better future. It turns each game into a lopsided affair, to the dismay of fans on both ends. People dedicate themselves to becoming great fans, but are given no gratitude from the team that they hold dear to their heart. Fans pay a large sum to be able to watch the best basketball players in the world, and the league should be held to this expectation.

One big problem with tanking is that there is no viable option for leagues to combat it.

They are unable to find a viable option to prevent losing along with preserving the parity of the league. If leagues do not support

NBA have employed is restructuring the draft such that the that there is much more randomness in the draft. Because of this, teams that are worse are not guaranteed the top overall pick. Like a literal lottery, worse teams have to bet their luck that they will be able to draft a player that will have be able to positively impact a team. However, this cannot completely solve the problem with draft picks, as any lottery draft pick can prove to be a franchise player.

Lastly, we are met with one question: is tanking justified? It trades current prowess for future endeavours, but disregards the competitive nature of sports. Countless success stories tell us that for a shot at a championship in the future, one must sacrifice their strength and record for one season and focus on the future. Ultimately, it is up to fans to decide — they are the ones that give the support that each sports league needs to function.

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Friday, April 28, 2017

The Campanile

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SPORTS

College club sports: academics over athletics Student-athletes are choosing to play sports on club teams to balance academics and social life with athletics MADS MCCLUSKEY

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

T

o be recruited by a collegiate Division I (DI) sport, one must be an extraordinary athlete. Palo Alto High School is unique in that this year, it hosted 29 students who have committed to schools for sports. But what about the studentathletes who haven’t signed contracts?

Senior Alex Beaudry is a starter for the Paly boys water polo team and a star on the swim team. However, he has not signed with a school. Katie Passarello is a crucial player on both the volleyball and swim team. Both practice with and play for Paly as well as outside clubs. They chose not to play for their college, but why?

Many young athletes dream of playing their sport in college and then going pro. They see famous athletes making their sport seem like a walk in the park on TV. They follow their local college athletes, who are heroes in their eyes. For Passarello, attaining this level of fame was her dream.

“I think that any competitive athlete at some point in their premature athletic career wants to play DI,” Passarello said. “I remember in eighth grade wanting to play volleyball at UCLA or at Stanford because you have these crazy expectations for yourself and you see these girls playing volleyball or these athletes playing amazing sports, and I always wanted to be that person.”

Early in their high school careers, younger athletes admire older athletes who are graduating to the collegiate level, hoping that one day they will be in the same shoes. Yet for some, there is not a school that has the perfect balance of academics and athletics. As a result, they are forced to choose one over the other.

“At the beginning of high school I was really into playing in college but then I started to realize that at the division one level it wasn’t what I was looking for,” Passarello said. “A lot of the DI programs were schools that were bigger schools that didn’t have the strong academics I was looking for or I was going to be going to college for volleyball and I wanted to get more of the educational feel. So then I went on to look at Division III (DIII). But even some of those, it was either tiny East Coast schools or I wanted something bigger. And so

I never really found a perfect match of that balance between volleyball and academics. And so that’s kind of where I stopped looking at schools for the volleyball programs, and started looking at schools for the school.”

Collegiate student-athletes spend at least 40 hours a week training or practicing, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). They are expected to perfectly balance their education, social lives and personal development, all while following a rigorous schedule under many critical eyes. This lifestyle requires commitment that some student-athletes are unwilling to uphold.

“I didn’t want to play DI first of all because it is kind of like a career, like having a job full time,” Beaudry said. “I really wanted to experience as much of college as possible so I felt like if I was playing sports the whole time then I wouldn’t be able to experience what being a student was like.

I picked Northeastern, but it turned out they didn’t have a DIII team, so I’m doing club.”

“I think that any competitive athlete at some point in their premature athletic career wants to play DI. I remember in seventh and eighth grade wanting to play volleyball at UCLA or at Stanford because you have these crazy expectations for yourself and you see these girls playing volleyball or these athletes playing amazing sports and I wanted to be that person.’’

Katie Passarello Senior The lifestyle of a DI athlete is a very stressful one. Many students neglect their schooling, or take easier classes than they are capable of, in order to focus on their athletics while remaining competent academically.

However, fewer than two percent of NCAA athletes go on to play professional sports, according to the NCAA. Unfortunately, this results in many students sacrificing their academic career for a very unlikely professional one.

“I feel like DIII is kind of relaxed

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

Seniors Alex Beaudry and Katie Passarello are both two-sport athletes who had to weigh the decision of being a collegiate athlete.

enough that you can play sports and be good at school,” Beaudry said.

Yet, being a student-athlete isn’t solely stressful. Sports can teach effective time management, according to The Daily Gazette.

“I think that having to be an student-athlete helped me with time management and organization skills,” Passarello said. “I know during season I’m a lot more stressed and I’m doing a lot less outside my sport and my schoolwork. But my grades actually seem to be better. I tend to do a better job of organizing my time and being focused. But with that said, there’s a lot of time commitment that goes into playing sports, even at the high school level. How much do I want to be dedicating? Do I want to not be able to go to parties, or dances or other sporting events?”

Considering the time commitment of college athletes playing DI, it is not surprising that over 66 percent experience burnout and overtraining at least once during their college years, according to the NCAA. Playing for a club sport is less time consuming, and athletes are able to avoid the fear of being kicked out or stripped of their scholarship if they are hurt or decide to stop playing the sport.

“I love water polo and it’s fun [so I decided to play club rather than not play],” said Beaudry.

Sports can also build a strong social setting, making it is an easy way to be introduced to the college scene.

Those who choose not to join a social group, such as a fraternity, sorority or club, might have a better time integrating into college through sports.

“I love water polo and it’s fun [so I decided to play club rather than not play].’’

Alex Beaudry Senior “I feel like being a part of a team in college builds a lot of character and you get a lot more friends that way,” Beaudry said. “And my mom said that if I joined a fraternity then she’s not paying for college, so I figured it’s either club or nothing.”

Compared to playing at a DI level, playing a club sport allows for more of a social life. Many athletes competing at a collegiate level are limited in their ability to join school clubs or other extracurriculars. “[If I had joined volleyball] I definitely would not be able to join any clubs within the school, like com-

munity service club or outdoor club to go hiking and camping, both of which I’m very interested in potentially doing at Boston College,” Passarello said.

Attending college for sports can also be limiting. Essentially, a student-athlete’s future is in the hands of collegiate coaches –– whether or not they go to a college they like depends on if a coach wants to recruit them. Yet for club sports, students are able to factor in their interest for the school.

“I want to go where I fit, and where I actually want to go,” Beaudry said. “Where I like the people and I like the place. Sports was a factor, but it wasn’t the biggest factor for me.”

Shifting from six days of practice a week with potentially two practices a day to either nothing or only a few practices is a dramatic change.

“I think it’s going to be interesting [to go from playing volleyball to not], because I’ve been playing at a competitive level since at least the beginning of high school and I’ve always played since fourth and fifth grade,” Passarello said. “But there are a lot of athletes in my position where they didn’t want to play at the college level but they’re still pretty competitive athletes.”

Decades-old Paly record broken at Arcadia meet The track and field boys team has broken two titles this year: the mile relay and the distance medley relay

MALCOLM SLANEY/USED WITH PERMISSION

(From left to right) Senior Kent Slaney, junior Reed Foster, senior Naveen Pai and junior Sam Craig after beating the former Paly record for the 4x1600 race during the Acadia Invitational tack meet on April 7 and 8.

MARY FETTER

STAFF WRITER

M

any of the Palo Alto High School track records have stood unbeaten for decades, but over spring break, four athletes in the distance running crew took down the 4x1600 Paly record by more than 15 seconds.

The quartet — composed of juniors Reed Foster and Sam Craig and seniors Naveen Pai and Kent Slaney — competed in the Arcadia Invitational on April 7 and 8.

A total of 14 Paly students competed in the meet. Of those who participated, two competed in individual events, and 12 ran in relays.

On Friday night, Foster ran first,

with a split of 4:33. Craig followed with a time of 4:26, then Pai with a time of 4:32 and Slaney with a 4:23 split. The record-breaking relay team finished with a time of 17:54.68, earning them 12th place in the event.

“We were all trying to go under 4:30,” Foster said, “But [it] was a really fun time. It was a team effort certainly.”

This is the second record that the Paly track team has broken so far this year.

They also set a record in the distance medley relay at the Stanford Invitational Meet, with Craig running the 1200m, sophomore Brian Kagiri running the 400m, Foster running the 800m and Slaney finishing with the 1600m.

The Paly track boys are strong in distance running, a fact that was highlighted by their second place finish at CCS and 13th at States during the fall cross country season. All the runners on the distance relay recordsetting team participated in cross country in the fall, and have experience with distance running.

“Cross country prepared us,” Foster said. “It gave us the endurance we needed to complete tough workouts and prepare for this event.”

In addition to 4x1600 relay, Paly also participated in both the boys and girls 4x400 relays on Friday night of the meet.

Seniors Sherwin Amsbaugh, Thorin Haussecker, Tanner Newell and Kagiri ran the boys relay for a final

time of 3:30.31.

The girls team competed with freshmen Ella Ball and Brianna Miller, junior Adee Newman and senior Titi Bolarinwa. The Lady Vikes finished with a time of 4:06.85.

“Cross country prepared us. It gave us the endurance we needed to complete tough workouts and prepare for this event.’’

Reed Foster Junior On Saturday, sophomore Henry Saul competed in the Rising Stars Mile. He ran a personal best time, 4:25.77, and placed seventh in the event.

The other individual event for the Paly boys team was the triple jump, and Michel-Ange Slaba placed eighth with 44-4½, his best score of the season.

“Arcadia was a really cool experience,” Saul said. “Being able to run with and even being able to compete with top athletes in the nation was new for a lot of us and gave us really good influence.”

Overall, the track team is happy with their results in the meet. They hope to continue improving throughout the rest of the season.

“I think some of us had really good races and some of us didn’t run our best race,” Foster said.

“We are trying to go really fast,” Pai said. “We’re the best.”

The Campanile

Friday, April 28, 2017

SPORTS C7 Pete Colombo: the man behind the mitt ATHLETE Colombo’s unique personality has made him a beloved coach, mentor to PAUSD students OF THE MONTH EDAN SNEH

STAFF WRITER

T

hose who know him have very few bad things to say about him, probably because current Palo Alto High School varsity baseball assistant coach Pete Colombo is an enormous asset to the team for his skills both on and off the diamond.

Colombo resumed coaching Paly baseball in 2011 after a brief hiatus; however, his roots in the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) and coaching expertise extend long beforehand. Colombo has been a coach since 1993, starting off at Junipero Serra High School as the head coach of a JV squad. His tenure at Paly started in 1998 and he was the head coach from 2000 to 2005. Colombo ended up leading the 2004 Paly baseball team to a Central Coast Section (CCS) open division title appearance, defeating powerhouses Saint Francis High School and Bellarmine College Preparatory school for an unprecedented, second place finish.

While Colombo has the most experience coaching baseball, his expertise is not limited to the sport.

“I have been the head freshman football coach, and I have been the head JV girl basketball coach,” Colombo said. “Now, not only am I an assistant coach at Paly, but I am the eighth grade basketball coach at Jordan Middle School, where I teach.”

Colombo is unique when it comes to his coaching style and his attitude towards students. He exudes a dangerously infectious sense of charisma and enthusiasm. “[Colombo] is unlike other coaches because he is always having fun and always goofing around, but he still gets on you if you’re slacking,” said junior George Welch.

Colombo’s love for coaching comes from his love for working with kids. Because he was so passionate, for a few years at Paly as a head coach, Colombo even worked without pay.

Colombo is unique when it comes to his coaching style and his attitude towards students. He exudes a dangerously infectious sense of charisma and enthusiasm.

“I didn’t care,” Colombo said.

“You’re not doing it for the money, you’re doing it because you love kids.

You want to teach the kids to compete and play the game the right way, be fundamentally sound, especially on defense.”

Colombo explained that his hate for paperwork and his gratitude for

This edition featuring:

Mike Champagne with The Campanile’s own

Nicholas Melvin Designated bunter, player-coach and PE teacher hopeful, Paly Varsity baseball player Mike Champagne has ambition and drive like none other.

PETER GOLD/THE CAMPANILE

Pete Colombo’s coaching career started in 1998, and in the years since he has taught, coached, and guided many Palo Alto students.

the District sticking by him through some difficult times made working without pay feel like a way of giving back.

Of all the positive remarks that can be said about Colombo, his passion and energy for coaching most certainly shine the brightest. Colombo’s energy was so prevalent that when asked about what his players thought about him, he immediately shouted to one of his players, asking them what they thought about him: “Passionate, crazy and energetic,” the player said.

Not only does Colombo’s passion and energy comes from his enthusiasm for the student at Paly, but also for PAUSD. Colombo is especially grateful to Paly varsity baseball head coach Pete Fukuhara, who allows Colombo to be part of the program and gives him freedom while coaching the kids. “[The students] are smart, they’re respectful and they will work hard for you if they buy into your system,” Colombo said. “I am the luckiest man in the world. I will teach and coach until I am 70, easy.”

Colombo’s honesty separates him from many coaches because he is able to get players working in the right direction.

“I’ll rip a kid, but later I will come back and touch base in a positive

manner to let them know I care about them,” Colombo said. “When kids see humility and that you will make fun of yourself a little bit, they buy into that and will play hard for you.

This should not apply to just coaches, but to any teacher who wants their kids to work hard.”

Of all the positive remarks that can be said about Colombo, his passion and energy for coaching most certainly shine the brightest.

Likewise, Colombo’s honesty also motivates the players to put in extra effort.

“Colombo is honest with you, because he knows that if he makes stuff up about your playing then you are not going to get any better,” said junior Ole Erickson.

To Colombo, it does not matter what sport he is teaching, as long as the kids are learning fundamentals, and he is running a tight ship.

In fact, in 2010, during his time in PAUSD, Colombo coached football for his first time — a game in which he had no prior experience. Focusing hard on teamwork and learning the basics of the game, with the help of a few coordinators, the team ended up with a winning record of 8-2 in the season.

Colombo’s uniqueness as a coach comes from his goal of teaching players a bigger lesson than the game. “[Colombo] tries to make us better people rather than make us better ball players,” said junior Nico Lillios.

Colombo’s experiences over his 20 plus years of coaching have taught him many things about life.

“We are all going to make mistakes in life, its how we get up,” Colombo said, referencing the popular Japanese saying: “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”

“There are so many important life lessons that can be taught through sports,” Colombo said. “Working together as a team, putting the team before yourself and working together to achieve a common goal.”

He explained that sometimes his wife’s problems with coworkers at work, which are similar to lessons that he teaches.

“My wife, who works in high tech, shares with me the problems going on at work, and I will use those life lessons during team time with the kids,” Colombo said.

He prepares his players for the real world, not just the sports world.

“If you’re stuck with something, look for a solution and keep moving forward,” Colombo said. “In the real world now, everything is working on teams.”

Barcelona tied with Real Madrid after comeback wins

Despite Barcelona’s performance, Real Madrid remains favorite in the Champions League

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Barcelona, second in the Spanish La Liga, took down first place Real Madrid 3-2 in the final seconds of El Clasico for a major upset.

JOSH BRIGEL

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

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ith less than 10 games to go in domestic leagues and only two rounds remaining in the UEFA Champions League, soccer is nearing its end for the 201617 season. As of now, Chelsea FC (Chelsea) and Real Madrid FC (Real Madrid) seem to be in control of the British Premier League and Spanish La Liga respectively. The latter is also in the Champions League and a real title contender for the European championship.

While Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga has seemingly wrapped up the title as they are eight

points ahead, the British and Spanish leagues are quite busy at the top of the table. Tottenham Hotspur FC is looking fierce with five games to go and only sits four points behind Chelsea.

“I think Tottenham now are the best team, they are in good form and have a lot of enthusiasm,” said Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte in an interview with Metro.

While Chelsea seems to have slipped from their nearly unbeatable form earlier in the season, all is not lost if the team can pull it together for one more month and hold off this surging Tottenham squad. In contrast, the La Liga race has been close but very stable in positioning for

many months now.

Real Madrid has barely slipped up and when they have, second place FC Barcelona has failed to capitalize on their mistakes. In the second El Clasico of this season, Barcelona stole a huge win in stoppage time coming from Lionel Messi’s second goal of the game and 500th of his career. This will surely intensify the race as the two are tied now, however Madrid still has to play one game more than Barcelona.

While Barcelona has struggled the entire season, they have also had moments of brilliance as a club and formulated what many are calling the “greatest comeback in Champions League history.”

On March 8, Barcelona took the field at home down 4-0 on aggregate in their second leg against Paris Saint Germain (PSG), a French powerhouse. Despite scoring three unanswered goals in just 50 minutes, PSG countered in the 60th minute with a goal of their own which to many looked like the final dagger. With the wind knocked out of them, Barcelona played on until the 88th minute where they scored their fourth goal.

Barring a complete collapse, PSG seemed to have wrapped up this series and was going to send Barcelona home empty handed. Barcelona had different plans and took advantage of every minute of extra time. In the 91st minute, they struck again putting up their fifth goal, and in the 95th and final minute, the unthinkable happened. Barcelona scored their sixth goal of the game and won 6-5, igniting the stadium with cheers of joy.

This game will go down in history as one of the greatest in the sport’s history, and although it did not occur in their quarterfinal against Juventus, many will remember that game. Juventus’ defense led them to victory in the second leg as they held Barcelona on 20 shots and won 3-0 aggregate.

On the other hand, Real Madrid is looking in control of the champions league after coasting to a 6-3 aggregate win against Bayern Munich and will hope to continue their recent hot streak that has them looking like the best team along with Juventus still alive.

The Campanile: Who are you and what sport are you a part of?

Mike Champagne: Well my name is Mike Champagne, and I am on the varsity baseball team.

TC: What is your position on the team?

MC: Third from left, on a bucket next to the coaches. Otherwise known as a designated bunter, pinch hitter who only hits singles up the middle and, on occasion, a utility infielder.

TC: What is your favorite part of being on the baseball team?

MC: Well I love baseball and always will, but it has got to be getting to hang out with some of my closest friends. Baseball is like a retreat that I can go to and forget about school, which may be why my grades have dropped a letter, but let’s not worry about that. The guys on this team are a class act and I know they’ll all be successful in life.

TC: In the past this team has been an underdog who has swooped in and won the league championship by sneaking in the back door, but this year they really came out in front and stayed that way through the entirety of the year, what separates this team from other teams you’ve played for in this program?

MC: Well I think that this year’s team has a lot of talent and we work really hard everyday to get better, but what I think separates us from the past years is that we all want to play for each other. Nobody on our team is in it for themselves. As Niko put it, we’re like brothers, we’re incredibly close and it really shows in our superb play.

TC: You yourself have had a good deal of trouble finding you way onto the field, as you put it you are “designated bunter,” do you believe that this is more because of the “superb” talent of your teammates, or because of a lack of talent on your end?

MC: I don’t really think about it like that. I feel like everyone has a role on the team and with everyone competing at the highest level known to mankind I’m just blessed to be playing on such a great team with such a great group of guys. Besides, I like being a player-coach just as much as playing.

TC: Is coaching something you hope to pursue later on in your life?

MC: I personally strive to emulate perhaps the greatest coach of all time: Pete Colombo. If I’m teaching 12-year-olds PE and coaching high school baseball I’ll have achieved everything I’ve wanted in life.

TC: On that note, Pete Colombo is famous, if not infamous, for his.. unique ways, what is your favorite Pete Colombo story?

MC: Oh there are so many good ones, and so many I can’t talk about here, but it probably has to be when he picked up one of those diseaseridden, hellbeasts that some people call caterpillars, put it in his mouth, showed it to Coach Fukahara and swallowed it. And then proceeded to repeat the insanity when we, the players, came back to the dugout.

TC: Sounds tasty. What do you guys have to do in order to get yourselves and Paly a CCS championship?

MC: Look, when a mountain lion is hungry it will do whatever it takes to find food. We need to be like a bunch of hungry mountain lions and fight our way down the Road to Muni’.

Friday, April 28, 2017

The Campanile

SPORTS

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Photos Courtesy of David Hickey/The Viking

EYES ON STATE: CCS CHAMPS

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FAN PRESENCE

here are a few games a year which all spirited Paly students feel compelled to attend. Intense rivalries with cross town nemesis Henry M. Gunn High School and league competitions against Los Gatos High School highlight the season. Chanting loudly and never losing their will to support the Vikes, the fans channel their energy toward the players. However, this year’s particularly successful run to the state regional final changed the landscape of Paly fans.

Their exciting play and hunger to win thrilled students and teachers alike and as the season went on, fans not only attended the classic rivalries, but every game they could.

Some students found Paly basketball intriguing to watch due to the relationships they have with the players as well as the coach.

“I’ve known Coach [Peter] Diepenbrock since fourth or fifth grade, and I have a lot of close friends on the team,” junior Kasra Orumchian said. “I really wanted to support these guys and help them win.”

Before the season started, most of the Paly student body was not aware of the potential that the team had. However, Orumchian, a dedicated fan from the start, had high hopes and expectations for the team as well as the supporters.

“I expected this season to a pretty good one for the basketball team, and I knew that as they became more successful, there would be more attendance and a growing fan base throughout the year,” Orumchian said.

As expected, the fan attendance gained traction as the season progressed. Win after win, the Paly basketball team made it almost unbearable for fans to not attend. The inviting and fun atmosphere created by fellow fans consistently filled the bleachers by the end of the season.

“I think that the fan presence really started to grow when it was clear that the team was special,” said junior Benner Mullin. “I remember going to the first few games of the year and the bleachers were pretty empty, but by the end of the year, 50 plus kids made it all the way to support the Vikes.”

The Northern California (NorCal) State tournament only brought more fans to games to support the Vikings. Getting to the games any way they could, from school-sponsored buses to packing as many people into a car as possible, it was a guarantee that fans were going to cheer on their beloved basketball team.

Unfortunately, all great things must come to a finish and in a heartbreaking overtime loss against James Logan High School, the fans along with the players were forced to face the reality of an underdog dream being crushed at the last second. The loss was obviously an unsatisfying finish to an uplifting story about a team who believed in its goals, but

DESIGN BY ALLISON WU

Mullin cannot be more proud of the team and excited for what is to come.

“Obviously, this past season was awesome, but the team has tons of talent and experience and I can’t wait to be on the sidelines taunting the other teams next season,” Mullin said.

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THE SEASON

oming off a subpar season with a surprise first round exit of the CCS playoffs the previous year, the team was excited to hit the court and make the Viking name heard across the league again. However, their early dominance was widely unexpected by the team, despite having set high standards from the start of the season.

“We definitely had some lofty goals but we really didn’t know how good we were going to be able to be,” Diepenbrock said.

The goals set as the season began was taken to heart by the boys, and their first glance at competitive basketball during the Burlingame tournament demonstrated that the 2016-2017 season could be special.

“The first tournament that we played was kind of an eye-opener for all of us,” Diepenbrock said. “We won our first tournament at Burlingame and beat some pretty good teams pretty convincingly and so I think that was a really big confidence boost, [telling us] wow, we can be pretty good.”

The momentum from the Burlingame tournament would only propel them further.

Henceforth, the team discovered a pattern that the work they put in would give them the result they wanted and deserved.

“We just had really good energy, we came out really aggressive and we really played well [against Burlingame],” Diepenbrock said.

“Throughout the season, any time we didn’t have that same energy, that same mentality as far as just going for it and just being aggressive both offensively and defensively, we struggled and didn’t play well and games did not go how we would like.

Blowing out good teams like Amador Valley High School and coming up clutch in the final minutes in the game against Campolindo High School, the Vikes looked like a force to be

reckoned with.

As the regular season kicked off and the games they played became increasingly impactful in making the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs, their offense began to click and their defense was on lockdown. Handling their Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) opponents with relative ease, winning became custom and the boys cruised to a SCVAL championship with a nearly unblemished record of 10-2. Their relationships were what Diepenbrock believed made the team stand out.

“Teams that have success [just have] a natural affinity amongst the teammates,” Diepenbrock said. “[Our team] likes being with each other, they like playing together, they’re not worried about one person getting more attention than another, it’s just a very selfless group.”

Heading into the NorCal postseason, the Vikes were slated as the nine seed, a circumstance that typically entails hurdles to overcome in order to advance into the playoffs. However, Paly was well fitted to face the challenge.

“Normally being the nine seed would be a real significant blow to the team,” Diepenbrock said. “It’s probably the worst seed you can have.

One seed higher and you can have a home game to start. But this team was playing basically every single game on the road for two years and we really didn’t have a significant home court so I don’t think it was that big of a deal for us.”

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FUTURE

or many, the season after a championship can matter more than the campaign that came the year before. The season after can either cement a team’s legacy as a powerhouse within the league or show that the championship season was simply a fluke. However, fans of Viking basketball can expect a bright future.

“We have seven of our ten best players returning next year and that’s invaluable,” Diepenbrock said. “These are players who have a lot of

varsity experience, so the future looks good.”

The team will lose four seniors — guards Jack Simison, Eelis Copeland, Ethan Stern and Miles Tention — who were critical leaders and players in the team’s journey. Tention was named all-league MVP through his ability to control the floor and shoot from both inside and outside the key.

“Losing the seniors is going to be a big hurdle for us next year,” Zhao said. “The juniors will have to step up as seniors played a big role, [both] starting [and] off the bench.”

Having lost four critical seniors and having to start again with new players into team, Zhao acknowledges that the next year’s season will have it’s fair share of challenges.

“Our point guard [Tention] made big plays and so with him gone, the team will need to accommodate that change,” Zhao said.

Despite this, he knows the team has battled through adversity before and can play just as well as they did this season. According to Orumchian, one of the biggest advantages the Vikings have is an abundance of returning players from this year to next year.

“I think the returning group of guys is fundamentally strong, loves to compete, and has their eyes on state,” Orumchian said. “The rotation of Bryant Jefferson and Will Schmutz into the game will be crucial for the team, and four of the five returning starters are going to only improve during the offseason.”

The future of Paly basketball will not reveal itself until the season starts again in early November of this year, but until then, we’ll just have to wait.

TEXT & DESIGN BY KIRAN MISNER & SAM YUN