Issue 2: October 22, 2024

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social media use can lead to disorders.

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The Campanile

SENIORS STRIKE GOLD

Spirit Week kicked o with an explosion of color. lasting from Oct. 11 until Oct. 18. e seniors dominated the scoreboard, ending with 31,800 points. e juniors followed with 23,500 points while the sophomores and freshmen tied for third, each earning 21,200 points.

Day 1

Spirit Week started with a best-dressed competition at brunch and a rally in the Big Gym. Classes competed in Hungry Hungry Hippos and a class dance-o Senior Oliver Chancellor said his grade’s wins solidi ed his con dence in the senior class.

“We brought in the strategy; we brought in the heart; we brought in the hard work, and it paid o ,” Chancellor said. “It’s senior year, our time to shine, our year to win.” Before Spirit Week, senior and Spirit Commissioner Tyler Kramer said he was hoping to see a lot of school spirit.

“I’m excited for the night rally,” Kramer said. “I think that’s going to be super fun. We’re hoping that we can bring something that’ll be really enjoyable.”

Sophomore class president Katie Kim said she was excited to see ASB’s hard work pay o “(Planning Spirit Week took) weeks and months and even spilled into last year,” Kim said. “I’m really proud of my class, especially from what I saw today, and I’m ready to bring it.”

Day 2

Students participated in a best-dressed event at brunch, a rally in the Viking Stadium at lunch and a neon-themed Night Rally. At the lunch rally, classes competed in water games and a donut-eating challenge; the Night Rally featured dance performances, tug-of-war and capture the ag.

Sophomore and ASB Treasurer Paul Wang said ASB decided to go all out on Spirit Week this year.

“We’re spending the most money ever on Spirit Week,” Wang said. “We’re projected to hit over $20,000 for this week’s events.”

Freshman Myra Dang said she was excited to experience Spirit Week for the rst time and see her friends dressed up at the rst Night Rally since the pandemic.

“( e Night Rally) is super fun,” Dang said. “ e night adds to the atmosphere of the rally.”

Junior and Social Commissioner Jessica Wong also said she hoped students would support their class by helping build their oats.

“Float building has been going well — a lot of people have been showing up,” Wong said. “I’m most excited for the oats at the very end of Spirit Week.”

Day 3

In an unlikely upset, the freshmen beat the seniors in the lunch rally relay on Wednesday.

e juniors won the Best Dressed competition at brunch.

Senior Samuel Janik said he thinks the seniors did well in terms of spirit despite losing to the freshmen in the games.

“In past years we haven’t had much spirit, but I think the nal year is bringing us together,” Janik said.

Sophomore Lorelei Kardwell said she was happy with the greater participation from her grade compared to last year.

“Just because we were freshmen you think it’s a little bit embarrassing to dress up, but now we’re realizing it’s super fun,” Kardwell said. Kardwell also said the teacher dance was fun to watch.

“It’s really cool to see them put so much time and e ort into learning the dance for us,” Kardwell said.

Junior Simone Batra said she thought the fun activities at Spirit Week were a helpful way to create class-to-class cohesion.

“ e school really gets together,” Batra said. “School can be stressful, but it’s really important that we all recognize that we have to have fun at some point, and I think it’s good that we’re all getting into Spirit Week.”

Day 4

After placing third in the rapids relay and winning the Snake IO game during the lunch rally, the freshmen won Day 4 of Spirit Week. Freshman Anisha Shetty said she was proud of how her class performed.

“We’re pretty spirited, honestly, compared to other freshman classes when they were our age,” Shetty said.

Junior Daniela Palafox said Generations Day stood out as a highlight of the week.

“Generations — I think it’s the best,” Palafox said, “We can di erentiate every grade and (make the) most creative costumes.”

Senior Jai Wadhwani said he was especially looking forward to the nal day.

“I’m excited for tomorrow — the homecoming game and the senior dance — because we haven’t won the homecoming game since I’ve been here, so hopefully we can change that this year,” Wadhwani said on ursday of Spirit Week.

Sophomore Jack January said he hoped the homecoming game would unite classes after a competitive week.

“I’m also most excited for the football game (during) homecoming because everybody gets to pop out,” January said. “It’s not like Spirit Week, where they’re all against each other. Everybody’s together during the football game, and I think it’s super fun.”

Day 5

Day 5 featured a best-dressed competition at brunch, an after-school rally in the Viking Stadium and the homecoming game. During the after-school rally, students showcased their class dances and paraded their oats on the track.

Senior Amelia Finnis said performing in the class dance was a great way to end her nal Spirit Week.

“It’s just really fun to get out there and do it for the last time,” Finnis said. “You’re not going to do it again, so you go all out.”

Junior Delilah Kaplinsky said hearing the crowd cheer and dancing alongside her classmates was electrifying.

ere was so much going on,” Kaplinsky said. “But there was so much energy I couldn’t stop laughing. I know we didn’t look in sync, but in our hearts, we were.” Kramer said the end of Spirit Week was bittersweet.

“For the most part, I wouldn’t change a thing,” Kramer said. “I’m happy it happened but sad that it’s now over.”

LUCA VOSTREJS/THE CAMPANILE

Isabella Bian & Annika Chu Newsletter Editor & News/Opinion Editor

Law shields athletes from heat

To protect student-athletes from the heat, the California Interscholastic Federation now requires schools to monitor

1), there can be no outdoor workouts and delayed practice or competitions until a cooler WBGT is reached.”

PAUSD is a category one school, so for temperatures above 92.1 degrees Fahrenheit, no outdoor workouts or contests are permitted.

Despite a 42-13 loss to Wilcox (5-2) at the Homecoming game on Oct. 18, football (5-2) hopes to keep its season going strong.

Head coach David DeGeronimo said the defeat is a setback to the team’s morale.

“Losses are just really difcult, as hard as we (fought), so they are not feeling great,” DeGeronimo said.

Senior and wide receiver Jeremiah Fung said the team fought hard in the rst half but started to lose momentum going into the third quarter.

“We started out quick and strong, played them hard, and then, I don’t know what happened, something snapped in us,” Fung said. “(Our) defense started lagging o , and then our o ense wasn’t as explosive as we normally are. We really need to keep our energy and keep our explosiveness to our team.”

DeGeronimo said this decline in energy was in part due to the persistent Wilcox o ense. He also said his team needs to consistently execute its roles throughout the game, regardless of how the opponents are playing.

e biggest challenge tonight was stopping their o ense, and it’s really hard to stop,” DeGeronimo said. “You have to make sure everybody’s doing their job. We overcome it by keep playing, keep executing and nding guys that are going to do their job.”

Moving forward, senior and running back Joseph Kessler said the team needs to focus more during practice so that they can work together strategically during games.

“We need to trust each other, and we need to go harder and practice,” Kessler said. “(Wilcox players are) tough. ey’re strong, and we just needed performances. We didn’t make the big plays that we wanted to tonight, and that’s the di erence in the game.”

DeGeronimo said he has high hopes for the rest of their season, though, as the team continues developing and puts in the work.

“It’s a performance-based business. at’s what I told the guys, because it doesn’t get any easier,” DeGeronimo said. “But that’s our goal — to get better every week.” e team will play its next game on Friday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. at Menlo-Atherton High School.

Luca Vostrejs Lifestyle Editor

temperatures below 82.0 degrees, normal activities are permitted. According to ESPN, heat stroke is the third most common cause of sudden death among high school athletes. Since 1982, 67 high school athletes have died from exertional heat illness, according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury. Most of the deaths occurred in August with 52% occurring in the beginning weeks of fall sports.

Central Coast Section Commissioner David Grissom said the regulations are meant to improve safety. “ ere’s been quite a few catastrophic issues in regards to heat illness, not just in California but in the country,” Grissom said.

“And so the laws were put in to try to mitigate some of those issues.”

Athletic Director Jennifer Crane agrees and said student-athletes have ered from the heat in the past.

“Especially after athletes return from summer vacation, they maybe haven’t been exercising, and they’re thrown right back into the athletic arena along with the heat,” Crane said. “ is is the State of California’s way of keeping our students safe. No sport is worth a Crane said the athletic trainer has already used the WBGT on hightemperature days across di erent

“We try to take readings when it’s a really hot day at each different athletic facility that our players are playing on because ers based on the composition of where they’re playing,” Crane said. “For example, tennis was canceled because concrete absorbs heat, but water polo could play because when we put the device over the water, it’s a lot cooler.”

Track and cross country coach Michael Davidson said the regulations are more clear

and take into account more factors than previous ones.

“In years past, it was a bit more ambiguous,” Davidson said. “ ey used just the overall temperature. What they changed is to take into better account what the weather conditions are. It could be overcast, and humidity could make it seem that much warmer, so it’s more comprehensive as far as what you can and can’t do.”

Beyond making readings more accurate, Crane said the guidelines make restrictions more straightforward.

“When subjectivity is in play, it’s the nature of athletes and coaches who just want to play,” Crane said. “ is gives us a more concrete set of guidelines from which to function.”

However, as a result of these new state regulations, varsity football coach David DeGeronimo said players may not adapt to the heat, which could hinder their progress.

“I do believe we lose something in not playing in the heat because there are games that are very hot,” DeGeronimo said. “If we’re not practicing in the heat, how are you going to acclimate for the game? I want to keep the kids safe, but also missing practice time has some issues with it as well.”

But Crane said regulations will likely change to balance coach concerns with student health.

“Not all the kinks are necessarily worked out, but with anything new there’s always going to be di erent hurdles or barriers that we need to problem-solve and to overcome,” Crane said. “I could see that potentially changing in the future based on experience and data.”

While Grissom said the regulations may face pushback, he said they are necessary for the safety of student-athletes.

“ ere’s going to be challenges, contests could be missed, but I think those don’t outweigh the importance of safety for our students,” Grissom said. “ e Sports Medicine Advisory Committee’s goal is for the greater safety for our kids throughout California, and knock on wood, but I’m not aware of any heat illnesses or heat deaths this year yet. I don’t think the same thing could have been said last year at this time.”

Cynthia Huang Lifestyle Editor

CYNTHIA HUANG/THE CAMPANILE

LUCA VOSTREJS/THE CAMPANILE Sophomore and quarterback Justin Fung scrambles during the Homecoming game. “ e biggest challenge tonight was stopping their o ense, and it’s really hard to stop,” said head coach David DeGeronimo.

Peer tutoring services: available anytime, anywhere

Gavin Lin Managing Editor

Hunching over his computer, eyes strained as he reviews the last line of code, junior Kevin Fong knows it’s late, far too late to be awake — but he has to nish the website to launch his new tutoring service. Sighing, he makes one nal adjustment and hits “publish.” Fong refreshes his page to check the site. e bright blue logo stares back — Tutoring on Demand.

As students move up in grades, classes increase in availability — and so does the need for tutors. But tutors are expensive, with some costing over $100 per hour. is year, Paly has two free alternatives: Tutoring on Demand and the Tower Learning Center. Palo Alto Uni ed School District Board member Jennifer DiBrienza said tutoring services have great potential to help students.

“Often on the Paly parents Facebook page and on the Paly WhatsApp groups for parents, people are looking for tutors,” DiBrienza said. “‘Does anyone have a physics tutor? Does anyone have a math tutor?’ So it’s pretty clear that tutors are utilized often and are needed often.”

Launched at the beginning of the school year by Fong and junior Xander Deisseroth, Tutoring on Demand is a free online tutoring service. rough their website, tutoring-on-demand.org, students can schedule meetings with volunteer tutors. On the other hand, the Tower Learning Center, located in the Tower Building, opened the week of Sept. 23 and is run by math teacher Young-Ju Lee.

Fong said one advantage of the online nature of Tutoring on Demand is its constant availability.

“No one’s going to help you at 10 p.m. when you’re doing your math homework and you really need help,”

Fong said. “No one’s gonna help you when the Tower Learning Center isn’t open.”

DiBrienza agreed, and said Tutoring on Demand could provide help in the moment.

“I would say (Tutoring on Demand) sounds like a one o ,” DiBrienza said. “I guess you could use either one of them for a one o . But if you’re in a physics class and you’re having trouble with a particular problem, that might be really helpful.”

Although Tutoring on Demand is new, Fong said he hopes to expand the platform by reaching out to other schools.

“Schools can approve hours, and moderate and look at everything that you’re doing,” Fong said. “Schools have a lot of control, and I made all that stu over the summer so that we could be scalable, and so we can expand to as many schools as we want.”

e TLC pairs student tutors with volunteer tutees. Lee said student pairings encourage long-term learning through weekly meetings for each pair.

“We don’t want (students) to depend on the tutor,” Lee said. “We don’t want them to depend on the TLC. We want them to gure out, ‘Hey, I’ve built these skills, I’ve developed these skills.’”

Lee also said TLC aims to equip students with the skills necessary for success.

“You could come here. You would get paired with a tutor, and then you would work on those assignments,” Lee said. “You would work on studying. But with academics, there’s so much more than just doing the homework and studying for a test.”

Instead of expanding to other schools, TLC is focusing on adding more services within Paly. Lee said

they aim to implement Success Labs — group classes in which adult volunteers would teach students study methods to improve and develop e ective work habits.

“It would be great just to open up a PRIME and let students come in and take a Success Lab,” Lee said.

“ en, for us to be able to follow up with them and say, ‘Hey, you’ve applied (the study habit). How is it looking? How can we tweak it now and make it even more e ective for you?’”

New phone bill would restrict cell phone use in class

Assembly Bill 3216, also known as the Phone-Free School Act, will require California school districts to adopt a policy restricting or prohibiting student cell phone use at school by July 1, 2026.

Signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, supporters say the bill will increase academic performance, address mental health issues caused by cell phones and promote socialization among students.

However, the bill states students must be allowed to access their phone when there’s an emergency, when allowed by school sta , when required by a doctor or when mandated in the student’s individualized education program.

Junior Amily Zhang said she doesn’t believe restricting phone use will help her focus more on her studies. “ ere’s just as many distracting things on my laptop as there are on my phone, and so I don’t think restricting phone use will actually increase my productivity,” Zhang said. “Having my phone here to help me with studying, looking at transcripts for journalism, looking at calculators for math and also texting my friends for help when I need it — that’s helping me more than it’s hurting me.”

But physics and Advanced Authentic Research teacher Michael Lupoli said limits on phones during the school day are necessary.

“If students just have their phones on them, and they’re not being supervised, they’re very likely to be distracted by other apps, so I think it’s a di cult situation.” Lupoli said. “ e ideal would be to not use the student’s phone but nd some other way for students to access modern technology in the classroom for the sake of academics.”

And Lupoli said one advantage of this bill is that it will likely limit the communication between students on social media during class.

“I know that there were times in the past when a student might be anxious that they were not contributing or participating in social media with their peers at the same time, and then they felt left out as a result because they couldn’t use their phone during class,” Lupoli said.

In a message to the community in September, superintendent Don Austin said the district is taking their time to allow for thoughtful discussions.

“Personally, I think we should take our time and increase the odds of us getting this one as ‘right’ as we can,” Austin said in the message.

In an interview with Anthro Magazine, principal Brent Kline also said he may form an ad hoc committee to craft a policy that meets the needs of the students.

“I want to involve as many di erent kinds of people,” Kline said in the interview. “We have until 2026, so we have a good couple years. e Principal Advisory Committee is already going, so I could use those students as a sounding board, but I think that we’ll probably gather an o cial team together just so we can get more.”

Lupoli said he thinks the most e ective phone policy would be a school-wide ban on cell phones during class time, consistent across all classes.

“ ere isn’t the challenge of learning di erent rules for di erent teachers,” Lupoli said. “ ere also isn’t the accidental, ‘Oh, I forgot the policy was

di erent in this class’ excuse. I think it would help students get used to a new normal in the classroom and be able to focus more on their academics while in class.”

English and CTE teacher Erin Angell said she also thinks the bill is a step in the right direction.

“ e data regarding the impact of social media on young people’s health is pretty robust,” Angell said. “ ey have compelling information, and so I think any kinds of ways that we’re limiting, especially during school hours, students diverting attention, that can be really helpful.”

But because most teachers already have a phone policy in their class and she regularly uses her phone for academic purposes, Zhang said she doesn’t think there is a need for the bill.

“I just think there’s no point at all because the bene ts of the phone kind of are equal to the harms of the phone, so at the end of the day, it kind of balances out,” Zhang said.

For Lupoli, though, in addition to keeping consistency across classrooms, a school-wide ban would limit the pressure some teachers may feel to relax rules to gain student approval.

“Some teachers may say, ‘Oh, no, students can use phones in my room because I want my students to like me and not be upset about a policy,’” Lupoli said. “It takes a school-wide policy to take away that concern because some teachers who do have a cell phone policy have the concern that they will be labeled more strict or less fun than the teachers who let them have their cell phones. A school-wide policy would protect both teachers and students.”

Annika Chu News/Opinion Editor

Paly teacher Young-Ju Lee interviews a tutor candidate at the Tower Learning Center. “We don’t want them to depend on the TLC,” Lee said. “We want them to gure out, ‘Hey, I’ve built these skills, I’ve developed these skills.’”

GAVIN LIN/THE CAMPANILE

TORN BY TENSIONS

What the 2024 presidential election means for the future policy of the United States

INTRODUCTION

With the 2024 United States presidential election just weeks away, the nation braces for a high-stakes showdown between the Republican and Democratic nominees.

Running as the Democratic presidential nominee is Vice President Kamala Harris. After receiving a law degree at Hastings College, Harris worked as a deputy district attorney in Oakland. She eventually became the attorney general of California in 2010, followed by her election to the U.S. Senate in 2016. In 2020, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. selected Harris as his running mate, making her the rst woman of color to serve as vice president.

Running as the Republican presidential nominee is former President Donald J. Trump. Trump had minimal involvement in government or the military before being elected in 2016, but he was a businessman and former reality TV show host. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from e Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Since losing the 2020 election, Trump has been impeached twice and was convicted of 34 felony charges in 2024. However, he argues the jury improperly saw evidence of his o cial acts as president.

In addition to the two major parties are three independent, thirdparty candidates: Jill Stein, Chase Oliver and Cornel West.

Voters will face critical decisions on issues including the economy, foreign policy, immigration, and abortion in what promises to be one of the most consequential elections in recent history.

Economy

According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in September, 81% of registered voters said the economy is the top issue in the 2024 election. However, opinions di er on the best approach for economic growth.

Senior Max Beach said he supports the conservative economic values of trickle-down economics.

“ e government should be as laid back and out of it as possible,” Beach said. “Tax rates should be low, and people should have the ability to freely spend their money.”

During President Biden’s term, in ation reached a 40-year high, peaking at 9.1% in June 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As a result, prices for essential goods like groceries, gas and housing have soared, leaving many Americans feeling stretched thin.

Steven Vogel, University of California, Berkeley Chair of Political Economy said the in ation surge was largely a consequence of the economic shutdown during COVID-19.

“If you come out of a pandemic and people have been buying nothing, then suddenly, they can come out of their houses and start buying stu , prices are gonna boom, right?” Vogel said. “Particularly because you have supply chain bottlenecks again because of the pandemic, so that’s just an act of nature.”

In response to the pandemic, the Trump administration passed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, and the Biden-Harris administration implemented the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, both aimed at economic relief.

Vogel said he thinks the American Rescue Plan was necessary, even though it contributed to in ation.

“ e stimulus package contributed to in ation, that’s true, but I think that was the right thing to do to get us out of the pandemic,” Vogel said.

According to Forbes, Biden has done well on other metrics, adding approximately 11.3 million jobs in his rst three years — outpacing the 6.5 million jobs created in the same timeframe under Trump. And according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in ation is now down to 2.4% as of Oct. 10.

Cynthia Kaui, spokesperson for the California Young Republican Federation said Trump is the only candidate who understands the economic struggles young people face.

“Why do a lot of young Republicans really care (about) Trump and Vance’s platform?” Kaui said. “(Vance) understands not only having to live paycheck to paycheck, but being able to have that extra each month to save and to be able to do a little bit more than just surviving.”

But Vogel said he still thinks Harris’ policies are more promising compared to Trump’s, whose plans center around raising tari s.

“Harris, I think, is going to continue some of the best (economic) policies of Biden,” Vogel said. “In some areas, she’ll do more – in some areas she’ll do less, but the comparison with Trump is just night and day. You have the worst president ever versus somebody who promises to be an excellent president.”

However, Vogel said it is a common misconception that the economy was better under Trump than under Biden.

“Why do Americans think the Trump economy was better, even though it wasn’t?” Vogel said. “Probably the number one reason is that with Biden, you got in ation.”

Foreign Policy

Israel-Hamas

Oct. 7 marked the anniversary of Hamas’ attack on

Israel in 2023. Since then, the United States has given $17.9 billion to Israel in military aid. Recently, under the Biden-Harris administration, the United States gave Israel 30 days to address the aid crisis in Gaza, threatening to slow the supply of weapons.

Although Harris has said Israel has the right to defend itself, she has also pushed for a cease- re and a two-state solution, emphasizing humanitarianism and the right of self-determination of Palestinians.

Trump has said he supports Israel but also criticized Israel’s handling of the war. He’s also said the war wouldn’t have happened if he were president. e United States has given $404 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, Palo Alto resident Nicole Sault said she is frustrated with the hypocrisy of leaders who advocate for general welfare while ignoring the devastating impacts in areas like Gaza.

“I’m so tired of politicians saying they support family values, and they bomb families,” Sault said. “I’m so tired of people saying they support health care and education and schools while refugee camps and hospitals are being bombed. What do you say to a Palestinian who’s had 100 family members killed?”

Stanford professor of Middle East history Joel Beinin said the Biden-Harris administration has done a poor job of holding Israel accountable in their military response.

“President Biden jumped to defend Israel after October 7 – which was undoubtedly a horri c terrorist attack on Israel – without understanding what Israel was going to do,” Beinin said. “Anyone who knows anything about Israel would have told you, on the evening of October 7, Israel is gonna unleash a vengeful campaign of annihilation against the Gaza Strip, and that’s what they’ve done.”

Beinin said the United States should have set clear conditions for the use of its funding.

“ e United States should and could have said to Israel, ‘ is is a horri c attack that you have su ered, and we totally condemn what Hamas did,’” Beinin said. “‘If you target the people who are responsible for this attack and don’t target the entire population of the Gaza Strip, we will give you complete material diplomatic intelligence support. If you go beyond that, you will not have American support.’”

While the United States is nancing billions to Israel, Beach said he believes the funding is part of a mutually bene cial exchange, as opposed to a one-sided contribution.

“We have deals with (Israel),” Beach said. “ ey give us back new technology to develop our stu … I’m not a fan of just outright funding them and funding weapons for them, because it’s not like they’re at a loss for weapons.”

Beach also said Trump has done an excellent job supporting Israel.

“I think that Trump’s foreign policy is peace by strength,” Beach said. “He made it very clear that we support them, and we support their right to selfdetermination, nationalistic self-determination and their ability to defend themselves against the terrorist groups which are attacking them.”

Stanford political scientist Didi Kuo said Harris brings a more inclusive approach to foreign policy, particularly regarding the Middle East, by considering diverse perspectives that may not be as readily acknowledged by other leaders.

“Harris is more responsive to the di erent viewpoints about what’s happening in the broader Middle East,” Kuo said. “She’s at least hearing from a lot of

di erent corners in a way that I’m not sure Trump or his administration is willing to.”

Russia-Ukraine

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, the war has emerged as a topic between the political parties. When asked during the September presidential debate whether he would support Ukraine if elected, Trump said he would prioritize using diplomatic strategies to end the war.

“What I’ll do is I’ll speak to one, I’ll speak to the other, I’ll get them together,” Trump said. “ at war would have never happened.”

Supporting Ukraine’s defense is a priority for Harris, who has previously said Trump’s disregard for military alliances such as NATO is a threat to world stability.

“It is in the strategic interest of the United States to continue our support (for Ukraine),” Harris said in February 2024.

said there are actually certain industries that are supported by migrants, such as farm workers.

“Over 11 million individuals are living here undocumented, many of whom are contributing members of society, paying taxes, and they will never be able to recover their Social Security earnings,” Alvarado Ford said. “It’s a one-way street for them.”

As the daughter of migrant farm workers from Mexico, Alvarado Ford said this issue is personal. Alvarado Ford said some of the anti-illegal immigrant rhetoric Trump has expressed is dangerous to immigrant communities who are simply trying to live their lives and have a better shot at opportunity.

“If we look back at our nation’s history, unless you’re an indigenous person, then all of (our ancestors) have migrated here,” Alvarado Ford said. “Anytime we have a candidate who divides us according to our ethnicity, our nation of origin, religion or any other characteristic that we cannot change within the span of ve minutes, that unfortunately can result in certain individuals becoming empowered to act on their divisive beliefs, including acts of hate and violence.”

But not everyone agrees that the United States should make the path to citizenship more accessible. Beach said he thinks it’s important to take into consideration the e ect that immigrants have on American citizens.

“Immigration is a good thing,” Beach said. “I think that we, some might say, are a country of immigrants. I slightly disagree semantically, but I think that we should have immigration, and I think it should be like a door which opens and closes to the extent of how much the economy needs it.”

Alvarado Ford said the slow process of getting through the immigration system and into the country separates families for long periods of time.

“International rules and norms are on the line, including the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Mia McIntyre, a junior at Woodside Priory, said she worries that Trump’s foreign policy decisions could have drastic consequences for the U.S.’s relationships with other countries. According to the New York Times, many European diplomats and foreign policy experts have expressed fear that Trump’s lack of commitment to NATO is enough to severely weaken the alliance that is built on trust.

“Trump has been on record saying that he would threaten to pull out of NATO, which is really undemocratic,” McIntyre said. “Because one big feature of democratic nations is that they have a consistent policy.”

NATO aside, Beach said he sides with Trump on this issue and said he thinks that the United States should have been more involved in peace negotiations.

“It’s not about supporting one country versus another because ultimately, we’re not involved in that war,” Beach said. “We have some in uence, of course, but it’s not our war. We shouldn’t be (sending) 200 plus billion dollars to Ukraine.”

Kuo said it’s really important for the United States to support democracies in geographical regions that are historically anti-democratic and anti-American.

“ e Ukrainian people are completely innocent,” Kuo said. ey’re only guilty of being a democratic state that exists on the border with Russia.”

Still, Beach said Trump’s claims about his in uence in foreign policy is an exaggeration.

“I think that Donald Trump is a bit hyperbolic in some aspects, so I think that you should take a lot of what he says with a grain of salt,” Beach said. “But one of those things is, I do think that he will be able to end the war peacefully. He could end it in 24 hours, but likely not going to happen, it’s going to be more of a slow diplomatic approach.”

Regardless of who people support, Hasanov said, with regard to foreign policy, the most important issue should be the eradication of violence.

“I think it’s better to help the people that are dying instead of feeding money to one side so they keep ghting,” Hasanov said. “I’m not saying cut (both sides) o fully, but I’m pretty sure there’s a way to end it without con ict.”

immigration

Immigration has become a central issue in this election, especially holding relevance to California since one in four residents are immigrants, according to the California Department of Justice.

Trump has taken an anti-illegal immigrant approach to handling border policy. In his 2016 campaign, he vowed to use federal funds to build a wall between Mexico and the United States.

A major part of his policy involved separating families during processing at the border in an e ort to deter migrants from trying to enter the country.

According to the Washington Post, Harris supports the expansion of legal immigration but has also shown a willingness to be harsh on illegal crossings when they overwhelm border communities.

An attempt at a bipartisan border deal was made by the Biden-Harris administration in February of 2024 when Biden pledged to sign a deal that would provide additional funding and resources to border patrol o cers. However, the legislation was stalled after Trump urged House Republicans to vote against it in a political move to have the ability to continue to attack Democrats for their response to the immigration crisis.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, there have been eight million immigrant encounters on the southwest border with Mexico. Under Trump, that number was about 2.4 million.

Kaui said Harris’ proposed policies threaten the safety of border communities and neglect people who have come legally.

“Truth of the matter is, a lot of everyday residents want to feel like they are safe,” Kuai said. “I always worry about what’s going to happen (in southern cities like San Diego) every day, and in the state of California, there seems to be a major shift in prioritization towards people that come here illegally.”

Out of the total $4.9 trillion in government revenue in 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $100 billion in federal taxes in that same year. Amanda Alvarado Ford, deputy attorney of the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area,

“I’m looking for a candidate who can create a more e ective and timely immigration system,” Alvarado Ford said. “Right now, we have a system where, for example, if you’re from Mexico applying for entry, and you want to petition your sibling to come to the U.S. right o the bat, you’re looking at 25-28 years of wait, which could extend.”

Alvarado Ford said that compassion should be what prevails in border policies.

“We need to remember that someone helped our immigrant ancestors get their start here in society,” Alvarado Ford said. “Perhaps we, as individuals working in today’s economic marketplace, can o er that hand of support to today’s migrants who desperately need assistance.”

abortion

In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which protected a woman’s right to an abortion prior to fetal viability, medically considered to be between 23 and 24 weeks after Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Consequently, abortion restriction and access is left up to each state. According to e Washington Post, Harris said she wants to restore Roe v. Wade and federal protections for abortions.

Trump, on the other hand, has said he is opposed to federal protections for abortion, favoring allowing states to decide their own abortion laws. He has taken credit for appointing justices that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Currently, 13 states have a full abortion ban, ten of which have no exceptions for incest and rape. Eight states have a gestational limit ban ranging from 6-18 weeks, which prescribes the time after pregnancy when it’s legal to get an abortion. Five states have a 22-24 week gestational limit, and the remaining 24 states have no limit.

Dr. Cheryl Pan, the chief of ambulatory obstetrics and gynecology at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, said sometimes a six-week gestational limit ban doesn’t provide enough time for women to nd out about and address their pregnancy. ese restrictions often cause women to look out of state for reproductive care. In 2023, 171,000 women traveled out of state for an abortion.

“We have accepted patients in our (Santa Clara) hospital from states like Texas, for example, where women do not have the rights that they have in the state of California,” Pan said. “ ey just wanted to have a discussion that they can’t have with their doctors because the laws are written so stringent that if a doctor talks about (abortion) or mentions it, they’re potentially liable to be prosecuted.”

For those without the ability to travel, senior Briar Dorogusker said many will still pursue abortions, but an abortion ban will prevent them from happening in a safe environment.

“I really hope that (Harris) is able to bring (abortion) back to the government nationally and make sure that everyone has access,” Dorogusker said. “It’s going to happen no matter what, so having it protected by law and done safely by medical professionals is really what’s best for the country.”

McIntyre said the freedom to choose whether or not to have an abortion should be a fundamental right of Americans.

“Roe v. Wade and just generally, women’s right to choose – free will –is something that America is very profound on,” McIntyre said. “Being pro-choice, for me, is just allowing women to have control over their lives, especially in healthcare and their bodies.”

With the exception of the mother’s life being at risk, Beach said his belief that humans have equal rights to life in and outside the womb aligns with that of Trump.

“Its logical conclusion would be to outright ban it, other than the exception of the life of a mother because a baby is a human life,” Beach said. “It has its own DNA, its own body. I think that everyone should be able to choose what they do with their body and a baby is its own body. I don’t think that someone has the right to terminate the life of another human being living inside of them who’s done nothing wrong in any situation.”

According to a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 61% of voters say the outcome of this election will have a major impact on access to abortion in the country.

Democracy

According to a study from the Pew Research Center conducted in 2024, 72% of Republicans regard Democrats as more immoral, and 63% of Democrats say the same about Republicans.

Dorogusker said with this kind of polarization, it’s important to keep an open mind when learning about political candidates.

“We’re getting to a point where it’s not even about the policies that candidates have,” Dorogusker said. “It’s just more of an us versus them mentality. I’ve seen so many people online (say) that no matter what, I will vote for Trump or Kamala no matter what.”

McIntyre also said it’s important to nd bipartisan policies.

“(We need to) make sure that we’re electing people that are willing to see the nuances in situations, not just voting with a party.” McIntyre said.

Rabbi Yosef Levin said in this election people need to learn how to talk to the other side.

“ is is a country that’s built on democracy,” Yosef said. “ e polarization that is happening today on all sides is really the biggest problem, and that’s something we have to nd a way to solve. True leadership means bringing people together. at’s what we really need to do.”

Field trips should become more prevalent in school

If there’s one thing I remember from elementary school, it’s the eld trips. Despite the bright yellow school buses smelling of mildew and 5 a.m. wake-ups, I loved having the opportunity to interact with the world around me: the people strolling in the park, the gray stingrays in the aquarium, the constellations in the planetarium, the Cantor Arts Center, the chubby cat — too friendly to be a stray yet too angry to pet — and even the bird trying to eat my lunch.

But after moving to Palo Alto from Pleasanton in middle school, I hardly ever get the opportunity to go on a eld trip. As a rare exception, during my sophomore year, AP Art History hosted a trip to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Five months after our trip, I still remember the tiniest details: the park we ate lunch at, the conversations I had and the styles and meanings of all the artworks that resonated with me — from “Flores Sea” by Minerva Cuevas to “High Tide, Heavy Armor” by Calida Rawles.

Funnily enough, if you asked me to name my favorite piece of artwork from the AP Art History exam’s 250 required artworks list, I’d give you a blank stare. Yet, I could drone on and on about the di erent cultures I learned about and the distinct craftsmanship I observed at SFMoMA. I loved exploring every level of the museum. Each corner featured its own air and art style, and the eld trip there allowed me to explore the artwork that I was the most passionate about. Going to SFMoMA taught me not only about the technical aspects of art but also how to make personal connections with it and uncover a deeper meaning in each piece. It made me realize that art is what

we make of it, and from then on, I gained a deeper appreciation for the evolution of art through history.

e bene ts of eld trips extend far beyond the arts. History classes can visit local landmarks so students understand how events that happened decades ago still shape our community today. Science classes can visit exploratoriums and aquariums, where students can explore a wide variety of displays and demonstrations, deepening their learning.

Learning about a new concept is one thing, but actually seeing it in action and applying it to the real world is an entirely new experience, one that is di cult to achieve in a normal classroom, even with labs and presentations. Although you can get a sense of a historical event through a textbook or YouTube video, actually being in the spot where those people from the textbooks once stood allows students to fully immerse themselves in the curriculum and understand it on a more nuanced level. is isn’t just theory. According to a 2022 study by researchers at Brigham Young University, students who go on eld trips “have fewer behavioral infractions, attend school more frequently, score higher on end-of-grade exams, and receive higher course grades.” at makes a lot of sense because eld trips put students in the driver’s seat and empower them to take charge of their own learning in an immersive environment. ey o er exibility to students, foster their curiosity and encourage them to think outside of the box. Additionally, they allow students who don’t thrive in a normal, classroom setting to experience another environment and make connections between existing knowledge and new ideas or future careers.

Given that 65% of the population are visual learners, according to a 2019 study from researchers at the Centre of Intelligent Signal and Imaging Research, eld trips allow these students to fully engage.

Learning in a new environment not only deepens a student’s understanding of their academics but also encourages them to build soft skills like communication, collaboration and independence.

In addition, eld trips challenge students to step out of their comfort zones and embrace the new, unexpected and unknown. Students practice developing their interpersonal skills to solve problems, work with others and gain exposure to diverse cultures and ideas.

ese bene ts are also why school groups such as TEAM and SJP have eld trips throughout the year. rough interactive activities such as eld trips, these cohorts have a distinct approach to learning: one that values community and students’ autonomy in their own learning. Learning outside of school — even once or twice a year — can change the trajectory of a student’s education. Field trips give students an invaluable opportunity to grow, both as students and as people. ey give students a window into another world, through which they learn to embrace new ideas and gain a better understanding of themselves. Whether it’s visiting a museum across the street at Stanford, or walking to a local, historical landmark, eld trips allow students to take command of their learning and discover what interests them. We become what we behold, and until we are able to develop the independence to guide our own learning, we will forever limit our own growth.

Before the advent of social media, children used to disrupt classrooms with lively discussions; now, they are quietly distracted scrolling through TikTok and Instagram reels, turning into slaves to the algorithm. We’ve all heard the usual arguments: social media deprives you of your attention span, increases selfesteem issues, decreases human interaction and is a terrible addition to society. But despite knowing these risks, many continue to spend hours every day scrolling to the next reel. Fortunately, the studies that discovered these “risks” are not absolute — in fact, this eld is so new that there is no overarching de nition for what exactly “social media” even is.

Social media is by no means entirely good and pure, but then again, few things in the world are. What it is is unfairly blamed for shortcomings.

Let’s take a look at a few of the key arguments against the use of social media.

One is it greatly impacts self-esteem.

However, social media is not the cause of self-esteem problems — the content consumed on it is. ose two are not the same. Yes, people are exposed to images and narratives that promote unhealthy and overglamorized lifestyles. But to blame social media for causing self-esteem issues is the equivalent of blaming school for causing bullying. Yes, schools do enable bullying simply by throwing many children together into a classroom, and certain school policies can make bul-

lying better or worse. But to blame the entire system for actions individuals take is extreme.

Similarly, social media allows for a globally connected society, and while previously content and communication may have been limited to a county or city, we can now access content from the entire world — for free.

Self-esteem issues have always been a part of society. In “Little Women,” a book written over 100 years ago, sisters Amy and Meg are self-conscious about their appearance. In more recent media, “Mean Girls” features a scene where the main friend group lines up in front of a mirror and critiques their seemingly perfect appearances. Unrealistic expectations have always existed, and social media merely gives more avenues to access unrealistic images that people were clearly accessing anyway.

In that same vein, polarization is often an argument against social media. Unfortunately, polarization is in-

evitable in an interconnected world. e people you talk to are likely those who share the same values as you. But this is also true in small populations. How many of your friends share the same opinion on topics such as abortion, a rmative action and LGBTQ+ rights? Likely most

exaggerated. We already sur round ourselves with people who share the same opinions, so the “echo chamber” touted online is merely an extension of that.

Furthermore, while people can choose not to look into di ering viewpoints, social media provides a safe haven for marginalized groups. Social media allows people who are rejected by their communities to themselves.

Members of persecuted groups often when discussing aspects of themselves often seen as taboo. Preliminary studies back this nding, showing

that LGBTQ+ teenagers actually became happier after the introduction of social media due to nding safe online spaces. Lastly, on attention. e study on decreasing attention spans was awed and has been called into question by many other studies, and this argument is nothing new. e “dang kids and their weakening minds due to the evil technology” argument has been around forever.

Plato, when discussing his worries about written books, quoted his mentor Socrates, who allegedly said “If men learn this (writing), it will implant forgetfulness in their souls; they will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer from within themselves, but by means of external marks.” Socrates may very well have been correct. However, it doesn’t matter. Even if society has a worse memory than we did centuries ago, our society has adapted to function without more pow-

Clearly, Socrates’ warning was notogy, which had manyects he did not see, even if itfulness in their souls.” In the same vein, social media is If we cannot halt its use

will not be able to halt its use ever. It is a useful tool, that like any other

e Utah State Capitol is open to visitors, so in January of 2024, Isabella Bian and her robotics team toured the Congress meeting rooms. “Learning outside of school — even once or twice a year — can change the trajectory of a student’s education,” Bian said.

ART BY CYNTHIA HUANG

ISABELLA BIAN/THE CAMPANILE

Lea Kwan Senior Sta Writer

Isabella Bian Newsletter Editor

Political media poisons polity

With the 2024 presidential election nearing, I’m caught in the midst of a tornado of media coverage, heated debates and contentious online politics. As the unending stream of politics sweeps me up and carries me away, I nd myself asking the same questions over and over again: Who can I trust? How can I spot misinformation? How can we discuss politics respectfully? ese questions can be answered in three parts: what information we consume, how we synthesize it and how we express our opinions.

It’s almost impossible to understand current politics without reading, watching or listening to the news. But with countless options available, how do we know which one has the most accurate, trustworthy and unbiased coverage?

Truth be told, every news outlet, journalist and article have di erent biases, which can cloud the truth. In the recent presidential debate, for instance, CNN might tell you Vice President Kamala Harris won fair and square, while Fox News may assert former President Donald Trump was victorious despite unfair treatment from ABC moderators.

For some, scouring the web for the needle of absolute objectivity in the haystack of journalism may be worth the time. However, even if you manage to nd the most unbiased news out there, certain practices present in all media can still in uence your thinking in other ways. When covering election polls and predictions, for example, the media often utilizes terms such as “young voters,” “Catholic voters” or “Black voters” to group voters based on certain shared traits. is type of voter analysis,

the purest stories? One method is to use a website like AllSides, which compiles news coverage from all sides of the political spectrum — left, right and center — and cautions about media biases with bias ratings. If I’m being honest, though, changing how I get my news is easier said than done. But even if you’re anything like me, there’s no need to worry. Simply being aware of which way our favorite media outlets tend to lean and being skeptical of articles that sound a bit too opinionated is enough.

P

romote respect and civility in discussion, especially when disagreements arise.

E A C E

ducate yourself on opposing viewpoints to foster understanding. Don’t only consume media you already agree with.

pply critical thinking and skepticism. Don’t blindly trust everything; verify the source and be aware of biases.

No matter what political beliefs one has, many people agree modern politics has become too polarized. In the recent presidential and vice presidential debates, both candidates spent a huge amount of time attacking the other side instead of pitching how their own policies could help solve America’s most pressing problems. Speci cally, Harris and Trump spent 46% and 29% of their total speech time attacking each other, respectively.

hallenge your own biases and assumptions. Don’t settle stubbornly on one stance. Be open to new, diverse ideas.

ncourage others to be open-minded and create a respectful and safe environment.

Polarization in our community can create biases and close-mindedness, leading people to only consume media that they agree with, creating a positive feedback loop. Furthermore, hostility and intolerance towards other viewpoints not only divide our community, but also fuel peer pressure to conform to the majority, further homogenizing our beliefs. Often, the United States’ bipartisan political system is dramatized as a war between moral good and corrupt evil. is widespread mindset boils down American politics to a simple two-sided war between “us” and “them,” creating close-mindedness, division and pointless conict. Even I’ve sometimes caught myself in polarized thinking. While you and I can’t revolutionize American politics overnight, we can and should re ect on and improve our mindset when we catch ourselves engaging in “us vs. them” thinking.

In March 2024, the reconstruction of Hoover Elementary School began, initially planning to only construct gender-neutral bathrooms. However, the updated plan now includes both gendered and gender-neutral facilities. e bathrooms include both single-stalled and multi-stalled options, with height partitions and gap-free doors added for privacy. e new plan is a great decision. e original plan of only gender-neutral bathrooms was an inappropriate decision as it put students in uncomfortable situations.

Just as gender-neutral people should have their own space, other individuals who identify as female or male should reserve that same right. Ultimately, the implementation of only gender-neutral bathrooms is a massive invasion of privacy for students, and it is inappropriate to assign everyone to the same bathroom. Instead, we should be appreciating and understanding the di erences between various gender identities.

According to NPR, the percentage of girls getting their periods before age 11, which is the age of most elementary school graduates, is 15.5%. For female students who are menstruating, or just began their menstruation cycle during school, it could be very stressful or emotionally distressing if they had to share a bathroom with people of other gender identities. It is a subject many younger people are self-conscious about, and children can lack a sense of sensitivity, meaning sharing a bathroom with boys could be very uncomfortable for girls in that situation.

the span of less than a month. In fact, as an liberal school

moderately liberal, whereas just 13% of respondents rated

Scrolling through my For You page, hundreds of posts and videos ood my vision: Ariana Grande’s new album dropping this Friday. Taylor Swift releasing her 11th album. Beyoncé back in the studio. Billie Eilish teasing new tracks. e excitement should feel electric and exhilarating like it used to before the troublesome pandemic, but the rush of anticipation that once skated up my arms is replaced by a feeling of boredom.

With the oversaturated music industry and countless artists trying to be the next big hit, it feels like American pop music is on the brink of burnout — a fermata, if you will.

It’s easy to preach about what we should do, but it’s much harder to take action. us, I’ve constructed an acronym — PEACE — to remind us of how to carry out our duty in fostering unity.

In a world of constant media and boundless information, it’s easy to fall victim to media bias and polarization. But as long as we are united, peace will prevail.

Speci cally, social media has drastically changed the American music industry, evolving how music is discovered, marketed and consumed, often leading to shorter lifespans for albums.

For instance, as an avid Taylor Swift fan, it would be an understatement to say that I was disappointed with her newest album, e Tortured Poets Department.” I knew to expect slower, more melancholy songs based on the teasers, but even taking that into account, the music felt overly repetitive, and my anticipation far outweighed the nal product.

While the more energetic songs like “Florida!” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” were enjoyable, most of the slower tracks — which made up the majority of the album — faded into the deep recesses of my consciousness. Despite her reputation as a talented songwriter, the album quickly slipped from my mind within weeks, leaving me puzzled as to why Swift’s latest songs felt so lackluster and empty — failing to evoke the same magical feeling as her previous releases.

e issue isn’t just with Swift’s album, however. It re ects a larger trend in the music industry, where songs are rapidly produced to become intentionally viral but often lack the depth, e ort and creativity that initially garnered the artist their fanbase.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media rapidly evolved into a machine that encouraged a faster-paced media-consuming culture, which is a big part of why so many songs feel shallow today. With the help of TikTok, anyone can be a singer or musician, contributing to the oversaturation of new music, where short, catchy music clips tend to go viral quickly.

It often feels capitalistic — fast production, the constant need to release new and repetitive content based on algorithms to keep their audience engaged. Part of this problem stems from the overwhelm-

As expected, many Hoover students and parents spoke out at school board meetings and contacted the administration about their concerns about only o ering genderneutral bathrooms. In a September Palo Alto Online article, many Hoover students voiced they were uncomfortable with sharing bathrooms with students of the other gender. Additionally, parents said that their children felt embarrassed when using the same bathroom with people of other genders and would end up holding o on using the bathrooms throughout the school day. Not only have Hoover students and parents continuously voiced their opinions on this subject, but they also made a petition for gendered bathrooms that has been signed by over 1000 people. e recent administrative change to include gendered bathrooms has pleased many parents and students, although some are still skeptical. is new decision made by the administration was the right choice and should start happening more in all Palo Alto School District schools. Catering to the parents and students in this situation was the best way to create a fully inclusive environment for students of all identities.

ing amount of pressure on artists to remain relevant on social media. More releases means more publicity, but this mindset can lead to short-term engagement in the endless cycle of new album releases. As a result, it becomes increasingly di cult for listeners like me to savor new releases.

However, it’s also important to acknowledge the audience plays a signi cant role in fueling this culture. Listeners inevitably consume music at a faster rate than artists can release it. Fans on social media often place pressure on their favorite artists to create new content as soon as an anticipated release drops, leaving comments that push them to prioritize quantity over quality to maintain their fame. I nd music more enjoyable when I can connect with it and feel inspired, not when it’s characterized by how quickly it’s created, released and consumed. It would be refreshing to return to viewing albums as polished works of art rather than just a collection of songs to stream and scroll through.

Additionally, encouraging our favorite artists to prioritize quality over quantity may result in music that actually leaves a lasting impression. We should give artists the time and space to create thoughtful works that we can appreciate beyond viral moments. I hope to see social media growing into a space where artists can promote themselves without feeling pressured to sacri ce the integrity of their work. Sometimes, especially in today’s fast-paced social media culture, it’s easy to forget that it’s OK to slow down and savor the music.

Cherianne Yoon News/Opinion Editor

Ethan Chan Sta Writer

ART BY CHARLOTTE LIU

SOFIA SINGER / THE CAMPANILE

Hoover Elementary began construction in March 2024 to implement non-gendered bathrooms for the 2025-26 school year.

ART BY CHERIANNE YOON

So a Singer Sta Writer

Vote Chiu, Kamhi, Salcman for Board of Education

Palo Alto residents will vote between Rowena Chiu, Nicole Chiu-Wang, Chris Colohan, Alison Kamhi and Josh Salcman to ll three open seats on Palo Alto Uni ed School District’s Board of Education on Nov. 5.

Diligently selecting a school board is crucial in ensuring proper oversight of the district. Among other functions, the Board is tasked with establishing district-wide policies, selecting the Superintendent, managing the budget and shaping the curriculum.

e Campanile thinks Rowena Chiu, Alison Kamhi and Josh Salcman will best represent our priorities of maintaining consistent communication with students, parents and teachers; highlighting student well-being and focusing on individualized academic success.

Chiu, Kamhi and Salcman are all endorsed by Palo Alto Mayor Greer Stone, the Palo Alto Educators Association and current School Board Member Shana Segal, among others.

Rowena Chiu, a mother of four, has been a room parent in PAUSD since 2009, a JLS Connections Board president and the Ohlone Elementary PTA president for two years. In May 2023 while serving as the PTA president, Chiu advocated for families a ected by the transfer of moderate to severe special education classes from Ohlone Elementary to Nixon Elementary. Her priority for involving families in the decisionmaking process during this event aligns with the community’s continued calls for transparency

from the district. Chiu says she hopes to empower students by granting them a voice in her campaign, inviting them to campaign gatherings and speaking at Response Inclusive Safe Environment Club’s event on April 25. Chiu’s prioritization of mental health, as demonstrated through advocating for student autonomy and speaking for RISE, aligns with e Campanile’s desire to improve mental health resources for students in the district.

Given last spring’s impasse — where PAEA struggled to come to a contract agreement with PAUSD — we think Chiu, the only candidate to rank teacher and sta retention as a top priority, will be a necessary advocate for pushing the district to proactively work to improve its relationships with teachers, bene ting students directly.

Allison Kamhi, a parent of middle school and elementary school PAUSD students who represents immigrant children in legal hearings as part of her day job, emphasizes safety at the forefront of her campaign.

Considering ongoing mental health struggles within PAUSD, we endorse Kamhi for her e orts to improve school safety by co-founding a Gun Violence Prevention group for the Palo Alto Council of PTAs, planning safe bike routes and advocating for investing in mental health and special needs services across the district to combat bullying.

Josh Salcman, a stay-at-home father of three PAUSD students and a PTA member for 10 years,

is focused on giving every student the best opportunity to grow.

As a parent of a student with special needs and another with disabilities, Salcman said he prioritizes individualized earning — tailoring educational strategies to the needs and di erences of students.

In addition to more learning resources for underserved students, Salcman favors o ering Multivariable Calculus and promoting advancement in math.

And with his opposition to limiting the number of Advanced Placement classes students can take, we think Salcman deserves a seat for his e orts to give all students the necessary resources to reach their full potential.

Additionally, due to California Assembly Bill 3216 — which requires districts to implement a policy limiting or regulating phone use — we support Salcman’s opposition to a blanket ban on cellphones and think his experience as a CEO of a startup centered around education technology for K-12 is an important asset for a school board member in optimizing the integration of technology in classes.

We urge Palo Altans to vote for Chiu, Kamhi and Salcman — however, our main priority is encouraging the community to vote and educate themselves further on each candidate to ensure their selected candidates best represent their individual beliefs.

Editors’ note: e Campanile adviser is a Palo Alto resident and has publicly supported board of education candidates. He did not have a voice in e Campanile’s choices and did not edit this editorial. It was sent to an out-of-state journalist for advice before printing.

The

Passed in September, California

Assembly Bill 3216 follows 14 other states’ e orts in making an attempt to curb electronic classroom distractions. e bill will require school districts to adopt a policy limiting or regulating smartphone usage by July 1, 2026. Supporters of the bill, also known as the Phone-Free School Act, say it is meant to tackle excessive smartphone use at school.

Since the pandemic, the issue has become more urgent, as smartphone use not only interferes with learning but has been linked to an increase in mental health challenges in children and teenagers.

e bill also stipulates certain exemptions: schools are required to grant phone access during emergencies, upon sta permission, for medical reasons or when deemed essential to a special education student’s individualized education program.

AB 3216 is a step in the right direction. However, its lack of baseline policies for school districts to follow

prevent the bill from e ectively reducing classroom distractions.

e bill makes an important effort to address excessive cellphone use in schools. Standardized test scores and academic achievement improve, especially among struggling students, when phones are taken away.

e bill also makes progress on another front: the legislation prohibits school o cials and sta from accessing or monitoring a student’s online activities, strengthening students’ right to privacy. However, the bill’s ambiguity will hinder its intended e ects when it’s enacted in two years. Without any speci c policy recommendations, the lack of strict expectations or standards set by AB 3216 o ers school districts the lib-

July 1, 2026

erty to freely police — or not police — students’ cellphone use. ough e Campanile criticizes the bill for granting too much discretion to districts, we encourage our district, PAUSD, to develop an approach similar to our current de facto policy which allows teachers to enforce their own particular phone policies.

Every teacher has curated a distinctive phone policy suited to their own teaching style. Some adopt a technologyfriendly approach, integrating Quizlet Lives and Kahoots into their lessons, while others opt to limit electronic device use entirely, requiring students to either store their phones in cellphone hotels or in their backpacks. Once AB 3216 takes e ect, we do recommend

teachers post their phone policies in their course guide, ensuring students have access to the rules while respecting each teacher’s unique approach.

e Campanile also urges clear communication from district administration in preparing for the bill’s July 2026 deadline. Vague district policies can be a burden for teachers left to interpret and enforce unclear rules. is can happen, for example, if a student challenges a teacher’s phone use decision, arguing the policy was not applied fairly to the class. Such a policy draws emphasis away from the teacher’s role as an educator and toward one as an enforcer.

e importance of fostering a positive learning environment cannot be overstated. By creating clear guidelines and supporting teachers’ autonomy, the district can make the best out of a vague bill and empower educators to promote student academic and social growth.

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

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SB 976, Meta limit minors' access to social media

As sophomore Orly Schube walks into her rst period class, students, absorbed by their phones, pay no attention to the teacher as they wait for the nal bell. is bothers Schube, who said kids should be more focused on what’s going on in their own lives than their phones.

“It makes me feel a little disappointed in our generation because while I understand people are tired, and I have just as much of a phone problem as they may have, it'd be good to get teenagers o their phones a little bit more,” Schube said.

e introduction of social media like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat propelled the popularity of smartphones. Today, teens spend an average of almost ve hours a day on social media, according to the American Psychological Association.

Palo Alto pediatrician Dr. Sabrina Braham, a mother of three teenagers, said it’s impossible to ignore the detriment of adolescents’ growing social media addiction.

“What I see in my own family and in my practice is that the things that kids are sacri cing to be on their phones are sleep, face-to-face interactions, relationships, their schoolwork and physical activity,” Braham said.

According to the National Library of Medicine, 24.4% of adolescents are social media addicts, and the risk of depression increases by 13% for each additional hour of social media use.

Child Development teacher Hilary McDaniel said these statistics re ect the addictive nature of social media.

“ ey are addicting brains, and the behavioral issues that arise from children when they aren’t getting those dopamine hits are really signi cant,” McDaniel said.

In September, Meta introduced Instagram’s “Teen Accounts,” allowing parents to set up built-in protections and restrictions on their child's account. With the accounts, Meta also implemented content restrictions, private accounts until age 18 and integrated time management, features they say will help protect teens who use social media. ese controls will appear in other Meta platforms later next year.

Governments have also begun taking greater action. In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 976, which prohibits social media platforms from knowingly providing an addictive social media feed to minors without parental consent.

e legislation de nes an addictive feed as a platform that selects and recommends

media speci cally tailored to a user. Addictive feeds are curated by analyzing data collected by a user’s device to make their feed more engaging.

McDaniel said she thinks teen social media use is outpacing safety measures.

“Everything is developing at such a rapid pace that parents can’t keep up, and these regulations are a good rst step,” McDaniel said.

Senior Milan Tow q agreed and said these systems will have a big impact on society.

“I think they are good,” Tow q said. “I think a lot of people like us waste time on social media during the day, so putting limitations on that is good for society.”

these updates need to be enforced to ensure kids use social media responsibly.

“I fundamentally agree with the prin ciple that there has to be some thinking and guardrails in place so that, as kids are exposed to these (rules), they can do it in a way that they can also learn self-regula tion tools,” Braham said.

Teen accounts will now also automati cally receive Instagram’s most strict con tent restrictions, limiting sexually sugges tive content, content containing mentions of self-harm and all other content consid ered sensitive.

Teen Accounts will be required for any children under 16 but may be turned on by a par ent for children 16 and over. is supervision includes parental access to messages, content overviews and screen time constraints.

through Friday, during the school year.

Tow q said he has mixed feelings about these limits on noti cations.

“During the day, there’s not really a reason to be getting social media noti cations,” Tow q said. “I feel like it’s overstepping boundaries a little bit when you extend it to night.” e teen accounts will be implemented in the next month in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

To enforce their updated restrictions, Instagram said they will implement age veri cation technology requiring kids to con rm their age either using an ID, uploading a sel e or having a friend verify. SB 976 will be implemented by the companies and enforced by the govern

our kids don’t want and haven’t searched for,” Skinner said. “From this day forward, California will be a safe haven, protecting our kids from social media addiction.”

McDaniel said the heavy impacts of social media on teens in uenced her to support the new regulation.

“I just don’t feel like that’s a burden we should be placing on teachers, because I should have a loving, respectful relationship with my students,” McDaniel said. “It will depend on how it’s implemented.”

Braham said she agrees social media leads to increased anxiety around things like fake images portrayed online “ ere are some very real ways that spending a lot of time on those kinds of platforms makes kids less happy,” Braham said. “Because comparison is the enemy of joy, and social media is comparison.”

Junior Savannah Taylor is not a fan of these kinds of restrictions.

“ at’s a complete invasion of my privacy, having my parents being able to see everything,” Taylor said.

Teen accounts also recommend that kids leave the app after a total of 60 minutes each day and have a “sleep mode” that mutes all noti 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Sophomore Kate Lindstrom said these regulations will not have a signi pact on reducing teen social media use.

“Not receiving noti pid and pointless to me. Students are still going to be on their phones and checking their phones right before bed, so it isn’t going to do anything,” Lindstrom said.

California’s SB 976 also restricts social media platforms from sending noti tions to minors between midnight and 6 a.m, and 8 a.m and 3 p.m, Monday

Dalia Saal & Mirai Matsuzawa Sta Writers

Glassblowing 101: wielding re

As glassblowing teacher Mike da Ponte e ortlessly spins the punti, maintaining the perfect balance at the centerpoint of the molten glass blob at the end of the metal rod, the sunlight re ects into the hot shop, shimmering on the glass’ red-hot surface. Sculpting the glass into a beautifully symmetric cup, da Ponte maneuvers around the glass studio, eventually plunging the cup into the furnace as the heat envelops the glass in a ery blaze.

Launched by former art teacher David Camner nearly 25 years ago, the Paly glassblowing program has nurtured students to love working with glass.

From large vessels made in the outdoor furnace to glass beads made with desktop torches, students in the 3D Art pathway learn to use glass as a form of artistic expression.

Da Ponte, hired this summer to expand the glassblowing program, comes to Paly after 12 years of starting and running a glassworking studio at New Trier High School outside of Chicago, one of the only other high schools in the country to have a hot shop.

Da Ponte said he encourages students to explore the versatility of glass by combining di erent art techniques and incorporating other mediums, as he does in his own art.

“We are starting to do (mixed media glass) and ceramics already,” da Ponte said. “I just want to o er that for every project we do, building that slowly into the program.”

Principal Brent Kline said he hopes his support help da Ponte act on his proposed changes to the Fiery Arts program, and Kline looks forward to the inspiration da Ponte’s updated program will bring to more students.

“When you see some of his art and the work that he’s already done, it integrates a lot of di erent forms, not just glass,” Kline said. “ at’s what I’m looking forward to having him bring to our visual arts program: just a di erent perspective.”

Da Ponte said there has been discussion within the art department of separating Art Spectrum into two classes, speci ed for 2D or 3D art, while still following the general Art Spectrum guidelines.

“It’s nice to be able to choose whether it’s 2D or 3D at the beginning, so kids can navigate di erent materials at the start,” da Ponte said.

Brittney Kerby, Instructional Lead for the arts department, said the department redesigned what they were envisioning for the visual arts pathway by separating Art Spectrum into two classes.

“It’s going to be great and it honors what students want to do, so it’s going to better serve the students’ interest,” Kerby said. “I’m hoping to see students excited about the di erent kinds of art that we o er here – we do have an incredible 3D program.”

Da Ponte said he is also hoping to update the hot shop equipment and add a third furnace because he said much of the current equipment is outdated and doesn’t provide the latest safety standards and e ciencies.

“Another part of that is energy e ciency,” da Ponte said. “I think that’s a really good shift towards being a more e cient studio and abiding by a better environmental footprint.”

In the long-term, da Ponte said he hopes to bring more glass techniques and processes to the program in addition to the hot shop, including casting, fusing, slumping and ameworking.

“ e hot shop only draws a small percentage of kids to actually work in there, so I think o ering more techniques is a more inclusive way to build a better 3D program,” da Ponte said.

Currently, students can only participate in glassblowing after taking Art Spectrum, a year-long course, and then enrolling in Ceramics and Sculpture. However, the Fiery Arts Club, run by seniors and co-presidents Sophia Kelly and Brian Barrett, tries to make glassblowing accessible to the entire student body.

“It would be really cool if they got an individual glass class,” Kelly said. “I wish I had that when I was going through it.”

Senior and Fiery Arts Club Vice President Zachary Crystal said he loves how the club brings together those with similar interests.

“It’s awesome when you get to see the results of your own hard work,” Crystal said. “During our club, I love when people say ‘wow that’s so cool’ or ‘oh how’d you do that.’”

Sophomore Angela Fang, who joined the Fiery Arts Club last year and is now taking Ceramics and Sculpture, said the freedom of glassblowing immediately attracted her.

“My favorite part about glassblowing is that you can create so many things in 3D,” Fang said. “It’s just a really unique type of art medium.” Overall, Kline said the glassblowing program is a special opportunity all students can take advantage of to learn about glass and experience the artistic process.

“Art is a great way to teach people di erent skills in a whole di erent way,” Kline said. “Art’s not a textbook thing. It’s not a memorization thing. It’s creating something that’s from your own heart and soul.”

Dalia Saal Sta Writer

Celebrity endorsements to play a role in election season

Zoya Prabhakar Sta Writer

If your favorite celebrity endorsed a political gure, would that change your vote? Given the upcoming presidential election in November, celebrities seem to be endorsing candidates left and right. Mark Harvey, a professor at the University of Saint Mary, said in an NPR interview that celebrities have used their social status to in uence public opinion since the 1920s; namely, the rst signi cant ones include singer Al Jolson, baseball legend Babe Ruth and major star Frank Sinatra.

According to a New York Times article, the media, which has been one of the greatest factors in de ning a young voter’s political ideologies, has become more polarized since the rise of the internet.

Social Justice Pathway history and U.S. government teacher Caitlin Drewes said it seems as if there are two sets of political truths today since some news outlets lean more conservative like Fox News, while others that used to be considered mainstream are now considered left. Drews also said propaganda exists on both sides of the political spectrum. Due to the younger generation’s overconsumption of media online, essentially spreading false facts, younger generations might fall victim to misinformation. Since celebrity news is spread through the media as well, younger generations are more in uenced by their endorsements as opposed to older generations.

According to a recent study by Harvard University’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, younger generations are more inclined to vote when they feel that it is a woke or trendy thing to do. Senior Abbie Karel, who plans to vote in this year’s election, said it’s important to not blindly follow celebrity endorsements.

“In the end, it is up to the voter to have their own ideals and perspectives to make the best vote for themselves,” Karel said. “Celebrities can in uence people to register, but it is up to the individual to do their own research and make an educated decision.”

Several highly regarded public gures have already endorsed candidates for the upcoming presidential election. Jennifer Lawrence, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, George Clooney, Megan ee Stallion and Oprah Winfrey are just some of the many celebrities who support Kamala Harris. Elon Musk, Ye, 50 Cent, Brittany Mahomes and Bryce Hall have endorsed Donald Trump.

Sophomore Owais Valliani, a Ye fan, said he thinks celebrities endorsing political gures is equivalent to a peer sharing their views.

“In my opinion celebrities endorsing political gures is irrelevant in determining my opinion,” Villiani said. “I can like Ye’s music without agreeing with his personal politics.”

Drewes said perhaps the most in uential endorsement of this election was Taylor Swift’s support for Kamala Harris, with Forbes reporting nearly 406,000 people clicking on vote.gov to register after Swift posted the link on her Instagram.

“I think Taylor Swift endorsing Harris is a di erent beast,” Drewes said. “Taylor Swift has kind of eclipsed the idea of celebrity. She’s in this God status that is so overwhelming around the world. I’m curious to see how many voters started voting because of Swift. She’s the rst one I’ve seen where I’m like, ‘Actually, she might have an impact of some kind.’”

Sophomore Neva Bapna, a Taylor Swift fan, said she supported Swift’s endorsement to increase voter turnout, especially among una liated voters.

“I think the fact that Taylor Swift endorsed Harris was really meaningful, and I’m glad she did, because it could really sway Independents in her audience,” Bapna said. “I support this speci c endorsement completely.”

While Trump’s endorsements may not quite match the level of Taylor Swift, the Wall Street Journal reported Musk said he plans to commit $45 million a month to a political action company backing Trump’s campaign. Drewes said the support of Musk may be a minor asset.

“His endorsement of Trump has probably led other Silicon Valley tech world folks to go that direction also,” Drewes said. “Is that going to sway the election? No, I don’t think so.”

In the broader scope, Drewes said the biggest impact celebrities can make is increasing voter turnout.

“I think the thing that is most important celebrities can do is just ask people to get out the vote,” Drewes said. “Historically, endorsements haven’t done a huge amount, even when they’ve been huge stars … I think the message of ‘Get out and vote, use your voice,’ is really important because they do have access to so many millions of people.”

ART BY SOPHIA KELLY

ZACHARY CRYSTAL/USED WITH PERMISSION

Senior and Fiery Arts Club Vice President Zachary Crystal turns a blown wire sculpture. “It’s awesome when you get to see the results of your own hard work,” Crystal said.

Heather Song Managing Editor

e immigrant experience

With the promise of the American dream and full of optimism, senior Karen Yang uprooted her life in China and moved to the United States at 15 in hopes of taking advantage of the educational opportunities in the US. But with her parents 6,000 miles away, living without them brought Yang immense isolation. Having trouble socially in a new school and with no one to turn to about her everyday problems, she tried to navigate an unfamiliar country but was constantly on edge.

Yang said the most frightening part of moving to America was the tense relationship between China and America, and its e ects on her social life.

“I was really scared because the last time I was in the United States there were a lot of international con icts,” Yang said. “Especially in the media, Chinese American relationships were very hot, and there was a lot of really scary news about how Chinese Americans were beat up.”

According to e California Department of Education, Santa Clara County had over 13,000 immigrant students enrolled in the 2022-23 academic year.

While not all student immigrants live alone, many do face a multitude of challenges as they adapt to a new country. Sophomore Julia Nunes, an immigrant from Brazil, said her perception of the United States from the media – as a lively, hospitable place – didn’t match her reality.

“I was expecting the school to be more welcoming and more understanding of the situation that I was in,” Nunes said. “I had to learn topics midway through the year that I never learned before because I moved in the middle of seventh grade. I didn’t really know what to do.”

Struggling with adjusting to a new education system as well, senior Asya Buyukcangaz immigrated from Turkey at 15. She said still feels disadvantaged compared to USborn students, even though it’s been a few years.

“Sometimes I don’t catch something very detailed that the teacher tells us that makes me miss out on a lot of things that other American students understood,” Buyukcangaz said. “I always feel inferior when I compare myself to the American students

because I feel like I could never understand like them.”

In addition to educational obstacles, Buyukcangaz said she was hindered by the United States’ college application process.

e college application process was the actual hardest point because I didn’t know what I was doing,”

Buyukcangaz said. “I didn’t know what college is like at all because my parents didn’t go to college in the United States. I had no idea what extracurriculars should be like or about SATs. I also didn’t have a community here, so I had to nd everything by myself.”

Yolanda Conway, Assistant Superintendent for Equity and Student A airs, said the district knows midyear transitions can be overwhelming for new students coming from di erent educational backgrounds.

“PAUSD provides English Language Development programs and access to counselors to help students navigate their academic pathways,” Conaway said.

“PAUSD also o ers college counseling services, but it’s clear that we need to ensure these services are more accessible and visible to students who are new to the community. We are working to implement more inclusive classroom strategies, such as providing additional support for students through small-group instruction, language sca olding and frequent check-ins. It is crucial for us to create environments where every student feels seen and valued.”

Sometimes, though, it’s not just educational barriers that make being an immigrant student di cult. Junior Gabriela Suriani, who immigrated from Brazil and then Panama at 13, said it was easier to interact with people in Brazil and Panama due to their approachility.

“In Brazil, we have a massive sense of community — to the point where people can strike up conversation with strangers on the bus any other day, and it’s seen as normal,” Suriani said. “Here, I didn’t feel it as much, but after a year or so, I gured out that people here care with words versus in Brazil, they care with actions.”

Yang said she had a similar experience and while she stayed with the same set of classmates throughout most periods in her school in China, having di erent students in each class at Paly contributes to isolating communities.

“If you’re new here, especially if you came from another country, there’s not really just a space for you to talk to people who want to socialize,” Yang said.

Buyukcangaz said student immigrants with English as a second language who are struggling with friendships should understand that they are not alone.

“Don’t try to put the blame on yourself or think that maybe your English is not good enough to

communicate with American kids,” Buyukcangaz said. ere’s so many people, especially in Palo Alto, who are immigrants and who came from similar situations as us.”

Since English was a new language for Nunes, she said although it was di cult to form friendships, she found a community through creating a club.

“After two years, I can still count on one hand how many friends I have,” Nunes said. “I was really scared to speak up in class because I was scared a lot of people were gonna judge me, so I just stayed quiet most of the time. But I have a few friends at Paly that are also Brazilian, and we made a club called Braza club. It’s really nice because all of us are there together, and I felt like, even though I’m not really friends with them, the language we speak, and the way we communicate is very welcoming.”

Despite some of her successes in adjusting to a new country, Buyukcangaz said she still misses spending time with family in Turkey, especially since her dad is still living there, which has made the transition even more di cult.

“I miss hanging out with my family and going to the beach right next to my house. I really miss eating traditional Turkish foods that I can’t nd here,” Buyukcangaz said.

Only the faint shu e of feet breaks the silence near a cracked door. Pillows stu ed under blankets create a decoy body. As a sophomore tiptoes down the stairs of their house, they avoid any creaky steps and slip outside, careful not to wake the dog. eir mom’s warnings echo in the back of their head but are easy to dismiss, and they end up returning just before their parents wake up.

e sophomore, who asked to remain anonymous because they don’t want their parents to nd out about their sneaking out, said this amount of secrecy is needed because she wants to see her friends but is constantly watched by their parents, especially since they are an only child.

“My parents are de nitely strict, and I think a big part of it is that I’m in high school now, so there are more risks and opportunities for bad things to happen,” the sophomore said.

As teenagers transition into high school, Victoria Cosgrove, an assistant professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Stanford University said as both a clinical worker and mother of four she has seen how family dynamics change.

“Your brain is maturing in a rapid- re way,” Cosgrove said. “So on a social level you naturally start moving away from looking towards your parents and orient more towards your friends and the people around you for answers.”

While teenagers move towards their friends, the struggle of balancing academics, social life and extracurriculars, all while maintaining healthy relationships with family and friends, can place a strain on all students. us, Palo Alto resident Meredith Ackley said it’s important for parents to help their teen navigate this period.

“During this pivotal stage, when peer pressure and other in uences can pull them o course, (parental) guardrails help ensure they stay safe and grounded,” Ackley said.

However, when parents feel the need to intervene in response to these challenges, Cosgrove said it often leads them to tighten their grip on control.

“Parents make more rules, usually, or crack down on the rules that they have because they feel like they’re kind of like losing control,” Cosgrove said. “And then that leads to just the opposite of what the parents want, which is more trying to evade the rules.”

Whether it’s a strict curfew, limits on social media apps, or restrictions on dating, strict parenting is present in many di erent ways. For freshman Ela Aba, the family rule is grades always come rst, and after her assignments are done can she spend time with friends.

“For hangouts, it’s a once a week rule,” Aba said. “Sometimes it can be tough because friends are a break from schoolwork to just have fun, and when you can’t see them or do things with them the homework just piles up more.”

Freshman Myra Dang, who immigrated from Singapore at 8, said she’s able to maintain a strong familial connection in Singapore through annual vacations.

“Just this summer we spent a month in Singapore,” Dang said. “We still have our place there, and that’s how I’m able to keep a lot of my friends and family friends in Singapore.”

Although Suriani was initially pessimistic about her family moving countries during critical periods of her life, she said she’s learned adjusting to new environments is a necessary aspect of life.

Drawing from her immigrant experience, Suriani said she appreciates the privilege of gaining insight from people from all walks of life.

“It’s one thing learning from the textbook that different thoughts and experiences exist,” Suriani said.

“But living di erent experiences, having conversations with people who share di erent thoughts than you, that’s a whole di erent thing. Learning this hands-on is incredible and great for personal growth.”

Many times there is a disconnect when it comes to teenagers and parents, and Cosgrove said misunderstandings can create negativity, driving teenagers to rebel or engage in irrational behaviors. However, if parents provide reasoning to their rules, Cosgrove said teenagers may respond more receptively.

“If someone explains why a rule exists, I may still not agree with it 100%, but I may understand a fraction of the rationale of why it’s being executed,” Cosgrove said. “I’m probably more likely — as a participant in a broader system, whether it’s my family system or whether it’s my community — to try to come closer to meeting that.”

Along with an understanding from both parents and teenagers, sophomore Poppy Morrison said trust is also a key component in maintaining healthy connections.

“I think it’s important that parents trust their kids because it allows them to have fun and have a good relationship with them,” Morrison said.

While trust remains an important part of any relationship, Cosgrove said without open communication teenagers may not fully grasp where their parents are coming from, further emphasizing the need for a balance that promotes understanding and respect.

Cosgrove said, “If we’re talking about an optimal system, that would be one where there is structure, there are some rules that people agree on, but there’s exibility and regular communication to explain what the rationale is.”

Mirai Matsuzawa Sta Writer

ART BY MAX WAKENSHAW

ART BY JANYA JAIN

How to DIY: happiness

Feeling overwhelmed by college applications, the constant flood of social media posts and the pressure to be perpetually cheerful? If you’ve ever wondered how to achieve happiness without resorting to Netflix or extreme (and possibly hazardous) internet trends, you’re in the right place. Below are eight simple and effective tips for when life gives you more lemons than you can handle.

Tip #1: Eat balanced meals regularly

Challenge yourself and see how many food groups you can cram into one meal before it becomes a game of culinary Jenga. Leafy greens, protein, carbs and fiber — why not toss in a side of ice cream because isn’t life about balance? Nothing screams, “I’m making healthy choices,” more than a salad topped with sugar, cream and chocolate syrup.

Tip #2: Too tired and stressed? Exercise — fight exhaustion with more exhaustion

Consider exercising to release more endorphins. If you’re someone who has a visceral hate for moving your body, try listening to music, a podcast, audiobook or watching a show during your workout. If all else fails, try running away — from your responsibilities.

Tip #3: “Fix” your sleep schedule

Experts say sleep debt is bad, but what do they know? Can’t get your 8-9 hours during the school week? No need to worry about sleep debt: like credit card debt, you can always

make up for it later by sleeping for half a day straight on the weekend. A simple 16-hour nap on Saturday should fix everything.

Tip #4: Touch some grass

We live in an era of rapid technological advancements, so don’t bother wasting time changing your clothes or putting on sunscreen to go outside. Instead, bring nature to you by buying more plants you’ll forget to water. Even better, experience nature the modern way: through YouTube survival shows or punching trees in Minecraft.

Tip #5: Allergic to grass? Cats are a fantastic substitute

If touching grass makes you sneeze like you’re auditioning for a new Kleenex ad, head over to Mini Cat Town in Stanford Shopping Center. Pay a humble $15 for 30 minutes of snuggle time with cats who couldn’t care less about your existence.

Tip #6: Delusion is the solution

Your best friend suddenly ghosts you after 3+ seemingly-blissful years of friendship and refuses to answer your texts? Easy fix — let delusion be your new best friend. Remember, you’re the main character in this slice-of-life TV show and this is all for the plot. Pulled an all-nighter for a calculus test that you barely passed? Delusion will convince you sleep deprivation enhances brain power and studying is just doubting your potential.

Tip #7: Get a journal — it’s where grateful thoughts go to die

Bottling up your emotions is so last season, and so are gratitude journals. Why limit yourself to only being

grateful when you can scribble down unfiltered rants about your unhinged menace of a sibling or your “friend” who’s clearly making moves on your significant other behind your back? And if you’re feeling especially artsy, grab some crayons or paint and get to work. Anyone can be an artist nowadays.

Tip #8: Make time to hang out with friends (if they remember you exist)

This doesn’t have to be meeting up with friends in-person — send memes or funny videos (or occasional shade) in your group chat to remind everyone you’re alive (no, Rebecca, I didn’t get hit by a white Tesla last week) and to maintain the illusion of friendship.

Happiness is all about tricking yourself into thinking you’ve found an M&M in a pile of nut mix. Whether you’re pretending you have photographic memory for a test tomorrow, calling French fries and a Frosty a balanced meal or insisting you need a mental health break after finishing one physics problem, find joy in the little things. Your quality of life crumbles every year, so make sure to enjoy the moment — because it can always be worse.

Cherianne

Yoon News/Opinion Editor & Art Director

The Funpanile

ART BY CHERIANNE YOON Animals associated with Halloween Wolf, Spider, Owl, Bat

C1

ATHLETIC AESTHETIC

out ts are more than just a fashion statement — they play a crucial role in how she feels at practice.

practice ahead. For Bienaime, like many athletes,

“It doesn’t necessarily a ect me in a way that my times (get better), but it de nitely a ects my mood,” Bienaime said. “When I have to do my laundry, and I don’t have as cute of an out t, I feel less motivated.”

Junior and dancer Arabella Guinle agrees and said comfortable sports clothes make a signi cant di erence in her attitude during practice.

“Dancing in clothes that you’re comfortable in changes everything,” Guinle said. “It makes (it) easier to focus in class, and you’re not distracted by what you’re wearing. You know that you’re comfortable, and you’re able to move however you need to.”

Junior and gymnast Cara Augustine also said getting to choose clothing for competitions is a major pre-meet tradition for her.

“We get to choose our leotard with approval from our coach, so doing makeup or wearing a nice leotard makes me feel more con dent in my performance because especially on (events) like oor you actually have to dance and perform, so it’s a big con dence thing,”

Augustine said.

Bienaime said getting ready for meets with teammates also helps team bonding and helps her feel con dent and focused.

“On the bus on the way to meets, my friend will typically do my hair, and I think that’s another method of expression,” Bienaime said. “We always have matching braids — that de nitely improves my con dence and as a result,

In an attempt to raise $5 million to revamp and modernize its Middle eld Ballpark facilities, Palo Alto Little League has started a capital campaign for improvements and renovations as the park approaches its 75th year. Improvements will include such things as covered and expanded fan seating, upgraded dugouts and a renovated snack shack. PALL’s Director of Fields and Facilities, Prairie Sims, said the current facilities have many shortcomings, having not undergone renovations for an extended period of time.

“Palo Alto Little League owns the eld facility, and there has not been any work done to it in 75 years,” Sims said. “So it creates a bunch of challenges. It doesn’t meet any of the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines, so (that means) limited access to bathrooms for handicapped people. e parking lot hasn’t been paved. ere’s no netting, so foul balls break car windows. It’s a beautiful park that is in desperate need of renovation.”

Sims said the lack of ADA-approved facilities is especially a problem for the league, which has attempted to create an atmosphere that is inclusive for players with disabilities.

“Palo Alto Little League also has what’s called the Challenger League, which allows for children with disabilities to also participate in baseball,” Sims said. “In this day and age, you need bathrooms and seating and the ability to support people who have needs, especially since we have the Challenger League. One thing we will do is make it easier for children who have wheelchairs to get onto the eld.”

Fatima Herrera, who works in the clubhouse snack shack, also said the age of the facilities has complicated her work.

“We de nitely need this place remodeled; we have so many downfalls,” Herrera said. “ e electricity is bad, and

my overall well-being and performance.”

Augustine said choosing out ts helps her feel collected and sets the tone for competi tions.

“When I don’t get ready, I feel more tired,” Augustine said. “It’s kind of a precompetition ritual, and there’s these set things that I do — I’ll listen to music, and it makes me feel like I’m getting ready to the fullest, and I’m fully prepared.”

However, for senior and cross country runner Katelyn Pegg, comfort plays a bigger role when choosing athletic wear for practice and races.

“I really prioritize comfort and being comfortable while running,” Pegg said. “Spe ci cally, it’s really important because when I’m comfortable in my clothes, I feel like I can keep going,” Pegg said. “It helps my performance because I’m not worrying about if something is bothering me or if I’m trying to adjust some thing, so it takes away any aspect that could distract me from performing well.”

Similarly, Guinle said her dance costumes play into how ready she feels to perform on stage when it’s competition day.

“If you’re not wearing something you feel really con dent in or comfortable in, you’re not going to dance as well,” Guinle said. “If you feel uncomfortable or something doesn’t t you right, it really throws everything o .” As a dancer, Guinle said choosing the clothes from the right brands is vital, as the tting can help with performance.

“For costumes, we order from websites that specialize in dance costumes, so usually places. “A lot of times we try on a lot of leotards, and we’ll practice in them so I can make sure they really work,” Augustine said. “At this point we just have a speci c brand that we always get our leotards from, and it just works well for us.”

Guinle said she thinks clothing a ects her overall

we have to deal with insects and roaches. We need to do something about it. It would be very cool if they could help us out, especially because this facility is important to the community. Families use this.”

Despite the fact that renovations are projected to cost $5 million, Sims said the league only needs to raise $2.5 million, thanks to a matching contribution o er from the Peery Family who also helped fund the building of Paly’s Peery Athletic Center.

“A few years ago Dick Peery read about it, and generously o ered to match half the money, but he said PALL has to raise the other half, and since then we haven’t been able to raise the other half,” Sims said.

good, feel good,’” Guinle said. “I really nd a lot of joy in clothes and wearing stu that I like. It puts me in a better mood when I’m wearing something that I feel good in.”

Amaya Bharadwaj Sta Writer

Sims said the league needs local help to reach its goal.

“(PALL) is a non-pro t, so all the fees go to buying balls, uniforms and equipment,” Sims said. “ e only way we would ever be able to upgrade and renovate the Middle eld Ballpark would be with the help of the community coming to pitch in, like the Peery Family.”

And Sims said the league is incentivizing large donations through bene ts.

“If a family or a business wanted to match the gift of the Peery’s, we can name the eld after them,” Sims said. ere’s over 800 families a year that go through Palo Alto Little League. If people are interested in terms of getting their name or their business out, that’s certainly a great option.”

At a similar project in Atherton, where elds at Willie Mays ballpark were upgraded thanks to community involvement, Sims this approach proved to be a success. e city of Atherton did a similar thing to what we’re trying to do, they were able to raise money in order to rebuild that entire park,” Sims said. “And it’s gorgeous. Everybody loves it. Kids love it. Families love it. From a kid’s perspective, playing on a brand new eld brings a lot of pride and joy.”

Sims also said the renovations will bene t the whole community.

“We talked to Pat Burt, who was mayor at the time, and (he) loved the idea, because what we would be doing is connecting Mitchell Park with the Little League eld,” Sims said. “It would be much more of a community connection, that welcoming connection. e city was super excited about it. We just don’t have any money. at’s the bottom line.”

If you’d

Coming o an impressive 13-2 record last year, the girls water polo team is succeeding again, with their 15-0 win against Gunn on ursday improving their record to 7-2.

Since most players from last year are still on the team, senior and captain Lydia Mitz said she had high hopes and expectations.

“Coming into the season, I would say our golden aspirations were just to grow as a team and really learn to play well together,” Mitz said. “We had a very similar team last year and not a lot of seniors graduated, so our main goal, aside from of course winning the league, was to just learn how to play really well together as a team.” Mitz said the team has also had to overcome unexpected road bumps in the season.

“It’s been hard because we’ve also had a lot of injuries on the team which means we haven’t had a full roster in a while,” Mitz said. “But we’ve learned to work through those issues and continue to learn as we get back on track.”

Looking forward, junior Mila Bynum said she is hopeful about the team’s chances for further success.

“We’ve had a couple of losses to Harker and Los Altos in the last couple of weeks that have gotten the team’s spirits down, but we all sat down last Friday to talk for an hour in order to get on the same page,” Bynum said. “I think that the meeting was a good way for us all to understand that this league title won’t be handed to us; we are now on the same page that we need to put more e ort and focus in order to achieve this goal of ours.”

Rohan Bhatia Sports Editor

A Little League player prepares to pitch in a fall ball game at Middle eld Ballpark on Oct. 4. Supporters of Palo Alto Little League are in the middle of a campaign to raise $5 million to upgrade the program’s 75-year old facilities.

ROHAN BHATIA/THE CAMPANILE

Scavenging through her closet, senior Izzy Bienaime searches for the perfect Lululemon set to wear for the grueling day of crosscountry

Varsity girls waterpolo plays at Gunn.

“We’ve learned to work through those issues and continue to learn as we get back on track,” senior and captain Lydia Mitz said.

RAHUL SHETTY/THE CAMPANILE

Rahul Shetty Photo Editor

Paly vs. Santa Clara 3/30, W, 11-1

Paly vs. Cupertino 3/25, W, 20-0

Paly vs. Watsonville 3/26, L, 15-0

Paly vs. Santa Teresa 3/26, L, 9-0

Paly vs. Wilcox 3/25, W, 3-0

Paly vs. King’s Academy 3/24, L 3-0

Paly vs. Menlo Atherton 3/24, L, 14-6

Paly vs. Los Altos 3/22, W, 14-10

Work hard, play overtime

It’s Monday, and freshman Henry Chan is ying back from his latest fencing tournament. He’s exhausted after countless hours of sparring, each of his fencing matches wearing down his stamina. All he wants to do is sleep — but he can’t just yet. Resignedly, he opens up Schoology to an endless stream of assignments.

Student-athletes can have a hard time juggling their schoolwork and sport, and Paly doesn’t do much to accommodate outof-school athletes.

Freshman badminton player Annie Meng said badminton is a huge time commitment on top of homework.

“During the school year, I trained three hours a day,” Meng said. “So that’s anywhere from 20 to 25 hours a week. And then during the summer, it’s more than 40.”

Chan said due to school and fencing practice, his routine afterschool is often crammed and tiring, forcing him to stay up late.

“I usually eat in the car while going to practice, and then afterwards I would eat another small snack,” Chan said. “And then right after, I’d go do homework for two or three hours, and that’ll take me to around like 11 p.m., so I shower and go to bed at midnight.”

Competitions are even more of a time commitment than practice. Junior Varsity

cross country runner Max Soprakar said competitions often consume most of his weekend.

“You can’t really study there because you’re always doing something,” Soprakar said. “ ere were times when I probably could have studied, but then again, I was also doing warm ups.”

With back-to-back competitions, Chan said it’s di cult to catch up on school work.

“Last year, when I was in eighth grade, I had three competitions in March, back to back,” Chan said. “So I was just ooded in homework until the end of March.”

Because of this, Chan said his sport had a negative impact on his grades last year.

“I got a C in math because of it, and I had two English essays that day, and it just went downhill,” Chan said.

Meng said the high school workload is interfering with her sport.

“When I come into training, I’m a lot more tired, and I get more tired easily, but I’m still trying to make it work,” Meng said.

“I really don’t want to quit.”

However, sports don’t impact all students equally. Soprakar said missing school for cross-country competitions hasn’t a ected his academics too much.

“I missed a few important lessons, but I was able to catch up (on school work) fairly quickly,” Soprakar said.

And junior soccer player Liam Johnson said he is able to keep up with both school and soccer.

“ I think it’s a hard balance, but it’s fun one, and I like doing it,” Johnson said.

When comparing Paly athletes and non-Paly athletes, Chan said the current system favors Paly athletes, who can replace their PE with a prep while their sport is in season.

And Chan said unfortunately out-ofschool athletes do not have this option.

“You’re doing more than people who are doing Paly sports, but (without) that extra two, three hours a week just to do homework,” Chan said.

Paly doesn’t hang out-of-school athletes to dry. ese athletes can be excused from physical education by taking Independent Study — an option excusing sophomores, juniors, and seniors who participate in outof-school sports from PE.

However, Independent Study isn’t available to freshmen. Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson said PE in freshman year gives students a wider variety of physical activities rather than focusing on one set of skills. “ ere are certain standards that could be covered freshman year,” Berkson said. “For example, there’s a swimming unit. It’s important to see that kids know how to swim, or could actually survive in the water.” Meng said opening Independent Study to more student-athletes could help them balance school and sports.

“If I had a prep, I could do my homework, because I also spend a long time on the road to badminton,” Meng said. “But they didn’t allow me to take a prep, because I was a freshman and they o ered badminton at school. ey just didn’t allow me to do anything.”

Gavin Lin Managing Editor

JV girls water polo edge out Soquel at Knarr Cup Tournament

Ethan Chan Sta Writer

In a game that remained tense until the last moment, JV girls water polo secured an unexpected 7-6 victory against Soquel at the Knarr Cup Tournament on Oct. 12.

On top of this, the team is currently undefeated in its league with a 7-0 record. ey are 9-2 overall.

Sophomore Leilani Chen said beating Soquel was the most memorable experience in the season given their 5-10 loss to Soquel last weekend.

“I’m still in shock because it’s so really surprising,” Chen said. “I’m glad that we worked on our plays and our drives to be able to beat them this week.”

Despite the hard-fought win, Chen said the team still has room to improve in terms of strategy.

“I think we need to work on our patience sometimes,” Chen said. “Sometimes we rush things too much, and that can lead to bad decisions.”

Coach Deke Rowell agreed and said the team also needs to improve on ball possession.

“(One thing to work on is) always getting better about taking care of the ball and not turning the ball over,” Rowell said.

Nevertheless, Rowell said the team should feel proud of their win and of the season so far.

“ ey played good defense to keep them in the game,” Rowell said. “We’ve got two sophomore goalies who are super competitive. It’s overall a good, experienced team.”

ART BY MAX WAKENSHAW

A JV player prepares to score. “I’m really glad that we’ve been able to work on our plays and our drives,” sophomore Leilani Chen said.

ETHAN CHAN/THE CAMPANILE

Rohan Predicts: Dodgers choke, Phillies win World Series

The best thing about October, right behind the leaves changing color and Halloween, is October baseball. From the rst day of the month to the last, the best 12 teams in Major League Baseball will duke it out, culminating in the historic, best-of-seven World Series.

Sorry Bay Area sports fans, this hasn’t been our year. But chin up, with a Matt Chapman extension, nally getting rid of President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi and promoting Buster Posey to the role, next year is our year. And Athletic’s fans, I’m sorry. Nothing I say can make it better. Just grab some tissues. is cycle of predictions is a bit di erent. For one, this issue will only be in your hands a few days before the World Series. But I guarantee every last line of these predictions was written in September, meaning there will be plenty of embarrassing picks to laugh at by the time this issue reaches you.

e rst matchup in the American League is a brilliant one, with the Detroit Tigers taking on the Houston Astros. Whichever team wins this series will advance past the Cleveland Guardians and reach the ALCS. In my mind, that team is going to be the Astros. In fairness, the Tigers have made an impressive showing. After trading Jack Flaherty in August, they had just a 0.2% chance of making the playo s. However, they’ve been on re since, winning everything in their path. In addition, they have Tarik Skubal, who I believe to be the best pitcher in the AL. However, Skubal can’t pitch every inning for Detroit. Tigers Manager AJ Hinch made it clear that Skubal would start game one, but no other starters have been con rmed, and Hinch would have to deal with “pitching chaos” during the series. e Tigers will win game one, but the Astros will come back to win the series.

ere are some worries about the Astros’ o ense with Yordan Alvarez’s injury, but he was cleared to return just in time for the playo s, and with Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman behind him, their o ense should be able to nish the job and take the Astros to the ALCS. Yes, the Guardians may have one of the better bullpens in the major league, but their inconsistency among starters will shine through in a ve game series against the Astros.

Next, the Kansas City Royals take on the Baltimore Orioles for the privilege of advancing to face the number one seed in the AL, the New York Yankees. Call it the battle of the shortstops, because Gunnar Henderson and Bobby Witt Jr. are two of the ner shortstops in the AL, but the Orioles have been struggling as of late.

So while the Royals will go past the Orioles, they will be clobbered by the Yankees and Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. at’s all it takes. Yes, a team is more than just two players, but with a solid pitching lineup which includes Luke Weaver and Tim Hill, the Yankees are an easy shout.

e seven game ALCS between (hopefully) the Astros and the Yankees is going to be a good one, but I see the Yankees making the World Series because of their all-around strength. Now, looking towards the National League, the rst match is already a solid one,

with the second New York team, the Mets, taking on the Milwaukee Brewers. e Mets will receive hype, partly thanks to a thrilling win in the rst game of a doubleheader against the Braves that secured October baseball for them.

But, I think the Brewers are the better team. ey don’t have as much hype, but they are solid. e Brewer bullpen is also strong, with a season-long bullpen ERA of 3.11, the best in the NL.

And the Mets are going to do what the Mets do best –– as shown by them nearly choking a 3-run lead against the Braves –– they’re going to amaze and frustrate in random intervals. Literally every Met can bat when they’re on. Additionally, with strong starters, they certainly have a chance. I wouldn’t be surprised if they go through, but in my mind the Brewers will win. Not that it matters, because the winner faces the Philadelphia Phillies. ere’s a reason that three of the four Phillies in elders were All-Stars, and their o ense is simply unfair. e Phillies also have one of the best atmospheres in all of the MLB at Citizen Bank Park, which makes them maybe the most fully developed team. ey will make it to the NLCS.

Looking at the bottom of the bracket, the Padres will destroy the Braves. Just look at their stars, on both o ense and in the bullpen. ey have a deep, talented bullpen. And on o ense, Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez and Manny Machado make up a star-studded o ensive cast.

e Braves just don’t have the same substance. Chris Sale rivals Tarik Skubal for being the best pitcher in the league, but the Braves left him o their Wild Card squad. e Braves are a solid team, but I predict that will end with the Padres. e Padres will advance to face the Dodgers, and maybe it’s my inner Giants fan or maybe their past postseason legacy stuck in my brain, but I predict the Padres will choke.

Yes, Shohei Ohtani might just be the best baseball player in the whole world, breaking barriers by creating the 50/50 club and leading the Dodgers to the playo s, and yes, Teoscar Hernandez, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have been impressive, but I predict the Dodgers will lose.

So, in my world, the Padres and the Phillies will face o in a hot NLCS, which Philadelphia will win. Both teams have solid bullpens, pretty good starters, but nothing more than that, and the Phillies will gain the edge.

Last MLB postseason was forgettable to say the least. But with an unbelievable concentration of star power, from Ohtani’s rst postseason, to the Judge and Soto duo, from Francisco Lindor’s power to Skubal’s grace, this postseason is sure to be unforgettable.

Rohan Bhatia Sports Editor

e girls varsity volleyball team secured a hardfought win against Homestead High School on Oct. 9.

e game was a close back-and-forth battle, though Paly ultimately won 3-2 after ve sets. e team is currently tied for rst place in its league.

Despite some missteps, Coach Chris Crader said the team stayed determined and performed well.

“We’re a little up and down, and then Homestead really picked it up, and so I’m glad that we were able to pull out a win,” Crader said. “ e girls fought really hard at the end there and made some great plays.”

Senior Mackenzie Zhao said she was happy the team persevered until the last minute.

“It’s good that the team didn’t give up, and we just kept ghting,” Zhao said. “But (in) the end, we won.”

However, Crader said there have been many small errors in their recent matches, and the team will focus on reducing them moving forward.

“We want to be aggressive, for sure, but I think there’s a ne line between being aggressive and scoring a few too many points for the other team,” Crader said. “We’re still trying to nd our best balance on that line right now.”

Despite these small errors, Zhao also said keeping a positive mindset after mistakes is key to performing well in the future.

“Once we start messing up, our (opponents) kind of get into our heads, so I hope we can reset quicker in,” Zhao said.

Looking ahead, Crader said the team has a few goals for the season regarding the league and future matches.

“Winning the league is always a primary goal,” Crader said. “We’re tied for rst right now. After that, just get on a run in the CCS playo s, make it to NorCal and get on the run in the north and to keep getting better every day.”

eir next match is against Los Gatos High School on Oct. 23 and following that, Los

High School on Oct. 28.

Altos

Alex Isayama & Naveen Narayanaswami Sci/Tech Editor & Sports Editor

GRAPHIC BY ROHAN BHATIA

Senior and captain Naama Green jumps to spike the ball on Oct. 9 against Homestead High School. “It’s good that the team didn’t give up, and we just kept ghting,” said senior Mackenzie Zhao. “But (in) the end, we won.”

NAVEEN NARAYANASWAMI/THE CAMPANILE

Science & Tech

Social media intensi es delusional disorder

Isabelle Carlsen Business Manager

After reading posts about gang stalking, Dr. Liz Johnston, a licensed clinical social worker and professor of Social Work at Cal Poly, takes her dog on a morning walk and goes by the school bus yard where a white car comes out every morning regardless of the time. After getting home, suspicious that someone could be stalking her, she opens her laptop and decides to check Quora.

“I was looking at paranoia in the research and then I found gang stalking,” Dr. Johnston said. “ en I looked at some of the gang stalking stu on Reddit, and Quora and then Quora randomly started sending me threads to my email. I’ve been following it for about probably three years and now have started noticing certain patterns in my life such as white cars coming out of school gates in the morning when I walk.”

Delusional disorder is historically rare.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, it a ects just 0.1% of Americans. However, according to Dr. Jennifer Harrison, an expert in clinical psychology, art therapy, and trauma, the rise of social media has played a key role in increasing delusional thinking.

“Echo chambers reinforcing unusual beliefs, algorithmic content recommendations that intensify narrow worldview, reduced face-to-face interactions that might otherwise challenge false beliefs and information overload leads to di culty in distinguishing credible sources,” Dr. Harrison said.

Traditionally, delusional disorder has been hard to diagnose, but Johnston said social media has intensi ed delusions, making diagnosis easier.

“Social media spreads any kind of delusional idea really since if you have anything going on, you can Google it, and you can nd people all over the world that will agree with you,” Johnston said. “And usually, people already think something’s wrong, and they go to the internet and it con rms them.”

A report by the New York Times found that Americans, especially those ages 15-34, have spent increased time at home since the pandemic. Johnson said this isolation, along with social media, creates an environment

where delusions can thrive, o ering people a sense of community — whether it may be real or imagined.

“It’s a counterintuitive search for (belonging),” Johnston said. “If you’re isolated in life, you (want) a community that cares enough about you to hate you or have the same beliefs as you.”

Johnston also said while social media doesn’t cause delusions, it reinforces preexisting beliefs; individuals with delusions are usually on social media for periods of up to three hours per day, according to Johnston.

“If you looked at content that randomly popped up, and you weren’t slightly delusional, you would think, ‘this is kind of odd,’” Johnston said. “However, if six white cars went by my house at six o’clock this morning and the next morning they go by again, I Google it (and nd) gang stalking, and then think, ‘Oh, this is what’s happening to me’ — that’s when the delusion starts to appear.”

According to Dr. Harrison, individuals with delusional disorder might wrongly infer hidden meanings or repeated patterns from their social media feeds.

“Someone with delusional tendencies might interpret an innocuous Instagram post as a personal message or sign,” Dr. Harrison said. “Popular themes that could fuel delusional thinking include celebrity conspiracies, government surveillance, or health misinformation.”

According to Dr. Harrison, traditional treatment includes antipsychotic medications and cognitive behavioral therapy. However, Johnston said treating delusional disorder is challenging, as therapy is often ine ective.

“ erapy doesn’t usually work because the people don’t accept they have a problem,” Johnston said. “Many psychologists and psychiatrists don’t understand paranoia. ey don’t really have treatment.”

Johnston said there are two ways to help mitigate delusions tied to social media.

First, individuals can use an “observer’s ego” to recognize their delusions. Second, family members can ask questions to understand the delusion’s context better.

“Families can ask questions such as:

‘How did you get to go to that site?’ (and)

What do you like about it?’” Johnston said.

“And then try to help them nd a commu-

A big asteroid plummets into Earth’s atmosphere at 400,000 kilometers per hour. Captured by Earth’s gravitational eld, it begins to disintegrate, tearing through the stratosphere and decelerating at 9.8 meters per second squared. Now, picture an airplane ying at a constant speed of 75 meters per second. If the asteroid were to hit the plane, how much would it hurt?

e answer is a lot.

To prevent accidental deaths via obscure physics problems, NASA has a Sentry Impact Risk Page that lists potential Near Earth Objects like the one described above that could impact the planet. Our new visitor was on this list until recently. is asteroid, known as 2024 PT 5, entered Earth’s orbit on Sept. 29 and will continue to rotate until Nov. 25. Some people are referring to 2024 PT 5 as Earth’s second moon. e last time we had a “second moon” was 2022.

Heralding from the neighboring Arjuna asteroid belt, it boasts a 36-foot diameter — quite modest compared to the 6-mile-wide behemoth that obliterated the dinosaurs. It was attempting to photobomb in the Draco constellation, but its impressive girth is not enough to make it visible to the human eye. is made the asteroid quite self-conscious, and it now refuses to show itself to the average being.

Apparently, 2024 PT 5 has developed a bit of a complex over this matter and has gone into hiding. If you want to catch a glimpse of this cosmic entity, you’ll need a telescope with at least a 30-inch diam-

nity in the real world or a more supportive website that’s more balanced.”

Johnston believes the best approach is to create a safe, accepting space where indi-

eter with charge-coupled devices or complementary metal-oxide sensors. Only these devices can illuminate the normally dark object. But the persistent mortals who will not give up on seeing the moon with these technical devices will not be let down. e awe at seeing such a magni cent entity is out of this world.

2024 PT 5 is not the rst extraterrestrial object to enter Earth’s orbit, nor will it be the last. ere are millions of objects of space debris currently orbiting our planet. 2024 PT 5 will show no signs of bucking the trend. Fifty-eight days after it enters Earth’s orbit, it will desert without even running around the entire planet.

While 2024 PT 5 may have gained a lot of traction as a “temporary moon,” its status as a moon — even a temporary one — is tenuous. e term “moon” lacks a clear-cut de nition, but is generally agreed to be any natural object orbiting the Earth. 2024 PT 5, which does not complete even a singular orbit, could be argued to be a fraud. And despite its fame, 2024 PT 5 is nothing extraordinary. Scientists estimate there are over 1000 earth-crossing asteroids. But bearing no mind to its critics, 2024 PT 5 will continue its clandestine existence for quite some time, away from pesky humans and their prying telescopes. Isn’t that something it can hold over our heads.

Lea Kwan Senior Sta Writer

viduals can freely speak about and recognize their delusions so therapists and loved ones can understand them without challenging their beliefs.

“ e best advice is to listen patiently (without) ghting with the delusional system,” Johnston said. “If they trust you, they’ll start to use you as a reality check.”

Preventing poor posture early necessary to avoid disorders

After an hour of practicing the cello, junior Jeremy Yuen feels a familiar tension creeping up his back. Despite his e orts to sit upright, Yuen said he often nds himself hunched over his instrument as time wears on.

“I often found myself not sitting up straight when I practiced cello,” Yuen said. “To improve my posture, I bought a seat cushion (to) help me sit more upright and stopped my lower back from leaning backwards.”

Yuen is not alone. According to a 2018 study in the Journal of Public Health, 57.3% of students experience musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), the National Institutes of Health reports a growing global prevalence of posture-related problems among young people, and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work identi es static sitting, especially for extended periods, as a major contributor to the development of stress fractures and MSDs.

Stanford orthopedic surgeon Serena Hu said improper posture is more prevalent in young people because negative e ects are not immediate.

“It’s easy to curl over your desk when you’re working,” Hu said. “And it’s pretty comfortable for (young) people because (they) are exible — that’s why you adopt it.”

Consequences of weak posture include MSDs that cause neck pain and back problems. Hu said over time, poor posture can also weaken muscles, misalign the spine and lead to long-term discomfort.

“ e thing that makes people have worse posture as you get older is if your bones don’t stay strong,” Hu said. “And the best thing to keep your bones strong, aside from calcium and vitamin D, is to use your bones. It could be as simple as walking regularly, biking, swimming, etc.”

To combat long-term discomfort, Yuen said he stays active through sports and outdoor activities, which help him maintain better posture overall.

e best way to avoid bad posture is to not sit as much and get up and do things,” Yuen said. “If I’m outside and playing soccer, for example, I don’t have

to worry about whether I’m sitting up straight or not.”

To ensure a healthy body, Hu said practicing a good posture at a young age can be bene cial for you when you get older.

“Stress fractures all develop in the preteen range and most are at risk while you’re still growing,” Hu said. “(So) it’s great to start thinking about these things when people are young because it helps you set up a good foundation for your future.”

Alex Isayama Sci/Tech Editor

ART BY ANYA RASMUSSEN

ART BY HUDSON PRESS