Issue 5: Feb. 7, 2022

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SPOTLIGHT

LIFESTYLE

SPORTS

Counterculture’s musical roots in Palo Alto. B6

Paly’s dirt biking community. B7

A changing campus: Paly over the years. B1

Digital footprint: how your online presence follows you throughout life, what happens to your online data. B4-5

NATALIE DOCKTOR/USED WITH PERMISSION

Monday, Feb. 7, 2022

The Campanile

Vol. CIV, No. 5

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

1

PALO ALTO

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I

n an effort to keep schools open amid growing concern over the surge in the Omicron COVID-19 variant, Superintendent Don Austin has introduced the district’s new, 1 Palo Alto Program. This program calls for parent volunteers to help fill worsening staffing shortages on the district’s campuses.

Austin sent a video announcement to the community and PAUSD employees in early January, introducing the program and urging parents to support the district by helping substitute teachers, sanitizing classrooms and bathrooms, preparing food and assisting at COVID-19 testing clinics.

“The jobs won’t be glamorous — many of the essential jobs we perform every day for your kids aren’t glamorous,” Austin said. “(But) if you’re able, please answer that call; we have opportunities for everyone.”

Austin said substitute teacher shortages in the district continue to increase with some days seeing more than 70 teachers absent.

“We have raised the rate for teachers cover-

ing classes on their prep periods from $60 to $150, and teachers are responding,” Austin said. “We also understand teachers are going to get tired, so it is not a long term solution, but in the short term it is working.”

Austin said more than 460 parents signed up to help with the 1 Palo Alto program initially within one day of his announcement.

“I’m really excited that so many parents value our school district enough to come forward this quickly.

It’s a pretty powerful message for the school district,” Austin said. “The number really makes you sit back and just think about how lucky we all are to be here.”

AP Research teacher Adam Yonkers said he supports the program.

1 Palo Alto continues on A5

Margot Blanco, Maya Singer

Staff Writer, News & Opinion Editor

BRADEN LEUNG/THE CAMPANILE

Parent volunteer Joanie Haney, one of almost 500 parents who signed up to help on district campuses as a part of its 1 Palo Alto Program, assists in the weekly COVID-19 testing clinic in the Peery Center. Parents like Haney are filling staffing shortages across campus, including monitoring the Embarcadero crosswalk and Student Center during lunch.

Exploring different forms, mediums of dance. B8

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

PAI D PALO ALTO PERMIT #44

Affordable teacher housing plan to move forward Maya Singer

News & Opinion Editor After three years of planning, Palo Alto’s first affordable housing project for teachers received a final approval by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors at its Jan. 11 meeting.

The 110-unit housing project will provide affordable housing to teachers and school faculty in public districts in both Santa Clara County and San Mateo County. The project will be developed

by Abode Communities and Mercy Housing, in conjunction with Meta — formerly known as Facebook — and the City of Palo Alto, according to a statement released by Santa Clara District 5 Supervisor Joe Simitian.

The project will be built at 231 Grant Ave., on county land, and has already secured $3 million from the City of Palo Alto, along with $25 million from Meta.

“I’m pleased that the project is moving forward with the help of so many local partners,” Simitian said. “These new advancements, even while the county tackles our current public health crisis, show how needed new housing is. Especially for our teachers and school support staff.”

Simitian, the son of two public school teachers and a former school board member, first proposed teacher housing at the 231 Grant site to the Board of Supervisors in 2018. By the end of 2021, the design planning, zoning and entitlement process was complete. Construction is anticipated to begin in fall 2022.

“The property offers an exciting opportunity to create new, high-quality and much-needed rental housing, affordable for teachers, school employees and their families,” a statement from the 231 Grant project said. “This new community will include studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, amenity spaces and landscaped gardens.”

The project will be built in Palo Alto near California Avenue and the Caltrain station. Palo Alto City Council Member Greg Tanaka said he has concerns about commuting for Santa Clara County teachers not located in the Palo Alto Unified School District.

“Palo Alto is on the north end of the county,” Tanaka said. “So it’s a weird place to put housing for all teachers in Santa Clara County, especially for teachers in Gilroy and Morgan Hill. It would have made more sense if it was in Santa Clara, or somewhere more central.”

Tanaka said the City of Palo Alto has no authority over the construction of the housing project or the planning. The project as currently planned will Housing continues on A5

Teacher, substitute shortages worsen as Omicron cases surge Anaya Bhatt

Lifestyle Editor It’s been just a month into the second semester of school and PAUSD has already reported recordhigh numbers of positive COVID-19 cases. In the past two weeks, the district has reported 364 student

cases and 61 faculty cases — positivity rates so high PAUSD abandoned the close-contact notifications it sent out throughout the first semester.

In an email sent to district families, Superintendent Don Austin said families should assume their children are exposed every day at school and urged them to test regularly to help limit the spread of the variant.

English teacher and Palo Alto Educators’ Association negotiation team member Mimi Park said given how the district has handled the Omicron surge, there is an overwhelming feeling of confusion and uncertainty from most of the staff and students.

“I’ve never seen teacher morale this low.” Park said. “The biggest

complaint I heard in recent weeks is that why didn’t we shut down for two weeks after we got back from the holidays. The number of absences that we have is absolutely insane –– student absences are one thing, but staffing shortages are another.”

Director of Human Resources Lisa Hickey said the high teacher and faculty positivity rates have

worsened the already significant staffing shortages, greatly increasing the demand for the district’s limited supply of substitute teachers.

“We’re hovering at about 80 absences, and we have about close to 800 staff members, so we are missing a little bit more than 10% on average,” Hickey said.

Omicron continues on A2

Journalism pathway will open up to more freshmen starting next school year Colleen Wang

Senior Staff Writer In an effort to open Paly’s journalism programs up to more freshmen, the journalism advisers are encouraging rising 9th graders to sign up for a semester of Photojournalism and a semester of Introduction to Broadcast. This combination of classes will serve as the prerequisite to allow next year’s freshmen to join a publication in their sophomore year.

Students will be able to join the Broadcast Journalism and Radio Broadcasting publications (InFocus and KPLY) after taking the Introduction to Broadcast course, according to journalism adviser Paul Kandell. Kandell said students who take Photojournalism will also be able to join publications as photographers starting in sophomore year.

This change in Paly’s journalism path-

ways is also partially due to the increased awareness of the lack of diversity of grade levels in current publications, Kandell said.

“We’ll be able to provide this opportunity to a larger set of students who might not have thought about journalism before,” Kandell said. “In a push from the staff, the whole faculty has been engaged in work to think about our programs in terms of inclusion and access.”

Kandell said the changes should help InFocus in particular, which traditionally has a smaller class than the other publications.

“We are expecting and hoping that this will provide a shot in the arm for InFocus, which has had some enrollment challenges,” Kandell said. “This will be a great way to allow (InFocus adviser) Mr. Satterthwaite to teach the younger group without interruption and stabilize that enrollment.”

Kandell said he anticipates Photojournalism becoming a dedicated platform to focus on the visual arts of journalism, and journalism adviser Brian Wilson agrees.

“Not everyone who joins a publication necessarily joined it because they want to be a print reporter, so this provides them with another opportunity to be part of the program and not necessarily have it be specifically through the Beginning Journalism program,” Wilson said.

Wilson said this new plan also takes into account balanced enrollment in journalism.

“We always want to make sure that we have a healthy flow of journalists into the publications, which is a little tricky because the program is so big, and we have a whole bunch of publications to feed,” Wilson said.

Kandell said this new pathway is a compromise between making Beginning Journalism continues on A2

KEN OGATA/THE CAMPANILE

Senior Jerry Fang and juniors Gopala Varadarajan and Jonas Pao work on the latest issue of Verde magazine in the Media Arts Center. A new initiative will open up the journalism program to more freshman starting next school year. “We’ll be able to provide this opportunity to a larger set of students who might not have thought about journalism before,” Verde adviser Paul Kandell said.

“

The Campanile

Monday, February 7, 2022

A2

News

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Tied to Tonga: supporting family abroad

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I

n the days after an underwater volcano erupted off the coast of Tonga on Jan. 15, triggering tsunami waves and severing communication to the islands amid widespread damage, the Palo Alto Tongan community has joined together in prayer and gathered food and supplies for those affected.

Registrar Merilyn Tonga, whose family is from Tongatapu, Tonga’s main island, said the first few days after the eruption were difficult for her because of the abrupt disconnection to her family.

“The (phone) lines just went dead,” Merilyn said. “My husband and I didn’t sleep for 24 to 48 hours just trying to get information on how everyone was doing.”

The underwater volcanic eruption caused damage to the undersea cable that transmits cell service to the island, effectively cutting all electronic communication to the Kingdom of Tonga. Four days after the eruption, SES S.A., a Luxembourgish Tele-

communications Company, restored international call services.

Though Merilyn said her immediate family is safe, her husband’s aunt’s home was destroyed.

“All of the homes on the bottom part of the island are gone,” she said.

Junior Mia Rose Tuifua, whose family is from Ha’apai, a group of islands in central Tonga, said her grandma, who took pride in the island, passed away over winter break, making the damage to Tonga especially devastating.

“My grandma held great pride in being from such a beautiful island, and it breaks my heart to think about it not existing anymore,” Tuifua said. “I can’t help but think that losing the island is losing a little bit of her.”

Since the eruption, junior Vainga Mahe said he is concerned for his Tongan family back home.

“It’s a big hit for the community,” Mahe said. “We are just praying to God hoping that everyone is safe

and that we can rebuild our country.”

For Merilyn and her family, praying was the first step.

“Our faith is very strong,” Merilyn said. “As the community heard about the eruption and tsunamis, we all came together, even through Zoom, to sit and pray.”

Beyond prayer, Merilyn said the Tongan community is in need of clean water since ash rain storms resulting from the volcanic explosion have contaminated the island's drinking water.

“The first thing they said when our calls went through was that there’s no water,” Merilyn said.

“They usually drink from the rain through filters, but (the rain) got all infected with ash.”

Mary George, the Director of Communication and Community Outreach at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Menlo Park, said there are 19 Tongan church congregations in the Bay

PHOTOS BY KEN OGATA

Juniors Vainga Mahe and Mia Rose Tuifua are helping to raise money and awareness for the recent tsunami that has devastated the islands. “It’s a big hit for the community,” Mahe said. “We are just praying to God hoping that everyone is safe and that we can rebuild our country.”

Area that are organizing donations to help support the Tongan community.

Water is their most urgent need, but George said the islands also need non-perishable, easy-to-open food, tarps, personal protective equipment, wash kits, hygiene kits and shelter tool kits.

While donating provisions is critical to the safety of Tongans, Rose said another way students can support the Tongan community is by being sympathetic towards their Tongan peers who may be struggling mentally and emotionally.

“The best way to help is to listen to what we have to say,” Tuifua said. “I find it comforting when my friends ask me how I feel about the situation and offer a hug.”

Margot Blanco & Rachel Feinstein

HOW TO DONATE Donations to support the Tongan tsunami relief effort can be dropped off for the next three weeks at the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints Cultural Hall (975 Sneath Lane, San Bruno, CA) Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Please call Ane Pasina at (650)-834-4777 before dropping off donations.

Staff Writer, Social Media Manager

FROM THE COVER

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Junior Carlota Blanco works on a Beginning Journalism assignment in the Media Arts Center. “I’d definitely recommend taking Beginning Journalism and joining a publication, but there’s a lot of adjustments between the two.”

Journalism available to 9th graders and keeping the old pathway.

“This is kind of an in-between,” Kandell said. “It’s a way to provide some more access and get those (enrollment) numbers up a little bit without completely opening the floodgates to a point where we couldn't actually handle the influx in the publication classes.”

Wilson said the journalism faculty also considered the wider array of journalism skills students who take these course will bring to a publication. “(In journalism), there’s probably less print happening and more podcasting, web technology, and photo and video broadcasting that are happening in a variety of places,” Wilson said. “We want to make sure we're on top of this and can provide those opportunities for people so they are coming to the staffs with a set of skills, but not necessarily all the exact same skills, which I think can be useful.”

Senior Nicki Loewy said since returning from winter break, she has noticed a significant increase in the number of substitute teachers in her classes.

“In the past month, I have had a substitute teacher every day in at least one class,” Loewy said. “Last semester, I had a substitute teacher once a month at the most.”

Loewy said that for the most part, her teachers have been out with COVID-19-related inconveniences, whether from teachers testing positive or from cases in their families, which have made it difficult for her to learn.

“As someone who is dyslexic, I am constantly communicating with them about what works well for me in a learning environment,” Loewy said. “It is especially challenging for me to have substitutes because oftentimes,it is mainly up to the students to try to teach themselves the content.”

Park said she is frustrated that the district

hasn’t come up with a plan for how to close down schools in the case that it becomes absolutely necessary.

“We all have acknowledged at this point that students and staff are going to be going in and out on any given day as exposure and infections occur,” Park said.“But it feels a little bit like we're flying by the seat of our pants. We just keep hoping and hoping that we don't have to close down, so we don't make any plans for what happens if we are forced to (close).”

But Hickey said the district’s main motivation to stay open during the surge of COVID-19 cases revolves around prioritizing student mental health.

“We're emphasizing being able to be inperson and make connections with people,” Hickey said. “I think the most important thing at this time is mental health, and we just kind of have to get through it.”

Monday, February 7, 2022

The Campanile

A3

News

Art in Unusual Places event showcases student talent, work

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Ken Ogata Staff Writer

Police are investigating a vandalism incident at El Carmelo Elementary School as a possible hate crime, after an unknown suspect wrote racially-motivated messages against Black students.

On Jan. 24 at 4:18 p.m., an El Carmelo administrator contacted the Palo Alto Police to report that a sign was vandalized sometime over the weekend with a racial epithet directed against Black children.

Another sign was vandalized by crossing out cartoon images of students of color.

El Carmelo Elementary School has one of the most diverse student bodies among the 12 elementary schools in Palo Alto. Nearly three-fourths of the children who attend El Carmelo are students of color.

Acting Police Captain James Reifschneider said PAPD does not know if the vandalization was racially motivated.

“We don’t have any information as to why the suspect or suspects committed at El Carmelo specifically, versus another location in town.” Reifschneider said.

PAPD has no suspects as of Feb. 5.

Yolanda Conaway, Assistant Superintendent of Equity and Student Affairs at PAUSD, said the district makes it their mission to curb discriminatory behavior in Palo Alto schools.

“Schools must be a safe space for all students,” Conaway said. “While there may not be a cure for hate speech, it is important that our entire community collectively develops a counter-speech that fosters higher standards for humanity, compassion, and respect.”

In March 2021, the Palo Alto City Council adopted a resolution committing itself to addressing racism and discrimination in the community.

The resolution came after the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, the city has focused on securing the safety and well-being of citizens and non-citizens, regardless of race and ethnicity.

“As a person of color and an educator, I am deeply troubled by any act that denigrates, disrespect, or causes harm to any individual or group.” Conaway said. “The more our community and our schools reject hateful speech and actions and speak out against injustice, the stronger we will be as a community. This is not the time to be silent.”

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he Paly Visual & Performing Arts program organized their annual Art in Unusual Places event, a week-long exhibit that ran from Jan. 18 to Jan. 21 where students displayed their work in various locations around school.

Throughout the week, art students showcased their drawings, paintings, collages and sculptures in unpredictable places around campus to bring more appreciation to the artistic talent at Paly.

As part of her AP Art project, senior artist Tara He painted multiple graffitistyle exhibits inspired

by Paly’s administration, many of which are still scattered around campus.

“I feel like art is under-recognized at Paly, so Art in Unusual Places really incorporates it into the Paly community,” He said.

As a member of the Paly band, junior Sean He said although their performance in the library was decided on a whim, but he found the overall experience to be interesting.

“We got the notice the day before,” Sean said. “We played

Green and White, All Right Now and Evil Ways because (they are school classics).”

Sean said while the performance included old music that the band previously practiced, the performance itself was an nice change of scenery.

“I thought it was an interesting way to make music because libraries are usually seen as places where it’s quiet.”

Senior Meya Gao, who displayed her art at the Wednesday AP art exhibit on the quad, said Art in Unusual Places is special because of how it unites the Paly art community.

“Everyone has their own work that brings out a really personal, authentic voice,” Gao said.

Tara said she encourages students interested in art to participate in Art in Unusual Places in future years. “(Art in Unusual Places) is something that anybody can do,” Tara said. “Mr. Ferrera, who manages the event, is really open to anything.”

RACHEL FEINSTEIN/THE CAMPANILE

AP Art student Tara He paints a mural of Jerry Berkson. “Art is under-recognized at Paly, so Art in Unusual Places really incorporates it into the Paly community,” Tara said.

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RACHEL FEINSTEIN/THE CAMPANILE

A cardboard camera sits on the bench in front of the Media Arts Center.

AUSTIN XIANG/THE CAMPANILE

Sophomore Tony McKenna plays the marching tenor drums on Jan. 21 in the library during lunch.

Rachel Feinstein

Social Media Manager

AUSTIN XIANG/THE CAMPANILE

Junior Sean He plays the clarinet in the Pep Band on the quad during lunch on Jan. 21.

,&*1)0-&(.)-"*.)/#)*3.)-&'.)4&*3)&#0-."'.)&#)'*/-.)5-."67&#' Senior Staff Writer A recent rise in crime has plagued upscale stores in Palo Alto and throughout the Bay Area. In one particularly brazen incident in late November, a group of 30-40 people attempted to break into The RealReal, a clothing store in Downtown Palo Alto around 9 p.m.

A security guard was on duty and witnessed the robbers’ unsuccessful attempt at breaking store windows. Police arrived on scene two hours later at 11:20, but the alleged thieves had already driven off.

According to investigators, this same group attempted to rob TheRealReal in Larkspur before coming to Palo Alto.

In response to numerous incidents like this, local malls in the Bay Area, including the Stanford Shopping Center, have hired increased security, and Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the California Highway Patrol to increase its numbers at malls in California. In addition district attorneys from seven Bay Area counties have created an alliance against theft. The district attorneys have agreed to work together, share crime data and keep communication lines active with retail stores to help prevent further robberies.

Genesis Bernal, an employee at Splendid, a clothing store at Stanford Shopping Center, said the increase in crime is at least partial due to the stores at the shopping center and the center’s layout.

12

10 Rape

22

“I feel we do have a lot of newer luxury stores here, and it’s an outdoor mall, so it’s easier to access than going inside an indoor mall,” Bernal said. “So people know that there are luxury stores here and they can sell (stolen goods) for a higher profit.”

Danny Hernandez, an employee at Everlane, another clothing store at Stanford Shopping Center, said a big contributor to the rise in crime is COVID-19.

“There are a lot of people in desperate times and needs, and they have to resort to these measures to survive,” Hernandez said.

While Gov. Newsom and the local district attorneys hope security measures will address help, senior Micaiah Acosta said Palo Alto may always be more susceptible to robberies.

“It’s known that people in Palo Alto have it better off than others,” Acosta said. “Knowing this may influence people to rob other people and stores in the area due to how much money a lot of people have in Palo Alto.”

243 221 2020 2016

112

Number of reported crimes in Palo Alto, 2016 vs. 2020

65

*Includes attempts **Does not include simple assaults

SOURCE: PALO ALTO POLICE

30

35

39

ART BY JAMES CHURCHLEY

Ali Minhas

28

8

Arson*

Assault**

Robbery*

Stolen Vehicles

Total Burglary

The Campanile

Monday, February 7, 2022

A4

News

Cubberley COVID-19 testing center reserved for students, staff

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Social Media Manager

JT BARD/THE CAMPANILE

Cubberley Community Center COVID-19 testing volunteers Kristian Landin and JC Purol facilitate distribution of testing kits. “The city and other avenues need to step up,” Superintendent Don Austin said. “Places like Kaiser and the county need to take care of other parts of the community that our capacity is limited to.”

Due to an increased demand for COVID-19 testing amid the recent surge in the Omicron variant, Superintendent Don Austin made the decision to restrict the Cubberley Community Center’s COVID-19 testing services to PAUSD students and employees.

Under the new restrictions implemented on Jan. 10, community members will no longer be allowed to receive COVID-19 testing at Cubberley, a decision that came the same day PAUSD announced its 1 Palo Alto program asking parent volunteers to help fill staffing shortages on district campuses.

Austin said he came to the decision after visiting the Cubberley clinic on Jan. 4, citing the three-hour wait times for testing and limited availability of tests.

“I stood out there with the community from 7 in the morning to 6 at night,” Austin said. “That was when it (became) obvious to me that (our) people needed testing, and no one else was providing it.”

Austin said when Cubberley’s COVID-19 testing facility opened in November, PAUSD’s COVID-19 case count was low, making it feasible to provide testing to the Palo Alto community. But the Omicron variant changed that, Austin said.

“In this case, I had to prioritize our schools,” Austin said. “Students, teachers and classified staff were standing in three-hour lines, and that made (the clinic) a bad resource for us.”

In the two days since the change, Austin said the wait times at Cubberley have already dropped from three hours to now only a few minutes.

Austin said he plans to further expand testing accessibility to students

and staff by extending Cubberley’s closing time on Mondays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Freshman Tyler Kramer, who has used the Cubberley center for testing, said although the changes Austin implemented have helped significantly, he hopes the district also implements a later closing time every day of the week to better accommodate both student and staff schedules and help reduce missed instructional time.

“The line was probably three times as long before the restriction,” Kramer said. “But I think it would be even better if it went until 6 p.m. every day so students could go over there after school.”

Sophomore An Tran said she is concerned by the change since the lack of other local testing facilities could discourage widespread testing.

“Because community members are not able to get tested (at Cubberley), COVID-19 could be spread from family members to staff and students,” Tran said.

While community members are unable to get tested at Cubberley, Austin said family members of PAUSD staff can still be tested at the clinic, but only if accompanied by a staff member.

Family members of students, however, will be forced to look elsewhere, Austin said, calling for other local facilities to increase their availability and accessibility to testing.

“The city and other avenues need to step up,” Austin said. “Places like Kaiser and the county need to take care of other parts of the community that our capacity is limited to.”

Even so, Austin said restricting testing to staff and students allows for safer, in-person learning — a solution he said he thinks is most beneficial to the district.

“We can’t be everything for everyone,” Austin said. “But we’re trying our best.”

State senate passes bills to combat climate change Justin Gu

Social Media Manager

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Bill 1383 aims to reduce methane emissions by reducing organic waste ending up in landfills. Methane, a greenhouse Two California Senate bills, passed by gas, has over 80 times the global warming state legislators and signed by the governor in 2015 and 2016, went into effect last potential of carbon dioxide.

“If we get rid of the methane emismonth. The pieces of legislation are meant sions, that’s going to be essentially a quick to ensure cities are combating climate way we can alleviate the climate crisis,” change and reducing methane emissions Lance Klug, Public Information Officer of by minimizing compost waste.

CalRecycle, said.

In 2020, CalRecycle finalized regulations to achieve these goals, currently taking effect across the state. Klug said Chartered in October 2015, SenCalRecycle’s primary goal is to work with ate Bill 379 requires cities and counties cities and counties to set them on the to officially make plans to combat the right track. Jurisdictions that repeatedly changing climate. Cities and counties are required to do so by January 2017 or Janu- avoid necessary steps can face punitive measures. ary 2022, based on when that jurisdiction “We can put them on a compliance had implemented a local hazard mitigaplan, where they have to follow these very tion plan. specific steps,” Klug said. “And if not, they A local hazard mitigation plan is a city could face, eventually, penalties up to $500 plan to anticipate and reduce exposure to to $10,000 per day.” natural disasters. Palo Alto’s LHMP, led While an estimated half of the jurisdicby city Emergency Manager Nathaniel tions in California are rolling out these Rainey, was adopted as part of a county programs, California legislamulti-jurisdictional tors acknowledge that some effort in 2017. cities and are not yet ready to Rainey said the plan !"#$%&$'&($)*+$,#$(-&$ do so. In 2021, the State Senhas three main parts. passed Senate Bill 619 that “(First), we look .&(-/0&$&.*11*,012$(-/(31$ ate allows unprepared jurisdicat the hazards that any jurisdiction ',*0'$(,$4&$&11&0(*/556$ tions to submit a notification of intent to comply in order to may face,” Rainey avoid penalties. These notifica/$78*9:$%/6$%&$9/0$ said. “Then we look tions must be submitted to at our local capa/55&;*/(&$(-&$95*./(&$ CalRecycle by March 1 of this bilities. What are the year. abilities of the city to 9)*1*1<= However, Klug said mitigate and prepare implementing these programs for those hazards? !"#$%&'()* in some jurisdictions may And then we think cause more harm than benefit. about what the Senate Bill 619, passed in 2021, allows projects are, what the different activities communities with low populations or in are that we can put in place to reduce the high elevations to receive exemptions or likelihood of those hazards.” waivers from SB 1383.

Rainey said Palo Alto had been ad“The reality is, if you did (impose on) a dressing climate change for years before Northern California county which has just the governor and legislature passed SB a few hundred people in their community, 379, so the bill won’t affect Palo Alto it’s going to take more greenhouse gas much. emissions to halt organic waste and create “If you take a deep look at what Palo Alto has done, the decisions that our poli- new facilities than it’s going to save in the cymakers have made over the last 10 years, long run.”

Overall, though, Klug said the bill will you’ll see that we’ve been leading the way provide economic benefits for California. on local policies and programs,” he said.

“Implementation is expected to creChartered in September 2016, Senate

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ate nearly 18,000 jobs at the peak of implementation, and nearly 12,000 of those are permanent jobs,” he said.

“We’re projecting $12.8 billion in economic activity as a result of this law.”

SB 1383 also aims to rescue edible food from being composted, reallocating it to Californians in need.

“All the food that grocery stores (discard) that is still edible, either they bought too much or they’re not able to sell it, they are now going to be required to donate that food to help feed the one in five Californians who is food insecure and doesn’t have enough to eat every night,” Klug said.

Chuck Muir, Manager of Environmental Control Programs at Zero Waste Palo Alto, said Palo Alto is already a state leader in diverting compostable and recyclable waste from landfills, but the city still strives to do more.

“We have a high diversion rate goal of 95% by 2030,” Muir said. “Eighty percent of all the waste that’s generated in Palo Alto gets diverted from the landfill, so that’s probably one of the highest, if not the highest, in the state.”

Muir also said Palo Alto is working with the rest of Santa Clara County to meet the requirements that SB 1383 poses, particularly with respect to businesses. The county has hired a consultant, Joint Ventures Silicon Valley, that will visit restaurants and grocery stores to ensure they are donating unused food to food recovery organizations.

Regarding residential households, the city will monitor homes by conducting bi-annual checks on the home’s garbage, recycling and compost containers.

While Muir said Palo Alto will see little change from Senate Bill 1383, it will help make sure other communities in the state are doing their part.

“We’ve been collecting compostables for a while. The state now has a requirement in place, not just Palo Alto but all of California, that puts more weight behind actually sorting the material out. It’s a priority for CalRecycle, it’s a priority for the state of California, and therefore, hopefully, it’s going to be a priority for the community to do its part.”

!"#%'( • Requires all California coun-

ties and cities to officially to start

planning policies to resist climate change

• No action needed for Palo Alto, local hazard mitigation plan in place since 2017

!"#$%&% • Intended to minimize organic

waste in landfills, helping reduce methane in the atmosphere

• Requires businesses to redistribute leftover food to food banks instead of disposing of it

• Instructs urban cities to purchase energy generated from organic waste

• No action needed for Palo Alto, already meets all requirements

Monday, February 7, 2022

The Campanile

A5

News

Brendan Beck: starting pitcher, substitute teacher

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B

rendan Beck, a former right-handed pitcher for Stanford University and current New York Yankees minor league pitcher, started substituting in December at Paly during his offseason.

“My mom was a substitute teacher growing up, so in that regard, I was kind of familiar with it,” Beck said. “It’s kind of fun to be able to relate with her a bit better, and just have offseason work to keep myself busy.”

Beck said his choice of substituting at Paly, rather than at any other school, came down to two main factors: the location and the students.

“I’m doing my offseason training at Stanford, and I’m living in the area for the offseason,” Beck said. “So it just made the most sense for me to be able to be close to Stanford’s campus. And obviously Paly is a really good school as well. So I wanted to go somewhere with good students, and that was going to be fun and easy at the same time.”

During his tenure with the Stanford Cardinal, Beck was named the PAC-12 Pitcher of the Year and was a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-America First Team in 2021. He was subsequently drafted by the Yankees in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

Senior and Stanford baseball fan Sidd Shashi said while Beck is well-known in the baseball community, he was not aware that Beck was his AP Literature substitute teacher until several days later.

“I go watch baseball games at Stanford sometimes,

and he’s always a really clutch player,” Shashi said. “I’ve seen him so many times playing baseball, but I just didn’t recognize him in person.”

Although Beck said he hasn’t had nearly as much experience substituting as he’s had on the baseball diamond, senior Jason Bae said Beck was helpful. In fact, Bae said he thought Beck had been a substitute for several years.

“I was surprised,” Bae said. “I expected that he would be a teacher — he had the attitude and that overall feeling (of a teacher).”

Shashi said Beck was a kind substitute teacher who was always willing to help.

“I asked (Beck) a question about how to annotate something (and turn it in), and he was like, ‘Oh, you have to do a screenshot,’” Shashi said. “He was really approachable. He was a nice guy.”

While Beck said he plans to travel to Tampa Bay for spring training in March, he said he is enjoying his offseason training at Stanford and spending time with Paly students.

“It’s been enjoyable, having a bit more of a routine in the offseason,” Beck said. “The kids are really good, and you can tell that they’re focused and driven — it’s made my job pretty easy.”

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BRENDAN BECK/USED WITH PERMMISSION

Brendan Beck winds up for Stanford against UCLA on April 9, 2021. Drafted by the Yankees, Beck is spending part of this offseason subbing at Paly. “It’s been enjoyable, having a bit more of a routine in the offseason,” Beck said. “The kids are really good, and you can tell that they’re focused and driven — it’s made my job pretty easy.”

Austin Xiang Editor-in-Chief

FROM THE COVER

!"#$%&'()*+(%),-"+.,/01)%1,231+) 3"#(4$5)60,$),66+"71.8)#$.1+9,& be significantly taller than Palo Alto zoning laws allow, and as part of the city’s subsidy, residents will not have to pay certain taxes to the city.

“We have no control over it,” Tanaka said. “We can have all these rules and laws, but because the county owns the land, they are just overruling us.

And because residents have this preemption, we are losing a lot of revenue.”

Despite Tanaka’s doubts about the specifics of the project, he said he is in favor of the general idea — : more affordable housing to draw teachers into nearby districts.

“Teachers are some of the most important members of our society,” Tanaka said. “And I think that we want to create incentives that attract amazing teachers to our area. After all, a huge draw of our area, and the reason so many people move here, is because of the great schools for our kids.”

Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson, who bought his first house through San Mateo’s affordable housing project, said he thinks 231 Grant Avenue is a good first step.

“I think the idea is great, and I think anyone who isn’t a homeowner should jump at this opportunity,” Berkson said.

While Tanaka and Berkson both say they support the concept of affordable housing for teachers, both have reservations about several elements of the plan.

“I don’t know whether teachers will want to live in a complex full of other teachers,” Tanaka said. “I also don’t know if this complex will be a good fit for many people. Some teachers are in early or later stages in their life and want something smaller and easy to maintain.

Some are just starting families and want more space and a backyard and want to be around other younger families.”

Tanaka said he also worries about the toll this project will take on the city’s tax revenue, and he’s concerned that PAUSD teachers don’t get special consideration for the projects. “(Palo Alto) doesn’t get property taxes of any kind. We don’t get im-

pact fees and taxes or any money for maintenance,” Tanaka said. “I think because it is taking a toll on our revenue, there should at least be an orientation towards Palo Alto teachers, with some number of units reserved for our staff. But as far as I know, this is not part of the plan.”

Berkson said he worries there are not enough units and about how the county will choose who gets a unit and who doesn’t.

“First of all, this seems like a drop in the bucket,” Berkson said. “There are a lot of districts and thousands of staff members at many. Also, this doesn’t seem like it would be as sound an investment as purchasing a condo or a house.”

Both Berkson and Tanaka said they think there are better, more supportive methods of helping draw teachers to local districts through increased benefits including housing perks.

“I think something like the City of San Mateo’s system would be better,” Berkson said. “Basically, every third house that is put for sale is reserved for someone who works for the city. Palo Alto or even the county could do that easily, and it would be better for everyone involved.”

Tanaka said he believes a welfare program similar to the “G.I. Bill” — passed after the second World War, which provided medical benefits, supplemented housing and aided in paying for secondary educations for soldiers — could be altered to fit Santa Clara County’s situation.

“If we could provide teachers in the county with low-cost housing loans, that would take the burden off of individual cities and allow teachers to live where they work.

It would be a win-win-win,” Tanaka said.

And while he does have concerns about the details of the project, Berkson said he hopes the benefits of the affordable R NGE H SI A housing project N AN

BY H outweigh the drawART backs.

“I think anyone who qualifies should definitely read the fine print but should sign up,” Berkson said. “This sounds like something that will really draw teachers to the district and will make current employees’ bills easier to pay.”

BY THE NUMBERS 400 parent volunteer · Over sign ups in less than a day staff members and 103 · 659 students have contracted COVID-19 since the beginning of the second semester

averaging around · District 70 teacher absences per day STATISTICS FROM PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

KEN OGATA/THE CAMPANILE

:);,0")<0%");+"5+,=),4=()%") >116).4(%+42%)(23""0()"61$ “We all saw what happened when schools closed, and I think it’s really important to stay open despite the recent surge,” the recent surge,” Yonkers said.

Austin said the district has also been working with teachers and support staff to make the experience of having more people on campuses as safe as possible.

“I really just appreciate the fact that our staff is understanding,” Austin said.

“They’re making suggestions for improvements, and we try to do as many of those things as possible.”

In a joint video statement from Santa Clara County’s Public Health Director Dr. Sara Cody and Superintendent of Schools Ann Dewan, Cody said the priority for school districts should be finding ways to co-exist with COVID-19 and ensuring students remain in in-person learning.

“We’ve learned that in-person education is what (students) need,” Cody said.

“Remote learning doesn’t support their mental health, emotional health and academic well-being nearly the way that in-person learning does.”

The California Public Health Department’s official guidance says school districts should “enable all schools to offer and provide full in-person instruction to all students safely…even if pandemic dynamics shift throughout the school year, affected by vaccination rates and the potential emergence of viral variants.”

In his video announcement, Austin said he will continue to follow and support state guidance throughout the school year, even if that guidance requires schools to move back to a virtual setting. Austin said that as of now, such state guidance would be the only reason PAUSD schools would move online.

“Short of the state of California ordering every school to close, we are staying open — (students) have missed enough school,” Austin said. “Our job is to serve our students, and we can’t do it from home.”

The Campanile

A6

Monday, February 7, 2022

Opinion

!"#$%&'&()*+,'-).'(/0$ .)'1)++)2'&.)3'&"4-& Dinu Deshpande Staff Writer

It’s 8:30 a.m., and a rush of students are on their way to school, breath fogging, swarming both lanes of the road. At every stop sign, student bikers slow down to check for cars and then continue on their way to school.

Everyone who bikes knows stopping means having to slowly struggle to accelerate again.

But can you imagine stopping 15 times in a mile? Especially when you’re rushing to school, trying to get to class on time? This is the reality for many students since California law requires bikes to stop at stop signs, just like cars.

As someone who bikes to school every day, I understand why some of the rules meant for cars are regularly broken by bikers. When it comes to stop signs, it is unreasonable to expect bikers to stop every time, because it requires a lot of energy and wastes tons of time.

Lawmakers in other states seem to agree.

In Idaho, the Idaho Stop allows bikers to treat stop signs as yield signs, requiring them only to slow down and yield the right-of-way to vehicles approaching from another direction.

A law based on The Idaho Stop law was first proposed in California in 2017, and though it didn’t pass that time, it was reintroduced in 2020 by Assembly Member Tasha Boerner Horvath and is awaiting signature by Governor Gavin Newsom.

The law was proposed once in California in 2017 but did not pass. This time, though, the law has become more popular in other states, giving it a better reputation.

I expect that since there is more usage of the Idaho Stop, and it seems to be working in other states, that it has a much better chance of being successful this time around.

Even though it’s not the law, The Idaho Stop is already common practice among bikers. In fact, the last time I saw a biker stop at a stop sign was two years ago. It was me. After I literally ran straight into it.

But why should bikers be able to yield while cars have to stop? First, bikers tend to have a much better idea of their surroundings than drivers; we can hear other people on the road more clearly and see with unblocked views.

Also, bikers are more agile; we can stop with almost no warning, jump off our bikes and brake within moments. It is easier on bike than in a car to slow down, check both ways and then go if it’s safe to do so.

On behalf of California bikers, we don’t need, or want, to fully stop at stop signs to bike safely. We need a law to protect us from unnecessary fines and the Idaho Stop law will guarantee our safety and speed.

District ought to consider four-day week to boost student mental health E5$$#$-,'5$,-$&,/;&F'2)*+,'"63%)0$'&.*,$-.'3%),*8."0".;9 3$%1)%6/-8$9'4"0$'.$/8($%&'-$$,$,'."6$'.)'%$&.9'4%/,$

W

ith the signing of California’s SB 328 in 2019, four-day work weeks, what’s to stop PAUSD from implemiddle and high schools were required to change menting a similar system? their start times to — at the earliest — 8 a.m.

Well, for one thing, having a four-day school week would and 8:30 a.m., respectively. Then, during the 2020-2021 not be compliant with California’s instructional minute school year, PAUSD changed the Monday bell schedule requirement. at its secondary schools from an alternating block day to However, since a state auditor allows the district to count a 7-period schedule. For many students, this 7-period day PRIME as instructional minutes, a more realistic approach quickly became unpopular due to the short, unproductive for this public school district, regulated by the government, class periods and the weekend homework load. is to implement PRIME Wednesdays, a day-long PRIME Interestingly enough, in 2017, Paly’s Monday bell that could fulfill the instructional minute requirement. schedule was a 7-period day, but in 2018 administraAn argument can be made that the replacement tors eliminated this 7-period day and replaced of a seven-period Monday with a PRIME it with an alternating even/odd schedule Wednesday would give less time for because of complaints about how teachers to teach. hectic Mondays became. Sound However, with the extra familiar?

PRIME time, teachers could No matter how PAUSD assign homework for the and its Bell Committee content they would have design a Monday bell taught during 45-minute schedule, complaints Monday sessions. And always follow. with the elimination The solution? Think of 40 total minutes differently and look to of passing time that science and innovation currently plagues our for the answer. The Monday schedule, entrepreneurial/poPRIME Wednesdays )1'$63+);$%&'.(/.')=$%'/'1)*%>,/;'2)%#2$$#'&/;' litical landscape today would also be more shows the clear trend: a efficient due to less .(/.'.($;'(/0$'$:3$%"$-8$,'/-'"63%)0$6$-. four-day work week. passing periods (lon"-'3%),*8."0".;'/-,'&/0$')-'/0$%/4$ Companies such as ger class times).

Panasonic and Bolt and A hybrid Week?@ABCD'7"++")-'"-'.($'3%)8$&&'7; countries like Scotland end Wednesday could and Spain are experimentbecome reality through the %$./"-"-4'$63+);$$&'2".( ing with a four-day work implementation of PRIMES week. In the U.S., Rep. Mark on Wednesdays, allowing for 1$2$%'&"8#',/;&C Takano (D-California) also wants asynchronous homework time, to reduce the workweek to 32 hours, while also allowing the students to allowing for four-day work weeks. relax should they need a break.

As for PAUSD, administrators and the With a day in the middle of the week board of education should support the four-day school where students could take a pause and relax from the weeks, specifically with Weekend Wednesdays, where onslaught of homework that teachers give during the week, Wednesdays are a rest day in the middle of the week. This a PRIME Wednesday would help students catch up on would allow for students to regain motivation and boost homework and have a mental health day. PRIME Wednestheir productivity to finish off the school week strong. days would also help teachers by giving them time to grade Instead of a five-day marathon of classes, students would and also giving them a mental break, letting everyone be experience two-day sprints. better on block days.

According to the Henley Business School, 64% of With schedule changes every year, why not implement a employers that offer a four-day workweek say that they modern, innovative schedule that is in use in corporations have experienced an improvement in productivity, and save and has been proven to benefit all? $102.6 billion in the process by retaining employees with fewer sick days.

The survey also showed that the thing employees did most often on their day off was to visit friends and family, Erik Feng likely contributing to positive employee mental health.

Staff Writer So, if businesses and countries are experimenting with

!"#

!"#$%&#'$%())*+%'$%,-%./(0$#(12/**#),)#*%/(')3+)0'/$( 5".('+/%4$'-*67$%')1'%$8)%,$,'/88",$-.&9'3%):"6".;'.)'$+$6$-./%;'&8())+9'"-.$%&$8.")-'-$$,&'.)'7$'<:$,'7$1)%$'6)%$'"-8",$-.&')88*% Cole Sturino

SeniorStaff Writer

After an accident at the Lincoln-Middlefield intersection in the Community Center neighborhood of Palo Alto on New Year’s Day, several police cars cordoned off the intersection, and the hood of one of the cars was demolished, crushed and bent at the center like paper.

Unfortunately, that accident was not unusual. As a fast, busy street where cross traffic doesn’t seem to stop, destructive crashes at the Lincoln-Middlefield intersection are so common that massive pile ups draw little attention from city officials and the local news alike.

I live near this intersection, so the issue isn’t abstract to me. In second grade, I was involved in an accident while walking to Addison Elementary School with my mom and brother.

As we were crossing Lincoln and Middlefield, a minivan pulled out and hit us. My mom took the brunt of the blow, while my brother and I were OK, although quite shaken.

Nobody should have to throw themselves between their kids and a speeding car on their way to school, especially if it’s preventable.

Residents have documented dozens of accidents at the intersection on websites like Nextdoor and Patch for years. In 2018, thensophomore Coleman Yanagisawa and other local residents created a petition in an effort to get the city’s attention, highlighting the nine accidents at the intersection that had occurred that year.

However, the city didn’t respond, and the most they’ve done since then was redesign Middlefield in 2017 by removing a lane to deal with traffic and adding speed limits to the road with reflective paint. Judging by online mentions of accidents though, it doesn’t seem to have helped.

As I’m writing this

article, there are strips across parts of Middlefield around that intersection. Those lines connect to Metrocount boxes, which use those strips to record traffic data as the traffic goes over them.

Clearly, the city plans to get more information on the traffic, but to what end?

What is the city planning with this?

Why now?

These are questions

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ART BY BRADEN LEUNG

that, as of right now, are unanswered, as the city hasn’t released any information regarding this and hasn’t responded to requests for contact.

What should the city do? The intersection is adjacent to ones with stoplights already, so installing another set on a busy road would likely make the traffic in the city worse.

Instead, the city should consider making the intersection a four way stop, forcing cars to slow down before reaching this intersection and reduce their risk of dangerous collisions.

The city might say that will congest already rough traffic in the area, but I would argue that not only would traffic stay roughly the same (given that it behaves like a four way stop already in the mornings), but even if it did not, it would be greatly worth it considering the large number of accidents, personal injuries and disturbances it could avoid.

I’m not an expert, but I know that the intersection needs more than just a speed bump –– the city should wake up and fix this before more people get hurt.

Monday, February 7, 2022

The Campanile

Opinion

A7

Braving the new wave: PAUSD schools should remain open !"#$%&'%()*$%*&$%("%'')+,)(-'.$-#./)0+1%$)'%2%$-.3)+,)45-#$+")2&$-&".)$%"(%$')'67.(+1")%8#%''-2% Aidan Seto

Senior Staff Writer

T

he 2020-21 school year was difficult to navigate and posed many challenges.

With technological issues and reduced focus and communication between students and teachers during online learning, it’s safe to say the quality of education last school year was subpar.

Because of this, administrators should do everything in their power to keep in-person education going.

The ongoing, outbreak of the Omicron variant in the district is very real. However, the threat that Omicron poses is unlikely to become serious enough to warrant shutting down schools and sacrificing the countless benefits of physically attending school.

According to a National Geographic report, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is significantly less severe than the original COVID-19 virus that peaked late 2020. Severity is notably lower across all age groups, including people over 65 years of age and people too young to be vaccinated.

Symptoms of the Omicron variant are similar to a common cold, with fewer patients displaying pneumonia-like symptoms as compared to previous variants.

Adult Omicron patients are 29% less likely to be hospitalized than in previous waves, and the UK Health Security Agency found that with proper preventative measures such as vaccinations and booster shots, patients were 88% less likely to be hospitalized by

Omicron than unvaccinated people.

And I am not the only one who thinks schools should be doing absolutely everything in their power before turning to remote learning.

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department and the Santa Clara County Office of Education agree, recently forbidding schools in the county from offering online classes in lieu of in-person instruction.

In addition, our community is more prepared and educated regarding Omicron than it was during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in March of 2020. Resources, including free COVID-19 test and N95 masks, are available to students and staff, and the district has communicated precautionary protocol and regulations well to students and staff.

According to the Santa Clara County Public

Health, nearly 90% of Santa Clara County residents over the age of 5 are fully vaccinated, and 63% of residents eligible for the booster shot have received it, making Omicron even less of a lethal threat.

Fortunately, teachers are making appropriate accommodations for students who may not be able to attend class, with assignments mostly being online to ensure that the majority of students can continue learning in-person. Unlike when the pandemic first started, students and staff are educated about effectively preventing the spread of the virus, and the community is well adjusted to the effect it has on our lives.

Omicron will likely never pose a major threat to PAUSD, and a transition to online-only learning should only be considered as an absolute last resort.

ART BY KYLE PA RK

!"#$%&'($")$(*'+",$(-).'&.&'/$&()&%)0!)+('&##1+(/)%'&1)2$/3$(),/"/+)$,)4+(+5*$"# At the start of their senior year, high school students in California enter a frenzy of crafting individual college plans and sorting through overwhelming mountains of essays, recommendations and applications.

Amid the hectic process, though, one pillar of the procedure remains largely the same for nearly every California senior: aspiring for the UC and CSU systems, which promise the prospect of joining and benefitting from the state’s vast public school system.

However, acceptance into these systems as a California student has become an increasingly grueling task as the proportion of resident students in state schools has decreased over the past several decades.

A higher education budget bill passed by the state in the summer of 2021 provided measures to reduce the proportion, over five years, of out-of-state students in the University of California system to 18% of the incoming class. The bill included a potential $1.3 billion annual fund to cover the costs of losing out-ofstate tuition.

With several of its schools having over 20% of their students from outside the state, the UC system will see a noticeable decrease in admissions of these students. The state

hopes the system will then be able to accept an increasing number of California residents to its schools in their place.

Though the prospect of cutting down acceptance for out-of-state residents will come at some expense to the schools, the growing need for the UC system to increase its number of in-state applicants is urgent enough to justify the state government’s drastic measures.

If enacted, the legislation provides a necessary service to California’s schools and its students.The most prominent reason this action is necessary is the rising discrepancy between California’s output of qualified students and the state’s resident acceptance rate for these students.

According to data published in a report by The Campaign for College Opportunity, the number of UCand CSU-qualified students in the state has risen significantly over the past two decades, with the proportion of UC-ready students increasing by nearly 11% and the total number of them nearly doubling between 2001 and 2021.

However, rather than success, these students have seen increased competition for a limited number of university spots.

The same report shows that the percentage of

in-state applicants to the UC system has grown from 17% to 25% over the last two decades, while enrollment rates for these students have remained stagnant at around 8%. The CSU system also showed a nearidentical trend in its admissions.

The effects of this unwavering enrollment rate is the loss of accessibility of the UCs and CSUs to residents of their own state.

With the acceptance rate of in-state students not matching their level of eligibility, some action is required to increase the acceptance rates of students.

As California’s public university system expands and enrolls an increasing number of freshmen each year, this will help make UC and CSU education more attainable. Increasing in-state admissions may also provide a vital boost to the schools’ diversity.

Data published by the UC system shows that a 5.34% increase in

California student admissions between 2020 and 2021 led to a 9% increase in the already-prominent population of in-state Latino students and 15% increase of in-state African American students.

Wanting to increase the population of these groups in California’s Higher Education systems is a no-brainer; in addition to being beneficial to all students’ educational experience, diversifying the school environment will help bridge gaps in diversity found by the Campaign for College Opportunity Report in many of the UC system’s freshman majors.

Even with the potential increases in ethnic diversity, several critics of this legislation say decreasing outof-state enrollment will cause a loss of diverse experiences and voices that can only be at-

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tained by out-of-state students.

In fact, these concerns do have some merit; students coming from outside of California still serve a vital role in the UC and CSU systems.

As the state schools pride themselves on being inclusive and ideologically diverse, it is important for the state to remain cautious so as to not jeopardize this value. As it stands, however, a small dip in their enrollment is unlikely to have a significant impact on campus life.

By increasing the number of resident students, California universities will better meet the needs of students in the state, both quantitatively and demographically.

Ajay Venkatraman

Managing Editor

27%

15%

of CA students applied to UCs

8%

of CA students were enrolled at UCs

2001-2002 ART BY AJAY VENKATRAMAN

8% 2021-2022 DATA FROM UC INFOCENTER

The Campanile

Monday, February 7, 2022

A8

Editorials !"#$%&$'()*+,-*+".*/0)+ !"#$%&'!(')*+,-.)'!"#&'&)-&($'(/'0(1)'

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Receiving your only “Happy Valentine’s Day” from Team Snapchat

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Spending Valentine’s Day with your family

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Watching other people get Valgrams

&&

Eating chalky rainbow hearts for funsies

!

Getting pencils instead of candy as a Valentine

ART BY VALERIE CHU

1 Palo Alto benefits schools but revisions necessary !"#$%"&$'#()*+,')-./'$.#$"/0'$)'1)+*/$..%#2'"3-+.3./$'4.5"6+.'+.7%/"/0

I

n the face of hundreds of Omicron variant infections, the district has made commendable efforts to keep inperson school running. Programs such as 1 Palo Alto and the dedication of community volunteers and staff members have continued to foster a safe learning environment for students.

But even as Omicron cases begin to decline, The Campanile urges PAUSD and state leaders to consider implementing other safety measures as well, including opening Cubberley Community Center’s testing services to parent volunteers and providing more flexible learning options for both teachers and students.

Though the decision to restrict Cubberley’s COVID-19 testing services to PAUSD students and staff was effective in reducing wait times, it’s unreasonable to initiate 1 Palo Alto while not offering those testing services to the very parent volunteers the program depends on.

Doing so would make testing and consequently volunteering more convenient for the parents helping to keep schools open and would have a marginal effect on wait times.

Volunteers should be able to get tested during school hours, and the decision to extend the clinic’s hours to 6 p.m. provides ample time for most students and staff to use the Center’s resources after school.

Family members of PAUSD staff can access the Cubberly clinic’s testing services, and it’s necessary that volunteers who directly visit school campuses are provided the same opportunity in order to create a safe environment for students, staff and volunteers.

Students would also greatly benefit from more flexibility in these turbulent times, both in terms of their learning environment and class curriculum.

Despite widespread staff shortages and student absences, both the California Public Health Department and Santa Clara County leaders have prevented schools from shutting down and substituting in-person learning with online classes.

After 150 of its 365 staff members either contracted or were possibly exposed to COVID-19, the Hayward Unified School District’s decision to switch to virtual learning could cost them $2.5 million in funding per day, according to ABC7 News.

Considering these kinds of severe situations, California should allow more flexibility for schools to deal with their situations individually and make the mandate for schools to stay in-person a suggestion, not a requirement.

Though online learning has proved detrimental to students’ mental health and incomparable to in-person learning, schools should still be given the authority to use their own judgement

to determine whether or not to return to online learning. Each district has unique needs and circumstances, and a statewide mandate prevents schools from quickly responding to emergencies accordingly.

Of course, PAUSD can still support its students in these ever-changing circumstances by providing online lesson plans and academic flexibility.

With COVID-19 frequently taking students out for five to 10 days at a time, it has become more important than ever to provide ways for them to keep up outside of school and transition smoothly once they return. Whether it be by providing Zoom links for students to join classes from home, adapting assignments and lesson plans to be more online-friendly or offering flexible deadlines, The Campanile appreciates teachers who have already taken measures to accommodate quarantined students and encourages those who haven’t to begin doing so.

Superintendent Don Austin recently told The Campanile, “We can’t be everything for everyone, but we’re trying our best,” and the district’s efforts deserve praise.

But by allowing community volunteers to be tested at Cubberley and establishing a more flexible academic environment for students and teachers, PAUSD still might not be everything for everyone, but it can make the lives of a lot of people easier and safer.

!"#$%&'()*+,-.$/*01#*2$&/0,&)$-'//&(0-$."3,*$-0'3")0With more than 10 publications, Paly’s 104-yearold journalism program is one of the largest in the nation. Since former Campanile adviser Esther Wojcicki began expanding the program with a focus on student leadership in 1999, hundreds of students register to be on a publication staff every year.

Currently, to join a publication, students must take a semester-long prerequisite not offered to freshmen: Beginning Journalism. With this system, the earliest that a student can start on a publication is the second semester of their sophomore year. As a direct result of inflexible sophomore year course schedules and publication capacity limits, many students can’t join a publication until their junior year.

The Campanile thinks students should have the opportunity to participate in Paly’s nationally acclaimed program earlier in their high school career. Thus, we commend the journalism advisers for designing a pathway where students can join publications in the first semester of their sophomore year and administrators for supporting their plan.

This coming school year, interested freshmen students will have the option to take one semester of Introduction to Broadcasting and one semester of Photojournalism, instead of being forced to wait to take Beginning Journalism as a sophomore. This combination of courses will allow students to join a publication as a sophomore in the following fall semester.

Until now, students haven’t been able to join a publication as a freshmen or a first-semester sophomore

largely due to concerns about younger students’ ability to succeed in an environment that requires high levels of maturity and independence.

However, a student’s willingness to take two semester-long prerequisite courses instead of one shows their dedication to journalism. For those interested in a leadership position on a publication, joining a year earlier will also help them gain the experience needed for those opportunities.

Making the journalism program more accessible to underclassmen also supports necessary staff diversity. Underclassmen make up roughly half of the student body and should be more represented in student journalism.

Additionally, this new pathway ensures that the program’s size stays at a stable level. Due to an overall decrease in enrollment in PAUSD schools in recent years, fewer students are joining publications every year — The Campanile underscores the importance of keeping student journalism, an outlet for expression, alive and thriving at Paly.

The Campanile and other Paly publications are tight-knit, collaborative communities of opinionated, driven leaders where students can discover their voice, learn how to be resilient and work as a team. Allowing more students to be a part of such a special program is a big step in the right direction, and we’re thankful for the administrative support to keep the program vibrant and the work of the journalism advisers to inspire a new generation of students who need the skills journalism classes teach, now more than ever.

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BY RACHEL FEINSTEIN

Editors-in-Chief Gina Bae • Gianna Brogley • Jack Galetti Braden Leung • Austin Xiang News & Opinion Editors Ben Antonow Maya Singer

Managing Editors Valerie Chu Ajay Venkatraman

Sports Editors Lauren Chung Zack Silver

Lifestyle Editors Anaya Bhatt Joy Xu

Art & Photo Manager Kyla Schwarzbach

Science & Tech Editor Parker Wang

Social Media Managers Justin Gu Rachel Feinstein

Newsletter Editors Cayden Gu Jerry Xia

Business Manager Charlotte Hallenbeck

Graphics Lead Wallie Butler

Poppy Barclay Margot Blanco Lillian Clark Dinu Deshpande Shantanu Deshpande Eric Fan

Staff Writers

Erik Feng Lucas Guan Tiffany He Christie Hong Ali Minhas Ken Ogata Aidan Seto

Hannah Singer Shamsheer Singh Cole Sturino Shiki Toyama Colleen Wang Brianna Zhou

Illustrators & Photographers

JT Bard James Churchley

Philip Churchley Rachel Lee

Alexandra Ma Kyle Park

Adviser Rodney Satterthwaite Letters to the Editors: Email all letters to editors to theeds22@googlegroups.com. The Campanile prints letters on a space-available basis. We reserve the right to edit submissions. The Campanile only prints signed letters. Advertisements: Advertisements with The Campanile are printed with signed contracts. For more information regarding advertisements or sponsors in The Campanile and their size options and prices, please contact The Campanile Business Managers by email at campanile.ads@gmail.com.

Note: It is the policy of The Campanile to refrain from printing articles that misrepresent or alienate specific individuals within the Palo Alto community. The Campanile would like to thank the PTSA for supporting the mailing of our newspaper.

Our Vision Statement:

The Campanile has upheld the highest standard of student journalism for the last century by engaging the community through various mediums of storytelling.

Our coverage of news, culture and athletics aims to represent the diverse perspectives of our student body.

Monday, February 7, 2022

The Campanile

Lifestyle

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ath Instructional Leader Natalie Docktor stands in front of the wooden desk in her office, holding a black and white photo that shows 12 students standing in front of a blackboard in a small classroom, facing the camera.

“This was my Analysis class in 1989,” Docktor said. “Look how little (the class was). I took them all skiing. One of the kids in the class had a cabin, and so we all went skiing together, and that was pretty special.”

Docktor joined the math department 34 years ago in 1988. One of Paly’s longest tenured teachers, she has seen the school evolve physically, academically and culturally through the past 34 years.

For one, she said the student body and faculty have grown immensely in number.

“When I came here, we had about 1,100 students,” Docktor said. “It was small. The math department was nine of us. We knew everybody in the school, and I loved it.”

With a smaller staff, teachers connected with their colleagues on a more personal level, Docktor said.

“We used to have staff get-togethers and more parties, so the whole staff knew each other better back in the day. But then we’ve grown, and we’ve got over 2,000 students now.

The departments have always been different, but it’s harder to get them together. The unity in a sense has really changed.”

To accommodate more students, Paly’s campus has also changed dramatically. U.S. History teacher Steve Foug has been at Paly since 1999 and said much of the old campus has been remodeled.

“There used to be a long science building, kind of a nondescript building,” Foug said.

“Where the soccer field is and part of where the new science building is, there used to be a big long amphitheater. That’s where a lot of the spirit week rallies were.”

Foug said it can be easy to forget that much of Paly’s campus is newly constructed.

“The MAC and the PAC are brand new,

KIRTANA ROMFH/USED WITH PERMISSION

Kirtana and Aditya Romfh in a traditional Bharatanatyam dance. “It’s definitely great because it’s a bonding time betweeen us,” Aditya Romfh said.

of 1987 f f a t s y l The Pa to at the o h p a r o gather f ilding tower bu

and of course the gym is,” Foug said. “These lent, updates and new things are dramatic changes that have happened in the past 20 years.”

Another major part of change at Paly has been the introduction of new technology into the classroom. Foug said technology has enabled new ways to teach students and made teaching more convenient.

“The number of things I have access to is remarkable,” Foug said. “I used to have to go home, put in a VCR tape to tape the news every night, watch it on the tape, and bring the tape (to class). Now I just click on YouTube and find the news clips Scott Frie dland and which is incredibly convenient.”

Natalie Docktor c However, Foug said smartphones ha t w ith David B have been disruptive to learning in the and Kathle aker classroom. en Bowers a t “In my class rules, I say please, no a 2006 Christmas party phones. Keep them away and turned off, but it’s like playing Whack-APHOTOS Mole with that. It drives me nuts,” he COURTES Y OF NAT ALIE DO CKTOR said. “I always notice it, and it bothers me.

I would say that aspect of technology has been an irritant.” student anxiety has grown worse over Aside from physical and technological the last two decades. changes, the school has seen generations of “Stress has always been an issue here,” Foug students with differsaid. “I think that was true 20 years ago. That ent backgrounds walk is now probably more so. I’d say academically through its halls. things seem more intense like the number History teacher Katya of APs kids seem to take. That seems to be a Villalobos, who has also product of how the admissions game goes, so it’s been an administraunfortunate when students get sucked into that.” tor and started in the Despite all the drastic changes at Paly, Dockdistrict 23 years ago, said tor said students have always been intellectually students today are more curious and fun to work with. socially aware than they “The students have so much potential, and used to be. that’s why I think teachers stay here, because “Students are more the students are so wonderful. I’ve always valued open to things and the students, and I think it’s a good place to be. sharing things that they I still love my job after all these years, and I still wouldn’t have necessarlike working with young people.” ily shared,” Villalobos Docktor said Paly has always maintained a said. “For example, the staff of amazing teachers that she has formed conversations we have bonds with over her career. now about mental health.

“It has been fabulous to grow up with all of It’s not that we weren’t them,” Docktor said. “We all got married. We all talking about mental health before, but in terms had kids, and we all went through life together. of the culture of the school, we definitely are That’s a rare thing that happens in this day and more (willing) now. Students are more willing to age, that you stay with a group of people and go discuss it, and even more positive, students will through your whole career.” share when they’re worried about their friends and talk to us.”

Jerry Xia Socially, Foug said while student stress about academics and college have always been prevaNewsletter Editor

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From a young age, freshman Aditya Romfh and his sister, senior Kirtana Romfh, have been fascinated by dance.

“It all started when I was 4 years old,” Aditya said. “My sister would come home from her dance classes and start practicing what she learned. I would see it and think, ‘Wow that’s so interesting,’ and I would copy her and want to go to class with her.”

Kirtana said she also began dancing as a 4-year-old in Chicago.

“My mom and I went to see a show in the greater Chicago area,” she said.

“I was so inspired by it, I would always dance at home. I was very little, so I didn’t know what I was doing. Then, they were offering like a beginners class, so I started from there.”

Kirtana said she continued to take Bharatanatyam lessons, a form of classical Indian dance, even as her family moved from Chicago to Boston and ultimately to California.

When Kirtana was 7, Aditya, then a 4-year-old, joined her dance class.

“He would watch and then mimic all of the different movements because he really wanted to be part of it,” she said. “He would do all the opposite sides because he was watching the whole time. He would start with his left, and the general rule is you always start with your rights. There would be all these tall kids in the back and then just this tiny little boy, but ultimately it’s become a really fun family endeavor and it’s just been great.”

But it wasn’t until Aditya was 6 that he was first officially enrolled in dance classes.

“At first, I hung back, but (my sister) was in the class with me so I got more confident.” Aditya said.

Aditya said dance is both a passion and a bonding activity between him and his older sister.

“It’s definitely great because it’s kind of a defined ‘hangout time,’ or kind of like a bonding time between us, and also I feel it’s a very close knit community.” Aditya said.

Kirtana said her brother’s progression has been significant.

“He’s really come into his own. He has more stage presence, more confidence now than I think he did when he was younger,” Kirtana said. “As we grew up it’s less of me helping him, and now we have a friendship, so that’s definitely fun. Our youngest brother just started out, so both my brothers do it and we get to encourage him.”

Kyla Schwarzbach & Anaya Bhatt

Media Manager & Lifestyle Editor

Review: ‘Emily in Paris’ discourages American maximalist fashion Shiki Tomaya Staff Writer

friend, Camille, who wears a nameless simple black mini dress.

With the two friends standing side by side, Field emphasizes the American obsession for name brands, which further precipitates the unnecessary consumption of fashion.

Emily’s fashion does not end on a negative note though, as she boards a train to Saint Tropez in a 1960s inspired outfit.

The ‘60s were an incredible age for fashion in America –– designers such as Mary Quant debuted the mini skirt, and super models such as Dame Lesley Lawson (Twiggy) publicized daring looks through unisex clothing, mini dresses and textiles inspired by optical illusions.

Emily’s beige and yellow trench coat paired with a turquoise mini dress seems to perfectly symbolize this fashion era, where the innovative interpretations of European fashion from American designers’ established the U.S. as a force in the fashion industry.

As practicality and athleisure have become popular sources of inspiration for American fashion, it no longer runs as a close competitor to European fashion. However, “Emily in Paris” encourages American fashion houses to revitalize their once creative mindset, to create popular clothing that embodies both timelessness and uniqueness.

ART BY GRACE MUMA

“Emily In Paris,” directed by Andrew Fleming, has become the most popular comedy on Netflix partially based on the controversial fashion statements the main character, Emily, makes as an American living in Paris. The series follows Emily as she works a year abroad for a French fashion brand, Savior, where she leads the audience through her friendships and drama.

The highly anticipated second season was released in December and was viewed for 107.6 million hours in the first week after its release date.

While Fleming’s overly exaggerated interpretation of a clueless American in Paris are interesting, its the peculiar choices of clothing that Emily (Lily Collins) wears that really draws me in.

Emily’s wardrobe is filled with clashing bold colors, sequins and funky silhouettes to complement her bubbly personality, and it works.

The “Emily in Paris” costume designer Patricia Field said her clothing is meant to portray America’s reputation of being overly optimistic in contrast with the reputation of the French to be classy.

Emily’s color-filled wardrobe seems to reflect the

short-lived fashion trends that Americans embrace, while her French friends represent timeless, slow-fashion designs.

The show mirrors the real-world shift towards French inspired minimalism, which was reflected in the fall 2022 fashion shows.

Major designers such as Prada, Fendi and Saint Laurant showcased their designs with an overarching theme of timeless simplicity, with monochromatic suits and a strong emphasis on tailoring rather than color schemes.

For example, in the second season premier, Emily wears a sequin covered mini dress with strappy heels, which makes her look like a walking disco ball. Later in the episode, Emily wears a silver metallic Miu Miu coat and a bright pink Prada purse over her dress, which is also, shockingly, covered in embellishments.

Although Emily’s metallic outfit is slightly nauseating, her fashion sense encapsulates American maximalism: the driving force of short-lived fashion cycles.

Emily’s outfit contrasts with her French

The Campanile

B2

Monday, February 7, 2022

Lifestyle

!"#$%&'(%)$$*%+'% +,$%-"./0 Margot Blanco Staff Writer

Content warning: Description of violent and sexually graphic images and discussion of rape.

we make decisions based on our feelings or logic and thinking, F or T. The last letter is judging or perceiving, J or P. Generally, perceiving types gather as much information as possible and don’t limit it. Judging types usually limit their observations and organize them.”

Lee said she was shocked by how much her results resonated with how she felt about herself. As an INTJ, Lee has introverted, intuitive, thinking and judging personality traits, or as 16 Personalities labels her, a “thoughtful tactician.”

“I thought it was actually really creepy because it had my personality down to the core, that’s exactly (who I am),” Lee said.

Lee said the accuracy of the MBTI test gave her the opportunity to identify and fix her perceived weaknesses.

“I always viewed myself as shy, and I didn’t really know how to talk with people,” Lee said. “And I got this test back saying you’re an introvert and this is why. Instead of using that as an excuse, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a genuine problem that I need to fix.’”

Although the MBTI test has not been largely validated by science, AP Psychology teacher Melinda

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Mattes said people still use it as a way to connect with others.

“We like to be able to group and organize (ourselves),” Mattes said. “Our brains are always looking for cognitive short-cuts.”

For Li, getting into the MBTI community – where those interested in MBTI can connect with other like-minded individuals – helped to deepen her relationships with others who are also fascinated by the MBTI. “I found out one day that my friend and I both watch the same MBTI YouTuber, and we felt more connected because we could relate to his videos,” Li said. “I also send posts and TikToks about MBTIs to my friends. I really get to know them more through it and the content is relatable and funny.”

Because the MBTI has only 16 possible personality outcomes, Lee said it’s important people remember they don’t have to fit into just one of them and the test should be regarded as more of a continuum.

“I consider myself an INTJ, but I have some ENTJ qualities that don’t really fit INTJ qualities,” Lee said. “So knowing that it’s a spectrum is important: the MBTI is a tool that you can use to help yourself get better, but it’s not something that you should use to dictate how you should live.”

Even though the MBTI test does not give a full, accurate analysis of one’s personality, Mattes said personality tests ultimately help people to get to know themselves through introspection.

“Understanding your patterns, or your go-to responses, can help foster healthy relationships, whether they are friendships, familial relationships or romantic relationships,” Mattes said.

Lee said the MBTI test helped her to be more introspective and create meaningful relationships with herself and others. “(The test) is important for your own headspace, but it’s also important for how you treat other people,” Lee said. “The way you view yourself on the inside directly correlates with how you treat other people on the outside.”

Li said the MBTI test opened up new opportunities for connecting with friends in a non-superficial way.

“The MBTI is a good way to relate to others because the people with similar types usually have the same values as you,” Li said. “With my friends, I got to know them a lot better and I could connect with them on a deeper level.”

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Aerospace and Robotics Club offers interdisciplinary science exploration Lauren Chung Sports Editor

As sophomore Mike Song takes a break from his homework and peers out his window, he sees a strange mixture of stars in the sky.

Quickly, he grabs his small telescope, opens his window and peers out into the night, observing the Big Dipper.

As the founder and president of the Aerospace and Robotics Club, Song said he created the club to combine his two passions of outer space and robotics to provide a space where others can share their passions.

Song said since the robotics team requires tryouts to get into, he wanted to create a club where people can feel free to explore their interest in robotics without the competition.

“The Paly Robotics team only allows a certain number of people to join each year,” Song said. “So that’s why I wanted to create a club that is open for anyone, regardless of skill or level.”

However, Song said he realized he could connect his other passion

for aerospace to create a single, cohesive club.

“If you really look at it, aerospace shares a lot of similar traits with robotics,” Song said.

“I figured that when we go over aerospace-related topics, we would be going over both topics at the same time.”

During club meetings, Song said he likes to include activities to engage all members of the club and make meetings interactive.

“We did a Popsicle stick activity where we tried to build a rocket within a very short period of time,” Song. “It was really cool, and I think members enjoyed it because it incorporated both the aerospace and the robotics aspect.”

Without any prior knowledge of aerospace or robotics, sophomore Emma Wong said she decided to join the club to learn more.

Wong said she was immediately met with an encouraging environment and a great support system.

“I did not know much about aerospace or robotics before joining the club, but I’m so glad that I decided to join,” Wong said.

“I learned so much about how

aerospace and robotics are related.

Everyone is so supportive.”

Club adviser Kevin Duffy agrees. Initially, he said he knew very little about aerospace and robotics.

“A couple of the students were looking around for a club adviser, and they asked me, so I just said yes,” Duffy said. “It was sort of random.”

However, as Duffy continued to observe club meetings, he said his interest in aerospace and robotics started to grow.

“I’m mostly there to supervise, but I have found it very interesting,” Duffy said.

“The activities that they’ve done have certainly piqued my interest.”

Duffy said he takes a hands-off approach in advising the club because he’s confident in the student leaders’ abilities and knowledge.

“The students are doing an incredible job running the show and fueling up each other’s passions about aerospace and robotics,” Duffy said. “I’m really proud of them.”

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ntrigued by its inquisitive questions and encouraged by her older sister, then-fourthgrader Carlin Lee took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test. The MBTI test is a self-assessment that matches the test-taker to one of 16 personality types, developed by Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs in the 1900s. Now a sophomore, Lee said she still uses her MBTI results to overcome her weaknesses and explore self-growth.

“I remember I first got the ESTJ personality type, and then I totally forgot about it for like five years,” Lee said. “Then I took it again when I was in middle school, and that time I got ENTJ. After doing some research on my cognitive functions, I realized, I’m not an ENTJ. I’m an INTJ.” Test takers answer questions about themselves related to their preferences, values and behaviors. The test results are then given as four letters that correspond to a personality type. Proponents of the test say it can tell people about their personality type and give people insight into topics like their strengths and weaknesses, romantic relationships, friendships and career paths.

Junior Robin Li is an INTP based on the MBTI test.

“The first letter is about introversion or extroversion, I or E,” Li said. “Then the next letter is either sensing or intuition, S or N. Sensing is about facts and intuition is about noticing patterns. The third letter is whether

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Have you been to a grocery store and picked up a gallon of milk? Did you smile as you saw Old MacDonald’s farm, his rolling green pastures, his grazing cows? And were you pleased to see his red barn on the packaging of your pork, chicken, turkey?

Did you think Old MacDonald loved, respected and cared for his animals? That on his farm his animals lived a peaceful life, died a peaceful death?

But have you been to the farm?

When you found the farm’s location on Google Maps, were you surprised it led to the middle of nowhere, hidden from society? Did you drive up to find Old MacDonald’s rotting gravestone by several massive barns, whose sleek metal casing carefully hides their interior?

Did you open a barn door only to release the overwhelming moans of thousands of suffering animals? And when the stench of waste-ridden air accosted you, did you gag?

As you walked through its filthy pathway, did you face the pregnant pigs forced to stand in crates so narrow they can’t turn around? Did you see their piglets torn from them at birth, hear them shriek in pain as their testicles were ripped off and their soft, curled tails cut without pain relief?

The meat industry claims their agony is necessary for the smell and taste of their meat. Could you still believe that if you saw it happen?

Hey, have you ever thought about your milk and where it comes from?

Well, human mothers can only breastfeed after giving birth. So, like all mammals, cows have to give birth to produce milk.

From 14 months old, female cows are kept on a constant cycle of birth, milking and artificial insemination until years later when they’re sent to the slaughterhouse.

Have you heard this before? Or do you think the farm hid this so you can drink your daily glass of milk with peace of mind?

Did you know that all forms of animal agriculture require forcibly impregnating animals? This involves a worker inserting their arm far into an animal’s rectum and forcing semen into her. When animals on factory farms are violated, it’s called “artificial insemination.”

And what about the male animals?

If veal is the flesh of a calf, do you understand that male cows must be killed as children?

Will you imagine, for a moment, a human mother, still in her hospital gown, holding her newborn baby? With a tenderness in her eyes, she passes her hand over her child’s head, holding his delicate hands in hers.

Now, can you imagine a cow, moments after birthing her calf? As she caresses her yearning calf, who clings to her for protection, do you see that she loves her child as profoundly as a human does?

But how do you feel when you hear the tractor pull up just minutes later and see the mother’s frightened eyes as her calf is ripped away from her?

When she screams as her child is driven away, crying, unaware of the torturous death he will soon endure, do you find that calf undeserving of life and love?

And does it bother you that male chicks, who can’t lay eggs or grow to commercial size are often shredded alive, gassed, suffocated, electrocuted?

Have you ever thought that no animal is safe from the horrors of factory farms?

Ninety-nine percent of animals raised for food in the U.S. are on factory farms — whether your meat, dairy or eggs are from McDonald’s or Whole Foods, the animals suffered.

So, having been to a factory farm do you realize that farm animals are alive and suffering, and that you don’t have to add to their pain?

That by buying animal products, you are supporting the inhumane practices of factory farms? Can you instead set an example of seeking justice rather than harm?

MBTI personalities: knowledge through introspection

The Campanile

Monday, February 7, 2022

B3

Lifestyle

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s senior Eva Salvatierra scrolls through her feed on social media, she can’t help but notice the similarities in looks between each girl who crosses her screen. To her, many of the girls she sees on social media gain their mass followings with the help of their looks and the way they satisfy society’s beauty standards.

‘Pretty privilege’, a term to describe the idea that conventionally attractive people receive more opportunities in their lives than others, is alive and well, Salvatierra said, even in the lives of teens.

“It’s very present in a high school environment,” Salvatierra said. “I think it’s important to know that pretty privilege is not just about whether people find your face attractive. It’s if your body is fitting the thin body standard while also having a postpubescent body that our models and actresses look like.”

During high school, students are navigating their social life and creating relationships with potential life-long friends.

Salvatierra said that many students will make decisions about who to associate with based on how conventionally attractive people will impact their lives.

“Your entire (high school) experience can be more positive (if you’re more attractive) because people will treat you better by either associating with you to increase their social status or wanting to get on your good side since pretty people are seen to have more power in society,” Salvatierra said.

Sophomore Trey Collins agrees and said pretty privilege is a defining aspect of the social culture at Paly.

“I think a lot of people care about your looks at Paly,” Collins said. “It’s sad, but a lot of people base their friendships off of it and relationships too.”

Collins said he attributes the presence of pretty privilege in high school, especially at Paly, to the human desire for power. He said people think that by associating with conven-

tionally pretty people, they will look cooler.

While pretty privilege is present within a high school environment, adults say they see the effect of it too, especially in the workplace, according to women’s studies professor Lori Baker-Sperry at Western Illinois University.

She said women who invest in their appearance are more likely to be respected and successful in the workplace.

The perpetuation of pretty privilege from high school to work can negatively impact women whose appearances change with respect to beauty standards, Salvatierra said. She said this is especially present with women after having their first child.

“You might be treated differently by society if you’ve had a child because society likes young, thin women, and our patriarchy tells us that our value declines after we have our first child,” Salvatierra said “I think that the consequences of that in our adulthood are pretty severe because you’ve learned how society treats you based on your looks and that can affect your confidence in the workplace.”

Beauty standards have been present in society since Ancient Rome and Greece. These standards have changed, adapting to the cultures and values of the time. Salvatierra also said current beauty standards can be attributed to a white, patriarchal society.

“A lot of pretty privilege stems from white supremacy, but also beauty privilege is a manifestation of the patriarchy,” Salvatierra said.

“I think that, in particular, women are seen as pretty if they fit the pretty image that a patriarchal society wants them to fit.”

In fact, Salvatierra said men cannot experience pretty privilege to the extent that women do.

“Men don’t have to be seen as the hottest man in the world to already have power, to manipulate systems and to make more money,” Salvatierra said. “Whereas a pretty woman’s power in a patriarchal society is limited to their ability of rising above based on their image.”

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ART BY ALEXANDRA MA

Collins agrees and said men allow pretty privilege to exist.

“It’s more of a factor with girls because guys create conditions with their beauty standards, which allows girls to receive pretty privilege,” Collins said.

Along with being created by the patriarchy, beauty standards are influenced by the brain’s innate attraction to symmetry, psychology teacher Melinda Mattes said.

“People with more symmetrical faces tend to be judged as being more beautiful,” Mattes said. “Biologically, symmetry correlates with other things such as better health outcomes, fertility, and all sorts of stuff. So from an evolutionary perspective, symmetry, which is equated with beauty, is sort of a proxy for a healthy mate.”

While pretty privilege is a result of society, bias is also an aspect of it. Mattes said bias is created based on what we’ve experienced, what we’ve been told and what we see. Our brain is

Students, staff still seek out environmental justice

Parker Wang

Senior James Miller said he where Loomis studied, there was began to study environmental scia sewage runoff into the Charles ence after reading the book “Assem- River that caused rashes or sickness bling California” by John McPhee. for those exposed to it, which LooMcPhee’s book deals with plate mis said impacted her as a member tectonics in the Golden State and of her crew team spending time in helped Miller see things differently. the polluted water.

“McPhee illuminated science “I switched to environmental for me in a way I had never noticed engineering and that’s really where before, by bringing humans into the I started to learn and to understand equation,” Miller said. some of the local things in Boston According to the Environmental that were problem,” Loomis said.

Protection Agency, “EnvironmenBased on his reading and his extal justice is the fair treatment and periences, Miller said he is worried meaningful involvement of all about the lack of awareness surpeople regardless of race, color, narounding environmental issues. tional origin or income with respect “Environmental justice affects to the development, implementation the world and people who have no and enforcement of environmental idea that environmental justice is laws, regulations and policies.” even a problem,” Miller said. “If For better or worse, humans are a you want environmental justice, you part of the equation. Environmental have to be aware of the world. It’s justice means people get to have just as simple as that.” a say about what is built in their neighborhood. It means equal access to green spaces and ensures that one Kyla Schwarzbach group of people is not disproporArt & Photo Manager tionately affected by a new development.

Environmental justice is an essential focus because it impacts people’s daily lives, AP Environmental Science teacher Nicole Loomis said.

“There’s a history of people who can’t afford to live in a place that isn’t impacted by things like emissions from factories,” she said.“There’s definitely a pattern, nationwide, but also worldwide, of people who don’t have the means to get away from those things and end up living alongside them.”

Loomis said she became interested in environmental AR T BY justice while majoring in enviPH ILL IP C ronmental engineering. In Boston, HURC

Every day school, then middleschooler Madhu Ramkumar scrolled through the apps on her phone, browsing through the plethora of entertainment options until she finally settled on YouTube.

Anticipating a new video from one of her favorite YouTubers, she was always sure to stay on top of the latest uploads.

Once upon a time, many YouTube content creators thrived by engulfing YouTube feeds with fascinating content. However, several years later, much of their original audience has vanished. Many students have been moving away from watching YouTubers such as NigaHiga and Rclbeauty101. Instead of watching these creators’ recent content many students now look for newer content that interests them.

Ramkumar said when she was younger, she found the content that these YouTubers uploaded to be engaging and funny.

“The YouTubers were all mostly younger, so it was cool as a 13 to 14 year-old to see them doing such big things at that age,” Ramkumar said.

Each YouTuber’s content today shapes the relationships viewers used to have with them, and varying viewers’ engagement can affect how creators react and respond in terms of types of content and ventures onto new platforms.

Sophomore Alex Ng said he also used to watch YouTube videos, especially NigaHiga videos, with his brother. Ng said Ryan Higa — NigaHiga online — was a YouTuber who was always being himself and not putting on a facade for the screen.

“He was just naturally funny,” Ng said. “The work that was put into some of his videos were also noticeable, and his production value was very high.”

But within the last few years,

HLEY

conditioned to have a bias because it simplifies the decision making process.

“We have to take these mental shortcuts because we don’t have time — as social creatures we are constantly interacting with others — to get to know every facet of every individual we interact with,” Mattes said. “So we use a lot of what we can observe as a shortcut.”

In order to dismantle pretty privilege, Mattes said people need to be more aware of their bias.

“The problem is when bias gets in the way of making decisions, and we make inaccurate or inappropriate ones,” Mattes said. “The idea that we are biased is part of the human condition, and it’s on us to try to live more harmoniously with the idea that there is a bias.”

Charlotte Hallenbeck Business Manager

<()'%'-)&*(&'2%/7&"#$=$3'%-&92('Science & Tech Editor

YouTubers who maintained a high reputation and even higher follower counts have been getting much less popular. As someone who used to enjoy NigaHiga videos, junior Yash Shetty said he eventually began to outgrow NigaHiga’s content and sense of humor.

Although Shetty’s said NigaHiga is one of his favorite YouTubers, he said his NigaHiga’s videos are simplistic — great content for a middle-schooler but dull for anyone past that. Also, Shetty said he finds longer-length videos are more interesting because of their in-depth plot development, so he said he now watches TV shows and movies since they give him the ability to get invested in the plot outcomes.

Ng said he noticed NigaHiga started using Twitch, a video-game focused live streaming service, more.

“I’ve never stopped watching NigaHiga’s videos, however all of a sudden he stopped uploading videos, and I think it’s because online streaming is growing fast,” Ng said.

Ramkumar said she stopped watching many of her top YouTubers’ content gradually, primarily due to the rise of TikTok. YouTuber and Instagrammer Emma Chamberlain is a creator who switched to using TikTok after losing a lot of her initial YouTube audience.

However, she deleted her TikTok late last year and returned to using Instagram as the primary platform to attract her audience.

“It was easier to watch 15-second videos compared to longer videos on YouTube,” Ramkumar said.

Ramkumar also said a lot of YouTube content does not resonate with or interest her anymore. She said she thinks a lot of her favorite creators stopped making YouTube videos because they realized YouTube was no longer the best platform to engage with their audiences.

Ramkumar said, “At the end of the day, you either have to adapt with the changing trends or get left behind.”

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The Campanile

Monday, February 7, 2022

B4

Spotlight

Demystifying the

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ith trembling fingers, Gunn senior Edlyn Hsueh clicks “post,” adding to her feed of personal snapshots and portraits, some with her friends and others showcasing revealing costumes. Almost immediately, her phone lights up with an incoming flood of comments and likes. Little does she know that the scope of her audience spans far wider than the 3,000 regular followers she has on her public account. And while future employers or college admissions officers might be checking her content, Hsueh said she isn’t too worried –– there’s nothing truly inappropriate to trace back to her.

“However, (even though) it depends on what you post, I think you should have the right to privacy for it, if it’s a picture you own,” Hseuh said.

For students looking for a job after high school, going through athletic recruitment, trying to prevent potential legal issues or exploring the college application process, the idea that admissions officers or employers can use what is posted online as part of the admissions or hiring process may seem formidable.

Sabrina Huang, a Stanford PhD candidate in Communications who studies interactions and relationships formed through social media, said people need to be aware of their digital footprint: an online trail that a person creates while using technology.

“Much like a trail of footprints left by muddy shoes, our actions on digital devices such as phones, smartwatches and the internet can be traced back to us, even when we are unintentionally leaving these traces,” Huang said.

In a recent Schoology survey conducted by The Campanile, 41% of the 245 Paly students who responded said they posted something online and either regretted it or deleted it because they were concerned about the potentially negative consequences.

This regret may be because internet users tend to act more careless on their devices, a psychological concept called deindividuation.

Psychology teacher and Teacher Advisor Chris Farina said this concept means a person no longer sees him or herself as an individual who stands out but rather as part of a large group. Teenagers may be inclined to join in on controversial trends or post problematic content as a way to fit in or feel included.

“You lose some of the inhibitions that you would otherwise have, to do things that violate social norms,” Farina said.

Research debunks social media misconceptions Even though it’s a critical component of online safety, Angela Lee, a doctoral researcher in the Stanford Social Media Lab, said several

myths surround a digital footprint’s tangible effects. A digital footprint is often painted as an issue only teenagers have to worry about, but Lee said this is an illusion.

“College students comment on how they can’t believe what kids post in high school, but when I talk with high school students, they can’t believe what their siblings post in elementary school,” she said. “All of us can benefit by bringing a critical eye, no matter how old we are.”

In a 2017 incident at Harvard, the university revoked the acceptance of at least 10 students after officials discovered obscene memes with graphic content targeting minority students circulating in group chats. Not only were the creators of the group chats rescinded from the school, but the people who added to these chats were as well.

Privacy is also an issue related to a person’s digital footprint since technology has the ability to track someone’s every move and boost algorithms that make people want to stay online longer.

But it’s not all bad news. Huang said there’s a common misconception that technology users have no control over their privacy or that privacy doesn’t matter since applications already seem to know everything about their users.

“Fortunately, even small steps, such as updating privacy settings and opting out of trackers can be meaningful in the long run,” she said.

Digital footprint discussed in Advisory Farina said that digital tracking issues are taught in Advisory, which is mandatory for all students at Paly. Still, different age groups vary in terms of their knowledge and interest.

The lessons middle schoolers learn about online safety and maintaining a healthy balance between time on and off electronics slowly fade as students transition into a bigger campus with better technology and more use for it.

And Huang said many students aren’t able to control their behavior and understand the fact that they are just a click away from altering their prospective opportunities.

“Teenagers may be especially prone to rash behavior online because their brains — including the part that is in charge of decision-making and thinking about the consequences of actions — are not yet fully developed,” Huang said.

Freshman Lavanya Serohi said she lacks knowledge about her digital footprint because it doesn’t seem to affect her personally.

“I gradually realized that I’m not too worried about college recruiters tracking me because (my posts) aren’t inappropriate, and I have reasoning behind everything I have searched or talked about online,” she said.

Art by Wallie Butler Story by Lillian Clark, Eric Fan and Christie Hong

Do Paly

50.0%

consider possible 40.6% consequences

As the digital world grows, coll to a time where almost every stude science teacher Roxanne Lanzot s what colleges are looking for in th “I know that a couple of years a leges, the college admissions team and checking your Instagram acco Because of this change, junior fi who is looking to continue her ath more aware of what she posts onli process.

“The promotion of anything vie could ruin someone’s chances at pl Junior soccer player Rhys Foote all even though he has social medi coaches looking to recruit him to s “I want to make sure that a sear of consideration before I even kno Though most potential college they are aware of what they post o be aware of their digital footprint applicants’ online posts to thoroug ting.

“The responsibility shifted to th out who this applicant really is,” L they are?”

And Farina said if what is bein will look.

“They will scrape whatever they decisions and find some sort of jus person in or not,” Farina said. “So, to take a look because it helps them tial as students.”

Nonetheless, Scheel said postin advantages in the college recruitm “Social media can be a great wa ting in. Especially for prospective your best self on and off the field s your decision to play,” she said. “I m where I only post field hockey-rela by a number of schools which I ha to watch me grow as a player and Regardless, Lanzot said she wa what they post and consider any n “Nothing you post on the inter “So to me, the more pressing mess is to really think deeply before you online.”

While the discussion on people may be somewhat convoluted, the cut solution: the right to be forgot that citizens own their own data a and delete their digital informatio bein

before posting something online?

9.4%

by The Campanile, 244 total Paly student responses

Think before you presence can affe

Erasure in the EU privacy or avoidin

students actively

Source: Survey conducted

However, senior Vienna Lee sa tracking through exposure to tech social life.

“After working at a technology how other brands use other people sharing things about me on the in

Sometimes

Always/almost all the time

No/rarely

Monday, February 7, 2022

The Campanile

Spotlight

B5

e digital f tprint

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aid she gained experience with digital hnology at her job and through her

y startup, I’ve learned a lot about … e’s data, so I’ve learned to stop openly nternet,” Lee said.

u post: online ect admissions

lege admission officials have adapted ent has an online presence. Computer said she notices a change in terms of heir students during the internet age. ago when you were applying to colm was not going out and Googling you ounts,” Lanzot said. field hockey player Kellyn Scheel, hletic career in college, said she is ine since she began the recruitment

ewed as intolerable by a given school laying a sport there,” Scheel said. e said he does not post online at ia accounts because he wants any see him in a positive light. rch of my name doesn’t take me out ow I’m in consideration,” Foote said. athletes like Scheel and Foote say online. Lanzot said all students should because colleges may begin to look at ghly understand who they are admit-

he college admissions team to figure Lanzot said. “Are they who they say

ng posted online is public, a college

y can to try and help them make stification for if they should let this , if stuff is public, then they’re going m learn something about their poten-

ng on social media can also have its ment process. ay to showcase the work you’re putathletes, it is important to present so coaches know you are serious about myself have an account on Instagram ated content. My account is followed ave connected with as a way for them keep up with my skill.” ants students to be mindful about negative consequences. rnet is ever really erased,” Lanzot said. sage I want students to understand u post or comment or put something

U: protecting ng accountability?

e’s digital footprint within the U.S. e European Union has a more cleartten. A 2016 EU regulation states and have the right to manipulate on as they wish, as long as it’s not ng used for a court case or scientific research. A European court ruling against Google in 2014 further strengthened the validity of the regulation.

Support for this concept has gained traction in the U.S. too. A survey by the Benenson Strat-

egy Group found that nearly nine out of 10 Americans thought that some form of the right to be forgotten was necessary. A 2017 New York bill similar to the EU’s right to be forgotten would have made it mandatory to take down inaccurate or irrelevant statements about someone within 30 days but failed to pass.

While laws like this may champion individual rights and privacy, regulations like this could also give ill-intentioned internet users another shield to hide behind. Senior Mateo Fesslmeier said he doesn’t believe digital posts should be able to be erased so easily.

“Let’s say someone makes a bad decision or does something that’s not right,” Fesslmeier said. “Then they shouldn’t just be able to be like, ‘Oh, can you just take that away?’ or ‘Can you just erase that?’ because that takes away the whole fundamental idea of what they did being not morally correct.”

Farina said he also has concerns related to the enforceability of such laws.

“It sounds nice. In practice, though, how easy is that?” Farina said. “It’s such a pain. I think that it probably makes more sense ultimately to come to terms as a society with the fact that, yeah, everyone will do something stupid and something they may regret.”

Still, for many, the need for personal privacy remains strong, and an engineer at a major social media company, who agreed to an interview only if their name and company were not used, said it’s not a question of if such a law will be passed in the U.S. but when.

“Most of the tech companies are already trying to provide users with a lot more control and transparency about what data is being used and what data is being collected,” he said. “I think it’s a matter of time when it will be implemented in the U.S., and I think it’s going to be sooner than later.”

“Much like a trail of footprints left by muddy shoes, our actions on digital devices ... can be traced back to us, even when we are unintentionally leaving these traces.”

–– Sabrina Huang, Stanford PhD candidate in Communications

Digital disparity diverts responsibility One of the causes of the disparity between people’s online and offline identities is that people are psychologically in a different state when on the internet compared to in real life, Farina said.

“There’s a concept in psychology called deindividuation, which is when you no longer see yourself as an individual that stands out, but rather as a part of a large group,” Farina said. “You lose some of the inhibitions that you would otherwise have to do things that violate social norms.”

Given this difference in psychological states, is it still fair to hold people accountable for their actions? Farina said he thinks so.

“Yeah, of course, as much as but no more than they should be held accountable for if they did that in a real physical space,” he said.

Senior Vienna Lee agrees.

“If you aren’t (held accountable), then you can totally be like, ‘Oh, that’s just me online and not me in person, and I can do whatever I want online, but in person, I’ll just be a perfect person,’’’ Lee said.

However, sometimes holding others accountable for their actions can be taken to an extreme.

“When I was a teenager in the ‘90s, the internet wasn’t as prevalent, not even close,” Lanzot. “No one had a cell phone in my high school.

And so you did stupid things, but there wasn’t a bunch of evidence.

There was a picture somewhere floating around, but it wasn’t on the whole internet for the world to see. And then for anyone to download and repost and save forever and republish 20 years later when you’re running for city council.”

In the end, Lanzot said she urges all teens to be more careful when posting on the internet.

“To do stupid things, it’s part of the fun of being a teenager,” Lanzot said. “But maybe it doesn’t need to be shared, posted or published with anyone.

Maybe it could just be a private memory with the humans you’re with at that moment.”

The Campanile

Monday, February 7, 2022

B6

Lifestyle

Roots of counterculture in Silicon Valley reveal history of challenging norms

S

ilicon Valley is a place where things begin. Whether through technological innovation or ground breaking scientific discoveries, the community is known for having an outsized impact on the rest of the world.

However, the spotlight placed on the tech giants that make the earth go round often outshines the fact that Silicon Valley was the birthplace of one of the most important social shifts in American history: the counterculture movement.

According to local historian Bo Crane, it all began with a 1956 concert in the Haymarket Theater. Folk music legend Pete Seeger played a show attended by Stanford student Dave Guard, later a member of the Kingston Trio, and then-Paly junior Joan Baez –– both of whom were later inspired to become folk musicians and would go on to popularize the genre on a national scale.

They would later inspire other local musicians such as Jerry Garcia.

Sociology teacher Benjamin Bolanos said music played an important role in the counterculture movement.

“I think the music allowed for a critique of a system without being academic, in a way that people can actually understand,” Bolanos said. “All those pieces of music were almost like telling you what is actually happening.”

Crane agreed and said that music, especially from the Bay Area, was the driving force of the counterculture movement.

“In a decade, 1957-67, folk songs morphed first to electric and then to psychedelic rock,” Crane wrote in his book “Ticket to Rock Palo Alto.” “Social awareness as called out by folk singers of the early ‘60s led the way to the late ‘60s exploration of expanding consciousness.”

One of the many non-musicians to embrace the idea of expanding consciousness was novelist Ken Kesey, author of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Working as a test subject at the Menlo Park Veterans Affairs hospital, while stealing drugs from the medicine cabinet, Kesey was first exposed to LSD when the CIA conducted experiments at the hospital to see if the compound could be used as a truth serum.

While tripping on acid, Crane said Kesey and friends attended a 1965 Beatles

concert in Daly City, where Crane said Kesey was “freaked out” by the large crowds and Beatlemania. As a result, Kesey decided to hold his own acid tests in a more controlled environment. After renting a club on San Antonio Road, he asked local guitar teacher Garcia to perform at the event with his newly-formed band, The Grateful Dead.

The Dead were often seen as more than a band. Revolving around the group were thousands of nomadic Deadheads who would travel from city to city to see every show on a tour, embracing the beatnik attitude towards life. “(The Grateful Dead) brought on a whole different wave of musical thinking,” Crane said. “Pretty soon, even The Beatles were doing LSD and changing their style.”

The social climate of the time period was influenced heavily by these musicians. Bolanos said there was a distinct shift in young people’s outlook on life. “(The counterculture movement) opened up this new idea that it might be good to challenge the status quo,” Bolanos said.

About a decade later, more groundbreaking change was brewing in Silicon Valley. Steve Jobs had just founded Apple Computers.

A kid raised in the birthplace of the counterculture movement, Jobs was influenced by the spirit of the times. In a 2011 interview, Bono, the lead singer of rock band U2, said that “Steve Jobs came out of a ‘60s rock and roll ethos. The people who invented the 21st century had their consciousness shaped by music.”

Jobs himself said experimenting with LSD was one of the few most important things he did in his life, suggesting the

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ART BY WALLIE BUTLER

substance played a role in the innovative design of early Apple products.

“The movement kind of opened up a whole wave of creativity which spilled over to the computers,” Crane said. “So you had this mixture of Stanford and the psychedelics which kind of launched Silicon Valley.”

Junior Phela Durosinmi, a self-proclaimed Deadhead, said he is a fan of the music and literature from the counterculture movement, and he agrees it played an important role in how society changed over the 20th century.

“Before the movement, ideas were much stricter and people didn’t express themselves as much,” Du-

rosinmi said. “Afterward, everyone felt like they could be accepted no matter what they did. And I think that’s representative of today’s culture.”

Durosinmi said U.S. culture owes a lot to the Bay Area’s counterculture movement.

“I think a lot of how society functions today can be accredited to that era,” Durosinmi said. “They really redefined what was acceptable and what was the norm for everyone.”

Ben Antonow

News & Opinion Editor

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Gunn sophomore Annabel Honigstein often enjoyed her lunch at Piazza’s with friends from both Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School and her previous school, Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School. During one of these lunches, Honigstein’s JLS friends asked if she was Jewish.

When she said she was, she said they started making comments like, ‘Your dad’s a banker, and your friend’s dad is a banker too.”

Like Honigstein, many PAUSD Jewish students say they have experienced instances of discrimination and feel like they are not included in the district’s curriculum as much as they should be.

Honigstein said Jews are not represented in an inspiring way in her classes, especially to non-Jews. “(If I were) a non-Jewish kid, I really wouldn’t know anything about Jewish people other than the fact that so many died in the Holocaust, which is just an unfortunate way of looking at things,” Honigstein said.

Honigstein said much of the way Jews are portrayed in the PAUSD curriculum perpetuates Jew victimization — where Jews throughout history are seen as always being victims.

Chemistry teacher Michael Mishali, who is an Atheist but was raised as a conservative Orthodox Jew, said he still carries on Jewish traditions from his childhood and wishes that the history of the Jewish people wasn’t so limited in school. “(History class) really does paint

a very small picture about people,” Mishali said. “But we’ve been around for a very long time, and Jewish people have done more than be scapegoats.”

Honigstein thinks this limited view of Jews in the school curriculum could be helped by bringing more attention to Jewish politicians, powerful historical figures or celebrities in the classroom.

“There are just so many Jewish leaders out there that have made such big contributions to society, but they’re never really shouted out,” Honigstein said. “It would be really cool to see more Jewish representation (in our) curriculum.”

Some Jewish students and teachers said microagressions and subtle anti-Semitism is a problem that they experience at PAUSD as well.

Honigstein said she remembers learning about the Holocaust and having her teacher single her out in front of the class to ask whether the teacher was pronouncing the name of a concentration camp correctly.

Honigstein also said she has experienced microaggressions

related to stereotypes about Jewish people.

“I’ve heard the, ‘Oh, you’re Jewish.

That’s why your nose looks like that,” Honigstein said. “Or ‘Your dad’s a banker.’”

Part of the problem, Honigstein said, is that most people are not

ART BY HANNAH SINGER

aware that these offhanded comments are offensive.

“I would say there’s been quite a few microaggressions that I don’t think people do intentionally. I think it’s in a friendly, joking way. But nonetheless, it’s not OK.” Paly senior Simon Illouz said just like other Jewish students in PAUSD, the microaggressions and anti-Semitism he experienecs are mostly unintentional jokes.

“Personally, I hear coin jokes or gas jokes (or things like) ‘Jews are controlling the media,’” Illouz said.

Paly senior Sofia Antebi, a Vietnamese and Latina Jew, described how many people react to her being Jewish.

“I’ve had some people tell me, ‘oh, are you really that Jewish,’ or kind of invalidate that part of my identity,” Antebi said.

Mishali said he likes talking about his Jewish identity when he knows it will be well received, which isn’t always the case. He said he doesn’t openly share with his students that his dad is Israeli.

“I worry that people will see me and see politics behind that,” Mishali said. “You know, they’ll see me and think a certain thing of me.”

While Mishali is cautious

around students and others when sharing about his Jewish traditions, Antebi said she likes seeing teachers make an effort to include the Jewish experience in their classroom, especially around the holiday season.

“I think it’s really cool to see sometimes teachers put up a menorah, (to) have that kind of inclusion,” Antebi said.

Honigstein said PAUSD should collaborate with the Jewish Student Union and inform Jewish and non-Jewish students about Jewish holidays and the effects of antiSemitism. “(PAUSD) does this occasionally for other holidays,” Honigstein said.

“I think it would be really inclusive if they did it for us as well, even if it’s a small Schoology post.”

Honigstein is also part of an international Jewish teen movement, and she wants those around her to learn more about the effects of antiSemitism.

“Anti-Semitism is so often left out of people’s activism, and everyone who stays silent about it is to blame, whether they overhear a microaggresion and don’t say anything, or they choose to ignore learning about anti-Semitism,” Honigstein said.

Honigstein said Jews should stand up for themselves to help people understand why their words are discriminatory.

“I make sure to never stay silent when I overhear microaggressions or if one is directed at me,” Honigstein said. “Because no one will ever learn if we don’t help them understand why what they said is in fact a microaggression.”

Monday, February 7, 2022

The Campanile

B7

Sports ;0<$#$0'',1#(&'($# 09#$,-$03#)&%*# $%1035#$%-1% Cole Sturino

Senior Staff Writer

ROHIT SENGUPTA/USED WITH PERMISSION

Hang time! Freshman Rohit Sengupta completes a whip, a trick involving turning a bike mid-air, while riding at the Carlmont Jumps, a trail system in Hidden Canyon Park, Belmont. “If you don’t want to risk getting hurt, mountain biking is not the sport for you,” he said. “It’s for people who want to go fast.”

Mountain bikers strike dangerous balance between thrill, skill off-trail

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reshman Tasman Johnson has broken his wrist three times, has had three concussions and has cracked a rib, all in just the past three years.

Johnson is a mountain biker who — in addition to “a bunch of cuts and bruises that don’t really count” — sustained all of these injuries in pursuit of the adrenaline the sport offers.

“I stick with it because it’s worth it,” Johnson said. “It never gets boring, and the thrill never wears off.”

Whether riders are racing down slopes or trying new skills, mountain biking is about testing the limits of what the biker’s equipment and body can sustain, freshman Ethan Edwards said, adding that mountain bikers can only control the danger, not remove it.

“The element of risk is key to mountain biking,” Edwards said.

“When you land a trick, it feels like a weight off your shoulders.”

Junior Marco Giovangrandi said the danger of the sport forces bikers to be psychologically prepared in addition to physical preparation.

“You need to find comfort in a scary situa-

tion,” he said. “It’s all mental, and it takes a lot of determination.”

Johnson said he’s been competing as a downhill racer for over three years.

“My dad took a buddy and me on some jumps in San Jose, and I fell in love,” Johnson said. “I then got a bike and started competing in races in Tahoe.”

In his time with the sport, Johnson said one moment sticks out in particular: his first win.

“It was a race in Belmont, and I was facing a guy who’d won the competition the last three years,” Johnson said.

“I managed to beat him, and it felt like such an achievement.”

Freshman Rohit Sengupta, on the other hand, said he prefers to ride noncompetitively, exploring the mountains and trying out new jumps.

“Even when you’re going slowly, it still feels like a roller coaster, and it’s great just to enjoy the mountains,” Sengupta said.

Sengupta said mountain bikers have the added task of finding, and often creating, places to ride.

“There’s no trails in Palo Alto, so I had to build some of my own,” Sengupta said. “I started off just building a turn and a jump in my back-

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yard, but I’ve started bringing my buddies with me, and we’ve built some pretty impressive trails in secret spots.”

Whether they choose to bike in groups or on their own, mountain bikers belong to a tight-knit, helpful community, one Sengupta said is part of the reason he loves the sport so much.

“Whether you’re a newbie or a pro, people are always out there for you,” Sengupta said.

Edwards, who said he plans to switch from tricks to racing, attributes the closeness of the community to the learning experience that all mountain bikers have experienced.

“Everyone started from the bottom, and everyone’s trying to learn,” Edwards said.

Giovangrandi was quick to add that the thrill of mountain biking creates a community he wishes more people could join.

“I’ve met tons of people through mountain biking that I wouldn’t have otherwise,” Giovangrandi said. “When we’re on our bikes, everyone’s having a good time.”

Johnson agrees.

“It’s hard to describe to an outsider,” Johnson said. “We’re all just out there in pursuit of the rush.”

Zack Silver Sports Editor

Right before the most recent game against Mountain View, varsity soccer coach Rusty Millard felt good about his team’s chances.

“It always starts with the way we prepare,” Millard said. “The last three nights have been absolutely fantastic out on the training ground … so now it’s an opportunity to go and try to be the best we can be tonight.”

Though the team ended up losing to Mountain View, junior and varsity player Charlie Merkel said he felt decent about his team’s record but would be remiss to not mention the effect that COVID had on the team’s season.

“The season record-wise is going well, but COVID has definitely taken its toll on our team with two COVID exposures so far,” Merkel said. “Since we are just getting back from a big COVID exposure that sabotaged our team for about a week, I’m very thankful to be playing soccer again and hope to get through this Omicron spike without any more interruptions.”

Merkel said he was also thankful for the performances of his teammates, especially goalie Isaac Kirby’s game-saving performance against rival Gunn.

“Thanks to his penalty save, the tide of the game shifted and we were able to pull away with a tie,” Merkel said.

JV coach John Bungarden said for his team, while competition is close, COVID postponements are having a negative effect on the season.

“I can imagine a lot of games and matches being decided by a single match or goal,” Bungarden said.

“Though because of COVID, a lot of matches have been postponed.

Less than half of the scheduled matches have been played, because of COVID-19, so getting all the talent together and improving is one of the challenges.”

For the varsity team, Millard said he wants to restore Paly soccer’s reputation as one of the powerhouse programs in the CCS. “We think we have all the tools in place to compete at League this year,” Millard said. “Now, we got to go put our stamp on it, and show everybody what we’re made of.”

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BRIANNA ZHOU/THE CAMPANILE

Senior midfielder Mariana Kessinger attempts a pass during the team’s Jan. 26 win vs. Los Gatos.

At halfway through the season, the girls varsity soccer team’s record is currently 2-32, making them 5th in their league.

“The season has been good,” senior and co-captain Olivia Milne said. “Our record in terms of wins and losses is medium. I think we’re mid-to-upper in our league.”

In contrast, senior Cassie Taleno-Dee said the team’s season isn’t going as well as expected.

“We’ve walked away with ties we should have won and losses we shouldn’t have lost.

For all the training we put in, I expected us to have a much better record,” Taleno-Dee said.

Regardless of the record, Milne said the team realizes their main challenge: adjusting to playing as a team instead of as individuals.

“We all come from different club teams,” Milne said. “Learning to mesh and work together as a team with these vastly different backgrounds has been challenging.”

Milne said the team has spent lots of time together during bonding activities outside of practice, in an attempt to form a better, closer team. Taleno-Dee said the team will need a turnaround to achieve its goal of playing in the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament.

“Of course we would love to go to CCS, but we have to play in the moment and game by game,” Taleno-Dee said. “We will need some more wins to at least secure a spot in CCS.” But Milne is confident in the team’s ability to improve and make it to CCS. “I think it’s doable. We just have to work hard for the second half of the season,” Milne says. “(We’ll) keep working hard — at practice we can’t let up. We have to keep trying our best all the way until the end.”

Brianna Zhou Staff Writer

With a 8-0 league record and standing at 17-1 overall, the girls varsity basketball team hopes to continue their winning streak as they finish their season’s final games.

Freshman Vienn Sheng leads the team in this journey, especially after scoring 18-points — all in three-pointers — over Los Gatos (5245) to secure the team’s first place in SCVAL’s De Anza Division.

“It was really exciting because all of my threes were important to the game along with every other basket,” Sheng said.

Sheng said her position as shooting guard allows her to lead the team in shooting, but everyone’s shots are crucial to their success, eliminating the idea of roles on the team.

“I’m portrayed as the shooter, and I’m usually hitting the most threes because it’s my job, but I also try to get rebounds, assists and play good defense,” Sheng said. “We all just do a little bit of everything, so having a job isn’t a thing because we’re all contributing.”

Coach Scott Peters recognizes Sheng’s strong shooting game, but said she excels due to her resilient mentality to continue to shoot after missing shots. Additionally, she’s succeeded on the court due to her hard work ethic to improve other aspects of her game.

“I know she can shoot, but where she’s really worked hard is dribbling and playing defense,” Peters said. “Those are two areas where she had to work on in order to play and I see her continually working on that, and that’s why I’m really proud of her.”

While the team has performed well on the court, Peters said their bench has equally helped them achieve their victories throughout the season.

“Our bench a lot of times this year has brought us energy when we really needed it the most,” Peters said. “I think it’s helped us win a couple of games when we were in trouble.

CHARLOTTE HALLENBECK /THE CAMPANILE

Sophomore Natalie Neumann looks to pass against Wilcox in her team’s 58-32 win on Jan. 24.

That’s really what I am excited about with this team.”

As the season comes to a close, the team will have to play their final five games in a total of just eight days.

They’ll play on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday and the following Tuesday to finish their season, due to game rescheduling caused

by COVID-19 delays.

“It’s going to be tough because teams are going to give us their best shot,” Peters said. “If we’re going to get every team’s best, we’re going to need to come out and perform. It’s going to be a challenging situation but I think our team has the mental toughness to fight through it.”

Charlotte Hallenbeck Business Manager

The Campanile

Monday, February 7, 2022

Sp rts

A Dancer’s Dialect

F

rom the hand symbols of traditional cultural dances to the leaps and spins in ballet or even the locking and popping in hip hop, the movements in dance are as varied as the places they originate from. Often accompanied by music, dancers tell stories through movements, combining the precision of sports with the artistic expression of art to communicate in a unique dialect.

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The prompts on junior Evie Barclay’s dance calendar are unique: “On the edge of a skyscraper,” “Heavy metal ball rolling throughout body” and “Liquids of different viscosities.”

These are only a few of the scenarios Barclay said she tries to portray through movement in her daily improv dance practices.

“Dance is storytelling, and sometimes the mental exercises can grow stale in my mind,” Barclay said. “If I want to come up with something new and discover new movements, there’s some little sentences that I have that I’ve collected over time that provide vivid imagery I can latch onto as I move.”

For Barclay, movement is a critical part to telling the story each dance piece contains. To become a better dancer and storyteller, she said she has trained and competed in more than 10 dance styles ranging from contemporary to ballet to jazz. Barclay said she tries to take classes in as many styles as possible in order to strengthen the muscle and mental connections that help her become a more elegant yet dynamic dancer.

“I personally like to spend more time in movement,” Barclay said. “I’d rather be enjoying a moment so much that I forget to move on than anticipating and thinking about what comes next. So it’s really the very tiny moments and choices where I think, ‘OK, instead of hitting this hard like everyone else is hitting, I’m going to really look at my hand and turn it over and put a lot of energy into that.’”

These small moments of personal expression are just another way Barclay said she fully invests herself in the story she is portraying.

As she moves, Barclay said she draws on the creativity that years of dance and improvisation practice have cultivated in order to create mental pictures she then expresses through her movement.

“You can find dynamics in all styles of movement based on where you put your energy and your intention,” Barclay said. “And … dance is so rich culturally. It’s so amazing, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the different types of dance.”

also just a way for humans to visualize the human experience into some amount of sensory creation.”

Although he has tried many dance styles, Joondeph said he most enjoys two: Odissi, a form of Indian classical dance, and Indian contemporary dance. To further explore those interests, Joondeph said he has choreographed shows, taught Indian dance and become an assistant artistic director at his dance company.

He said part of his intent as a dancer is to keep traditional styles like Odissi alive.

“There’s a bunch of (Odissi dance pieces) that go super under the radar,” Joondeph said.

“And because there’s no written record of dance, as soon as these old practitioners of the form pass away that know these dance pieces, the pieces basically die.”

Over the past year, Joondeph said he has been researching, archiving and learning the pieces himself through hundreds of hours of combing through the internet for obscure Odissi dance videos and their choreography.

“It’s not just dance,” Joondeph said. “It’s like archiving history. It’s keeping a cultural tradition alive, and it’s keeping this cultural history

intact … To be able to save some really, really awesome pieces of dance history — I think that’s something that’s really made me feel super fulfilled.”

344$%&'5"-'6+%',71$Freshman Kennedy Do’s movements are fluid and graceful as she rises up on her toes just as the music slows. Then the drumbeat hits, and she drops to the ground before launching into an explosive series of steps that culminate in a controlled halt. Moments later, the music fades, and the audience erupts into cheers. It is the 2020 Miss Teen Dance competition, and Do has just performed the routine that earned her the title of Miss Teen Dance and first place Teen Soloist.

“It just felt like all my hard work paid off,” Do said. “As I was younger, I would always look at these girls who were just dancing … (thinking), ‘I want to be like that when I’m older.’ And that really inspired me to work hard and try out new styles, and that’s when I really found my love for dance.”

Since then, Do has committed herself to four to five hours of daily practice and full-day dance conventions on the weekends, taking every opportunity to learn from more experienced dancers and work toward her goal to become better.

“I would describe myself as a dancer as really diligent and driven,” Do said. “I

,-./'012)').'0-"2"%) His wrists rotate and his fingers fold as he steps in time with the music. When senior Akhil Joondeph dances, symbolic hand gestures and the bells around his ankles work in tandem to tell a story in every line of music.

“Dance is definitely an art form,” Joondeph said. “I don’t think there’s any real debate about that. Art is very subjective, but it’s

take the initiative, and I take the time on my own to practice outside of dance to build my skills and try to improve and take corrections from my teachers, so I can come back to dance class feeling more confident in what I’m doing.”

As Do improved, she said she has continued to push herself to grow in new styles like heels and ballroom dancing, connecting with her inner voice in all styles of dance.

“When I’m dancing, it’s a way for me to express my creative energy,” Do said. “So for example, if I’m learning a dance combination, I always try to add my own flair to what I’m doing, just to make it stylized.”

89.+$%&'3'8).-: Six-year-old William Rumelhart had tried just about every type of sport — in soccer, he shot into his own goal; in basketball, he didn’t see the point of traveling. But just before he concluded that sports were not for him, he attended a dance class.

“It was cute,” Rumelhart, now a senior, said.

“In order to be comfortable taking the class, I insisted that (my mom) come sit in the door and watch me so I could see her while I was taking my first class. After that, I just liked it and stuck with it through thick and thin.”

Rumelhart focuses on classical ballet, and while he said enjoys it because of the community of dancers he works with and beauty of the movements that accompany music, he is drawn to ballet for more than that.

“How to tell a story without words is the most interesting aspect of it for me,” Rumelhart said. “And (besides ballet), I also am really into poetry and creative writing. So it’s like all words and no words. That dynamic I find very interesting, beyond just the steps of ballet itself.”

Rumelhart said he views ballet as a physically intensive performing art, one that is beautiful not just because of the story being told, but also how that story is being told.

“Performances (like) ‘Swan Lake’ — the story of the prince who falls in love with the white swan but who was controlled by the evil swan — it’s all very literary in some ways,” Rumelhart said. “It has a plot to it.

And so in that sense, (ballet) is storytelling, and the way it’s told, in addition to what is being communicated, is magical.”

This story continues online at thecampanile.org.

VALERIE CHU/THE CAMPANILE

Junior Evie Barclay, senior Akhil Joondeph and freshman Kennedy Do pose in their preferred dance style, whether its contemporary, Indian classical or ballet.

“You can find dynamics in all styles of movement based on where you put your energy and your intention,” Barclay said.

Valerie Chu

Managing Editor

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KAREN AMBROSE HICKEY/USED WITH PERMISSION

Varsity team captain and senior Matt Corrigan aims for the hoop during the most recent Paly vs. Mountain View High School basketball game. “I believe we have the talent and toughness to make a run at a league and section title,” Corrigan said.

With eight league games and 11 pre-season games behind them, the varsity basketball team is well into its season. And while a COVID-19 outbreak on the team caused games to be postponed, the team has a good feel for where they are for the season, junior Noah Chen said.

“I think that the non-league games have been good preparation for league play and hopefully we continue to improve both individually and as a team, which would help us qualify for CCS,” Chen said.

Because of the number of people on the team who contracted COVID-19, Chen said the basketball team’s main challenge is staying healthy and getting players on the

court for practices and games.

“I think availability is the key to our success,” Chen said. “If the team as a whole can avoid COVID-19 and other issues like injuries, we have the potential to be a great team and a good contender for CCS qualifications.”

Despite the issues presented by COVID-19, varsity captain and senior Matt Corrigan said he expects the team to be successful in their future games as long as they show up every day ready to play their best.

“I expect our team to perform very well throughout the league and into CCS,” Corrigan said. “I believe we have the talent and toughness to make a run at a league and section title. The

most important thing we can do is stay mentally tough and stay together.

The teams that can bring it every day at games and practice are the teams that make runs at championships.”

In terms of practice, Coach Jeff Lamere said his main focus for improving the team is preventing turnovers.

“We need to be able to take care of the ball and value possessions. We’ve been a higher turnover team than I would like,” Lamere said. “That said, I think we’re getting better, understanding the offense better, and I really like where we’re at for the season.”

Dinu Deshpande Staff Writer