The Campanile Issue 9 (4/25/2014)

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

PAI D PALO ALTO PERMIT #44

The Campanile

Vol. XCVI, No. 9

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

Friday, April 25, 2014

What I do not know and what I have not been able to find out is why the Office of Civil Rights chose to launch an investigation of our district.

See RAMIFICATIONS OF RAPE CULTURE, Page B4-B5 Keri gee/The campanile

Student body elects 2014-15 ASB officers Newly elected student body officers share goals, plans for next year

By Catherine Yu

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Staff Writer

n March 28, the Palo Alto High School Associated Student Body (ASB) released the results for the 2014-15 officers-elect positions.

ASB executive officer positions include president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. The president for next year will be by junior Claire Liu and sophomore Reid Walters will be her vice president. Junior Courtney Hull will be ASB treasurer and sophomore Joseph Kao will take on the duty of ASB secretary. Aside from the ASB officers, the results for grade officers were released as well.

In the sophomore, junior and senior grades, grade presidents will be Noa Ben-Efraim, William Zhou and Maya Ben-Efraim, respectively. Vice president positions for the upcoming term in each grade will be Anmol Nagar for sophomores, Eli Friedlander for juniors and Olivia Scola for seniors.

Liu has the duty of leading ASB meetings and connecting ASB to the administration.

“I voted for Claire because not only is she a leader, but she’s approachable as well,” sophomore Griffin Carlson said. “I know she truly cares about every student.”

By Mischa Nee Staff Writer

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Hillel Zand/The campanile

Sophomore Reid Walters and junior Courtney Hull were elected as 2014-15 ASB vice president and treasurer, respectively.

Walters’s main job is to work with school clubs and act as the connecting link between these clubs and ASB. Walter hopes to increase student participation in the many clubs on campus.

“We have a lot of really interesting clubs,” Walters said.

As ASB treasurer next year, Hull will mostly be responsible for dealing with money and funds, along with Julia Sing, Paly’s auditor, to help bal-

Palo Alto Weekly uncovers sexual harassment allegations against former principal Winston scrutinized after public records request

By Hillel Zand Editor-in-Chief

F

ollowing a month-long investigation, the Palo Alto Weekly published an article on April 11 detailing the allegations made against former Palo Alto High School Principal Phil Winston.

On June 6, 2013, an unnamed Paly staff member met with Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Associate Superintendent Dr. Charles Young to address certain actions of Winston that had made them, colleagues and other students feel uncomfortable.

“The information that I have known and been made aware of has caused me many sleepless nights, yet as I explained, I feared retaliation from… Phil Winston,” the staff member said in a memo. “I bring this information forward as my duty to report and in hope that the district will conduct their own fair investigation on this matter.”

District receives D+ in supporting minorities

The memo outlined various incidents of alleged sexual harassment involving both students and staff members, including a list of approximately 30 staff members who had spoken to the aforementioned complainant regarding “Mr. Winston’s inappropriate behavior and general concerns regarding his competence.” In addition, Winston was described as having been “flirtatious” and “causing great discomfort” and “hug[ging], rub[bing someone’s] back, putting his arms around [someone] and mak[ing] comments that were inappropriate.”

In addition, the staff member said that, “Principal Winston has sent the message to the students that there are clearly little or no consequences [to streaking].”

“Does it raise to the level of inappropriate professional behavior?

Absolutely,” economics teacher and teacher on special assignment Eric Bloom said of the allegations. “But

See WINSTON, Page A3

ance the annual expenses of the ASB committee.

“Being treasurer next year I want to keep the budget balanced and fundraise a lot to make sure events are fun and interesting for students,” Hull said. “I also haven’t been in ASB before and so I’m hoping to contribute a new perspective to ASB.” Next year’s secretary, Kao, will be responsible for coordinating the publicity of upcoming school events,

while getting more students active and involved in them.

“My plans for next year are to work closely with the other student body officers to create more events that everyone can relate to and also make people’s ideas heard,” Kao said.

“Most importantly, my goal is to make next year as fun as possible.”

Kao works with the social commissioners and carries out the duties assigned to him by the president.

espite the undeniable successes of the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD), recent attempts to close the discrepancy in achievement between minorities and Caucasians and Asians have shown little effect.

After continually receiving an overall grade of D and D+ for the past four years in educating minorities from an annual report by an Oakland-based education advocacy group, PAUSD has invested resources into solving this issue.

“We have some new things that are already in place,” Principal Kim Diorio said. “We’re looking at a lot of blended learning, some flip classrooms, some online open educational resources to supplement and help students that are struggling.”

Despite the static grade PAUSD received in the most recent report, released April 8, this past year yielded the greatest increase in Academic Performance Index (API) scores across African-Americans, socioeconomically disadvantaged and students with disabilities. All underrepresented subgroups continue to

See PAUSD, Page A3

Debate team sends two juniors to states Haris and Sandhu secure two of eight debate championship seats

By Jeffrey Ho Staff Writer

T

he Palo Alto High School Debate team will send two students to the 2014 California High School Speech Association State Tournament from April 25 to 27 in Modesto, Calif. The team will be represented there for the sixth time in seven years.

Juniors Anish Haris and Jaisel Sandhu qualified for the State tournament in the Lincoln-Douglas debate after winning all five of their preliminary rounds at the state championships qualifying tournament in mid-March.

By going undefeated, Haris and Sandhu earned two of the Coast Forensic League (CFL)’s eight spots at the state tournament by bypassing the final two elimination rounds.

According to Sandhu, the ability for Paly to send two debaters to the state championship goes to show that ample preparation for tournaments leads to exceptional success.

“I think that this is great for the team because it has been a while since Paly sent two debaters to the

state tournament,” Sandhu said. “Anish [Haris] and I have both put in a lot of work on this topic and we were expecting to see some results at either the state qualifiers or national qualifiers.”

Haris notes that the team’s considerable planning and research for both the state qualifiers and championships has allowed the team to send more than a dozen debaters to this year’s state qualifying tournament.

“The topic for the state qualifiers was released the first week of Feb-

ruary and we have been preparing cases since,” Haris said. “We’ve been perfecting our strategy since and are continuing to prepare for the tournament.”

Paly Speech and Debate head coach Jennie Savage believes that the team’s hard work has clearly paid off, given the fact that Paly holds two slots at the state tournament.

“Our team is focusing more on persuasive debate rather than

See DEBATE, Page A4

Courtesy of jennie savage

Jaisel Sandhu and Anish Haris pose with individual trophies after winning.

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

OPinion

PAPD’s Media Protocol

What should the PAPD’s presence be on social media?

A6

LIFESTYLE

spoRTs

Best Places to Picnic

Summer date tips for all you nonromantics.

B7

The Campanile’s NFL Mock Draft Who will go No. 1?

C4-C5

Check us out at www.palycampanile.org

Friday, April 25, 2014

NEWS

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NEWS TO KNOW

The Campanile

Diorio, police publicize Good Samaritan drug law

By Claire Liu

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CHARLES KRUPA/AP

@CBSNews Meb Keflezigh; becomes first American to win the Boston Marathon since 1985. @Time Seoul warns of possible North Korea nuke test as Obama lands in Asia @FoxNews Malaysia discusses compensation with MH370 families as airline suffers another scare. @ABC US Marshal shoots defendant who allegedly rushed witness during trial Monday.

Courtesy of reuters

@NBCNews Airstrikes in Yemen hit ‘a fullblown terrorist training camp,’ U.S. counter-terrorism official says. @CNNbrk Teen traveled from San Jose, Calif., to Maui, Hawaii, in landing gear wheel well of Boeing 767, airline said. @AP Vice President Joe Biden tells Ukranian political leaders that the United States stands with them. @nytimes Losing the Lead: The American Middle Class is No Longer the World’s Richest.

Staff Writer

n April 10 and 11, Principal Kim Diorio and school resource officers Detective DuJuan Green and Officer Ben Lee visited senior social science classes to speak with students about several significant topics currently relevant on Palo Alto High School campus.

Although the primary focuses of the discussions seemed to be streaking and the consequences streakers could face, the officers additionally touched on issues of drug usage and alcohol consumption. Within the brief talk on narcotics, Green and Lee highlighted a California Assembly Bill, which amended the Health and Safety Code in 2012.

Assembly Bill Number 472 (AB472) amended the Health and Safety Code by providing the following statement: “[It shall] not be a crime for a person who experiences a drugrelated overdose and who is in need of medical assistance to be under the influence of, or to possess for personal use, a controlled substance, controlled substance analog, or drug paraphernalia, if the person or one or more other persons at the scene of the overdose, in good faith, seek medical assistance for the person experiencing the overdose.”

AB-472, deemed by some the “Good Samaritan” bill, provides legal immunity for those overdosing on a drug and those reporting a peer’s overdosing to the police. In simpler terms, if two people are experimenting with a drug and one overdoses, the other could dial 9-1-1 and call for medical assistance without getting either of them in trouble. Although AB-472 was implemented over a year ago, Green and Lee felt it would be appropriate to re-address the policy.

O

Staff Writer

n April 14, sophomores took the California High School Exit Exam, juniors took the Smarter Balance Assessment, while freshmen and seniors took the day off. The Smarter Balance Assessment was administered in order to test the merits of the exam. According to Principal Kim Diorio, the test was a great success.

The administration is also working on administering Advanced Placement (AP) tests. According to Diorio, the administration is sorting out pre-registration for the hundreds of AP students who will be taking the tests in May. "We're working on pre-registration right now, which is big," Diorio said. "It takes a lot of planning."

The administration is planning the baccalaureate and graduation for the class of 2014, both of which take a lot of work, according to Diorio.

“We’re really focused on getting through the next six weeks,” Diorio said. “There are a lot of end-of-year events that we must plan, like Senior Awards Night, lots of department awards, baccalaureate and graduation.

We also must plan Powder Puff football and field day, so it’s a lot.”

The administration has been trying to speed along the construction

By Esther Doerr Staff Writer

C Hillel zand and will Mendenhall/the campanile

Before the “Good Samaritan” law was passed, being a good friend got you in trouble.

“My partner Ben Lee and I spent two days speaking with Paly seniors regarding a variety of topics: underaged drinking, smoking, drug use and reasonable suspicion,” Green said.

“During the presentations, a comment was made and I was reminded of [AB-472]. [AB-472] was relevant and made sense, especially in light of what recently occurred with a Paly senior.”

Green, who also serves as a detective agent and Paly’s school resource officer, believes this law will protect students in the community.

“My personal thoughts on the bill are this: whatever it takes to make people safe,” Green said. “While I don’t agree with drug use — I know from training and police experience that drug use is bad news — I don’t want to see people getting hurt over using [drugs] when help could have been called. This bill is beneficial for Paly students and the community overall. It is about saving lives and getting people help.”

Senior Travis Chen applauds AB472 as well as the officers for publicizing the bill.

“I think [publicizing AB-472] is a brilliant idea,” Chen said. “People will be more encouraged to protect their

friends’ lives instead of trying to escape the cops.”

Chen notes that although there is a small possibility that “people might see this law as an excuse to be more risky with respect to drug usage since they know they can call the cops,” he believes that the “benefits heavily outweigh the costs.”

Tom, an anonymous junior, is satisfied with the law and explains that had he and his friends known about it earlier, they could have avoided many dangerous situations.

“I feel like this is a super important law to be aware of,” Tom said. “I’ve been there — I’ve put people in situations [in which] they’ve had to sacrifice their night just to go through the struggle of making sure I didn’t die. It doesn’t feel good.”

Tom believes AB-472 allows police to aid inebriated citizens in unsafe times.

“When someone’s in a position where they’re too intoxicated to take care of themselves, anything could happen,” Tom said. “Just in case there is no reliable friend, car or adult, I think it is absolutely vital to have a support system such as this one, where the police offer help through smart policies.”

urrently, the Board of Education of the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) is working on approving plans for new classes, the proposed 2014-15 budget, staffing appointments, summer school programs, board policy updates and hiring a new superintendent.

The Board is working on approving the Early Childhood Development course, the Getting in the Game course, the Computer Science Principles course as well as the Computer Science Capstone Project.

The Early Childhood Development course is currently pending University of California (UC) credit approval and does meet the Career Technical Education (CTE) Standards.

The Getting in the Game semester-long course does not meet UC requirements.

Both of the Computer Science courses fulfill the UC “g” requirement and the CTE Pathway Standards.

A main focus of the meeting is on the interview and appointment of the new superintendent.

As of now, the next step is to review the candidates with the search firm and decide on who to interview for the position. Board policies are also in the process of being updated.

Among these updates include a new policy of nondiscrimination in district programs and activities, which requires that districts allow students to participate in sex-segregated activities or facilities that are consistent with the student’s gender identity.

The next meeting is scheduled for May 6.

Palo Alto Main Library renamed after years of deliberation Building will take on new name “Rinconada” to reflect on its historical location

By Jeremy Fu

T

Staff Writer

he Main Library will sport a new name, Rinconada Library, after it reopens in December after 18 months of closure for major renovations.

On April 7, City Council members voted 7-2 to rename the library, ending the discussion that lasted for more than two years. Council members Larry Klein and Gail Price voted against the name change; they wished to rename the library after architect Birge Clark, who designed hundreds of buildings around the Palo Alto and Stanford area.

“His work lent continuity and identity to Palo Alto’s transformation from a rural town into the birthplace

Administration Update

By Paul Mewes

School Board Update

and is preparing for its completion in the near future. On April 15, Diorio met with the facilities and construction crew to discuss the landscaping of the new performing arts center. On April 16, Diorio had a facility steering committee meeting to discuss the aquatics area of the gym.

At the facility steering committee meeting, Diorio also discussed when people can expect to move into the buildings that are under construction.

She also discussed the coordination of these moves, because it will be the administration’s responsibility once construction ends.

Diorio expects people to move into the buildings either in May or over the summer. On top if its endof-year duties, the administration is already planning for the beginning of the upcoming school year.

“We’re already looking at next year’s calendar and scheduling events,” Diorio said.

The administration is working on finding teachers for next year. It will need to hire two English teachers, a journalism teacher, a physics teacher and a biology teacher.

The list of teachers who will leave next year includes Mike McNulty, who is retiring; Kirk Hinton, who is going to teach in Africa and David Cohen and Kelli Hagen, who are both taking a leave of absence.

of high-tech Silicon Valley,” Price said.

Some council members thought it strange to put Clark’s name on the building when he did not help design.

“I think it would be hard to name an Edward Durrell Stone building after Birge Clark,” council member Greg Scharff said. “I don’t think you can get two more disparate styles.”

Other names put on the table included the founders of Hewlett-Packard, David Packard and Bill Hewlett, and Palo Alto Medical Clinic founding physician Russell Lee. The discussion to rename the library began when the Palo Alto Historical Association Board suggested the name Rinconada to help reflect the library’s location.

The name Rinconada also reflects the Rancho Rinconada del Arroyo de

San Francisquito, the land grant Palo Alto was founded upon.

“It’s [the name is] simpler,” retired librarian Mary Joe Levy said. “It sinks in. It helps people to associate the facility with its location.”

However, in September, the recommendation was rejected by the council and was sent to its Policy and Services Committee to find a proper person to rename the library after.

However, the committee struggled to find an appropriate individual, so the issue was brought back to the council.

The council stated that if the Policy and Services Committee could not find a new name for the library, they would stick with the name Main Library. However, following an outpour of support for the name Rinconada, the council changed its mind.

ASB Update

By Mischa Nee

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Staff Writer

fter extensive criticism over Palo Alto High School’s comparative lack of interest to Henry M. Gunn High School’s Not in Our Schools (NIOS) week, the Associated Student Body (ASB) took care in this year’s planning, producing a successful revamp.

“We planned a bunch of activities for people to do on the quad at lunch to raise awareness to end bullying and to try and create a more accepting culture here at Paly,” sophomore vice president and next year’s ASB vice president elect Reid Walters said.

Following the class and executive officers’ elections, the application process for appointed officers — Social, Spirit, Sports and Multicultural Commissioners, Palo Alto Unified School District Board Representative, School Site Council Representatives — began and decisions will be released on April 25.

“Coming up, we have powder puff, which I think a lot of people on campus really enjoy and are getting really excited for,” Walters said.

The highly anticipated Paly tradition of powder puff football will begin on April 30 and the annual Field Day will conclude the year’s activities on May 16.

“I like the idea of geography, because that really does give you a sense of place... what we’re always looking for in Palo Alto,” Palo Alto ViceMayor Liz Kniss said.

Proponents of changing the Main Library’s name argued that the name was a misnomer, as it no longer represented the library’s actual use. It is not the largest library, nor is it where the administration is housed. The renovations to the historic library include new study rooms, a program room, upgrades to the aging mechanical and electrical systems as well as new public restrooms, all while preserving the iconic design of Edward Durrell Stone. The library’s new name is shared with the neighboring pool, park and fire station and is said to be a part of the Rinconada Master Plan.

UPCOMING EVENTs x

APR

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POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL STARTS How could you miss this intense battle of athleticism, great playcalling and skill?

MAY

ONE ACTS So you don’t have to sit through an entire play.

MAY

AP TESTING You wasted your year if you don’t get a five.

MAY

FIELD DAY Otherwise known as “Act Like a Five-Year-Old Day.”

MAY

GRADUATION Congratulations, seniors. Have fun being “freshies” again.

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Friday, April 25, 2014

The Campanile

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NEWS

English teacher leaving to teach in Africa Kirk Hinton takes job in Kenya to teach at international school in country’s capital

By Hillel Zand

P

Editor-in-Chief

alo Alto High School (Paly) English teacher Kirk Hinton, who has worked at Paly for nearly seven years, will begin a new chapter in his and his family’s lives when they move to Nairobi, Kenya this summer.

Hinton has been accepted a threeyear contract to teach at Rosslyn Academy, an “international Christian school founded in 1947 [and] a private co-ed day school with a North American curriculum for grades preschool through 12,” according to the school’s website.

While the news of Hinton’s move has slowly been titrating out into the Paly community, Hinton says that the major change has been in the works for quite some time.

“This has been something that’s been probably 10 years in the making or so,” Hinton said. “Right after [my wife and I] graduated from Cal Poly, we ended up going to France and teaching there, but we very nearly went into the Peace Corps in West Africa to teach over there.”

Hinton says that his wife — who taught social studies courses for seven years at Del Mar High School in San Jose — had wanted to move to Africa since she was 12 after going on a safari with her grandparents. Her dream soon became fulfilled after she and Hinton searched for a new opportunity that was suitable enough for their two young daughters, ages four and one.

“About five years ago, we started looking real seriously into the option of teaching overseas, so this year we decided… our girls… are old enough that they’ll appreciate it, but not so old that we have to pull them out of school and totally disengage [them,]” Hinton said. “So I started looking around at international schools, mainly in East Africa, and applied to about a dozen.”

Hinton, who has never been to Africa before, interviewed for the po-

sition at Rosslyn Academy via Skype and says that, “While I’ve digitally met the people I’m going to be working for, I haven’t met them face-toface yet.”

Because all of Rosslyn Academy’s English teaching spots are already filled, Hinton will be teaching a few classes that are new to him, but will continue his unofficial role as a technology liaison, as he did at Paly.

“Part of my responsibilities over there is... teaching teachers about tech in the classroom and training and all that kind of stuff,” Hinton said.

Hinton will also be teaching a technology applications course, part of a freshman seminar, a semester of SAT prep (pending enough signups) and yearbook. Hinton says that he has been talking to Paly yearbook adviser Margo Wixsom to learn more about teaching the course — which he has no prior experience in — as well as talking to a high school friend who has been teaching yearbook for 11 years.

The student demographic that Hinton will be working with is very different from that which he is accustomed to at Paly, where many students have lived in Palo Alto their whole life.

“A lot of business peoples’ kids, diplomats’ kids; there’s a lot of NGOs [non-governmental organizations] in Nairobi, so a lot of NGO [workers’] kids, kids of missionaries,” Hinton said. “About 40 percent of the kids are American and the other 60 percent are from 50-some countries. It’s very, very diverse.”

Rosslyn Academy has a total enrollment of about 650 students, 200 of which are in the high school.

“Because of the nature of their parents’ work... [students] move every two and a half years,” Hinton said.

“So you have a lot more what they call ‘third culture kids,’ kids who are from one culture and grow up in another culture but aren’t really a part of either of them. I think to some extent, understanding those issues [of third culture kids] and being able to

Jeffrey Ho/The Campanile

Kirk Hinton will teach at Rosslyn Academy in Kenya, where one of his jobs will be training teachers on using technology in the classroom, in addition to other responsibilities. He and his wife have been looking into moving overseas for over five years.

use them to our advantage is going to be a challenge, but also the transient nature of the population is very rare.”

Hinton’s contract is for three years, but if he chooses to stay in Kenya for longer than two years, his job in the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) could find itself in jeopardy.

“We hold his teaching spot for a year and then at the end of the year, he can apply for a second year if he chooses,” Principal Kim Diorio said.

“The practice with the teacher contract is that you can only do two years, tops, of a leave of absence, and then at

WINSTON, Continued from A1

Seth Alston/The Campanile

Despite incredible success in other categories, PAUSD was determined to have a failing grade in its efforts to educate low income and minority students.

The poor grade was given by an Oakland-based education advocacy group.

surpass the state average, yet remain under the 800 API benchmark implemented by the state of California last year.

Superintendent Kevin Skelly drew attention to the B rating PAUSD received for achievement amongst underprivileged students, one of the highest in the state. However, the district failed to improve upon their achievement gap grade, acquiring an F. “When your district has the highest, or some of the highest, white and Asian scores in the state, you’re going to have a gap,” Skelly said. “It’s a fact that our students of poverty are more likely to be students of color, you’re going to get an F rating.”

However, Skelly also recognizes the crudeness of these numbers and the many opportunities PAUSD gives to low-income students.

“If you look at our kids whose parents didn’t finish high school, who are English language learners and are poor, what they’re able to do after 12 to 13 years in our district is extraordinary,” Skelly said. “Our kids don’t drop out; they finish school.”

For now, Hinton says he’s going to miss all Paly has offered him.

“I’m going to miss the students, first and foremost,” Hinton said. “The students here are a lot of fun to work with, and they are mostly very motivated. There’s an incredible amount of support for teachers in this community, which has been amazing. It has been really fun to see how different teachers deal with something and get ideas from different teachers, because that’s something that not all schools have. We have a pretty collaborative department, so I’m going to miss that.”

Sexual harassment investigation reveals multiple allegations made against former principal

District lagging on minority education

PAUSD, Continued from A1

the end of two years, say he wants to remain in Africa, he’d have to resign.”

Hinton says that technically it is possible to request a leave of absence for longer than two years, but that the Board of Education has never approved such a request before.

“If we do decide to come back after three years, I’m hopeful that there’d be a job,” Hinton said. “I’ve talked to a couple people about coming back [and] signs are positive, but of course you can never guarantee that there’s going to be a job. If we are coming back, then yeah, I’d like to come back to Paly or at least Palo Alto.”

But in an attempt to offer more equal opportunities, the administration is implementing many new strategies to provide students with more assets.

“We’re looking more at the master schedule and see how that’s set up, ‘is there a better way to schedule classes?’” Diorio said. “Also, we’re having more co-teaching next year, specialeducation teachers in the classroom with regular-education teachers so you have more support for kids.”

In addition, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) classes are being changed, with Elizabeth Mueller taking over the program.

However, PAUSD’s new graduation requirements will provide even more challenges to already struggling students. At least one year or level two of a world language, as well as Algebra 2, is now required for all students.

“Essentially, our graduation requirements are going to mirror the UC and CSU entry requirements,” Diorio said. “So we’re looking at that data and saying, ‘Okay, we need to really make sure they’re able to meet that criteria to graduate.’”

that’s not the biggest deal. The biggest deal was what was allegedly going on with him and some of the staff, and that wasn’t sexual, it was just bossiness.”

According to files obtained by the Weekly through a California Public Records Act request in January, Bowers notified Winston on June 12, 2013, of six specific allegations against him.

One of the allegations detailed Winston telling a female student: “You know how to get your boyfriend to do what you want? You need to sit on him, whip him and wrap your legs around his head.” Another implicated him as having asked another student: “Did your friend’s boobs hurt when [she] was running through the Quad at lunch?”

I know he had a rough year. I know he’d been thinking about stepping down.

Kim Diorio Principal

The following day, June 13, Winston gave two-weeks notice of his resignation to PAUSD Superintendent Kevin Skelly. When asked if he expected Winston to resign the day following his notice of the allegations, Skelly told The Campanile, “I don’t want to go there,” but that “these are hard issues for people to deal with when you deal with imperfect people.”

“I know he had a rough year. I know he’d been thinking about stepping down,” Diorio said about Winston’s resignation.

The day after he announced his plans to retire to Skelly — which was not made public to the Paly community until June 17 — Winston replied

to Bowers’ list of allegations, taking responsibility for some, but maintaining that most were taken out of context or that he did not use many of the phrases that he was accused of saying.

On August 13, 2013, Winston was given notice of unprofessional conduct and unsatisfactory performance and was given six clear directives that he was told to follow, including “refraining from using profanity, sexual comments and innuendo, and derogatory terms; commenting on the physical attributes and the dress of students or colleagues; having any physical contact with students or staff; and engaging in actions and language that are flirtatious or sexual in nature.” In addition, Winston was instructed to complete sexual harassment prevention training within 90 days — the third time in his PAUSD career that he had been directed to participate in a harassment training “We determined that the most appropriate course was to provide the employee with a corrective action plan — providing notice of unsatisfactory performance, clear guidance on expected conduct, clear consequences if our expectations are not met and clear provisions for assistance,” Skelly said in a statement sent to the Weekly. “Personnel matters of this nature are always sensitive involving the rights of the employee, the rights of the staff and students and the public’s right to information, all of which requires a careful balancing. We believe that in this instance all those rights were considered and protected.”

Many students, parents and community members were taken aback by the allegations. More specifically, many wondered why the allegations had not surfaced until 10 months after the anonymous staff member made the initial allegations. Skelly

told The Campanile that, in June, the district had no intentions of publishing the disciplinary records of Winston. Diorio says that because of teacher contracts and privacy rights, such employee files cannot simply be made public.

We did what the law requires and the best practice of how to respond to these things. As soon as we found out about them, we took action.

Kevin Skelly Superintendent

“Because it’s a personnel issue, it’s not something that we can publicly discuss or bring to someone’s attention,” Principal Kim Diorio said.

“Anytime a teacher or staff member gets reprimanded, we don’t broadcast that out to the entire community.

We’re not able to share that.”

Diorio added, however, that she received no personal emails from parents or community members concerning the allegations against Winston on the day the Weekly article was released.

“We followed the law,” Skelly said.

“We did what the law requires and the best practice of how to respond to these things. As soon as we found out about them, we took action.”

Winston is currently teaching in a special education classroom at David Starr Jordan Middle School and Skelly said he is “being well-supervised and he’s being successful. He’s working well with students and there have been no issues or complaints or anything like that since.

“We would never put students in harm’s way by having a staff member who we knew had engaged in behavior that was unacceptable and that we thought would have continued.”

Friday, April 25, 2014

The Campanile

NEWS

A4

Chemistry teacher announces sabbatical

Debate team qualifies for states

Kelli Hagen announces leave of absence next year to focus on self, travel and spend time with children; leaves vacancies in classes and advisory to be filled by undecided teachers

Debaters and coach confident on performance in upcoming state championships

By Hannah Ngyuen

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technical debate and it’s really showing in our results this year, [as] we are clearing more students into elimination rounds and winning more persuasive tournaments than ever before,” Savage said. “[Everybody on] our team is very cohesive and helpful to one another; after every debate round, everyone sits together and hammers out strategies for the arguments each person heard in the last round. That way we have the whole team collaborating on strategy and coming up with the best arguments.”

After competing for eight spots to represent the CFL at the state tournament, Haris and Sandhu now find themselves in a pool of 64 debaters aiming for the state title.

Staff Writer

hemistry teacher Kelli Hagen will be taking a leave of absence for the upcoming school year.

Hagen currently teaches three Chemistry Honors classes as well as an Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry class.

Hagen noted that she will be taking the year off in accordance with traditional trends. Her leave of absence correlates with the standard sabbatical year in teaching.

Teachers get a little burnt out.

I’m feeling a little bit burnt out and need a year to revitalize.

[Anish and Jaisel] are incredibly hard-working competitors who are role models as debaters and leaders for the rest of our team.

Kelli Hagen Chemistry teacher

“In education, there tends to be a sabbatical year given, and it is typically the seventh year [of teaching],” Hagen said. “It’s that time when teachers get a little burnt out. I’m feeling a little bit burnt out and need a year to revitalize.”

During her sabbatical, Hagen plans to participate in leisurely art activities that she hopes will help her rest and return to school for the 2015-16 school year with more energy.

“I’m going to use the year to stay home and do art and do music and reenergize a little bit,” Hagen said. “I also plan to travel a little.”

According to Hagen, the teachers who will take over her classes next

DEBATE, Continued from A1

Jennie Savage Speech and Debate Coach jeffrey Ho/the campanile

Chemistry teacher Kelli Hagen will take a sabbatical during the 2014-15 school year year have yet to be determined by the possible for some, those students will administration. be assigned advisories with teachers “I don’t think the department that they will have in the following knows yet,” Hagen said. “I think we’re year. still trying to work out the schedule.”

Hagen will assist the Guidance Currently, there is only one teach- Department in the choosing of er who teaches Chemistry Honors teacher advisors for her current indialongside Hagen and another who vidual advisees. teaches AP Chemistry.

While exact teachers have yet Students who currently have Ha- to be specified, Principal Kim Diogen as their teacher advisor will be rio has mentioned that the school is reassigned to different advisories, planning to add new teachers to the ideally with teachers that they have science department in the upcoming had previously. However, if that is not year.

Most of the tournaments the team attends have had later rounds arranged in single elimination format; however, the state tournament will instead feature a double elimination bracket.

“There were about 100 debaters in the Lincoln-Douglas division, and only eight people qualified,” Haris said. “Both Jaisel [Sandhu] and I are really excited to be competing at States. Since this is the last persuasive tournament of the year for Paly’s debate team, we are both trying to do

our best to try and go as far into the tournament as we can.”

Savage believes that the team’s two spots at the state tournament were well earned given the amount of effort both Haris and Sandhu have devoted to debate.

“The whole team was extremely proud of Anish and Jaisel,” Savage said. “They are incredibly hard-working competitors who are role models as debaters and leaders for the rest of our team. It’s even more impressive that they are only juniors and they qualified to the State Championship.

Another awesome team accomplishment is that we almost qualified a sophomore — Helen Yan — to the championship as well. She missed out by only one ballot.”

Sandhu notes that it is quite honorable to be able to represent Paly at the state tournament.

In addition, he also holds high expectations for both himself and Haris considering their previous performances.

“Given that CFL is one of the harder districts and that we both auto-qualified, we would like to get to quarterfinals,” Sandhu said. “We have done a lot of extra research since the state qualifiers and would like to do a good job representing Paly.”

Savage looks forward to her debaters’ performances, as she would not be surprised in both Haris and Sandhu closed out with a victory for Paly at the state tournament.

“The [Speech and Debate team has] pulled rabbits out of hats way too many times in years past for me ever to think that they can’t win a tournament,” Savage said. “Even if it’s the State Championship or the [Tournament of Champions].”

Schoolwide Service Day provides opportunities for students through several different charities

Fourth annual day of service offers students opportunities to give back and better the community

By Michelle Yin Lifestyle Editor

O

n April 24, Palo Alto High School will host a schoolwide Service Day event, in which students will have the opportunity to engage in various community service activities at both on and off-campus organizations and charities.

These activities include projects at several off-campus organizations and charities such as Acterra, Beechwood School, Creative Montessori, Ecumenical Hunger Program, Full Circle Farm, Half Moon Bay Restoration, Palo Alto Pre-School, Palo Alto Baylands and Sunrise Senior Center as well as an on-campus project with Habitat for Humanity.

“I love how Paly Service Day puts serving others at the forefronts of people’s minds, even if it’s only for one day,” sophomore Bethany Wong, participant of Service Day said. “I think it helps Paly students realize that there are many local ways to get involved and shows how students can come together for a common goal.”

I love how Paly Service Day puts serving others at the forefronts of people’s minds, even if it’s only for one day.

Bethany Wong Service Day participant

The on-campus project will occur during lunch and includes teams of

ten students that will build playhouses for various local businesses with all profits going to Habitat for Humanity. This service project mimics the organization’s work as they build and repair houses worldwide in order to promote safe and affordable housing for people.

Students who choose to help on the off-campus Acterra project will be aiding Acterra, a environmental non-profit organization, by cleaning up the bay-trail in East Palo Alto and thereby helping to restore wildlife.

Another environmental project, hosted by the Palo Alto Baylands, which will provide students with the opportunity to help restore the bike and pedestrian path along East Bayshore Road.

At the Palo Alto Art Center, volunteers will be organizing the Art Center’s garden so that art work can be enjoyed without the intrusion of a less aesthetically pleasing garden.

More academically driven volunteer activities include helping out at Beechwood School. Students will be volunteering at this private school of 170 students and working with them on various science projects and hosting a science-fair for the students.

Similarly, students who choose to volunteer for the Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT), an organization that aims to inspire a passion for learning through hands-on education, will be assembling supply kits for teachers that will use them in their classrooms.

At the Sunrise Senior Center, students will engage in various activities including baking and arts and crafts alongside seniors at the facility and will serve lunch to them.

At the Ecumenical Hunger Program, a local establishment which provides survival resources including food, clothing, furniture and support programs for those who are less fortunate, volunteers will work in their warehouse to help sort donated food and clothing.

“I think it’s great that the organizers have made Service Day part of Not In Our Schools week because the idea of coming together as a school and reaching out to the community beyond our school makes an impact along the Peninsula,” Wong said.

Friday, April 25, 2014

The Campanile

A5

NEWS

Student starts petition to change police social media use Junior argues posting mugshots on social media causes humiliation, lack of privacy

Conner harden/The campanile

The petition, created to edify the opinions of many, allows people to “sign” by submitting their name and email address.

By Sarah Tayeri Staff Writer

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hortly following the arrest of a Palo Alto High School (Paly) student on April 4, junior Fabian Garduno created an online petition to protest the posting of the arrested’s photo and personal information on various social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter.

The Palo Alto Police Department (PAPD) keeps its social media sites up-to-date in order to keep Palo Alto citizens informed and to publish posts of their recent successes.

Beginning in August of 2013, the PAPD Facebook page began posting the mugshots of many of its busts,

including detailed reports of the arrests, generating controversy within the community on the ethicality of this decision.

Set off by the posting of the arrested Paly student’s mugshot and reason for arrest, dozens of Palo Alto residents and Paly students voiced their opinions in the comment section of the PAPD post.

Many Paly students stood up for the arrested student, not to defend the crimes he committed, but to protect his privacy.

A few hours after the photo was put online, Garduno posted a link to a petition to “stop posting pictures of arrested offenders on Facebook and Twitter.”

Garduno had disliked the posting of photos by the PAPD since its inception, but saw the arrest of the Paly student as an opportunity for real change.

“It took the posting of a Paly student to get people to care about it enough,” Garduno said. “I could see that people had strong opinions, and I thought that a petition might have decent support.”

Garduno did not have a petition in mind before the arrest, but saw it as a way to corral the commenters’ energy into a formal complaint.

Garduno assumed that the PAPD would not stop posting mugshots of those they arrested simply because a few dozen students demonstrated

their displeasure through Facebook comments.

“I made the petition because I don’t think anyone else would have done it, because I don’t think people would generally want to become associated with an idea that would be ‘controversial’ against the Police Department,” Garduno said.

Garduno’s petition currently has 278 signatures. The website allows any user to write and create official petitions. By submitting an email address and a full name, any member of the public is able to agree to, or “sign,” the petition.

“You can choose to send [the petition] whenever you want, but the whole basis of the website is its accessibility to the public and the milestones it provides as encouragement,” Garduno said. “The rate of signatures has been slowing down considerably, simply because the people that want to sign it have already seen the link and signed the petition. I am going to try to max out the petition at 300 [signatures] and then send it to the Palo Alto Police Department.” To Garduno, the main focus of the petition is to make sure the PAPD understands the community’s displeasure with their actions.

“It’s not about whether the petition will work or not. I just think people have to stand up for what they think is right and believe that they have the power to change things,” Garduno said. “The ideal outcome of this whole situation would be that the PAPD would understand that there is a large enough part of Palo Alto that feels that what they’re doing is wrong and that they will try to do something about it.

If you read the petition correctly, all we ask is that [the PAPD] make press releases about the people they arrest

on their website. Then, they can post a URL on their Facebook or Twitter pages that links directly to the PAPD website. This way, whoever wants to be informed about the PAPD’s recent arrests can access them easily. I honestly believe this is a win-win situation.”

Several petition-signers argue that posting photos and detailed accounts of PAPD arrests is simply not beneficial to those who read them. By posting the photos, Garduno points out, the only result is shame and public humiliation to those arrested.

“I know the job of the PAPD is to protect and serve the community, and posting photos on social media sites just doesn’t fulfill that,” Garduno said.

“By posting the photos, I almost feel like it’s the way it was in olden times when people would be put in stocks in the middle of the street and get tomatoes thrown at them; I think this must be kind of what it feels like.”

Garduno has faced a lot of opposition in creating the petition to stop the posts made by the PAPD. Many have scolded him for “defending” the crimes committed and “standing up for” the criminals. Others have told him that a petition, especially one started by a student, will do no good and cannot force the Police Department to make any real changes.

“I’m just going to go as far as I can until [the PAPD] personally tell me that I’m wasting my time and that they won’t do anything about it,” Garduno said. “I’m going to try to arrange a meeting with the head of the Police Department to represent the people who signed the petition, just to see what’s going on. I just think that people need to get their voices heard if they believe in something. Otherwise, what’s the point of arguing?”

‘Deltopia’ party in Isla Vista escalates into riot, 40 injured Spring Break party near UCSB campus ends up in violence, arrests, damaged community property

By Angela Stern Senior Staff Writer

O

n April 5, the yearly ‘Deltopia’ party in Isla Vista, Calif. broke out into a riot, resulting in over 100 arrests and 40 injuries of the attendees and at least six law enforcement personnel injuries.

The renowned spring break celebration is estimated by officials to have had 15,000 attendees, most of which were students of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) or other nearby colleges.

Violence broke out at around 9:30 p.m. when an officer arrested an attendee who struck the officer in the head with a backpack containing large bottles of alcohol. Members of the crowd subsequently began throwing rocks, bricks and bottles at the officers, as well as lighting small fires and damaging property such as car windshields and stop signs.

The events escalated to the point to which the Santa Barbara Sheriff ’s Department had to declare a “major disturbance, emergency situation” and request aid from neighboring Santa Barbara and Ventura county’s police departments. They also used non-le-

thal weapons in attempts to disperse the crowd, including pepper spray, chemical agents and foam projectiles.

This year, a noise ordinance was issued for the ‘Deltopia’ festivities, with an aim in part to prevent the out-ofcontrol partying that had been observed in years prior. Several UCSB students claimed in various interviews with local media sources that the stricter monitoring of the party could have angered out-of-towners who came with higher expectations, thus fueling some of the outbursts that led to the riot.

The UCSB Student Government (Associated Students of UC Santa Barbara, ASUCSB) issued a statement to KEYT news on the following Monday, April 7, lamenting the chaos that escalated on the night of the party.

“What happened the night of April 5, 2014 in Isla Vista was tragic and the students of UCSB are in part to blame for it,” ASUCSB said. “Any large event held in such an unofficial capacity is doomed to end in chaos.

We, the Associated Students Executive Officers of UCSB, mourn the injury of six dedicated law enforcement officers and countless community members. We believe UCSB and

Courtesy of huscript.com, noozhawk.com, carbonated.tv

From top left, clockwise: Police stand together to stop the riot; The Deltopia party the night of the incident; People watch smoke cloud.

UCSB students must take responsi- large, including the rest of Santa Bar- on what college to attend, students and bility for the events of April 5, 2014.” bara County, deserve to know. We parents may be concerned about the Additionally, the ASUCSB called will be requesting a Civil Grand Jury safety in UCSB. The ASUCSB feels, for a civil Grand Jury investigation on Investigation into the events of April however, that after the investigation on the disturbance.

5...We simply think that the more in- the events, they can make the Isla Vista “In no way is this a unilateral cri- formation we have on this event, the community safer and prevent such tique of the response of Isla Vista better equipped we will be to prevent events from happening again.

“When the investigation is conFoot Patrol and others on the night it from ever happening again.”

As these events occurred in the cluded, we look forward to working of April 5, but we do have a stake in knowing what happened, when month during which thousands of high with all of Isla Vista’s stakeholders to it happened and why it happened,” school seniors, including many in the improve the health and safety of our ASUCSB said. “The community at PAUSD district, are making decisions community,” ASUCSB said.

Friday, April 25, 2014

A6

OPINION

The Campanile

Should the Palo Alto Police Department post mugshots of arrestees on social networking sites?

Recent Palo Alto Police Department’s Facebook post of Palo Alto High School student sparks debate on the ethics, necessity of posting photos of those recently arrested on social networking sites such as Facebook

By Grace Kim Staff Writer

S

YES

ocial media has long been a medium for news; it is the public’s right to know what is going on in their community, including crime.

After unfortunate events concerning a Palo Alto High School student, the Palo Alto Police Department’s (PAPD) use of social media, namely Facebook and Twitter, and its policy concerning mugshots have come under criticism.

However, so long as the police department has substantiated evidence and is not violating any of the rights of a minor, it has the prerogative and the duty to inform community members of societal transpirations and crimes.

Let us not forget that these people are, in the eyes of the laws, criminals.

The PAPD clearly states that it only proactively updates its news mediums for crimes of certain natures. These include: felony crimes that occur in public, select felony crimes that occur in private homes, sex crimes that occur in public, sex- or child-related cases or significant crime trends and associated arrests.

All of the crimes clearly stated have a common thread — they are victimizing crimes, meaning that someone involved has been significantly injured in some way. If an individual has committed one of these crimes, regardless of his or her prior reputation in the community, he or she deserves to be associated with their actions and face the ramifications of his or her actions.

Further, depending on the criminal’s age, the PAPD has a clearly set protocol it must follow without exception.

The legal definition of a minor is a person under the age of 18. I don’t think that anyone will contend their minor policy, where they release neither their name, photo nor name of the school attended. I think this is reasonable, as many people do.

Although I agree that maturity is not defined by a number, I worry that exceptions breed more exceptions and thereby I support the PAPD’s policy of those considered legal adults.

If someone argues that one particular case should be considered differently, then what has become of policy and protocol? Everyone must abide to the same laws and are subject to the same punishment, or else the system would fail.

Also, 18 has always been the age of increased responsibility and consequence. It has not changed in recent years, so there is no excuse. Everyone knows that 18 is the year people legally become an adult and with the increased responsibility that comes with adulthood come more serious consequences. This is just common and well-known knowledge.

If someone commits a victimizing crime and is over 18, there is no excuse for why this information should not be shared. The public has the right to know is a danger in the community and be more cautious.

If someone commits a victimizing crime and are over 18, there is no excuse for why this information should not be shared.

Furthermore, the PAPD has a right to use social media as a means to better inform the community.

Outlined on its Facebook page, the PAPD only seeks transparancy and safety in our community.

The purpose for releasing this information is to accurately inform the public so they are aware of significant crime in their area and so they can take the necessary precautions not to be victimized if the situation dictates.

The PAPD has the right to post this information on its website to ensure accuracy; by using social media, it could reach more people.

Lastly, people have the choice to “like” the PAPD’s Facebook page and the choice to be informed of the PAPD’s activity. You have the choice not to listen.

By Seth Alston Staff Writer

T

NO

he Palo Alto Police Department (PAPD) is reputably not the busiest police force. According to City Data records, Palo Alto’s crime index in 2012 fell just shy of 40. To give you a quick comparison, that same year, Menlo Park was reported at 141.4, San Francisco was reported at a 411.8 and Detroit was reported at 1009.7.

Now, the fact that Palo Alto faces less crime than these other cities does not mean that the PAPD is any less legitimate than the other mentioned police forces. It seems that what the Palo Alto Police lack in arrests, it makes up for with Facebook “likes.”

Yes, you read that right — Facebook likes. On the Palo Alto Police Department Facebook page, its last five posts had an average of 106.2 likes. To give you a quick comparison, on the last five posts on its Facebook page, the Menlo Park Police Department received an average of 10.2 likes, the San Francisco Police Department received an average of 36 likes and the Detroit Police Department received an average of 84.8 likes. Oddly, the crime rate and average Facebook likes paralleled for Menlo Park, San Francisco and Detroit, showing that statistically, the greater the crime presence, the greater the Facebook presence. When Palo Alto is thrown in the mix, this statistic is shattered.

Now, having a social media presence is not to be discouraged among law enforcement agencies. It lets them interact with the people they serve in ways that used to be impossible. In cities that struggle with high crime rates, people can turn to the social media presence of their police forces for important informa-

tion that they can use to stay safe. So what could be the impetus behind the disproportionately high Facebook presence of the PAPD? It could be its attention-grabbing practice of posting suspect mugshots and arrest stories on its page.

The Palo Alto Police Department posts the mugshot and incident reports of suspected perpetrators to its Facebook page, making them accessible to anybody. These posts generate huge numbers of likes and comments, with people sharing their thoughts on the arrests and suspects.

Comments on the posts can be racist and demeaning to the suspects and often leave people assuming the suspects’ guilt right off the bat. Those pictured have already been arrested and booked, meaning that there is no threat of them continuing their supposed crimes.

While this practice does net the PAPD massive numbers of likes, it is unfair to the suspects pictured and should be stopped because of the disrespect and negative attention it focuses on the people. It does nothing to actually make Palo Alto a safer environment, as those pictured have already been incarcerated, meaning that public awareness of their appearance is meaningless.

When a Palo Alto High School senior was arrested and subjected to this treatment on April 6, several students took a stand against this practice.

While this practice does net the PAPD massive numbers of likes, it is unfair to the suspects pictured and should be stopped because of the disrespect and negative attention it focuses on the people.

“Beneath the technical and legal [constraints] that police are taught to abide by, there are things that need to be accounted for when we put people in these situations on a human level of respect and understanding,” junior Adi Beth said.

The police cannot control the opinions of those who choose to view its posts, but it can control what they themselves post. By taking down the photos of their suspects, the police

department would be able to avoid the negative or racially charged comments directed at the arrested. The publicity that the practice gives the department is not worth the disrespect focused on the suspects. PAPD should choose to take a potential hit to its Facebook fame in order to protect the names of the people arrested.

This issue comes down to the level of respect with which the Palo Alto Police Department wants to give those that they arrest, many of whom started out as the people meant to be served and protected by the department.

Although suspects are innocent until proven guilty, the posting of in-depth reports and large mugshots gives the impression that the authorities are putting the suspect on display for the whole world to gawk at, and many on social media take advantage of this, applauding the arrests and condemning the suspects who in reality are just that, suspected of a crime.

This is the 21st century version of public shaming: parading a suspect through the streets in chains and does nothing to make the community safer, as the people are already in the system.

“Despite being [suspected] criminals, the most important thing we have to remember is that these people are still humans who deserve nothing less than the type of respect and acknowledgement you would pay a friend,” Beth said. “What I think is that the police should re-evaluate their motives and ideology behind exposing offenders on Facebook.”

This issue comes down to the level of respect with which the Palo Alto Police Department woud like to grant those it arrests, many of whom started out as people meant to be served and protected by the department.

Being arrested and charged with a crime is an incredibly stressful situation for anybody, innocent or guilty, and those who are entering the unforgiving criminal justice system in this country shouldn’t also be saddled with the public, uncensored infamy that comes from the Internet.

Career Tech Ed requirements flawed, need revision Changes need to be made to the current Career Technical Education classes to better prepare students for future the classes offered for CTE credit are limited and do not pertain to many students’ interests. Students end up picking their class somewhat randomly, and they pick the class solely to fulfill the requirement. Because of this, the classes aren’t actually helpful to what students will need to know for the career they choose.

If the CTE requirement were changed so that it could better fit students’ needs, the class to complete the credit may not be viewed as a waste of time and chosen randomly.

By Maggie Rosenthal Staff Writer

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tress plays a large part in student life as students have to balance strenuous school schedules with time-consuming extracurriculars.

One way that many students try to limit this stress is to take less classes — take a prep — and give themselves more time to work on other schoolwork. However, with more required classes needed to graduate, many students find it hard to fit a prep into their schedules.

Though all the required classes are chosen for a reason, not all the implemented requirements achieve their intended goals. One of the requirements in particular, the Career Technical Education (CTE) requirement,

Conner Harden/The campanile

Students prepare food in Culinary Arts, a class that fulfills the CTE requirement. is meant to educate students in the skills needed for their careers later in life. However, it has reached the point where it does not accomplish what the administration originally planned; it is not helpful to students and currently just takes up space in a student’s schedule.

The Career Technical Education (CTE) requirement requires a stu-

dent to take an approved course for 10 credits, or two semesters. These classes typically do not fulfill any a-g CSU and UC requirements.

Currently, the system for CTE required classes is flawed. The purpose of the CTE requirement is to provide students with the knowledge needed to prepare them for careers, generally within a certain field. However,

Though the intentions for the CTE credit are good, how the requirement is actually executed doesn’t achieve the desired purpose. For those who are not interested in computer science or language arts, the choices are extremely limited. There are no classes that count towards CTE credit for those who are interested in math or history fields.

The CTE credit needs to be redesigned to be relevant to students.

Ideally, more classes should be added

that fulfill the CTE credit, mainly in the areas of study that are lacking classes. Additionally, if adding more classes would be too challenging, more non-CTE classes should count towards the CTE requirement, widening the choices for students without depleting the school’s resources.

The credit should include more skills needed for careers. If courses specializing in specific careers would be too difficult to arrange for enough variety to interest a significant number of students, there should be a broad course that teaches basic skills needed for any type of career. Skills such as résumé building, interview strategies and the financial side of managing a business could all be covered in a general class that could count towards CTE credit for students who are unsure what career path they would like to take.

If the CTE requirement were changed so that it could better fit students’ needs, the class to complete the credit may not be viewed as a waste of time and chosen randomly.

By accommodating for a wider range of students, the classes could accomplish their original goal of providing students with more knowledge and expertise for their chosen career path.

The Campanile

OPINION

Friday, April 25, 2014

A7

Drinking age should be lowered to 18 Alcohol consumption should be added to the list of privileges granted to US citizens upon becoming legal adults

By Hillel Zand Editor-in-Chief

I

n most countries, 18 is considered the age of adulthood.

When I reach adulthood this coming fall, I can legally join the military, buy a rifle, adopt a child, smoke a cigarette, apply for a medical marijuana card in 21 states and vote for elected officials. Heck, I could even star in a pornographic film if I wanted to.

It is time adults in the U.S. be allowed to once again add “drink alcohol” to their list of enumerated rights when they turn 18. After the ratification of the 26th Amendment in 1971, most states recognized this inherent adulthood privilege by lowering their drinking age to 18. But since 1984, American citizens are prohibited from purchasing and consuming alcohol unless they are three years into adulthood — at age 21.

“It doesn’t really make sense for someone to turn 18 and be able to vote and go to war for your country, and not be able to have an alcoholic beverage legally,” Palo Alto High School principal Kim Diorio said.

The most obvious reason for lowering the minimum legal drinking age to 18 is that the current law is plain old ineffective. According to the Center for Disease Control, just over 70 percent of high school students in 2011 had consumed alcohol at least once in their lifetime and 21 percent of students in the same year had participated in binge drinking, which is defined as consuming five or more drinks on one occasion.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse reports that underage drinking brings in $22.5 billion each year, which equates to nearly 20 percent of all alcohol sales annually. Underage drinking is already financing a sizable portion of the alcohol industry and by lowering the drinking age three years, the nation’s economy can only be further stimulated.

Would the United States be negligent in lowering the drinking age?

Would the government be promoting some sort of rudimentary lifestyle?

Our global neighbors seem to suggest the answer is ‘no.’

Out of the International Monetary Fund’s list of 36 “developed countries,” only four have drinking above the age of 18 and the U.S. is the only one with a drinking age of 21.

Even the U.S. Virgin Islands maintains a minimum legal drinking age of 18.

Joseph Lang spent the spring semester of his sophomore year at Paly before returning to his native Austria.

He “think[s] 21 is a bit extreme” and he noticed stark differences between the drinking cultures of the U.S. and Austria, where the drinking age — and the voting age, he pointed out — is 16.

“If a 16-year old in Austrian drinks too much and passes out, people can call an ambulance without having to be scared to get in serious trouble with their parents, school or even the law,” Lang said. “Not so in the U.S. If someone passes out from drinking too much there, it is quite a delicate situation because bystanders have to judge if calling an ambulance is worth the risk of them or their friends getting in trouble.”

It doesn’t really make sense for someone to turn 18 and be able to vote and go to war for your country, and not be able to have an alcoholic beverage legally.

Kim Diorio Principal

Just because the drinking age in Austria is five years younger and drinking is “so anchored in our culture,” Lang explains, it seems as though their culture is not promoting a dangerous way of living.

In 2012, 39 people in Austria from drunk driving accidents, according to Statistik Austria. Mothers Against Drunk Driving reports that approximately 28 Americans die each day from drunk driving accidents. So basically, 2 days in the U.S. brings more deaths from drunk driving than an entire year in Austria.

The drinking age of 21 has also perpetuated a sort of culture where underage drinking becomes so desirable merely because of illegality.

Anna McGarrigle, a Palo Alto High School alumna (‘13) and current freshman at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., says that the drinking age of 21 has only done more harm than good.

“The only thing I’ve seen the drinking age do is create stronger repercussions and a stronger desire to engage in forbidden drinking,” McGarrigle said. “When I’ve visited friends at colleges like McGill [University in Quebec, Canada,] where the drinking age is 18, the alcohol is nonexistent frankly because drinking is not illicit like it is here [in the U.S.], so the social scene is much more rounded out and less focused on just getting [wasted].”

The illicit nature of underage drinking has promoted a lifestyle in which many believe that the only way to drink underage is to binge drink;

drinking for the sole purpose of getting drunk is the connotation that surrounds alcohol for most teenagers. Aaron White, a professor at the Duke University Medical Center in June 2006, found that about 40 percent of college freshmen admitted they engage in binge drinking and that 20 percent drink between 10 and 15 alcoholic beverages every drinking session. This is a stark difference from European drinking culture, Lang explains.

“Drinking is generally a socially more acceptable thing here [in Austria],” Lang said. “You can get alcohol everywhere, not just at liquor stores — even at McDonald’s. And it is totally normal to see people with cans of beer in the subway on Friday nights.” “[At George Washington University,] we have relatively moderate policies and enforcement, so the drinking age by no means keeps students from drinking,” McGarrigle said. “Going to school in a city also complicates things because clubs, bars and fake IDs are normal, so a lot of partying happens off-campus.

If college culture wasn’t so dangerously associated with binge drinking, I think that everyone would be much safer.”

Not allowing 18, 19 and 20-yearolds to drink in supervised environments forces them to drink clandestinely in places that may promote unsafe practices, such as fraternity houses and house parties. The accessibility of alcohol is so rampant that it is almost impossible to deter teenagers in high school and college from consumption.

“Teenagers are still going to party and they are still going to drink alcohol [whether or not] you want them to, and I’d rather have my kids drink in a public space where you can at least control it a little bit [as opposed to being] passed out with just a bunch of drunk friends around,” Lang said. “It also allows parents to teach their kids how to drink responsibly without having to break the law.

The problem in America is that in order to drink alcohol, teenagers have to break quite a few laws and it creates a... dangerous, situation. If someone wants to drink, they’re gonna find a way.”

Judy Workman, a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley, furthers this idea of “when there’s a will, there’s a way” when it comes to alcohol.

“Well in college people who are 21 buy alcohol for everyone and they don’t card or anything at frat parties so it really doesn’t matter how old you are unless you’re the one actually providing the alcohol,” Workman said regarding the accessibility of alcohol for an underage drinker.

In 2008, a group of presidents of some of the United States’ most respected colleges began a petition in support of a debate to lower the

Jane Gorelik/The campanile

Age 18, tatooed, married and toasting with a juice box. drinking age. The petition — called practices and in 11 states for educathe Amethyst Initiative — currently tional purposes.

The last time the United States has the signatures of 136 college presidents, including the likes of withheld alcohol from a certain deDartmouth College, Duke Univer- mographic — granted, in this case, sity, Johns Hopkins University and that demographic was every single Pomona College. In other words, 136 person in the country — was the Procolleges believe it would be safer to hibition, which lasted from 1920 to 1933. Mark Thornton, a former pronot have a drinking age of 21.

While not supporting a specific fessor of economics at Auburn Unipolicy change, Amethyst signees be- versity, found that Prohibition also lieve that the current drinking age promoted unsafe drinking practices.

“It should be noted that annual “is not working as well as the public may think, that its unintended conse- per capita consumption and the perquences are posing increasing risks to centage of annual per capita income young people, and that it is time for spent on alcohol had been steadily a serious debate among our elected falling before Prohibition and that representatives about whether current annual spending on alcohol during public policies are in line with current Prohibition was greater than it had been before Prohibition,” Thornton realities,” according to its website. wrote in a 1991 study.

The only thing I’ve seen the Furthermore, around 80 percent of drinking age do is create stron- total alcohol sales during Prohibition ger repercussions and a stronger were distilled spirits, compared to around 50 percent from 1890 to 1920 desire to engage in forbidden and from 1933 to 1960, suggesting drinking. that it is not just college students who tend to drink to get drunk when they Anna McGarrigle are illegally consuming alcohol.

Freshman at George Washington University Just as during the Prohibition, toOne of the most troublesome day’s law enforcement does not have parts of the current drinking age is the resources to punish every violathat it withholds certain rights from tor of drinking laws. The arbitrariindividual states. Technically, the ness and inconsistency of enforcing drinking age is a matter that states the drinking age has only led to a have the age to set for themselves, not greater contempt for the police and the federal government. It only seems has tainted their image.

Some may argue that just because that way because all states now have underage drinking is so widespread the same drinking age.

The National Minimum Drink- as it is, that it doesn’t justify lowering ing Age Act of 1984 coerced states the drinking age. If everyone started to raise the legal age to 21 by with- doing cocaine, would we just decide holding ten percent of federal fund- to legalize cocaine? Probably not. But ing for highways from states that did more than a matter of “everyone is alnot comply. States that were perfectly ready doing it so let’s just change the content with a drinking age of 18 law,” lowering the drinking age to 18 were forced to give way out of the is a matter of granting legal adults a right that they should already have fear of losing millions of dollars.

At the very minimum, states since they are considered of age to should at least set their own legal make responsible decisions.

If I am going to have the right — drinking age so as to reflect their distinctive values, demographics or obligation in a time of war — to and histories. Underage drinking is join the Armed Forces and sacrifice already allowed in 29 states if it is my life for this country, Uncle Sam done on private property with paren- better at least hand me a beer before I tal consent, in 25 states for religious ship off overseas.

Photo editing tools negatively affect daily life As image editing tools become even more powerful and prevalent in today’s society, teenagers struggle with

By Lauren Gargiulo Staff Writer

T

hrough the last 20 years, technological advances, such as Adobe Photoshop, have brought major changes to popular media. Photoshop, which was initially released in 1990, has since grown into an extremely popular tool used by photo editors for all forms of media, from magazines to music videos and more.

Though the tool is extremely useful, it has been extremely disputed and controversial in its power to alter the perception of the ideal human body to be unrealistic and impossible to achieve.

Many have spoken out against advertisements where women, and sometimes men, are altered to appear unproportionally thin and skin airbrushed to remove all blemishes, and the negative effects it has on beauty standards; however, few have talked about how this tool has been but in the hands of the average person.

Today, many people, especially adolescents girls, have social media accounts like Facebook or Instagram where they upload various pictures of themselves.

These adolescents girls also are able to download free applications on their smart phones to digitally alter images in order to look more aesthetically pleasing. These applications can soften skin, whiten teeth, slim any part of the body and even apply a digital layer of cosmetics.

With these applications, such as Pefect365 or Facetune, so readily on hand, it is easy for one to give in and test them out on their own image and watch the dramatic changes right before their eyes.

Adolescents use these photo editing tools in order to more closely resemble the ideal beauty standards set forth by mass media; photos posted on Facebook no longer resemble a person’s true sense of self, but a façade put forward.

Courtesy of SODAHEAD.com

Adolescents use these photo editing tools in order to more closely resemble the ideal beauty standards of today; photos posted on Facebook no longer resemble a person’s true sense of self, but a facade put forward in order to share with the community of their assimilation and compliance to society’s vision of beauty. They then get sucked into the cycle, continuing

Edited photos, such as the one shown above, are distorting the idea of natural beauty and being used by teenagers as the “standard” of idealized attractiveness. to use photo editing software in order to maintain their “beauty.”

With this technology, it is slowly becoming harder to remember what people are supposed to look like in reality. Adhering to the standard portrayed by professional models, whose

images are edited themselves, only depreciates the idea of natural beauty.

These applications dramatically worsen the impossible ideals for aesthetics today, tainting and distorting girls’ images of themselves, and coerce them to edit their photos to fit in.

Friday, April 25, 2014

The Campanile

EDITORIALS

A8

APRIL’S TOP TEN LIST

A message to the Paly community:

A

s we approach the end of the school year, we’re reaching out again for cooperation and assistance in putting an end to a student behavior – student streaking - that has made many people in our school community feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Over the past nine months, we’ve engaged in many discussions with students and parents about respect for others, personal safety, and the school-wide consequences caused by the actions of a small group of students.

We want to be clear - the penalties for streaking on campus will include a two-day suspension from school and a referral to the Palo Alto Police Department (PAPD) School Resource Officers. As with any discipline incident resulting in suspension, colleges will be notified.

Earlier this month, we spoke to almost 350 seniors in their History/ Social Science classes and informed

our students of the additional circumstances that have resulted in our renewed resolve. In addition, we discussed a number of topics concerning our school, including an appeal to end the “tradition” of student streaking and to create a positive legacy instead. Our School Resource Officers, Detective DuJuan Green and Detective Ben Lee, joined us in these discussions and answered many great questions from our students. Overall, we enjoyed our time connecting with the senior class and listening to student concerns.

Paly is a school that cares about students. In that spirit, we hope students, especially our seniors, will make good decisions over the next few months and end their time at Paly on the most positive note possible.

It is within our power to change Paly for the better. This year we have engaged in thoughtful dialogue about

Top ten things to do before you graduate

how to create a safe and welcoming school environment for our students, and the impact of this dialogue is palpable. We look forward to ending this year with additional evidence of an even more positive climate for all.

As always, thank you for your support.

10) Lie on the senior deck and get your tan on.

9) Eat an Ike’s sandwich.

8) Tell that person that you hate how you really feel.

7) Skinny dip in the Paly pool.

6) Skip class to go hang out at the beach.

5) Take a ride in Ernesto’s golf cart.

4) Reach out to an old friend.

3) Eat in the library and get kicked out.

2) Allow yourself to relax, but don’t get rescinded.

1) Know that there’s a great future ahead of you... hopefully.

-JACK PALADIN

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Got something on your mind?

Submit a letter to the editor at theeds2014@googlegroups.com

Streaking should be halted due to federal investigation

M

any Palo Alto High School seniors are dismayed at the sudden influx of punishments aimed at deterring the long-standing, unwritten tradition of streaking. Principal Kim Diorio has made rounds to senior classrooms to speak with students and deter them by outlining the punishment, which has grown considerably stricter than last year. Currently, the punishment for streaking is a two-day suspension as well as either a citation or arrest depending on the age of the streaker.

The latter will occur when the administration turns a student into the police after capture. Principal Kim Diorio said she has no choice but to turn the students into the police because of all the pressure from the teachers and community to stop this tradition. Although it is disappointing that the tradition of streaking may seemingly be nearing its end, many students are fearful of the ramifications of streaking and believe that the risk is not worth the reward.

We, The Campanile, must ask the student body to cooperate with the administration’s attempt to change what we believe is a cherished tradition. The Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) and the Palo Alto High School administration both offer valid reasons for the sudden crack-down on streaking, reasons unknown to many students, and thus, The Campanile believes that the senior class — and students from other grades, both in the present and future — should refrain from streaking for the benefit of both themselves and the school.

Currently, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), a federal entity, is conducting a Title IX investigation on Palo Alto High School. Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments states that “no person... shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” The Title IX investigation is specifically looking for activities of sexual harassment, which the OCR characterizes as conduct “creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment.”

Streaking can be considered a way of perpetuating a hostile educational environment, evident by staff and student complaints. In addition, the school is liable to “take immediate and appropriate steps to stop it and prevent it from happening again” to “ensure a safe learning environment,” steps neglected previously, but is henceforth going to be enforced. The current OCR case on sexual harassment is unusual; this is the first time the agency has instigated an investigation without a school student or parent complaint. The OCR has officials scheduled to arrive at Palo Alto High School this coming May to investigate the school for sexual harassment. The Campanile advises the se-

nior class to refrain from streaking as to not aggravate the situation; streaking in rebellion would not be comical, but disrespectful to the Paly faculty, who have put in ample work to create a safe educational environment, as well as the rest of the student body, who consequentially witness inappropriate and sexually harassing actions.

Streaking should no longer be seen as a trivial, merely humorous affair, but taken with much more seriousness and consideration. The last thing the senior class would want to do is leave a lasting legacy that portrays Palo Alto High School in a negative light, and do anything that would invite legal implications to our school and community.

In addition, The Campanile applauds the administration for tackling this issue with optimism and fairness.

The administration has been proactive and transparent in sending the message out to the senior class, especially on the personal ramifications of streaking, in addition to speaking to senior classes and sending a letter to clarify any confusions or misconceptions in students’ minds. We appreciate the administration for giving the class a fair notice to understand the consequences if students choose to continue in this illicit activity.

As current students, we have seen streakers in recent years strip off their clothes, run across the Quad and get away unscathed and unpunished. No clear messages were given regarding this practice and, due to the lack of consequence, seemed to be almost encouraged.

Changing a culture is difficult, but it is important to remember that as students, the most influential people that have the power to perpetuate change within our school boundaries are ourselves, not teachers and not staff members. With this in mind, we must use this influential power for good, creating a welcoming school climate that does not offend students and teachers alike.

The Campanile encourages the student body to support the administration and the school as a whole in its difficult endeavor and work together to create a safe, educational environment free from federal investigation.

We do recognize that streaking has been a historical, prized tradition, but we recommend to forgo this inappropriate and damaging activity in favor for another.

Students should refrain from streaking if not to improve the school climate and save the school from further ramifications that result from poor OCR investigative results, but also in their own fears of attaining a disciplinary and police record, the latter of which will follow the student past merely high school.

As Diorio reminded seniors this month when visiting classes, we as the student body can change traditions, but cannot alter the legacy we leave.

COMIC OF THE MONTH

hillel zand and william mendenhall/The Campanile

Meta-comic

The Campanile Editors-in-Chief Rachel Cui • Jensen Hsiao • Maya Kitayama Daniel Tachna-Fram • Hillel Zand • Stephenie Zhang News Editor Josefin Kenrick Business Managers Shivonne Logan Alvina Zou

Opinion Editor Jack Paladin Online Editor Jonathan Ziegler

2014 Hybrid Publication Gold Crown Award Winner

Lifestyle Editors Kian McHugh Michelle Yin

Sports Editors Julia Kwasnick Ziv Schwartz

Lifestyle Design Editor Irene Ezran

Spotlight Editor Emily Semba

Cartoonists Jane Gorelik William Mendenhall Hillel Zand

Photography Editors Ahmed Awadallah Andrew Sternfield

Staff Writers Seth Alston Maya Benatar Dami Bolarinwa Galen Byrd Stephanie Cong Parker Devine Esther Doerr Owen Dulik Haley Fang Bo Field Jeremy Fu

Lauren Gargiulo Bowen Gerould Lauren Giurata Conner Harden Jeffrey Ho Grace Kim Lauren Klass Emily Lee Zachary Levitan Tiffany Liang Claire Liu William Mendenhall

Ahmed Awadallah Dami Bolarinwa Keri Gee

Paul Mewes Kevin Mullin Mischa Nee Hannah Nguyen Arjun Parikh Coby Parker Nikhil Rajaram Maggie Rosenthal Jack Shapiro William Shin William Snodgrass Owen Staiger

Photographers Conner Harden Jeffrey Ho Jensen Hsiao

Angela Stern Heather Strathearn Alec Sullivan Nicholas Sullivan Sarah Tayeri Zoe Tierney Oliver Tucher Jacob van Zyll Leslie Wan Eli Weitzman Catherine Yu Lily Zhang Andrew Sternfield Zoe Tierney Hillel Zand

Advisor Esther Wojcicki Letters to the Editors: E-mail all letters to editors to theeds2014@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 in The Campanile and their size options and prices, please contact The Campanile Business Managers by e-mail 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.

Friday, April 25, 2014

The Campanile

L!F3$TYL3

Best places to picnic

By Kevin Mullin

B7

Advice for high schoolers

Texting Lingo I

n the digital age, texting is quickly becoming one of the most popular forms of communication around the world. According to BBC News, people in Britain now prefer texting to talking on the phone or face-to-face contact, and according to Pew Research, Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 exchange more than 3200 texts per month. It is more important than ever to be able to communicate via texting, yet it is unlike any other aspect of the English language. For those who may be struggling to keep up with the ever-changing syntax and grammar of the texting world, here is a guide to help interpret what some common phrases and punctuation mean.

Periods after Short Words

A period after a short word such as “Cool.” “Bye.” “Thanks.” is pretty much a death sentence. You may think that person is just trying to be grammatically correct, but let’s think about it. They only had time to text you a one word response, yet still had the care to stick a period on the end of that. That is no punctuation. That is a bullet, and you just got shot in the face with that text.

Lol vs. Haha

The battle of the laughing messages is over. “Haha” is the winner. I can personally guarantee that whoever texted you “lol” is not laughing or even smiling. They’re probably sitting on their couch, feeling sorry for that joke you just made which wasn’t actually funny and sent you a “lol” out of pity. “Haha” means you are getting the nod that what you said was actually clever. Hop on the bandwagon already.

Placement of Haha’s

“Haha” may be one of the most versatile phrases in the English language. It can be acknowledgement of a clever or funny comment in the previous text that just wasn’t quite funny enough to warrant more. It also might mean nothing. Watch out for those “haha” happy texters who just throw it in at the beginning of every text to keep things light and fun. When in doubt, use the rule of three. If they used it more than three consecutive times, you’re not actually funny and they have a problem. Let us also take this time now to address the significance of a “haha” placed midway through a text. In a face-to-face conversation, people can use their voices and body language to convey something as sarcastic or a joke. One such example is the way something responds to teasing with “shut uppp.” In a texting situation, there is no way to tell if they are joking back or actually telling you to “stfu,” so a “haha” is useful to establish the tone of your comment. So next time you get a “you’re stupid haha”, keep that in mind. It doesn’t mean you’re actually stupid. Unfortunately, you’re not funny either.

The Different Levels of Haha(haha) and other Variations

Now that we have established that “haha” is by far the superior laughing text, let us delve into the question of how many “ha’s” to send. We’ve addressed the meaning of “haha” depending on where it is placed. But what about “hahaha?”

Generally anything with more than two “ha’s” means you made a pretty great joke. All caps? Great joke. “Bahaha?” Stop it, you’re not a goat. If you’re spending most of your time on the other side of two “ha’s” you’re living the good life. If not, it’s sort of like the friend zone. I wish you luck breaking out of it.

The Different Levels of Hey(yyy)

As you may already know, there is quite a difference between “hey,” “heyy” and “heyyyy.” Odds are if you’re dealing with one “y,” it’s a strictly friend situation. Two “y’s” and they want to get something going. Three “y’s” you should be picking up on this by now. Anything more than that and the person you’re dealing with is probably drunk and odds are you aren’t getting lucky. The same rules can be applied to “hi,” just keep in mind their voice is probably a lot higher and annoying.

Changing the Spelling Unnecessarily

Next time someone texts you “kewl” instead of “cool,” “foto” instead of “photo,” or “plz” instead of “please,” please do yourself a favor and don’t answer. That person is totes obv not kewl enuf 2 tlk 2 u.

The Difference Between K and Kk

You may think these two phrases, both short for “OK,” mean the same thing. You would be wrong. “Kk” is commonly used for acknowledging a plan or statement made in a previous text and carries no negative connotation. However, if you check your phone and there is a big fat “K” staring back at you, it might be smart to re-read some of those previous texts. If there is a period after that “K,” you should go hide.

Smileys, Winky Faces and other Emojis

Before I begin, let’s consider that we have reached the point of texting each other little pictures of yellow people to communicate . . . just think about that for a second.

Alright now we may begin.

The smiley face is one of the most deceptive tools in a texters arsenal. While seemingly happy and harmless, it could actually be a one-way ticket to the friend zone or another terrible location.

Take this situation for example. You tell the person you are good at singing. They say they’ve heard you and that is debatable. You say, “No, actually I’m really good.” They text back, “Whatever you say :)” While they waved their seemingly friendly smiley face in front of you, you left yourself vulnerable and got hit with a sarcastic dagger to the back. Don’t fall for this trick.

Give them a taste of their own medicine and shoot back something like, “Cool.”

That’ll show them how not to use a smiley face.

The winky face, on the other hand, is your friend. In nearly every texting situation, it is either friendly or flirty. Let us take a look at why in the same scenario.

You tell them you’re a good singer. They say, “Debatable.” You say,“No I actually am, trust me.” They say, “Whatever you say ;)” Drop everything you are doing and make yourself available on Friday night. Forget sending any more emojis.

You only need three words from now on: it’s a go.

Other emojis are a mixed bag. The same rules apply to normal smiley and winky faces, except if it is in emojiform the effect is to a lesser degree.

It won’t do much to help you, but it won’t do much to hurt you. It can also easily derail your conversation.

Stay away from emoji wars. If they send you five lines of every single type of food they can find on their iPhone, watch yourself. This is an endless cycle of destruction, second only to a poke war on Facebook.

Other punctuation

By this time, you have grown to fear periods, as you should. But what about some other punctuation?

Commas are perfectly innocent, no need to worry there. Exclamation points, if used effectively, are harmless as well. If you start getting exclamation points after every sentence, just keep in mind for whatever reason they are screaming at you.

Now let’s take this time to quickly touch on some other punctuation and grammar.

Question marks: Just remember, this is a conversation, not a game of 20 questions. Also, if you do have to ask a question, one question mark is sufficient. No need to put seven in a row.

Colons: Colons are like twinkies. Stick with the timetable of about one every couple years.

Semi-Colons: Just stop.

Ellipses (the dreaded dot dot dot): If you’re feeling like the conversation is going too well and is not nearly awkward enough, it might be a good time to use an ellipses. Let’s consider what this is made up of: it is a bunch of periods in a row. Enough said.

INSIDE

Prom: What were you thinking?

Homemade PMT

By Galen Byrd

By Emily Semba & Irene Ezran

B8

B2

By Hillel Zand Blood. Sweat. Tears. Nudity. These are only a handful of things I’ve experienced firsthandedly in my nearly four years at prestigious Palo Alto High School. I’ve seen it all: from Chill Phil to Kimmy D, from TEAM to #SSS and from being football and volleyball state champions to not being football and volleyball state champions.

As a second semester senior, it would be selfish of me to withhold my advice from current and future Paly students. This brain may not have much left in it, but its got just enough to impart some wise words of wisdom (#WWW).

Here are 20 #WWW from a #SSS: 1. Even if you tell yourself that you’re going to get it done days in advance, you’re not going to. Ever.

2. Be a mooch and don’t have any qualms about it.

3. Make friends in the front office.

It’ll come in handy — trust me.

4. Don’t take the AP for the sake of it being an AP. I’ve learned that the hard way.

5. Starting junior year, the only topic of conversation amongst you and your friends will be college, college, college. Get used to it, but treat it as meaningless noise, not fact.

6. Take APUSH. You’ll hate it while you’re a junior and miss it as a senior. (Note: ignore #4 for this one.)

7. Be open with your teachers because they’ll be more lenient if you tell them the truth since they’re used to hearing excuses.

8. Your path to success in life is not spelled I-V-Y. 9. Become good friends with at least a couple of teachers and don’t do it just for the recommendation.

Having someone on campus to talk to and just chill with is highly underrated.

10. Getting a B or C or a D or an F means you’re human, NOT a failure.

11. Branch out. It sucks and it’s kind of scary, but it’ll save you sometimes.

12. Quality, not quantity.

13. Find a place where you know you work efficiently — one at school and one outside of school.

14. Sometimes change can be a good thing. Sometimes it’s not, and when that’s the case, let it be known.

15. Admire people for their character, not for the amount of times they go out and get drunk.

16. Nothing is worse than a person who talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk. Avoid at all costs.

17. Feel guilty for turning in work late not because it’s late, but because you’re letting down your teacher.

18. Your parents are not in charge of your destiny.

19. Humor at school is good. It lightens up the classroom experience, makes learning fun and shows that you care. Don’t be the one who helps perpetuate an environment that is dull with indifference.

20. You’re going to mess up.

You’re going to mess up more than once. In fact, you’re going to mess up a lot. Roll with the punches.

Food trucks Discover a new eating experience

By Lily Zhang

B2

Friday, April 25, 2014

B2

STUDENT LIFES

The Campanile

Food trucks in Menlo Park provide alternative eating experience

How to make the best pearl milk tea

Every Monday at Willows Market, trucks serve variety of cuisines

Making pearl milk tea at home is a cheaper, more convenient alternative

ver the past few years, there has been a hype over Taiwanese pearl milk tea, also known as bubble tea, within the Palo Alto community. No matter what time of the day, students flock to stores that sell the beverage, such as Verde Tea Cafe and Tapioca Express on Castro Street in Mountain View and Tpumps in San Mateo to satisfy their craving for this flavorful, fun drink. Although the pearl milk tea sold at those stores is delicious, it is equally easy, enjoyable and much less expensive to make the drink at home with friends or family.

The Recipe 1. The tea: Begin by brewing one cup of tea per person, typically a black tea such as Earl Grey or English Breakfast. If a cold drink is desired, steep tea ahead of time and place in a refrigerator to cool.

2. The pearls: To cook pearls, boil water in a small pot and stir in a ½ cup of granulated sugar. Place a ⅓ cup of uncooked tapioca pearls per person into the sugar water. Cook for about 20 minutes until the pearls are a soft and gelatinous texture, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Then, drain the water from the pearls in a colander and divide evenly into cups.

3. The sweeteners: To add a boost of flavor into the tea, add a sweetener such as condensed milk, half-andhalf or honey.

Ingredients Tapioca pearls and wide straws specifically made for this drink can be found at Chinese specialty stores such as Ranch 99 in Mountain View.

The tea and sweeteners, such as condensed milk, half-and-half or honey can be found at most grocery stores.

Variations To have the variety of choices found at stores, put the cooked pearls in coffee or fruit juice instead of tea.

Use green tea pearls instead of regular. With all of these choices, you will be sure to satisfy your pearl milk tea craving while avoiding spending excessive money.

By Emily Semba Spotlight Editor

Irene Ezran

Lifestyle Design Editor

O

Andrew Sternfield/The Campanile

The food truck trend has grown in the past few years and currently inspires a weekly community event in Menlo Park.

By Lily Zhang

C

Senior Staff Writer

an’t decide what to eat? Food trucks at the Willows Market serves a variety of diverse foods, ranging from Indian Street Food to Korean-Japanese fusion and even to Belgian waffles served with fried chicken.

Now occurring at the site next to Willows Market in Menlo Park, Food Truck Night consists of five different food trucks every Monday night usually from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. A sampling of food trucks include Sanguchon Peruvian Food Truck (Peruvian sandwiches), Hiyaaa (Vietnamese fusion sandwiches), The Chairman (Asian street food), KoJa Kitchen (Korean and Japanese cuisine), The Rib Whip (Southern style BBQ), The Waffle Roost (Belgian waffles and buttermilk fried chicken), CurryUpNow (Indian street food) and many more.

Available food trucks rotate each week.

One of the food trucks, KoJa Kitchen, offers a delicious blend of Korean and Japanese cuisine, in the form of a variety of inexpensive fusion burgers ($5.50) that use handmade toasted rice cake patties as buns.

The burgers include different fillings of Korean BBQ beef or chicken and even offers vegetarian patties as well.

Other choices on KoJa’s menu include Kamikaze Fries ($6): criss-cut fries with Korean BBQ beef, kimchi, green onions, topped with Japanese sweet mayo and a signature sauce.

In addition to the food trucks, the butterscotch pudding from the Butterscotch On-the-Go vendor ($4) is a favorite among customers. Located just a little to the left from the entrance of the Willows Market, the vendor serves a mouth-watering butterscotch pudding topped with almond toffee and whipped cream.

Many Palo Alto High School students go to Food Truck Night to try the many different styles of foods.

What started as a one-time meal for senior Megan Rohrer transformed into a tradition.

“Food trucks are great because every week, there are different options, so there’s always something new to try,” Rohrer said. “Some of the foods are really unique, such as KoJa Kitchen, which is Korean and Japanese food, and it’s definitely a new favorite. Everything I’ve ordered has been delicious and it’s a great environment to hang out in.”

Another weekly customer and senior at Paly, Aashli Budhiraja, emphasizes Food Truck Night’s delicious food and lively community environment.

“The only thing I look forward to on Mondays is going to the food trucks and getting the delicious butterscotch for dessert,” Budhiraja said.

Irene Ezran/The Campanile

Making homemade pearl milk tea can be an enjoyable activity to do with friends.

US food stamp program inefficient, wasteful

Current program provides families with excessive funds for food, allows opportunities for illegal actions

By Paul Mewes

G

Staff Writer

ive a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Throw money at him and you feed him for a month. Is that how the saying goes?

Every year, the United States spends about $80 billion on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the program formerly known as Food Stamps.

In 2013, SNAP assisted 20 percent of Americans. In other words, the government paid one in five Americans taxpayer dollars to help them buy food. This number seems especially high, considering only 15.1 percent of Americans live below the poverty line.

Intrigued, I wanted to learn more about SNAP, to figure out how reasonable it is for SNAP to assist so many, how hard it is to live on food stamps and whether the government should really be spending $80 billion on SNAP annually. So, my family decided to go on food stamps.

We did extensive research beforehand: we found the amount of money a family of three receives from SNAP, we brainstormed cheap meals and we compared prices at grocery stores to find the best deals. We pledged to eat only from our food stamps budget; we could not eat out. We could

use the spices we already owned, but otherwise we had to start fresh. This meant buying flour, salt, sugar and all other necessities in addition to our regular meals.

We were all pleasantly surprised by the quality of our meals. We ate spaghetti, roast chicken, fried rice, turkey dinner and more. In actuality, our meals on food stamps were better than they had been before.

The biggest challenge of going on food stamps was not being able to eat out, but by the end of the month, I was accustomed to eating before hanging out with friends.

I noticed that the amount of money some people were getting was outrageous. It was sometimes thousands of dollars a month for groceries.

Haley Parker Former cashier at Food Source

We had $25 left over at the end of the month, which wasn’t even a fair reflection of our excess money; toward the end of the month, we had such a surplus that we were buying more expensive food for more extravagant meals, and we had food left over.

Although our experiment gave us a good sense of life on food stamps, it wasn’t perfect. We did it in February, the shortest month of the year. However, this was offset by the necessity to purchase all of the basic ingredients, like flour, that most families would be able to replenish over time and often do not need to buy all at once.

Another flaw was that we had many cooking instruments that poorer families most likely would not be able to afford. Finally, all the meals we ate required preparation, and a family on SNAP would most likely be working long hours, therefore without adequate time to prepare meals.

SNAP also has other flaws. According to Haley Parker, a former cashier at Food Source in Sacramento, a store for lower income families, people frequently cheat the system and rip off SNAP. “People were ripping off the food stamps program by selling their food stamps for half price, in exchange for cash,” Parker said. “They would sell $40 of food stamps for $20 cash.”

Selling food stamps is not only illegal, but also a felony in most states.

Regardless, Parker saw these transactions occur often and never saw anyone try to stop them.

“I am not aware of the store or SNAP ever doing anything to stop

[the illegal sale of food stamps],” Parker said. “The store I worked at wanted people’s money and did not care how or from whom they were getting it.”

According to Parker, people sometimes seemed to have very large amounts of money on their SNAP cards.

“I noticed that the amount of money some people were getting was outrageous,” Parker said. “It was sometimes thousands of dollars a month for groceries.”

People should not be able to swindle a federally-funded program like SNAP. The ease and frequency with which people seem to do so indicates that, although it has good intentions, SNAP is a poorly implemented program.

Incentivising managers not to allow the illegal sale of food stamps and to report SNAP balances that seem unusually high could prevent people from continuing to cheat the system.

After experiencing the amount and quality of food that SNAP provides and learning about the other flaws in the program, I have concluded that the government places an extraneous amount of money on SNAP; some of the $80 billion currently used could be spent in a much more efficient way.

We need to educate families on nutrition, teach them cheap and simple recipes and instill in them a better sense of budgeting their money. Additionally, we need to better enforce the integrity of the program, because every time an individual cheats SNAP, he or she takes money straight from taxpayers’ pockets.

Instead of channeling billions of taxpayers’ dollars into SNAP, the government could instead streamline the program.

By making it more efficient and making sure people do not cheat the system, the government could drastically reduce the $80 billion dollars it spends on SNAP each year and could spend the extra money elsewhere.

Educating people about nutrition, easy meals to cook and budgeting, as well as incentivising managers to prevent people from cheating the system could greatly improve SNAP. $80 billion is no modest fee and the government should take a serious interest in making sure that SNAP is running to its fullest potential.

The fact that the government continues to stream money into such a flawed system without making real efforts to improve it is worrisome and arouses a troubling question: if the government is unnecessarily wasting money in SNAP, where else is it throwing away taxpayers’ money?

The Campanile

Friday, April 25, 2014

STUDENT LIFE

B3

New Wu-Tang Clan reunion album to be released after two-decade hiatus

Life as Second Semester Seniors

The rap group will produce one copy of its new album to be auctioned off to the highest bidder

By Will Mendenhall and Michelle Yin

Clement caron/Flickr

Members of the Wu-Tang Clan perform on stage. The Wu-Tang Clan assembled in the early 1990s with RZA (center) as leader and released their first album in 1993.

By Seth Alston

W

Staff Writer

hen nine Staten Islandbased rappers joined forces as the Wu Tang Clan, it was to launch their names into the early 90s rap scene, and to end their individually mediocre careers. However the product of their collective efforts, 1993s “Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers),” succeeded so immensely that it surpassed even the lofty expectations of its creators.

Suddenly the MCs (known by the pseudonyms of RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Masta Killa and U God) were responsible for a critically acclaimed and financially successful piece of hip hop history, and their names were launched into the dialogue of the international hip hop industry.

Over the next two decades, the rappers would spin their initial success into triumphant solo careers, lucrative record contracts and industry transcending business ventures, in-

cluding video games, clothing lines and films.

The Wu-Tang Clan’s first album would be lauded as genre defining, and the group would eventually go on to be regarded as one of the best in the history of hip hop.

Now, 21 years after their first work reached the charts, the group has announced an album that will buck the trend not only of current hip hop, but of modern popular music as a whole.

The Wu-Tang Clan’s first album would be lauded as genre defining, and the group would eventually go on to be regarded as one of the best in the history. of their genre.

The grandiosely named The WuOnce Upon a Time in Shaolin will be pressed as a single copy, and this singular album will be taken around the country to museums where, like an art installation, fans will be charged admission to listen to a single playing of The Wu. After the museum tour,

the single copy will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

The album was produced by Wu Tang associate Cilvaringz under the guidance of RZA and, according to the project’s website, features “a unique tapestry guest performers” including “Bonnie Jo Mason, Redman” and “FC Barcelona soccer players.” It includes 31 unreleased tracks featuring a collective of all members of the Wu Tang Clan. The single copy of the album will be presented to its owner in a handcrafted, carved nickel-silver box created by Moroccan metal artist Yahya.

“Offers came in at $2 million — somebody offered $5 million,” RZA told Billboard magazine. “It gives us an idea that what we’re doing is being understood by some.”

Without the goal of reaching a massive number of people, the album becomes a unique product.

It does not have to appeal to the tastes of the public, because like a single piece of art, those who are interested will be forced to seek it out, rather than have it presented to them

for their approval via the internet or radio. This is also an interesting move in the face of the massive decline of physical album sales in modern music. As fans have begun to consume more and more media online, the idea of an album as a special investment has evaporated.

Offers came in at $2 million — somebody offered $5 million. It gives us an idea that what we’re doing is being understood by some.

RZA Wu-Tang Clan member

When vinyl was the dominant medium, albums were cohesive pieces of art, with visuals on the cover complimenting the content of the songs.

By making the single version of The Wu one hard copy, it becomes more than just the songs it contains, it becomes a homogeneous piece with the physical aspects of the album being inseparable from the audio.

HBO premieres show featuring Underground music group Wedidit dominates Coachella lineup Palo Alto and Silicon Valley Silicon Valley showcases tech communities while combining real life, comedic humor

Wedidit’s authenticity provides unique experience

By Bo Field

O

Staff Writer

ut of the hundreds of highprofile artists and lesser known quality acts composing its lineup, Coachella Music Festival’s best set last weekend wasn’t Outkast’s long-awaited reunion or Nas’ 20th anniversary performance of “Illmatic.” While those acts and many others were incredible in their own ways, the best in my opinion was the less crowded, 50 minute DJ performance that was situated away from the main stages by the Los Angelesbased Wedidit Collective’s artist, Shlohmo.

From left: Zach Woods, Thomas Middleditch, Alec Berg, Mike Judge, T.J. Miller I’d been looking forward to his and Kumail Janjiani convene on the set of new HBO show “Silicon Valley”. show ever since the lineup for the powerful investors. Hooli’s company festival was announced, and from the

By Jonathan Ziegler CEO offers him $10 million dollars, minute he came on to slapping bass Online Editor but he turns it down to experience behind a neon-framed tombstone, BO premiered its new show the wild ride of success.

Shlohmo proceeded to melt my mind “Silicon Valley” on April While the plot itself is a bit tra- with the most beautiful, spooky beats 6, with the season premier ditional, the snippets of the attempt I’d ever heard. The transitions were called “Minimum Viable Product.” to replicate “The Valley” motto seem seamless, and I never got bored of the Since then, there has been two other very real. mesh of spaced out synths, chopped episodes entitled “The Cap Table” Whether it be the not-so nice vocals and descending snare rolls. and “Articles of Incorporation.” investors, the big time CEOs who I left dumbfounded and thirsty for With both episodes directed by think their product changes the more.

Mike Judge, “Silicon Valley” takes the world or the casualness at the workShlohmo is one of the founders audience into the technology hub of place, “Silicon Valley” does a great job of the Wedidit collective, which he the world: Palo Alto. of replicating reality. The combina- created in 2008 with DJ Nick MelThe main character Thomas Mid- tion of comedy, aspects of real life and ons. Their sound can be generalized dleditch is presented as a typical en- the nerdy characters make this show as underground-based styles of elecgineer of the startup world. great for the whole family to watch tronic, but varies greatly from ShloDuring the day, Middleditch and enjoy. mo’s almost ambient, off-kilter album works for a successful company called For anyone moderately into tech- cuts such as “Big Feelings” to signee Hooli. At night he works and codes nology and learning how “The Valley” RL Grime’s filthy, knocking remix of his way to make his idea the best. works, I would recommend this TV Chief Keef ’s “Love Sosa.”

After failing multiple times, the com- show to them.

Their other talent includes Juj, pression algorithm he so desperately The show airs Sundays on HBO at Groundislava and D33J. Despite tries to compose gets the eyes of 10 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. gaining mainstream recognition with The Mercury News

H

a Weekend cosign through Shlomo’s official remix of “Crew Love” and the viral success of RL Grime’s edits of more popular hip hop tracks like “Mercy,” Wedidit has stayed true to their sound and continue putting out authentic slaps while still expanding their fanbase.

RL Grime’s set the following day further cemented Wedidit’s dominance of Coachella, laying down slaps that rivaled and in my opinion surpassed major headliner Skrillex’s hectic performance that occurred later that night. From when he dropped “Love Sosa” to the surprise appearance by G.O.O.D. Music’s Big Sean to perform his verses on “Mercy” and “All Me,” artist RL Grime made sure that people “got turnt” and had no choice but to “stay turnt” until he left the stage.

As I walked out of Grime’s set sore throated and sweating buckets, I fully comprehended Wedidit’s success at providing such an authentic and superior alternative group to the sometimes generic, or uninspired American EDM variants that run rampant at Coachella.

Wedidit has stayed true to their sound and continue putting out authentic slaps while still expanding their fanbase.

If their previous success is any indicator, Wedidit will continue to do that they do best: make bangers and gain fan loyalty. If you aren’t familiar with their names, educate yourself sooner rather than later because they aren’t leaving anytime soon.

While getting rescinded may seem like a distant reality, the truth is that every year, admissions officers retract acceptance offers or put students on academic probation, including some of our own. As Second Semester Seniors, of course we are all asking ourselves, “How many C’s can I really get without getting rescinded?”

We all need to keep in mind that while grades may seem trivial at the moment, we all need to send final transcripts to colleges and even after committing, admissions officers still have the right to rescind us. Furthermore, financial aid and merit scholarships may be revoked. Though it varies from college to college, three different letters are typically sent out when a college receives less than apt transcripts.

The least severe one involves asking for an explanation for the dip in academic success. The second type is typically a warning of some sort, sometimes delaying the student’s admission. This type of warning may involve requiring the student to attend community college for a certain amount of time to prove his or her academic sustainability and ability to perform as well as he or she did upon admission. And lastly, there’s the dreaded letter of rescission.

In order to have optimal fun but still avoid these less than fun letters, the SSS’s have come up with a few tips.

1. Get some sleep!

According to Medical News Today, studies have shown a correlation between test scores and amount of sleep students receive as well as general disposition.

2. Try to do homework before going out.

Although it seems highly tempting to go tan, play beach volleyball or just vegetate, doing your homework beforehand will avoid the constant worry of that bit of homework left to do. This way, you can spend the rest of the day chilling out and enjoying the SSS lifestyle.

3. Set goals for yourself.

Don’t let loose without keeping in mind the consequences that may follow. Set goals like maintaining at least all B’s or just some restrictions on your Epicurean lifestyle.

4. Be efficient.

“Do things as quickly as you can, but still do them.” - Jack Paladin P.S. HE’S GOING TO WASHU! 5. Make yourself a schedule.

Make sure you are aware of upcoming tests and events so you don’t stress out the night before and cram.

Consider making yourself a schedule so you can avoid procrastination and get your work done on time. A little bit a day goes a long way.

6. “D” stands for don’t.

Anything below a C- will for sure put you in jeopardy of getting your admission kicked to the side. Just put your head down and hang in there.

You can go crazy over the summer once you are safe. You should not get carried away with fantasizing about college. As Buddha once said, “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future. Concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

7. “Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back.”

Marcus Aurelius. Enough said.

8. Do not let failure get the best of you.

When the F’s start flowing like beer at a frat party, don’t give up.

There are many moments when you think it won’t make a difference forgetting into college, and you can just do better on the next test. Wrong!

Stay strong. Miley Cyrus once sang, “The struggles I’m facing, the chances I’m taking, sometimes might knock me down, but no I’m not breaking.”

These words will echo in my heart of eternity simply because the message is so pure. When the going gets tough, only the tough gets going. So fight through the Fs and carry on.

Friday, April 25, 2014

B4 M

OST SOCIETIES DON’T TALK ABOUT RAPE,” write

“

SPOTLIGHT A school’s administration can only censor stories “if they are obscene, libelous, slanderous, or likely to incite others to commit illegal or disruptive acts.” Without such provisions, even the thought of writing such a controversial article may never have surfaced.

Verde’s student journalists took every precaution while crafting such a provocative and sensitive piece. Writers sought the support of different journalistic institutions, including the Ochberg Society for Trauma Journal-

former Verde editors-in-chiefs Ana Carano, Sharon Tseng and Evelyn Wang. “We consider it a taboo, conditioning victims to feel ashamed about speaking out and forcing them to deal with the aftermath in silence.”

On April 9, Verde — Palo Alto High School’s feature magazine — printed a series of six articles centered around a so-called “rape culture” within the school. After publishing the issue, Paly became the center of both local and national news coverage and sparked a holistic conversation within the community. The issue’s cover story, “You can’t tell me I wasn’t raped,” written by Lisie Sabbag (‘13), created a palpable buzz.

According to -EMMA HAMMERSON, SOPHOMORE Marshall University Women’s Center, rape culture is defined as “an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence ism, the Student Press Law Center, against women is normalized and ex- the Dart Center for Journalism and cused in the media and popular cul- Trauma and the Poynter Institute. ture [and it] is perpetuated through Former Paly principal Phil Winthe use of misogynistic language, the ston applauded the work of the jourobjectification of women’s bodies and nalists at the time, believing that the glamorization of sexual violence, their efforts positively contributed to thereby creating a society that disre- the school community and opened gards women’s rights and safety.” up the door to future discussion and Verde described an environment conversation of more sensitive, but in which rape was considered excus- prevalent, issues. able and the victim is often blamed “The article is well balanced, defor their involvement. tailed and full of resources for people,” Winston said, according to the “Everyone was making me feel like Palo Alto Weekly. “The article also just a lying slut who got herself in this highlights that serious issues are situation,” [Tina, an anonymous Paly present in all communities.”

ment under Title IX,” according to the School Board meeting minutes.

Dauber entered the meeting on May 7 envisioning that the district officials had already opened an investigation, especially considering the Verde articles had been published nearly a month prior to the meeting.

In reality, no such actions had taken place.

“It was alarming to see that no one at the senior district staff level even seemed aware of the district’s obligations under Title IX,” Dauber said. “I hoped that the district would take that seriously and move not just to investigation it thoroughly, but to abate and address it properly and appropriately, as required by law.”

According to PAUSD Superintendent Kevin Skelly, the district took a more personable approach. Initially, the district was not aware of the identities of Tina and Amy, whom the cover story centered around, thus hindering the district from taking any initiative.

Once learning of the students’ identities, the district worked with them, ensuring the overall safety and well-being of all involved.

“We worked effectively with the student, we were [helpful], caring, supportive and helped them through a difficult time,” Skelly said.

RAMIFICA

R a C u lt

I don’t see any correlation between streaking [AND PALY’S] rape culture. but I do understand how some people believe them to be linked. the link between them is very small and people should not be linking an age old tradition to a very serious situation.

APRIL 19, 2013

VERDE PUBLISHES RAPE CULTURE ISSUE

student and victim of rape] said. “Even though I knew that’s not what happened, that’s how people were making me feel.”

Names like “attention whore,” “liar,” “drunk” and “slut” were thrown around in the gossip that surrounded her as she walked across the quad at school. Tina had a bit of a reputation, and the classic “slut-shaming” came into full effect as soon as people learned she had been drunk that night.

Verde had conducted an online survey of 250 Paly students and found that around 25 percent believed that if a woman willingly gets drunk and then gets raped, she is at fault. In addition, 57.5 percent said they agree that certain females are “more likely to be raped due to their promiscuous behavior.”

These statistics, along with the narratives of Tina and Amy, two anonymous Paly students and survivors of sexual assault, raised a serious question for the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD): are our students safe?

“I started with one source, a survivor of rape, and by the end of it I had almost 10 — that was a huge surprise to me,” Sabbag told the Palo Alto Weekly in April 2013. “There were people that just heard I was writing the story and wanted to talk to me, and I’m sure there are many others out there.”

The California Student Free Expression Law of 1977 (California Education Code Section 48907) protects the First Amendment rights to free speech of student journalists attending California public schools, along with other added protections against censorship.

The Campanile

OCR/TITLE IX INVESTIGATION In 2011, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) released what is known as the “Dear Colleague” letter, a policy statement outlining a school’s role in the case of sexual assault on or off

JUNE 3, 2013

A YEAR LATER, THE IMPLICA EXPOSING “RAPE CULT

STORY BY MAYA KITAYAMa AND H DESIGN BY EMILY SEMBA, SPOTLIGHT ED selves from the government agency, the district sought out advice, only to discover that all of the suggestions that OCR provided had already been carried out by PAUSD. “We consulted with the OCR about how to handle [the] situation, and they told us the recommendation they had and the things that they suggested were things that we had already done,” Skelly said.

On June 3, 2013, the OCR sent a letter to Superintendent Skelly stating that it had “received information that (Paly) has not provided a prompt and equitable response to notice of

OCR OPENS INVESTIGATION OF PAUSD

The publication of the articles was relevant in sparking a conversation among the school community.

“According to the allegations made even before the article came out, there was iffy behavior going on and I think that it’s incredible that students writing for a school publication have the ability to impact us [students], our school and entire community the way this article has,” Hammer said. “It’s a great demonstration of the potential impact we, as students, can have.”

Unfortunately, this student impact translated into a major investigation and caused unforeseen repercussions that have shaken up the district and the Palo Alto community ever since.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING Approximately one month after Verde published their articles pertaining to rape culture, the PAUSD Board of Education held a meeting on May 7, 2013, where Professor Michele Dauber condemned the school’s response, or lack thereof, to the incidences involving rape within the Paly student community. Dauber — a Stanford Law School professor and co-chair of the school’s Board on Judicial Affairs — helped the university craft a new Alternative Review Process for handling incidences of rape and sexual assault on campus. She brought to attention of the School Board meeting “that the Palo Alto High School Verde article about ‘rape culture’ had civil rights implications for creating a hostile environ-

campus, released in an effort to “explain that the requirements of Title IX cover sexual violence and to remind schools of their responsibilities to take immediate and effective steps to respond to sexual violence in accordance with the requirements of Title IX,” according to the OCR and U.S. Department of Education. In the “Dear Colleague” letter, the OCR states that a school’s obligations include “[taking] immediate and appropriate action to investigate what occurred,” and after deeming sexual violence to have taken place, to “take prompt and effective steps to end the sexual violence, prevent its recurrence and address its effects.”

Dauber asked that the district start an investigation, claiming PAUSD is “legally obligated to conduct [an] investigation and to ensure that the victim was free from retaliation and additional harassment,” according to the Palo Alto Weekly.

“Once sexual harassment has been found to occur, the district has an obligation to intervene effectively to stop the harassment, prevent its recurrence and remedy the effects on any victims,” Dauber said. “The school is also obligated to remedy any systemic hostile environment.”

Skelly replied to Dauber stating that the district has “a plan on this and are moving forward.”

“My initial reaction to this response was that I was disappointed that no Title IX investigation had taken place to that point in time,” Dauber said. “However, I was encouraged the district might move forward and follow the law at that point.”

Skelly and the district contacted OCR asking for advice on how to proceed. Rather than isolating them-

complaint, but OCR picked up on the story and said they’re going to investigate.”

The OCR investigation is looking on a much broader scale into the “district’s compliance with Title IX,” and while never explicitly stating the cause of the investigation as the rape culture article published by Verde, the letter sent to Skelly did state the intent as an examination of “whether the district provides students at Palo Alto High School with a nondiscriminatory educational environment free of sexual harassment, and whether it responds properly and effectively to

JUNE 14, 2013

SUPERINTENDENT SKELLY REQUESTS CLOSURE OF OCR INVESTIGATION AND IS DENIED

peer sexual harassment, including peer harassment related to sexual assault.” This letter marked the beginning of an ongoing investigation within PAUSD, one that is still currently in progress.

Although this is not the first incidence of the OCR investigating the district, it is the first time that an investigation has been perpetuated by the federal agency itself, as opposed to an individual student or family within the district. Skelly revealed to The Campanile that he is unclear as to what instigated the investigation.

There is no clear connection, known to Skelly in the very least, between the district seeking out the advice of the OCR and the letter sent out on June 3, sparking the beginning of the agency’s investigation.

“What I do not know, and what I have not been able to find out, is why the office for Civil Rights chose to launch an investigation of our district,” Skelly said. “They say it’s based on the article in Verde, but there are a whole host of schools in this country, all over the place [with similar issues]... yet Palo Alto was chosen for an investigation for peer harassment.”

Principal Kim Diorio agrees with Skelly’s sentiment. After being debriefed by the PAUSD attorney, Diorio revealed that the circumstances surrounding the current investigation are unprecedented.

In the past, complaints stem from a student or Paly parent and are sent to the OCR, sparking an investigation.

“This is a highly unusual case, because the agency usually starts a case because an individual has a complaint,” Diorio said. “In this situation, nobody from the school had a

complaints or other notice of sexual harassment of students.”

The letter sent from the OCR to the district was initially kept from the public, and only after the Palo Alto Weekly sent in a request to the agency itself was the content of the letter released for public viewing.

After learning that the agency granted the request of the Weekly, Skelly sent an email to the newspaper on July 9, 2013, asking that the content of the letter remain unpublished.

He claimed withholding the letter was an action taken to protect the identity and privacy of a single student, writing that the student could experience harm in her “progress in her educational program that may come from public discussion,” according to the email cited in a Weekly article. The letter submitted to PAUSD by the OCR does not contain any specific mention of any individual, and clarifies that “an investigation in no way implies that OCR has made a determination with regard to [the district’s] merits.”

Skelly, however, saw severe ramifications in publishing the OCR letter sent to the district, fearing that publicizing the identity of Tina or Amy would only do more harm.

“I believe, and continue to believe, that the identity of that student was well-known and the facts around it were well-known by the people in the Palo Alto community,” Skelly explained. “More publicity around that case was not in the interest of that person. That was why I asked the Weekly not to publish that, and they chose to publish it.”

In contrast, Wang, the former editor-in-chief of Verde Magazine who worked on the rape culture articles,

The Campanile

p e turE

ATIONS OF VERDE’S ARTICLE TURE” CAN STILL BE FELT

HILLEL ZAND, EDITORs-IN-CHIEF DITOR AND HALEY FANG, STAFF WRITER dence from the district.

The process of a full-length OCR investigation is long. After careful examination and evaluation, if the agency comes to the conclusion that the cause of the investigation was warranted, “the recipient will negotiate and sign a written resolution agreement that describes the specific remedial actions that the recipient will undertake to address the area(s) of noncompliance identified by OCR,” according to the OCR website. Failure to comply and negotiate some form of resolution results in more serious responses and measures

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

SKELLY REQUESTS CLOSURE OF OCR INVESTIGATION FOR A SECOND TIME AND IS AGAIN DENIED ment cases and whether their methods are in compliance with Title IX. I support any steps that will improve our society and institutions’ treatment of sexual harassment, violence and assault.”

After the district received the letter from the OCR, Superintendent Skelly sent a letter to the agency on June 14, 2013, entitled “Request for Reconsideration of Opening an Investigation,” eleven days after OCR started the case and well before the Palo Alto public received word of the opened investigation. Skelly chose not to comment on the letter or its content, which was not disclosed to the public.

The OCR denied Skelly’s request, and the investigation proceeded as planned. Diorio, who assumed her position in August, underwent an extensive process of sexual harassment prevention training along with the rest of the Paly staff as a result of the opened investigation.

“In August, when we came back to school, we trained the staff and talked about it at our first staff meeting,” Diorio said. “We did the disabilitiesbased harassment training, and we talked about sexual harassment training.”

Superintendent Skelly then sent another letter to the Office of Civil Rights with a subject line of “Request for Closure of Investigation,” in September 2013. Again, his request was denied, but the OCR experienced a sudden stop in all investigative progress due to the 16-day government shutdown that began on Oct. 1, 2013.

From that point forward, no further actions took place until January 2014, where the investigation was reopened and officials started obtaining evi-

B5

SPOTLIGHT

ATIONS OF

learned from conversing with a rape survivor at Amherst University that students and student survivors do not need to be involved in any Title IX investigations. Thus, even if the identities of Tina and Amy were to be publicized, it would have no implications on the ongoing OCR investigation. Rather, she believes that an investigation of such a matter will only benefit the school culture overall.

“I think more people should better understand what a Title IX investigation is and how it works,” Wang said.

“A Title IX investigation looks at how a school handles sexual harass-

Friday, April 25, 2014

and emotional safety of every student and adult on our campus.”

Within hours, a fierce dialogue surfaced on Palo Alto Online’s Town Square forum, mainly between anonymous parents of Paly students using fictitious usernames.

“The principal has every right to be panicked,” Concerned Parent wrote. “This type of activity leads to a culture of rape and misogyny already prevalent at Paly according to a wellresearched student article.”

It was clear that Verde’s issue was still fresh in the minds of many community members.

Some, however, refuted the link between streaking and rape culture.

In the eyes of one Paly alumnus, those “who confuse streaking with ‘rape culture’ are doing more harm than good.”

“Equating streaking to a ‘rape culture’ is such a stretch,” Crescent Park Dad wrote. “Does anyone seriously believe the streaking students said to themselves, ‘Let’s promote the rape culture, it’s our way?’”

Diorio — whose decisive stance on the first day streaking incident set herself apart from the previous administration, following the resignation of Winston on June 13, 2013 — recognizes that the vast amount of students who partake in the former tradition adds another layer to the sexual harassment investigation associated with Paly.

“I would suspect that we’re one of the only high schools in the country that has the quantity of streakers that we have had, and because that’s so highly unusual, that’s another variable that adds into this equation,” Diorio said.

Many argue that streaking is entirely unrelated to the OCR investigation. However, as more details and definitions are brought into the light, the separation between streaking and the rape culture begin to grow more and more hazy.

The legal definition of sexual harassment involves “verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that tends to create a hostile or offensive work environment.” With such a definition, Diorio believes one can argue a

senior. I should get the right to run naked across the Quad.’

“Is that rape culture? Probably not,” Bloom continues. “Does that mean that that’s a rape culture? Does that mean that that contributes to the idea that I can do whatever I want and you just have to deal with it? No, and a little yes.

“The seed is ‘I get to do whatever I want to do regardless of how it impacts others,” Bloom said. “Taking that and connecting it to rape culture is a big jump. But it’s a step along the way.”

Beyond just the alleged harm and hostile work environment that streaking creates, the district recognizes that considering the OCR’s intense scrutiny of anything related to sexual harassment on campus, the school has no choice but to follow and persecute students to the full extent of the law.

The OCR is making inquires and asking questions, according to Diorio, ensuring that the school makes a serious effort to educate kids of the repercussions and help them understand that streaking is, in fact, a violation of the law.

“As the principal, I no longer have a choice as to how we’re going to handle streaking,” Diorio said. “I would not be upholding the law and providing an emotionally and physically safe environment for students and for teachers. Right now, we need to put an end to this tradition.”

Diorio and the rest of the administration have taken serious measures to make sure students are fully aware of the punishments for streaking.

Paly is enforcing a policy that states that on the first streaking offense, perpetrators will receive a two-day suspension and a citation or arrest, dependent on the age of the streaker. A second offense will result in a five-day suspension, along with another citation or arrest and a redaction of senior privileges.

Never has Paly gone so far as to press charges for teenage streaking, but considering the current environment and position the school is under in regards to the investigation, Diorio has little choice.

AUGUST 15, 2013

TWO SENIORS STREAK ACROSS THE QUAD ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

taken by the OCR, including cutting federal financial assistance and referring the school district in question to the Department of Justice.

According to Diorio, this investigation involves the agency obtaining files and records, including the disciplinary files logged by Paly administrators over the past three years, with a specific focus on instances of sexual harassment or bullying.

The agency created a list of nine Paly staff members that they wished to interview, and also intended to talk to various student leadership groups across campus. A representative from the OCR plans to make a campus visit sometime in May 2014, which brings into question another facet of Paly culture that has experienced a dramatic shift since the publishing of the Verde article.

S T RE AKI NG — RAPE CULTURE On Aug. 15, 2013, two seniors celebrated the first day of the school year by brazenly streaking across the Quad. Their actions renewed the debate over the sexual safety of students of campus, one that had quieted — at least for a little bit — during the summer months.

On her first day on the job, Diorio sent out an email to the Paly community condemning the incident and making her views clear on the tradition.

“We need to work together to end this unsafe and educationally disruptive ‘tradition,’” Diorio wrote. “My top priority is ensuring the physical

of the articles; any writing about a sensitive subject matter is subjected to many opinions. However, few could have predicted the events that would play out following the aforementioned articles.

Rape culture, per definition, does not necessarily insinuate a culture where rape is prevalent; it encompasses several issues, but essentially boils down to an environment of hostility toward women, where sexual harassment is normalized and accepted. And, as proven by Verde staff, it appears to be a concept embedded within Paly culture.

Therefore, an investigation looking into a school that hosts a misogynistic and unequal environment is absolutely warranted. But pulling up every record, interviewing teachers and pressuring administrators to do more and more to rectify the situation only works to solve a singular problem within a larger issue.

Consider the case at nearby Saratoga High School. In 2012, a 15-year-old student committed suicide after being sexually assaulted and subsequently harassed by her peers as a result of the pictures of her being violated posted online. The case received equal, if not more, media attention, and yet PAUSD is the district subject to investigation. No evidence suggesting Saratoga High School is being investigated by a federal agency has been found by The Campanile and both OCR and Los Gatos-Saratoga Unified School District failed to comment.

Cases of teenage rape are not restricted to Paly. According to the Center for Disease Control, 29.9 percent of female rape victims were first raped between age 11-17. This number increases as students go on to higher education; one in four women will experience sexual assault by the time they graduate college. This is a national issue, as rape culture pertains to more than the students of Paly, just as there are more people and environments at fault than just administrators and Paly’s climate.

Skelly recognizes that this issue may apply to more schools than Paly, and any assistance provided by the

MAY 2014

OCR REPRESENTATIVE EXPECTED TO VISIT CAMPUS

linkage between streaking and sexual “We’d have to press charges, givassault. en the nature of this investigation,” “Whether there’s a direct corre- Diorio said. “[Streakers] can’t violate lation [between streaking and sex- [people’s rights] to a safe workplace ual assault], you can make the case or educational setting.” both ways,” Diorio said.

“Certainly there were e n o u g h people offended by the streaking behavior that it’s had an impact on the climate of our school.”

In January 2014, Diorio hired economics teacher Eric Bloom to serve as a Teacher on Special Assignment, with his assignment -ALEX HAMMER, SENIOR being to improve school climate.

One aspect of impro ving school climate, directed to him by Diorio, is helping to put an end to senior streaking — a long-time tradition that has been embedded at It has been approximately a year Paly for decades. since the rape culture article series “[My senior students feel that first hit the Paly community, causing streaking is] not rebellion,” Bloom both a controversy and conversation said. “[They think], ‘this is part of unparalleled in years of Paly journalmy rite of passage as being a Paly ism. Many disagree on the mistakes

OCR is welcome as far as PAUSD is concerned.

“We’re always interested in doing better,” Skelly said. “If the OCR can give us ideas on how to do our work better, we’re all ears.”

S o m e called Verde’s articles of rape “sensationalized” and the narratives as “isolated events” that don’t reflect the overall culture of the school.

Paly is only one school dealing with the prevalent issue of rape culture.

Examining school records in the hopes of creating a solution will only be an immediate fix for a small portion of those who experience the repercussions of rape culture.

This is an issue within high schools across the nation and should be treated as such. Though the OCR investigation may have good intentions, solving individual cases is not as effective as educating the upcoming generation and realizing this issue far surpasses the boundaries of 50 Embarcadero Road.

the attention Paly has gotten for the article, for the most part, is warranted.

According to the allegations made, there was iffy behavior going on and I think that it’s incredible that students writing for a school publication have the ability to impact [the] entire community the way this article has. It’s a great demonstration of the potential impact we, as students, can have.

W HA T’S NE XT?

Friday, April 25, 2014

B6

LIFESTYLE

The decline of Nike in sneaker culture Nike’s prominence lowered by competitors as collaborators continue to leave

Bo Field/The Campanile

Nike has been compromising the quality of their shoes due to an influx in consumers and is losing its strong establishment and near-monopoly in the industry to other competitors in the sneaker community.

By Nikhil Rajaram and Dami Bolarinwa

E

Staff Writers

ver since its resurgence in the early 1970s, Nike has consistently been the fixation of sneaker culture. However, as the quality of shoes continues to wane and collaborations become less and less exciting, the question is raised: has the Nike empire reached its peak?

It was 1984 when Michael Jordan signed an endorsement contract with Nike, spurring a revolution in the sneaker industry. Jordan shoes soon

made their ways on the basketball court as well as the street.

By doing this, Nike established a near monopoly on all basketball shoes. The popularity of Jordan shoes skyrocketed and was in the spotlight for many years. However, as Nike continues to make questionable choices in the way the shoes are constructed and released, this monopoly appears to be declining.

In the past decade, Nike has been forced to compensate for an influx in consumers in the sneaker community, specifically in the Jordan line, resulting in less exclusive releases and also

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” offers exciting plot Best superhero film since “The Avengers”

poorer quality in the construction and material of shoes.

Nike’s popular Air Force 1 model has suffered some of the worst quality decreases. Since its debut in 1982, the Air Force 1 shoe has gone from having genuine leather to synthetic.

As well as skimping on the quality of their shoes, Nike is also increasing the prices. Come holiday 2014, Jordan Retro models are to be priced at $190 compared to last year’s $170, even though they are the same shoes.

Nike has not only has decreased the quality of their products, but many prestigious collaborators are

Staff Writer

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Marvel Studios/IMBD.com

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Other ascending companies like Adidas, who has been in the shadow of Nike almost since its establishment, are showing fierce competition, specifically with their celebrity sponsorships. Adidas has planned collaborations with Pharrell Williams, Big Sean, B.o.B., Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg, 2 Chainz, Kanye West, Tomoaki Makino and many more.

2014 will be a big year for sneakers. As more and more customers are discontent with the releases and quality of Nike shoes, the opportunity for other shoe companies to make their way into the spotlight is broadening.

Bay Area native creates art for popular show, “Game of Thrones”

By Coby Parker

Captain America returns for sequel with Agent Romanoff and Nick Fury .

Captain America: a stern, aloof man

By Jake van Zyll who grew up during a different peStaff Writer riod in history.

Like many other great superhero arvel’s “Captain America: films, there are moments of comedy The Winter Soldier” is eas- throughout the film during moments ily the best superhero film of calmness. For instance, after his since “The Avengers.” With a strong morning run, Rogers pulls out a list cast, interesting plot and impres- of things he needs to learn about that sive action sequences, you should see have happened while he was frozen, this movie while it is still in theaters, most notably, “Thai food,” “Star Wars regardless of whether or not you are /Trek” and “Disco.” a fan of superhero films.

The one element of a great film Following the calamitous events that is not prevalent in “Winter Solhe experienced with the Avengers, dier” is romance. Although Captain Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, America and Black Widow spend a (played by Chris Evans) is living lot of time together during the film peacefully in Washington D.C. and and there seems to be at least some trying to adapt to the contemporary chemistry between the two, nothworld. However, his quiet lifestyle ing ultimately happens romantically. does not last long. Rogers, Agent Ro- The film makes up for the lack of romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett mance by touching on another topic.

Johansson) and Director Nick Fury All I can say, without giving anything (Samuel L. Jackson) are betrayed by important away, is that the topic is their former agency SHIELD and everlasting friendship. marked for death. Captain America On a more emotional level, I teams up with Black Widow and his think that we can all relate to Capnew sidekick The Falcon (Anthony tain America in one way or another.

Mackie) in order to discover the He is an outsider, after all, having deadly secret behind SHIELD while grown up during a completely differsimultaneously fighting off a mys- ent era. It is human nature to root for terious new villain known simply as the underdog, and if you’ve seen this The Winter Soldier. film’s 2011 prequel, you know that All performances in the film are Captain America is an underdog. spot on. Although some critics have Whether you want to watch a argued that Evans’s performance is movie with an exciting plot, loved “bland” or “average,” I believe that “The Avengers,” enjoy riveting action Evans gave a flawless performance. sequences or just want to see a genuNot all superheroes can be as char- inely good film, go and see “Captain ismatic as Iron Man; there must be America: The Winter Soldier” in the diversity, and Evans nails the role of theater.

also leaving Nike for other shoe companies.

One of their most famous collaborators, Kanye West, left Nike in 2013 after expressing discontent with the method in which his “Red October” Air Yeezy shoes were released.

Nike only maintains contracts with one major fashion designer: Ricardo Tisci. Nike is still collaborating with well-known basketball players, the most notable of which being LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony, but the shoes are becoming more performance-oriented and not suited towards casual wear.

resident of Pasadena, born in the Bay Area, created fan art for the television series “Game of Thrones,” placing his own twist by setting his paintings in medieval Japan, and has received acclaim since he initially posted it on the Internet. David Hollin created the artwork as a hobby and to show his appreciation for the series.

The art portrays the characters and scenes from “Game of Thrones” in feudal Japan instead of feudal Europe, where the series is originally set.

The artwork displays Japanese-looking individuals and authentic Japanese weaponry to portray the look of the series in a different location.

After receiving much acclaim on the Internet forum Reddit, where it was first posted by Hollin, the artwork was copied onto multiple other websites and blogs.

“When I first posted the pictures I didn’t expect them to be that popular with the whole community,” Hollin said. “I posted them because I thought it would be a neat concept and only expected a couple people to casually enjoy and make comments. I had no intention or [preparation] to make them go viral.”

Fans of “Game of Thrones” around the country commented on his work, greatly impressed by the professional level of artwork in the pictures.

“I love the careful attention to detail regarding the feudal culture,” one comment on Reddit revealed.

The Mountain View Voice published an article about his artwork and printed a link to his website.

After the Mountain View Voice’s article, Hollin said that he had an increase in views on his site, but otherwise the article did not affect his life drastically.

“My life hasn’t changed much after interviewing for the Voice, mostly because I live and work in Pasadena, Calif.,” Hollin said. “Since the series [artwork] went viral back in January, I’ve seen a bump in the number of commissions requested, as well as a three-fold increase in viewers on my blog (it was as much as 100 times for a day or two right when the images got picked up).”

In “Game of Thrones,” each of the characters has to create their own morality, where there is no set right or wrong, which is one of the elements that draws Hollin to the series.

“It’s interesting how there is no ‘good vs. evil’ and that every character is trying to make the best of their own situation using their own moral code,” Hollin said. “[It] reminds me a lot of classic literature like Shakespeare, as well as tales from feudal Japanese history.”

Hollin has one Japanese and one American parent, and he gained insight into both cultures from each of his parents. He said that his heritage partially motivated him to create a new take on the popular American TV series.

“I’m half Japanese, fluent in the language and also a dual citizen –– it’s a pretty big part of my life and

identity,” Hollin said. “I would also say that it has influenced the way I perceive the world and make art, though this project was the first time I attempted to do a traditional woodblock print look.”

Hollin has been designing on computers since he was a child and loves the ease of using software because it better fits his needs. Using computer software for his designs allows him to move elements around without totally redrawing the entire picture.

“My parents used to work at Adobe so I’ve pretty much been around design software since before I could type,” Hollin said. “Although I have a foundation in traditional art as well, I prefer digital because it suits my personality better. I like to throw things together messily and see how they interact, and move and alter them until I have good composition, and then start polishing the scene.

This is much harder on actual paper and canvas when you don’t have an undo key and entire shapes and colors can’t be swapped at the click of a button.”

Hollin is selling the works through a Mountain View based company and has had hundreds of orders from Game of Thrones fans.

He sells the prints on greeting cards and framed in wood or metal in varying price ranges.

“As of today, I have sold 180 prints, the most popular print being ‘Mother of Dragons’ and the least popular being ‘The Execution of Eddard Stark, ” Hollin said.

David Hollin/IMGUR.com

This work by David Hollin depicts the characters Jon Snow and Qhorin Halfhand dueling as Wildlings look on.

The Campanile

Friday, April 25, 2014

LIFESTYLE

B7

Most relaxing picnic locations in Bay Area

Michelle Yin/the campanile

Rinconada Park is a great local picnic option with plenty of things to do and space to relax and enjoy a care-free day of fun.

Jensen Hsaio/the campanile

Foothill Park provides a spacious area for picnics and is only a short drive away

By Kevin Mullin Staff Writer

Rinconada Park Rinconada provides a rare version of grass fields, playgrounds and basketball courts. Because Rinconada is located so close to Walter Hays Elementary School, picnickers can easily have a relaxing lunch on the fields, swing on monkey bars or slide down some slides and then make their way over to the basketball courts for some casual pick up. Also at the disposal of picnickers are grills for barbecuing and the Junior Museum, home to

Palo Alto’s one and only zoo. Rinconada Park has everything a picnic seeker could ask for, and is a wonderful place to go for a lunchtime or lazy afternoon picnic.

Facebook Hill Facebook Hill more than makes up for the inconvenient drive with its beautiful view of Palo Alto. Its location is slightly more isolated than Rinconada, but isn’t too far from civilization for those of us who are afraid of too much nature. A very short hike to the summit provides a beautiful hill and field for picnickers.

Creative Commons

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is great for those looking for exciting activities to do once your picnic has come to an end.

Because it is more secluded location, Facebook Hill is a quieter option than some busy parks that are situated near a noisy street or neighborhood. Although there are less built in facilities than some other parks, Facebook Hill is a perfect spot for a date or more traditional family picnic.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk At the beach, picnickers can enjoy the sun, the sand and the water. The beach is a very enticing option during the warmer months for a picnic because of the multiple activities available. In Santa Cruz, one can enjoy

the warm sand and lukewarm water as well as delving into the joys of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The Boardwalk can provide a delicious post-picnic dessert as well as numerous carnival games and roller coasters. A picnic in Santa Cruz will most likely be an all day activity as the drive from Palo Alto to Santa Cruz is roughly an hour. The reward of a gleeful day at the beach far outweighs the risk of some frustrating traffic.

Foothill Park Foothill Park provides a great compromise for picnickers who want

some isolation but don’t want to drive too far. Located in nearby Los Altos Hills, Foothill Park is a mere 15 minute drive from Palo Alto and supplies various activities for picnickers, from hiking to fishing to mountain biking. The 1400-acre park also has barbeques and tables for picnickers located nearby the many trailheads.

One thing that helps Foothill Park retain its isolated feel is that Palo Alto residents do not have to pay.

This helps keep the number of guests small so that picnickers can have a more pleasant time, undisturbed by other guests.

Junior immerses self in nature Innovative ways to learn a new language in less time

By Hayley Fang Staff Writer

O

n a typical weekend, junior Jasen Liu finds himself in parks to view different species of birds and observe plants. Liu’s interest in birds started at such a young age that he does not even remember when he started. On a typical weekend, Liu wakes up around 7 a.m. and bikes to local popular birding destinations including the Palo Alto Baylands, Shoreline park and Stanford campus.

Even as a busy junior, Liu continues to pursue his hobby by visiting the birds on a weekly basis.

“I usually try to go birding every week,” Liu said. “All I know is that I was always really interested in animals and wildlife. I had read a few birding forums and one afternoon I just decided to try [birding] myself.”

According to Liu, birding can be very time consuming. Time spent bird watching is often spent trying to track down and spot different species of birds.

On many occasions, hours at the birding sites can result in no new birds spotted.

“My birding trips can last anywhere from one to six hours,” Liu said. “[During that time] I usually just bike around with my binoculars and look and listen to birds.”

Liu documents his progress on his blog titled “The Lost Vagrant.” Here, he posts pictures ranging from golden eagles soaring through the sky to flora on the side of hiking trails.

“I get maybe a total of 15 to 20 views on my blog every week,” Liu said. “It’s not a lot, but I really enjoy blogging and I know that a few of my closer friends really enjoy reading, so to me it’s worth updating the public on my progress.”

Liu wants to spend more time to increase his list of birds that he has viewed.

“Since July I have seen and recorded 202 birds total and 182 on my county list,” Liu said. “This year I have 151 birds on my county list so far, but I’m hoping to get it up to at least 200 by the end of the year.”

When Liu is not out and about spotting birds, he spends his time at home tending to his plants. Unlike his love for birding, his plant collecting hobby began recently.

“I started collecting plants in seventh grade.” Liu said. “My sister randomly found out about an orchid show somewhere online and was just like ‘Hey Jasen, let’s go to an orchid show.’ So we went and that was how I got interested.”

Also unlike birding, plant collecting does not take up nearly as much time.

“Plants are a lot easier to take care of than dogs for example,” Liu said.

“They don’t need too much attention so I usually just water then and repot them. [I water my plants] whenever they need to be watered. Sometimes it’s once a week, sometimes twice a week and sometimes even every day.

It all depends on the time of year, the type of plant and the weather.

Like his extensive list of birds, Liu also has an impressive plant collection.

“I have 100-something plants,” Liu said. “Actually, I’m not too sure. [I have] too many to count. I get them mostly online, but I also sometimes buy some at orchid shows.”

Liu, now an expert on plants, admits that he got his knowledge from a variety of sources that were not always completely reliable.

“I learned about most of my plants and how to care for them through the internet and anecdotal advice,” Liu said. “Like everything else, things on internet can’t always be trusted, but you learn from your mistakes and things work out.”

Everyday activities can provide language learners effective practice to improve

By Lauren Klass Staff Writer

F

or most of us, the study of a language is merely an obligation to fulfill high school requirements and for college applications. Others might need it for travel plans; understanding the local language would provide a better experience. In either case, many people recognize that learning a language is a can be difficult.

Nonetheless, it should not be that way nor does it have to be. Learning a language can be fun and easy if approached in a fresh way.

Speaking more than one language comes with multiple benefits.

“Learning a foreign language can make learning English easier through word roots, and making jobs easier to get because there are less language limitations when you know more than one language,” junior Eugene Chiang of Cupertino High School said.

Research also shows that compared to monolingual children, children who study a foreign language achieve higher scores on standardized math, language arts and reading tests.

So put down the textbooks and try one of these other ways of learning a new language.

Look for an online community One of the best ways to learn a language is through conversation with a person who speaks the language you are trying to learn. Well, where can you find a foreign speaker? Look no further. There are various online resources that are available.

Websites like www.mylanguageexchange.com sets users up with people who speak the language they are trying to learn. All they has to do is go

to the website, enter the language of interest, their own native language and the age of the foreign-language speaker they would like to converse with and the users teach each other their native language. These exchanges can occur via email, video chat or even in person.

“Talking to someone is the most beneficial because you have to think on your feet and you have to use what you know to communicate,” sophomore Nicole Berry said. “... [You] really have to start speaking yourself to help with the accent and the pronunciation.”

Keep a conversation with Siri Technology is a valuable resource, and it is possible to spend lots of money on expensive software. A fun, more affordable alternative can fit in the palm of your hand at the click of a button — Siri.

Siri, available on the iPhone (and similar services on other mobile devices) has 19 language settings, including three dialects of Chinese, French and Spanish.

Also, dialogue with Siri is transcribed as the conversation occurs, so one can easily follow along. Siri is easily accessible at home or on the go, making this method both interactive and efficient. “[Through Siri], I’d get the opportunity to speak the language rather than watch people speak it or type it into a keyboard,” sophomore Jenny Xin said.

Watch foreign movies or TV Who would have thought that watching your favorite movies could also be educational? Now you have an excuse to watch movies for homework.

Try to find a movie you have already seen that has been dubbed to

your language of interest. That way you do not have to worry about understanding the plot of the movie, only the language.

If need be, turn on the subtitles.

Be careful though. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in reading the English subtitles, and you end up giving up on listening to the foreign language.

Another option is turn on the subtitles but in the foreign language.

Sometimes it helps to understand the words if one can see them.

Listening to the conversations in movies exposes viewers to the normal rate of speech in a language as well as a potentially more colloquial register than what a textbook teaches.

Ultimately, what one picks up from watching movies or TV then translates into real life conversation.

You really have to start speaking yourself to help with the accent and the pronunciation.

Nicole Berry Sophomore

“Movies bring the language to life,” sophomore Leili Najmabadi said. “You also hear pronunciations and phrases that you usually wouldn’t learn at school. And even though you might not be able to keep up with everything, movies are long enough so that you end up having time to understand and feel good about it.”

In the end, you will find that learning another language will do so much more for than just fulfill a graduation or college requirement.

Aside from adding to your communication skills, learning a foreign language will also open a doorway into a new culture and a new world.

Leonard W. Ely III

Serving local commercial and industrial real estate needs Phone: 650-255-3640 Email: lely@renault-handley.com

Friday, April 25, 2014

B8

LIFESTYLE

PROM - The Glorious Tradition

The Campanile

1

in

2000

Text by Galen Byrd Design by Sarah Tayeri

BOYS OWEN DULIK/THE CAMPANILE

This edition featuring

You all looked dashing in your fancy tuxedos and bright, flowery boot-n-ears (boutonnieres). The classic black tux has been a staple in fashion forever, making dressing up for elegant events an easy task for all males. To say that you all looked the same is... one hundred percent accurate. If you can see a single difference between every other guy that wore the same tux as the last, please let me know. There are the few obvious differences in color and varying accessories, but the main scheme of the outfit stays constant throughout the field. Although a tux is classy attire and most everyone looks fashionable in them, that does not change the fact that they look the same as everyone who has ever worn a tux.

Additionally, while it may be fun to dress up and act like James Bond on a mission to save the world, you’re paying hundreds of dollars to look identical to all of your peers. By the way, if you thought Prom was the perfect opportunity to break out the dance moves you have practiced tirelessly in front of the mirror, it was not the occasion You were wrong, you should have kept them to yourselves.

Matthew Fogarty with The Campanile’s own Will Mendenhall and Owen Dulik

GIRLS All the stress of picking out the “perfect” dress must feel well worth it the one night you get to strut your stuff. Spending hours online and in stores finding the dress that you look good in pays off when getting to wear it for the four hours of uncomfortable walking and dancing. The hundreds of dollars spent on dresses and alterations definitely would not be better spent on anything more practical, I don’t know, like groceries or donating to charity. No, it is all worth it to please yourself and feel on top of the world. To be completely honest, 99 percent of your dates couldn’t tell you apart from the other girl wearing the nearly identical blue strapless gown.

Congratulations honey, your parents spent their hard-earned cash on a $500 BCBG gown when its $50 equivalent did nothing more, or less, for your figure — which we all know took you months to prepare. Lastly, why can you not use a dress you have worn before or save the dress for another event? It may be an unwritten rule, but it is costly and wasteful of precious resources provided by mother nature. Lucky you, the factory that produced your luxurious dress didn’t collapse upon the thousands of impoverished five-year-olds laboring for your Cinderella moment.

COUPLES “AWWW CAYUUUTTEEE,” said every single one of your friends after your middle school crush gets on one knee in front of the whole Quad — you’re not getting married, get over it. Have fun thinking of an excuse to escape your date for the whole night, as every Prom couple ends up getting sick of the awkward tension.

At least try to look happy when you are taking the millionth photo, posed identically to the first one. Having never talked to your dates before, you think there would be a range of topics to converse about on the two hour bus ride over... how did that work out?

I hope you remember this night for the rest of your lives as an example of how you can completely and utterly embarrass yourself in a matter of hours. Disclaimer: This is an artist’s interpretation, I did not attend prom.

The Campanile: If you were a rapper, what would your rapper name be?

Matthew Fogarty: Mr. Energy.

TC: Could you please expand on that?

MF: I mean, I pride myself on bringing good energy. That’s what I bring to my audiences.

TC: Do you have a rap idol?

MF: Naw, my idol is actually Mariah Carey. She couldn’t be classified as a rap idol.

TC: Why is she your idol?

MF: Because she’s so smooth.

TC: How do you feel about substance abuse?

MF: I think it’s a problem that’s plaguing our country; it’s ravaging our youth.

TC: Is there anybody at Paly you’ve secretly had a crush on, but never had the confidence to tell anybody?

MF: [Senior] Bella Graves.

Definitely Bella Graves. I tried to send her a Valgram that never got through.

TC: Why do people always say you’re “cattin’?”

MF: Because I never cat. It’s part of the way I live my life.

TC: What is “cattin’?”

MF: It’s basically when you’re not down with the rest of the crew. It means you’re a cat.

TC: Do you like cats or dogs more?

MF: I’m allergic to cats. I guess that means I like dogs more.

TC: Do you have a dog?

MF: Yes. TC: What’s its name?

MF: Her name is Mowgli.

TC: Tell us more about your relationship with [senior] Alison Cowie.

MF: Uhh ... it’s strictly on a professional basis. We work together on a lot of projects.

She refused to got to prom with me.

TC: Do you enjoy your professional relationship?

MF: I do.

TC: Is it the best professional relationship you’ve ever had?

MF: The best professional relationship I’ve ever had was with my friend, Sal. TC: How much longer do you see this professional relationship going on?

MF: Forever.

TC: Kill, kiss, marry.

MF: Kill [senior] Caroline Moley, kiss [senior] Sam Newell and marry [senior] Sophia Moss.

TC: As a senior, what’s one last thing you want to say?

MF: ‘Give em hell.’ Wait, no.

Say, ‘Bring the energy,’ ‘cause my mom reads this crap.

The Campanile

Friday, April 25, 2014

SPORTS

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH Sophomore Eli Givens talks to The Campanile about his ridiculous speed.

C7

Triathlete raises money for cancer William Dougall bikes, runs and swims to increase awareness and raise money for blood cancer through the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in honor of his grandfather

By Stephanie Cong

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Staff Writer

lcatraz. The island which once housed the nation’s most secure federal prison, home to many dangerous criminals. During the prison’s years of operation, no criminal ever successfully completed the plunge into the frigid waters surrounding Alcatraz to escape. However, around two decades after the prison shut down, athletes received the opportunity to undertake this daunting task through the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon — proving that it is indeed possible to swim from Alcatraz and survive.

In this grueling race, not only do athletes swim the freezing one and a half miles to shore, but also endure an 18 mile bike ride through Golden Gate Park and on The Great Highway, then finishing off with an eight mile run to the Marina Green in San Francisco.

Sophomore William Dougall gained interest and participated in this race for the first time last year at the young age of 14. Dougall had spent a lot of time swimming as a member of Palo Alto High School’s junior varsity water polo team, but did not have much experience with triathlons otherwise.

“I was swimming a lot as a member of the Paly JV water polo team, but had never even thought of a triathlon,” Dougall said. “This was going to be a challenge. At 14, I became their youngest participant and the youngest athlete in the whole triathlon.”

Dougall put in countless hours of exhausting preparation and training in the months leading up to the triathlon. However, he was not in the race for the physical aspect alone. By the time Dougall wanted to participate in the race, the period to register for the normal lottery selection had passed and the only way to get in was to have a charity sponsor him. He ended up selecting a charity that raises money for cancer research, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) to be his sponsor.

“After thorough research, I concluded the MMRF was the best group out of the candidates,” Dougall said. “The MMRF would pay half of my $400 entrance fee if I pledged to complete the triathlon and raise a minimum of $1500 for their charity.”

Founded in 1998, the MMRF is now the world’s leading funding organization for various types of blood cancer. Since then, the MMRF has raised over $210 million. They use over 90 percent of their funds to spearhead innovative treatments to prolong the lives of those living with blood cancers, which will hopefully lead the way to potential cures.

The mission of the MMRF hit home with Dougall, as his grandfather suffers from three types of cancer, including blood cancer. “[My grandfather] has faced countless rounds of chemotherapy, surgeries and radiation,” Dougall said. “We all know there is no cure for cancer, but there are private nonprofits like the MMRF that dedicate themselves to raising money for

research to help find new treatments and drugs to fight cancer. The MMRF specializes in blood cancer, which is one of the three cancers that is destroying my grandfather’s life.”

As a result, Dougall put in twice the amount of work the average athlete would put into this triathlon — he did not just prepare physically, but also spent long hours volunteering with the MMRF to solicit donations, educate others and gain attention for the MMRF’s mission as well.

“I spent my hours educating people about the mission of the MMRF, what they do, why they do it and their successes. I reached out, made calls, made myself vocal… [I] created a fundraising website and posted training updates on Facebook, and sent solicitation emails,” Dougall said.

Fundraising was no easy task and turned out to be quite the learning experience for Dougall.

“I had to work for every dollar,” Dougall said.

“Soliciting funds was much harder than I had anticipated. While most people were willing to listen to me evangelize about the charity and why the MMRF did important, life changing work, not so many were willing to donate. I learned that while my grandfather’s story is tragic, almost everyone is facing some struggle, personal or health related.”

Once the day of the race came, Dougall was ready not to just race for himself, but to race to raise money for the MMRF and in honor of his grandfather. That day, not only was Dougall the youngest competitor, but he also won his age group, raised around $6000 for the MMRF and got the opportunity to speak to fellow athletes about the work of the MMRF. “It was a very rewarding experience,” Dougall said. “Working with the MMRF and competing alongside Olympians and weekend warriors of all ages from all over the world, it felt great.”

Due to complications, Dougall’s grandfather was not able to stay at the triathlon and watch him. Regardless, Dougall knew his grandfather was rooting for him and that he was proud of him.

“I could feel him cheering me on,” Dougall said. “I wore a belt with a phone [that] used a chip to track my progress realtime so he could watch me on a map on a laptop from the hospital.”

Nearly a year later, Dougall’s plans are still the same. This year, with the triathlon set to take place in June, he will again be the youngest competitor in the race and is still working with the MMRF to raise funds. He encourages everyone to donate to the MMRF, and has recently set up a webpage where people can donate directly to his campaign.

This year, Dougall aims to raise at least $5000 for the MMRF, if not more. He hopes to keep contributing to groups and charities such as the MMRF that impact the world in a positive way and help those who are less fortunate continuing to search for a cure.

“I’m so happy I get to do my part and help other people in need,” Dougall said. “To me every penny counts and every person that cares makes a huge difference.”

For more information, or to donate to Dougall’s cause, visit http://goo.gl/BNU4HT

TEACHER DOUBLES AS PRO ULTIMATE PLAYER

INSIDE NFL PREDICTED PICKS

POWDERPUFF FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Chris Farina lands a

Itís about to get fiesty

spot on the San Jose

on the field.

Spiders.

Our Top 10 picks for the NFL draft.

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Friday, April 25, 2014

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The Campanile

SPORTS

Teacher signs professional Frisbee contract Social Studies teacher Chris Farina begins professional career with San Jose Spiders

Students find coaching opportunities

By Arjun Parikh

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By William Shin

Senior Staff Writer

alo Alto High School produces plenty of high-level athletes each year in a wide range of sports. Many students play for their respective colleges and a select few even go on to play professionally.

Little known to the general public, however, is that there is a professional athlete among the Paly staff: Advanced Placement Psychology and World History teacher Chris Farina.

Farina is a rookie for the San Jose Spiders in the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL), the largest Ultimate Frisbee league in the world.

Farina took up an interest in Ultimate in high school after playing soccer and baseball throughout his adolescence.

“I started the spring of senior year,” Farina said. “I had a friend whose younger brother had played [Ultimate] for a little bit and convinced a bunch of us to take our senior springs off from the sports we had normally played.”

Farina’s professional career seemed to be an unexpected surprise that came out of nowhere.

“I had met the guy that eventually became the general manager of the Spiders… we had been playing in some smaller games, just around the South Bay,” Farina said. “He had talked about buying the franchise, building a team, and that was something I was really interested in… [the opportunity was] totally out of the blue.”

Despite Ultimate not entering Farina’s life until his senior year in high school, it quickly became his favorite sport to play, leapfrogging soccer and baseball in no time.

“It’s really great for keeping in shape… I love it for the competition and I love it for the community,” Farina said. “I like soccer a lot, I play squash a little with my wife, just for fun… ultimate is absolutely my favorite sport, unquestionably. It’s absolutely fantastic, just the speed, the quickness, the degree of skill it requires from all players, because everybody has to be able to throw and catch.”

Although the sport is not yet at the point where its athletes can make a living off their AUDL salaries, Ultimate does seem to be growing and has owners who are trying to expand the league.

Staff Writer

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Photo courtesy of Amy Chang

Chris Farina, a social science teacher, partakes in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament with his team, the San Jose Spiders.

“I really like what he’s [general manager]trying to do with the team,” Farina said. “He’s really trying to focus on growing the sport, improving the obvious, doing a lot of outreach.”

The AUDL is expanding rapidly, and after only three years now has teams spanning the entire country.

“There are two pro leagues at the moment,” Farina said. “The first year the [AUDL] started as just an Eastern conference, the second year they added a Midwest, and the third year they added a Western conference.”

The season began with the Spiders playing their first game of the season on April 12 at Foothill College.

“The [first] game went pretty well,” Farina said. “The attendance for the game was wonderful, we had 1,300 fans there.”

The Spiders won their opener by a score of 20-16 against their biggest rival, the San Francisco Flamethrowers. “[A 20-16 score line] is pretty typical, it may be a little bit on the lower

end, some of the games might be in the mid to high 20’s.”

Ultimate has three positions — handler, cutter and combo. Combo is simply someone who is adept at both positions.

“A handler is generally a midfield person, kind of like a point guard, and the cutter is someone you can think of as kind of a receiver, someone who is further downfield,” Farina said.

“I’m listed as a handler.”

Farina has a rigorous travel schedule that is typical of many professional athletes. The Spiders must travel to play against teams from as far as Seattle, Vancouver and Salt Lake City along with many others.

“So far we’ve only practiced on the weekends, so that’s been fine, and all of our games are on the weekend too, so in that sense it doesn’t conflict,” Farina said. “But it does mean it takes an additional chunk of time out of my daily schedule, so it does make it a little bit tougher to get some things done, like grading papers, especially

for the games where we have to travel.”

The AUDL hopes to expand to a point where its players can make a living off ultimate, but the league is nowhere close to realizing that goal.

“At this point, everybody has some other alternate job,” Farina said.

“Some people are making maybe a couple grand, but that’s about it. I think that’s ultimately the way it will head, [having salaries high enough to make a living off ultimate].”

Farina said he hopes some students will try and make it out to a game or two, as the season extends into the summer. As if watching Paly teacher play professional sports wasn’t enough incentive, the Spiders have some of the best ultimate players in the world.

“Our GM has recruited three of the seven best players in the country, including one who is maybe the best player in the world,” Farina said. “It’s going to be as high level as you could possibly see.”

tudents constantly look for work in order to make a few extra bucks here and there.

However, some students don’t have to look too far from their interests to earn money or gain valuable work experience. Many students at Palo Alto High School are involved in coaching youth sports. These student-coaches either coach for community service hours or for wages by the hour, giving them an opportunity to help younger children connect to someone who has already been in their position, while also giving the coaches an opportunity to give back to teams that helped nurture them as young athletes.

Ryan Drover, a varsity swimmer at Paly, also swims competitively for Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA).

For the past three years, Drover has been giving private lessons to kids ages 4-7. Drover started swimming competitively for the Scra summer team he coaches for at age six.

“I started to coach because one of my PASA coaches, and former Paly student, Laura Mitchell asked me to,” Drover said.

Coaching offers work experience as well as new relationships.

“The best thing about coaching was bonding and making friends with the kids, and seeing their success was the most rewarding thing of it all,” Drover said.

Drover has been participating in organized swimming for many years. He claims that having been in the sport so long helps him relate to younger swimmers.

“Obviously coaching requires more simple forms of explanation [for little kids] but being a swimmer [and coaching swimming] definitely helps because you know that you were there once too,” Drover said. “It gives a different level of understanding than people who have never had swimming experience.”

Athletes also say that they tend to have coaching styles similar to their own coaches as well as their own idea of the ideal coach.

“I think everyone has their own coaching style, but I definitely use and pass on what I was taught, be it from an interview with David Marsh (SwimMAC) and Nick Thoman, or from coaches Danny Dye and Scott Shea,” Drover said.

Ultimate Frisbee provides students with recreation Students gather on lacrosse field after school to practice, play Ultimate Frisbee

By Leslie Wan Senior Staff Writer

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hey are on the lacrosse field everyday after school, the Quad or maybe even at Jordan Middle School on some days, but the Palo Alto Ultimate Frisbee team, otherwise known as the Huck Squad, believes that its continuous practices, drills and pick-up games, have prepared them well for the upcoming Spaghetti Western Tournament on April 26 and 27 at Morgan Hill, CA and USA Ultimate California States Championships on May 10th and 11th at Templeton, Calif.

Although the team lost several key players from last year like Alvin Kim, Allen Zheng and Kevin Lavelle, it adopted new members such as senior Audrey Horn, sophomore Michelle Slaughter, freshman Max Lenail and Coach Robert Srinivasiah. The new members were quick to adapt to the fast-paced games and drills and soon became valuable additions to the team.

In preparation for the Spaghetti Western tournaments, the team has already met several of its competitors from Spring League games, matches in which local Bay Area teams meet each weekend to play a game of Ultimate Frisbee, and has familiarized itself with several of the teams’ scrimmage techniques.

“The games have taught us how to play with each other better, and how to better prepare ourselves for situa-

tions in which we are under a lot of pressure,” Horn said.

Senior Jeremy Dao, who has been on the team since last year, agrees with Horn’s statement.

“The key thing is experience,” Dao said. “Because we have a lot of new players on the team, [Spaghetti Western] helps us focus our minds into a more game-like situation rather than just have us mess around.“ In addition to the team’s preparation, the team has adopted a student-to-student coaching method in which the more experienced players who have played on the team since last year, teach and help improve new techniques that can enhance the player’s Frisbee skills. Moreover, after playing against several different teams in the Spring League, the team has been able to focus more on its strengths and weaknesses, what techniques work in a game-like situation and who would be the catchers and throwers for the present game.

For example, in its game against the Berkeley team, Huck Squad realized that its defense may be strong, but its offense is not keen enough to help them obtain the necessary points to win certain matches.

“There is a new defensive technique called ‘The Squeeze,’ in which its a defensive play where one person cuts off any throws from the back from the person with the frisbee and someone else moves forward to cut off a lane from the front,” senior Kevin Zhang said.

The Palo Alto Ultimate Frisbee team practices its underhand throws on the lacrosse field after school.

The team utilizes its space on the lacrosse field for quick games while it uses the field at Jordan for more serious drills. During their time at Jordan, coaches Chris Farina and Robert Srinivasiah help the members enhance their throwing techniques, interventions and team operations and will also sometimes play along with the team to help them see how a professional team would play.

Although the Spaghetti Westerns is a bigger tournament than the

state tournament, the team is focusing more on improving its ranks and hopefully winning the tournament at states. The states tournament is regional, which means that the tournament hosts teams from local areas rather than from different states. The team members unanimously agree that their continuous hard work and practice time will help them improve their ranks at Spaghetti Westerns and hopefully help win the States tournament.

Conner Harden/the campanile

After the Spaghetti Western and state tournament, the team looks forward to continuing its == Frisbee passions in the Youth Club Championships. Unlike the Spaghetti Westerns and states tournaments which required competitors to submit their teams by high school, the Youth Club Championships creates teams by region and then brings the best teams from across the country to participate in the championship event on Aug. 9 and 10 in Blaine, Minn.

The Campanile

Friday, April 25, 2014

SPORTS

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Northwestern University football team first to unionize, demands recognition

Spirit:

A lifestyle Paly needs to adopt

Football team seeks guaranteed scholarships, improved medical care

By Nick Sullivan Senior Staff Writer

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arlier this month, a big step in college football was made when the Northwestern University football team officially unionized. It all started last fall when football players from some Division I colleges, including Northwestern, began standing up against the current system by wearing wristbands during their games with the initials APU which stands for “All Players United.”

The next major step came on March 26, when a regional director of the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) ruled that scholarship football players at Northwestern University are indeed employees of the university, thus allowing them the right to unionize and fight for better health care coverage, larger scholarships and other benefits. This is a major landmark in collegiate athletics and it is probable that other schools and sports will follow the actions taken by the Northwestern Football team in these matters.

Participating in Division I athletics is a huge commitment and students’ participation only benefits the school’s economic objectives.

Student-athletes put their personal health on the line to participate at their school’s expense and get nothing in return except for scholarship aid, which is much needed by many of these athletes. The other thing to remember is that athletes don’t get

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Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune

Kain Colter, a Northwestern University football player, addresses the media after presenting to the National Labor Relations Board.

course credit for participating, thus they have no incentive to stay on the team once they get into college to continue playing unless they have a scholarship.

The NLRB only regulates private institutions so there still may be some work to do to before Division 1 players from all schools are able to unionize, but this is still a major step in working towards a solution.

Northwestern will appeal the ruling, but it is expected that the ruling will be upheld. The institution is ar-

guing that the NLRB ignored relevant facts during its review such as the evidence of Northwestern’s primary commitment to the education of student athletes.

Schools in California may be next due to the state’s union-friendly reputation toward athletics. Many people have speculated it would be an easy case to argue because scholarship athletes are not playing their sports in the classroom.

The bigger question is whether student-athletes want to unionize.

The Northwestern Football players have yet to officially vote to form a union. In order to unionize, the scholarship players would need to reach a majority in favor of doing so.

One risk of collective bargaining is it may violate NCAA regulations if they were to negotiate a deal in which they would be paid for playing. However it was reported that they are only hoping to achieve full guaranteed scholarships, better oversight of head injuries and comprehensive medical coverage through unionizing.

Boys swimming and Girls swimming and diving defeats greatest diving coasts to easy competitor in league victory over Los Altos

Victory over Monta Vista brings confidence Freshman diver Emma Van der Veen qualifies to represent Paly in upcoming CCS meet for approaching SCVAL, CCS finals

By Stephanie Cong and Oliver Tucher Staff Writers

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CONNER HArden/the campanile

Senior Andrew Liang swims butterfly in practice to prepare for upcoming meets.

By Grace Kim and Jeremy Fu

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Staff Writers

s the spring sports season comes to a close, Palo Alto High School’s boys swimming and diving teams works towards their high hopes as they near their final competitions.

The teams still holds high expectations for both the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) championship finals and for Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs and have their successful season to back it up.

Varsity swim captain, Ethan Look believes that the teams’ success has surpassed his initial expectation, painting an optimistic sentiment approaching the end of the swim season.

“Through our league meets so far, our team has really excelled, exceeding any expectations we had entering the season,” Look said. “We’ve come quite far as a team and couldn’t be more fired up about the end of our season.”

Monta Vista High School posed the greatest obstacle for the boys swimming and diving teams and most anticipated SCVAL competitor this season. According to junior diver

Scott Hillen, the swimmers and divers worked hand-in-hand in their meet against Monta Vista. This teamwork is what led to their victory. After winning against Monta Vista, the swimming and diving teams are now more confident that they can continue this hot streak into the SCVAL league finals and CCS playoffs.

“Monta Vista was our biggest competition in the league dual meets and we took care of that, so I am very confident that we will continue to win our meets and go undefeated in leagues,” senior Omri Newman said.

Look says that although the team is confident, it is still working hard to extend its successful season.

“We need to keep our motivation high and focus on the big picture,” Look said. “Each week is just a stepping stone.”

In reflecting on the team’s season, Merritt remarks on the team’s growth and how it has contributed to its successful season.

“I think everyone did well,” Merritt said. “I think we had a great turnout this year. A lot of people joined and [lent] a helping hand to the team which was great and there were a bunch of people who I saw improve tremendously and actually score some points in the meets.”

s the Palo Alto High School’s girls swimming and diving teams head towards the end of the season, both teams are eager to wrap up the season strong.

On April 18, the girls swimming team had an easy win against Los Altos High School (128-55).

“Los Altos just moved into our league last year, so we were looking forward to this meet as a chance to practice our racing. Nevertheless, we are happy to have another win,” sophomore Emily Zhang said.

Although the meet against Los Altos was not very challenging, the team has been working hard and has been staying motivated despite the large amounts they have been swimming during practice recently.

“The team has been working incredibly hard,” Zhang said. “We have been putting in a lot of yardage, 8000 to 9000 a day, which is very gruelling.”

The upcoming weeks will be busy for the team as it prepares for the final events and meets of the season.

“Next week is busy for us. We have Los Gatos on Tuesday, our annual challenge set of 100 100’s [on] Thursday and the section challenge on Saturday,” senior captain Karina Goot said.

Over the course of the season, members of the team feel that they have bonded well and are a strong team, even though swimming is mainly an individual sport.

“We have come a lot closer as a team through the season and I think everyone knows what they need to do in order to win leagues,” Goot said.

As leagues approach, practices in the following weeks will focus on other aspects of swimming and racing rather than the amount that the team members swim.

“To prepare for our end of season meets we are going to cut back on the yardage and spend more time on stroke and technique,” Goot said.

CONNER HArden/the campanile

Emma Van der Veen dives into CCS games.

“We also are going to be focusing on the mental part of our races by doing visualization sessions in the dance room.”

The diving team has had a busy season as well. On April 12, the Paly diving team hosted the Palo Alto Diving Invite at home. Two team members, freshman Emma van der Veen and senior captain Julia Ragsdale placed in the top 13. One placed fifth with 330.40 points, while the second placed tenth with 262.30 points, respectively.

Although other members of the team did not make the top 13 at the meet, Van der Veen feels that the meet ran smoothly and everyone did their best.

“The invite went pretty well and it was a lot of fun seeing all of the amazing talent that comes from our area,” Van der Veen said.

Placing at such a high score, Van der Veen was able to qualify to represent Paly in upcoming CCS meets.

She hopes to be able to place in the top 16 at these meets.

“I am looking forward to doing the best I can at CCS and hopefully getting in the top 16 scores so that I can score some points for our school,” Van der Veen said.

By Jack Paladin

alo Alto High School boys tennis: senior night. The team is playing an important match to be seeded in the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament. The team is excited and tempers are flaring on all the close calls. Seven seniors are playing their final home Paly match of their lives, some have been playing all four years. As you scan the scene it seems normal, each court with an intense match, but when you reach the stands, you find no one except one or two parents and the coach. There are no cheers of encouragement, no oohs and ahhs after great shots and an all around boring atmosphere.

This is not an unusual sight for Paly sports. Tennis is just one of the many sports that gets few to no fans coming out to the games, even when it’s senior night. This makes sports not nearly as fun for the players as they could be. While students do go out to the football games and some to the basketball games, there are 13 other sports that Paly students are putting their hearts into, but are getting little out of because of the lack of fans.

As a school, we need to stand up and stand out as a spirited school.

Everyone has at least one friend who plays a sport, so everyone must make it their duty to go out and support a Paly sport. It is an easy task, especially for home matches. The entire sports complex is not even a five minute walk from anywhere on campus and there seems to always be some game going on. And, lets be honest, no one wants to go home right after a long day of school and start working, so instead take a break and support some sports.

Now for another example. This past winter, boys basketball had their senior night. While there was a decent showing of Paly students, they were outnumbered by the away team.

I mean, come on Paly, what are you doing? We at least have to get more kids coming out than the opponent.

And not only were we outnumbered, but we were out-cheered. Their fans screamed louder, clapped more and made their presence felt in our territory. This brings me to my next point, if you are going to go to sporting events, you better make some noise.

I cannot tell you how many times I have been out to a sporting event and people are not there cheering. Paly will score a goal and people will sit and stare blankly. The baseball team will score a run and people will not even notice because they are too focused on talking to their friends. And we will run in a touchdown, but people are too enthralled by their hamburgers from the food stand. People need to get into the sports they are watching and get pumped.

Back when I was a freshman, it seemed like every student was out at the football games, focused and into the game; people actually knew what was happening. This year, the stands were half filled, people sat and stared at the phones, and then left halfway through the game. What happened?

We need to get back to the Paly of four years ago and cheer our team to victory.

So Paly, I am proposing a challenge to you. The student body needs to step up. Grab your friends, grab your acquaintances, grab your teachers and head out to support your fellow peers at Paly sporting events.

Whether it be your favorite sport, one you have never even heard of or one for which your best friend plays, go out and show your support. Cheer to your heart’s content, until you have lost your voice, and help develop Paly’s reputation as one of the schools with the most school spirit.

Friday, April 25, 2014

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The Campanile

SPORTS

Written by Owen Dulik Staff Writer

Top 10 NFL mock draf

Before the National Football League (NFL) Draft begin and wonder which teams are

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With the number one pick in the draft, the Houston Texans are most likely going to take Jadaveon Clowney of the University of South Carolina. Clowney is a 6-foot-5, 266-pound defensive end with the speed of a running back. Clowney is not only quick but incredibly powerful as he is known for his jaw­dropping hit on the University of Michigan’s running back in the 2013 Outback Bowl. Clowney will make an excellent partner for Texans’ all­ star defensive end JJ Watt. While the Texans’ offensive may be lacking potency, Clowney and Watt could bring lots of pressure to opposing offenses.

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Next, the Cleveland Browns have the fourth pick in the draft, and will look to add a quarterback.

Johnny Manziel, the 6-foot-1, 209-pound hotshot better known as “Johnny Football” out of Texas A&M University, will be selected by the Browns. While many suspect the Browns will take Sammy Watkins, the Browns lack a professional­grade quarterback. The Browns have been in a slump for several years and could use the magic playmaking of Manziel paired with its star wide receiver, Josh Gordon.

This could turn out to be an electrifying duo and become just what Cleveland needs to become a competitive squad again.

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At sixth overall, the Atlanta Falcons will give quarterback Matt Ryan more protection. Last year, the Falcons missed the playoffs due to a poor offensive line and a lack of scoring. The Falcons

hope to make the playoffs this year and support Ryan by drafting Texas A&M University offensive tackle Jake Matthews. The Falcons have the skill offensively, and this could be the missing part that leads to long­-term success.

With the seventh pick, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will select wide receiver Mike Evans out of Texas A&M University.

Evans was Manziel’s favorite target at A&M and will not only bring size,

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but also speed to the NFL. Evans will work with Tiquan Underwood and Vincent Jackson to complete the receiving core. Quarterback Mike Glennon will surely have plenty of options to throw to with the addition of Evans.

At eighth overall, the Minnesota Vikings hope to complete their offense with a franchise quarterback. Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater put up great stats in his time with the Louisville Car-

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The Campanile

Friday, April 25, 2014

SPORTS

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Design by Claire Liu and Coby Parker Staff Writers

ft by The Campanile

ns on May 8, many continue to size up this year’s talent e going to select which players.

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er the Texans, the St. Louis Rams have second pick, which they received from e Washington Redskins in a trade. The Rams will be looking to bolster their ak offensive line, and to give sufficient me to quarterback Sam Bradford in orto make strong passes. Greg Robinson, oot-5, 332-pound offensive tackle from uburn University will surely be a great n St. Louis. Robinson has improved evsingle year at Auburn and has proven he can make great run blocks in open ace, as well as hold off blitzing defenduring a passing play. Robinll make a staple of the nse, and an NFL star.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars have the third pick in the NFL draft and will try to improve the competitive edge against their opposition in the near future.

While the Jaguars need improvement everywhere, they will be looking to select outside linebacker Khalil Mack. The 6-foot-3, 251-pound player from the University of Buffalo went unnoticed until this year and then erupted with an amazing season. Mack is strong and quick enough to improve the only strong part of the Jaguars team: their linebacking core. Mack will learn the ropes of the NFL from veteran star Paul Posluszny and will make a noticeable imprint on the league this year.

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With the fifth pick, the Oakland Raiders will look to pick Sammy Watkins if he is still available. Watkins, the speedy 6-foot, 211-pound wide receiver out of Clemson University, will bring much­needed talent to the Raiders.

The Raiders recently added hometown running back Maurice Jones­-Drew and veteran quarterback Matt Shaub to the roster. While they have boosted their running game, Watkins will pair well with receiver Jacoby Ford to make the Raiders offense speedy and lethal in the end zone.

Sammy Watkins dinals. Bridgewater provides speed that could open up the option game with running back Adrian Peterson and a strong arm that could add to the passing game. With Bridgewater, the Vikings will surely see more success.

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With the ninth pick, the Buffalo Bills will try to complete their young offense with tight end Eric Ebron out of the University of North Carolina. Ebron emerged this year, catching 62 passes

for 973 yards. Ebron is a skilled blocker, and a great receiver, who will effectively protect quarterback EJ Manuel and running back CJ Spiller.

While the Bills lack experience, with the right coaching, they could be on the fast track to success.

Capping off the top ten, the Detroit Lions will try to improve their secondary position. The Lions will pick up Oklahoma State University cornerback Justin Gilbert early in the draft. The 6-foot,

10

202-pound Gilbert had 40 tackles as well as six interceptions in 2013. While the Lions have offensive skill, Gilbert, as well as recently acquired cornerback Cassius Vaughn from Indianapolis will surely help their secondary.

Friday, April 25, 2014

C6

The Campanile

SPORTS

Track and field’s lack of focus proving detrimental to team performance

Despite success in individual events, both varsity track teams lose to Los Gatos in recent meet

By Mischa Nee and Lauren Klass Staff Writers

P

alo Alto High School’s track and field team found individual successes in a meet against Los Gatos High School on April 17, but suffered overall defeats with both varsity teams and junior varsity boys losing, and only junior varsity girls victorious.

“I think that everyone tried their hardest and we had some great performances, but Los Gatos is a really strong team – possibly the best in the league – so it was definitely a challenge,” sophomore Bryn Carlson said.

However, this loss was not unusual for the season. The boys varsity team has lost all four of their meets this year and the girls varsity has only won two of four — a major disappointment after winning the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) the previous year.

We need people to step up. We need to get more focus and take practices more seriously.

Eli Givens Sophomore Keri Gee/The Campanile

According to Carlson, the team is still recuperating from the loss of several talented athletes who graduated last year. Also, there are significant holes in the team, particularly in the field events, causing Paly’s team to give up points in those events every meet.

“With a lot of holes in our team right now... we lose 18 points with the throwers almost every meet for

The track and field team practices at the Viking Stadium. Members of the team believe that focus at practice will be a key factor for success at upcoming meets. the varsity boys,” sophomore Samuel taking practice as seriously as they The boys 4x100 meter team won 10.77 seconds for the 100 meter — Desré said. “Then it is hard to make should be. If they tried harder at against Los Gatos. Though neither the current fastest time in Central up those points [in] the running practice, Givens believes that the Carlson nor Desré thought they Coast Section. events.” team has a better chance of winning. performed their best against Los The next meet is May 1 at MilCarlson also thinks the addition of “For us to improve we need to Gatos, Carlson placed first in the 1 pitas High School. After a week of new coaches this season has have con- work harder in practice,” Givens mile and 2 mile events and Desré solid practice, Givens thinks victory is tributed to this year’s team dynamic. said. “We need people to step up. placed third in the 2 mile. Givens achievable.

Sophomore Eli Givens believes We need to get more focus and came in first in the long jump, 200 “We will come out strong,” Givens that some of the athletes are not take practices more seriously.” meter and 100 meter, clocking in at said. “We have a good chance.”

Boys lacrosse team third in league Team looks to pass Sacred Heart and Menlo after victories against Burlingame and Los Altos

By Dami Bolarinwa and Nikhil Rajaram

A

Courtesy of Paly Sports Online

The girls lacrosse team, as pictured taking a break at practice, hopes to close out the season on a strong note against league opponents.

Girls lacrosse looks forward to league rematches With 5-1 record, the team shifts focus to making it into CCS tournament

By Tiffany Liang and Nikhil Rajaram

W

Staff Writers

ith the regular season more than halfway completed and after five early wins, the girls lacrosse team is hoping to keep up their successful performance in upcoming league matches.

The team’s perseverance has earned them a 5-1 league record thus far in the season, which puts them behind Henry M. Gunn High School (8-1) and Saint Francis High School (7-0).

The team will host rematches against Henry M. Gunn High School on April 30 and Saint Francis High School on May 2 in consecutive games.

“I think our season is looking very bright and we all know what each of us individually needs to work on,” senior Kristen DeStefano said. “As a team we can improve our rhythm on attack.”

The team lost to crosstown rival Henry M. Gunn High School on March 28.

We all know what each of us individually needs to work on.

Kristen DeStefano Senior

“We were missing a couple of our starters at that game so our attack wasn’t as crisp, but our defense still put up a great fight,” DeSte-

fano said. “We are working on making our attack more stealthy whether it be shot placement or just dodges.”

Other players on the team echo this sentiment.

“Our loss against Gunn was disappointing of course, largely because we just made small mistakes or dropped passes that lost us our possession,” junior Claire Chevallier said.

Chevallier also went on to comment on the future of the team.

“We do hope to make [Central Coast Section (CCS)], and with no more out-of-league games left in the season, that is our main focus,” Chevallier said.

The team’s overall record so far is 6-4, making it 52nd in California.

Staff Writers

s the middle of the regular season approaches, the boys lacrosse team has achieved a league record of 4-2, placing them third in the De Anza Division behind Sacred Heart Prepatory and Menlo School.

The team’s excellent performance in their first three league games were stifled by consecutive losses to their two main competitors: Sacred Heart and Menlo.

Early predictions that Sacred Heart would pose a huge threat to the team’s winning record came true when the two teams faced off on April 8, and finished the game with a final score of 14-4. “[The Sacred Heart game] was tough; they have a really good team,” senior Jordan Gans said. “We were neck and neck at halftime and then fell apart and lost the game badly.”

Gans believes the loss against Menlo High School could be largely attributed to the game’s setting. “[The game against] Menlo was over Spring Break,” Gans said. “We were missing a lot of people and I was injured and played close defense instead of midfield.”

However, the team has fared well in games against other teams. In a conference game against Burlingame High School on April 10, Palo Alto High School won by a margin of 14

points. That game was also followed by another nonconference victory against Los Altos High School on April 17, where the team won with a final score of 11-6.

“We have had a rough couple of games, but had a really good win against Burlingame our last game,” Gans said. “Hopefully we can play like that for the rest of the season.”

Gans went on to comment on his personal goals for this season as a captain.

We have had a rough couple of games, but had a really good win against Burlingame our last game.

Jordan Gans Senior

“I want to help everyone reach what ever goals they have for lacrosse, for some guys that means playing in college and for others it mean having fun,” Gans said. “I also want to lead the team by example and play harder than anyone else on the field.”

Coach DJ Shelton notes that the leadership amongst team members is a driving force of the team.

“It’s [a] very older-kid-led team,” Shelton said. “That experience really carries through in terms of the maturity of the team and the leadership they demonstrate both on and off the field.”

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Friday, April 25, 2014

The Campanile

C7

SPORTS Softball team struggles in lower league Despite overall winning record, Lady Vikes fall to fifth in El Camino Division standings

Athlete of the

month

Zoe Tierney/The Campanile

This edition featuring

Eli Givens Eli is currently a sophomore on his second year on the varsity track and field team. He is currently first in CCS for the 100-meter dash and ranked in the top five for both the 200-meter and 400-meter dash. with The Campanile’s own Dami Bolorinwa and Kevin Mullin

Keri Gee/The Campanile

Clockwise from top left: Senior Tori DeStefano hits against Aragon High School. Sophomore Madeline Martenson prepares to catch a pitch. Junior Kabria Dame prepares to run after reaching base successfully. Freshman Teddie Steward and junior Casey Glassford creep as the pitch is thrown.

By Hannah Nguyen

T

Staff Writer

he Palo Alto High School girls softball team, while improving last year’s record, has suffered losses in recent games. As a result, the team moved back in to the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division.

After the game scheduled on March 26 against Harbor High School was rained out, the softball team faced rival Gunn High School on March 27.

In the end, the team lost by a margin of a single run.

On April 4th and 5th, the team participated in the annual Half Moon Bay tournament.

Two initial losses on the first day of the tournament to Sequoia High School (6-3) and Half Moon Bay High School (9-0) were succeeded by two victories on the second day.

The Lady Vikes took a 19-8 victory against King’s Academy, in which junior pitcher Casey Glassford was named Player of the Game.

They also faced Notre Dame High School of San Jose and won by two runs with a strong team batting average of .565.

Glassford leads the team in both batting average (.456) and at bats, followed closely by sophomore catcher Maddy Martinson in both categories.

Glassford remains the only player on the team this season to hit a home run.

Her younger sister, freshman infielder and pitcher Mackenzie Glassford, was named Player of the Game against Half Moon Bay, going 2-3 at the plate and a skilled fielding performance.

In a home game against Mountain View High School, the team lost by a single run, with a final score of 5-4. At the bottom of the tenth inning, Mountain View Coach David Campbell protested the position of senior centerfielder Shannon Fee at second base, whom he claimed had been not officially re-enterered.

In the end, Campbell’s protests were unnecessary, as Mountain View scored the top of the eleventh inning.

The Lady Vikes failed to even the score at the bottom of the eleventh,

and the loss of this game brought the team’s record to 9-8, pulling them farther back in the standings in the El Camino Division of SCVAL. The team’s league record now stands at 1-4.

Despite the loss, Head Coach Bill Laskey remains optimistic.

“The sun will shine tomorrow,” Laskey told the San Jose Mercury News. “It’s another day.”

Junior second baseman Paloma Tracy noted that the new varsity coaching staff has made a notable impact on the performance of the team. “[The] new coaches this year have changed the atmosphere of the team quite a bit,” Tracy said. “Their desire to win has definitely given the team more motivation than in past years.”

Golf team continues winning streak Team remains undefeated in SCVAL as playoffs approach

By Paul Mewes Staff Writer

T

he boys golf team remains undefeated in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and will play Henry M. Gunn High School and Homestead High School in its final league games. The team has already defeated both teams earlier in the year and expects to do so again.

“We should be able to handily beat Homestead,” junior captain John Knowles said. “The Gunn match will be a closer fight, during which we will need to work hard for the win.”

The team has not been considerably challenged yet in league, winning all of its games by relatively comfortable margins.

This has allowed for less experienced players to experience more playing time than they would in a more competitive league.

“Our lineup changes from match to match so that everyone on the team is getting a chance to play,” Knowles said.

It bodes well for the team’s future that younger players can play and gain experience, without the team’s performance does not significantly drop.

“We’ve beat every team by a fairly large margin even with our younger players in, which really shows the depth of our team,” junior captain

Alex Hwang said. “That makes us really optimistic for success in the next couple of years.”

However, the downside to competing in an unchallenging league is that the team might be unprepared for the tougher opposition it will undoubtedly play in Central Coast Sectionals (CCS). Knowles, though, is not worried about the team’s potential.

“Our competition doesn’t lie in our opponents, but in ourselves,” Knowles said. “We just need to go out and play like we all can and if we do that, we can compete with anybody.”

Hwang agrees that the team needs to play its best in every game regardless of who it is playing.

“The thing about golf is it doesn’t really matter what team we’re playing since it’s not really a head-to-head sport,” Hwang said. “All we have to worry about is posting low scores and we’ll be okay.”

According to Hwang, the team succeeds in its games because of strong mental capabilities, not purely because of player’s talent on the green.

“Golf is hard,” Hwang said. “But nothing is harder than our strength of will. We may not be the strongest or fastest, but we have the strongest hearts.”

After league, the team will play in the league tournament and then CCS, in which the team is confident about its prospects.

Courtesy of Dana Phillips

Senior infielder Anthony Lim dives back to the base on a pickoff attempt.

Baseball team looks to end season successfully Team holds out high hopes for CCS

By Owen Dulik and Owen Staiger

W

Staff Writers

ith the midpoint in the season in the rearview mirror, the Paly baseball squad must look ahead toward the post-season. Paly has three games left in its regular season before Central Coast Sectionals (CCS) playoffs begin.

Senior Noah Phillips describes the team’s goals.

“Our goal is a CCS title,” Phillips said. “Practice by practice and game by game, we are trying to achieve that.”

With a CCS title in mind, the team needs to perform well in their remaining games. Before the team’s Wednesday game against Homestead High

School, Phillips expressed his positive outlook on the remaining season “If you told us that we only needed to win six games in a row to win a league title, I think anybody on the team would take it,” Phillips said.

Junior Phil Lewis is confident in the team’s ability to pull through the rest of the season.

“We are right where we need to be regarding the post season,” Lewis said.

“A league title is within our grasp.”

Every game counts, especially for the nine seniors on the team who have only a handful of high school baseball games left in their careers.

“I know the senior leaders on our team want that title badly,” Lewis said.

“It’s going to be a fun end of the season, can’t wait.”

The Campanile: Why do you like track?

EG: Track has gotten me a lot faster, helped me with stamina and my endurance. It has pushed me to my limits. At times, I like it. Others, I don’t. I run track to keep getting faster and to help me with football so I can go somewhere in life with football.

TC: How did you feel winning your 100-meter race?

EG: Surprised. I felt good after winning [the] 100, but I felt like I could have done better than a 10.77.

TC: And that was your first 100 ever?

EG: Yes, other than the 4x100.

TC: So what was your ranking after that?

EG: I am first in Central Coast Sectionals and then tied seventh in state.

TC: So, you’re fast?

EG: I’m… I’m… close to being fast.

I’m not quite there yet.

TC: We’re talking physically.

EG: Physically? Not that fast in my opinion. I feel like I could get faster.

TC: That’s a scary thought. Is there anyone at Paly, teachers included, who could challenge you in the 100 meters?

EG: Maybe Nick Sullivan.

TC: What about teachers?

EG: Maybe Mr. Farrell.

TC: Do you feel that his head gives him an edge because of the aerodynamics?

EG:I feel like his baldness definitely helps him.

TC: What’s your favorite thing about sprinting?

EG: Probably the feeling afterward, because it always feels nice to finish an event, like what you’ve worked for for the entire week and then you get to see that end result.

TC: How much does it suck to lose?

EG: I wouldn’t know.

TC: When’s your next track and field meet?

EG: Our next meet is Thursday against Los Altos [High School].

Our team should be doing better and I’m not too worried about it.

TC: Do you guys have a chance for CCS? EG: Not team-wise. Individually, yeah.

TC: Do you feel like there’s an I in “Team?”

EG: Yeah, for track there is.

TC: How wet is the 4x100 team?

EG: Damp. We just need to work on our handoffs.

TC: So your girlfriend [sophomore] Catherine Yu is actually a member of The Campanile staff.

We’re wondering if you were to race her, would you even think about letting her win?

EG: Well, she’s faster than me, so she’d probably let me win.

TC: Would you let her win so you could look at her from behind (wink wink)?

EG: Oh yeah (returns wink).

Friday, April 25, 2014

The Campanile

SPORTS

C8

POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL

PREVIEW

TeXt By

WILL SnoDGrAss StAff WrIter

Courtesy of Paly ASB

T

he annual Powder Puff football tournament will be held from April 30 to May 2. Palo Alto High School Associated Student Body (ASB) announced the rosters for each grade on April 18. Unlike previous years, ASB determined the rosters randomly after girls in each grade put their names in a raffle, and then a random number generator chose the teams for each grade. ASB Sports Commissioner Alex Pelayo believes that the raffle made the team selections fair.

“We decided the fairest way in selection was choosing through the means of a raffle,” Pelayo said. “The raffle mathematically allows an equal chance of everyone to be selected.”

The tournament will be single elimination. The sophomores and juniors will play on April 31, and the freshmen and seniors will play on May 1. The winning teams will play against each other in the championship on May 2.

FRESHMEN

Sophomores

On April 31, the freshman team will face a tough opponent in an experienced senior team. It will take a strong effort from this freshmen team to upset the seniors. The freshmen cannot be intimidated, or else they will quickly fall to a faster and stronger senior team. Despite the odds, freshman coach Ben Cleasby thinks that his team has a chance against the seniors.

“Personally, I think we’ll do okay,” Cleasby said. “We have some solid talent on our team, but we definitely need to pull some tricks out of the sleeve. But I definitely think that [senior] experience will play a factor in the game.”

On May 1, the sophomores will play the juniors in a rematch of last year’s third-place game. The sophomore team has the most upside out of any team in the tournament, with several talented athletes, and if used to full potential, they could pose a major threat to the juniors. Sophomore Sophia Armitano has high expectations for her team this year.

“Our team is full of very talented players that are capable of competing a high level and hopefully winning,” Armitano said. “I was going to play last year but I was out with a concussion. I was disappointed with last years outcomes and don’t want history to repeat itself.”

Roster: Noa Ben-­Efraim, Ibby Day, Madeline Frick, Emily Hwang, Maya Heron, Izzy Kelley, Quinn Knoblock, Lauren Koyama, Natasha Minskoff, Marion Sellier, Sarah Shapiro, Dhara Yu

Roster: Sophia Armitano, Maddy Atwater, Maya Benatar, Siggi Bengston, Alexis Harris, Meredith Kinnaman, Coco Lovely, Suliana Mataele, Jacey Peterson, Jasmine Redwood, Pisileni Tautuaa, Cleneisha Turner

FRESHMEN KEY TO SUCCESS: TEAM UNITY

SOPHOMORESíKEY TO SUCCESS: STAYING LEVEL-HEADED

The freshmen must work together in order to defeat the seniors.

They may not be able to beat them with talent, so they will have to beat them strategically. A few trick plays might help bring about an upset.

This rivalry extends back to Spirit Week, when the sophomores edged out the juniors for second place. It’s fair to say that this game will be intense. In a heated rivalry matchup, it’s important that the sophomores keep their composure. Failure to do so will result in their collapse.

BOLD PREDICTIONS April 31: Seniors 28, Freshmen 7 This matchup will most likely be a blowout. Barring a surprise upset, the freshmen will be overmatched by a superior senior team. The seniors will take control from the beginning, scoring touchdowns and forcing turnovers, and the freshmen may score once at the end of the game. The seniors will show the freshmen why they belong at the bottom of the totem pole until next year when they will have a chance to beat the incoming freshmen.

May 1: Juniors 14, Sophomores 7 Despite a highly athletic sophomore team, the juniors will defeat the sophomores in a competitive rivalry matchup.

The juniors will score early, but the sophomores will put up a strong effort in the middle of the game. The juniors will utilize their size and play with more heart than the sophomores, leading them to a late victory at the end of the game. After defeating the juniors in Spirit Week, the sophomores will return to their place in class hierarchy.

May 2: Seniors 21, Juniors 14 The junior class will surprise the seniors with a competitive game. The juniors will come out playing tough against the seniors, resulting in an early junior lead. However, senior athleticism will be too much for the junior team to handle. The seniors will come out on top in the end, winning both Spirit Week and Powder Puff and showing all other classes who is best.

Juniors

Seniors

The juniors come into this game with a chip on their shoulders after a disappointing showing last year. The juniors will look to bounce back with a win against the sophomores. The junior team is fairly athletic, but its size is its biggest advantage. Their matchup against the sophomores will be a relatively low scoring affair, as the juniors look to come strong with aggressive defense.

The reigning champions are the clear favorites to win the 2014 Powder Puff football tournament. Experience goes a long way in sports, and this team certainly has experience. They are also well rounded with speed and strength. They should cruise to an easy win against the freshmen, and will most likely be victorious against either the sophomores or juniors in the final.

Roster: Bianca Aboytes, Priscilla Aboytes, Anna Dukovic, Tiffany Fields, Molly Fogarty, Jamina Kirkendoll, Tatiana Loops, Autumn Macareno, Sophia Robinson, Lisa Rogge, Adrianna Rositas, Tess Van Hulsen

Roster: Hannah Bundy, Alex Grandy, Audrey Horn, Julia Kwasnick, Tara Lawrence, Vivian Laurence, Juelle Persad, Becca Raffel, Julia Saul, Elena Vasquez, Callie Walker, Michelle Yin

JUNIORSí KEY TO SUCCESS: SIZE AND STRENGTH

Seniorsí KEY TO SUCCESS: speed and athleticism

As pointed out above, the junior team has a strength advantage over the other teams. Strength plays an important role on defense. If the junior girls are able to use their size and strength to their advantage, they will be victorious against the sophomores.

The seniors need to use their superior talent to their advantage. Unlike the freshmen, the seniors will not need any tricky plays to win. They should go straight at their opponents and use their experience to destroy the competition.