[proof] spring 2023

[proof]

spring 2023

annelise balentine

arati periyannan

editors-in-chiefs staff

madelyn castro

jeremy dukes

lara su dumanli

kat farrell

amani fossati-moiane

sarina grewal

karrie huang

faizan kashmiri

adviser

vivian lin

divij motwani

maya mukherjee

natalie neumann

lucianna peralta

vivian tang

minirva villegas

paul kandell — journalism adviser, palo alto high school pkandell@pausd.org

mission statement

[proof] Magazine, Palo Alto High School’s student-run fine arts and photography magazine, is dedicated to showcasing student artwork and facilitating creative discussion about arts.

publication policy

[proof] Magazine is published by the students in Palo Alto High School's Magazine Incubator class and is a designated limited open forum for student expression and discussion of issues of concern to its readership. [proof] is distributed to its readers and student body at no cost.

letters to the editors

We welcome letters to the editors, but reserves the right to edit all letters for grammar, length; potential libel, invasion of privacy, and obscenity. Send all letters to proof.paly@gmail.com or 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94301.

advertising

The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts when not deemed inappropriate for publication by editors. For more information on advertising with [proof], please email palyjournalismincubator@gmail.com

printing & distribution

[proof] is printed three times, with issues seasonally (winter, spring, and summer) by aPrintis in Pleasanton, CA. Issues are handed out by [proof] and other Incubator staff during school. Issues are available online at https://issuu.com/proof-paly.

about

Published three times annually, [proof] is Palo Alto High School’s fine arts and photography magazine, working to showcase Paly’s vibrant and diverse artistic community, covering a variety of styles and backgrounds.

from the editors

Welcome to Spring, photographers and artists! We are thrilled to show you the latest issue of [proof] magazine. These past few months, so many amazing things have been happening around our community. Little ceramic slugs made their way around campus as a part of the Art in Unusual Places tradition in "Artists getting sketchy in unusual places." While some students construct artwork to be featured around campus, others take to the stage — and behind the stage. Turning our attention to backstage, we looked into costume design and how designers create a vision that drives the play in "Dancing Queens: behind the scenes." Palo Alto has beautiful and vibrant murals across city, from California Avenue to our school. We appreciated the murals around our community in "Meet me by the murals," while also exploring the Social Justice Pathway project that brought a new mural onto our own campus, in "Unveiling our moon and stars." Diving deeper into Paly culture, [proof] looked into a new perspective: shoes. Our writers explored trends behind the shoes in our community in "Just like Paly students do it," and profiled shoe artist, Kyle Park, in "Shoes for the sole." Additionally, our student perspectives return with reflection pieces written by Photographer Dora Pang in "Watching paint dry" and Chrocheter Katelyn Pegg in "Threads of success." This issue of [proof] has brought together aspects of the Paly culture and community, creating a magazine we are so excited for you all to read! We hope you enjoy our last issue of [proof] as the EICs!

outside cover by arati periyannan

inside cover by jeremy dukes

A tourist takes a photo of the ocean from a look-out point in Valletta, Malta.

The Golden Gate Bridge fills the area with light.

& arati periyannan annelise balentine

[contents]

dancing queens: behind the scenes getting sketchy in unusual places just like paly students do it. shoes for the sole too fast fashion strategically thrifted love week brewing art unveiling our moon and stars meet me by the murals voices that escape more than meets the eyebrow watching paint dry: dora pang

threads of success: katelyn pegg

6 8 10 12 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 24 26 28 30

SSenior Arielle Blumenfeld steps into the light. Dressed in a dark blue flowy top and khaki pants, she morphs into "Mamma Mia" Donna Sheridan, ready to become the role in Palo Alto High School Theatre’s production.

“I always loved how costumes add to the character,” Blumenfeld said. “Donna’s three outfits allowed me to embody the character.”

Blumenfeld’s outfits were crafted over weeks to match the character's style and personality, along with the costumes of the rest of the cast. With over 100 cast and crew members, the costume crew was tasked with bringing their inspiration from the film series to life on a huge scale. 58 actors needed costumes, including 12 actors that had multiple costumes.

As costume director, senior Noah Boyarsky took on the challenge. The initial planning was a group effort, including designers from all departments

text by arati periyannan spring 2023

— from sound to makeup.

“We find out what the director is thinking of for the play,” Boyarsky said. “Like, do we want to be fun? Do we want it to be summery? Light-hearted or serious?”

The “Mamma Mia” movies inspired the bright, summery color scheme that carried throughout the play.

From there, Boyarsky’s team crafted color schemes for each character. In the movies, Sheridan is always in her iconic shade of blue. Recognizing this pattern, the team designed her three costumes to all feature blue. From her every day outfit, including a flowing dark blue top to her wedding dress covered in blue floral patterns.

The team matched Sheridan’s love interest, Sam Carmichael — played by junior Matthew Arradaza — in the same shade of blue paired with khakis. While a small detail in the play, its significance lies in the nuanced,

thoughtful process that went on behind the scenes for months in preparation for the shows, according to Blumenfeld.

Other characters were sectioned into their own color palettes, like the Dynamos in blue, pink, and purple.

“I loved how each Dynamo had their own color, making us more distinct on stage,” Blumenfeld said.

The Dynamo costumes weren’t out sourced like costumes for some of the cast members, but were hand-made by Boyarsky and his team. This was his fa vorite part of the show.

“They're very sparkly and fun and ex citing,” Boyarsky said.

They took each Dynamo’s measure ments and created shiny costumes, pairing them with even shinier boots.

“When I heard that Noah was hand-making them, I was beyond ex

cited,” Blumenfeld said. “They turned out amazing and made me feel like a rock star.”

Boyarsky’s goal was to create something a character would have picked out themselves and chosen to wear on any given day. For Sheridan, they wanted her motherly, hardworking spirit to be reflected through each of her costumes.

“No matter the occasion, Donna’s traits of being a working mother shone throughout the show,” Blumenfeld said.

Boyarsky emphasized the importance of understanding characters’ values to create a costume that will enhance the actors in their roles. This thought process incorporates the psychological aspects of the characters.

“You really have to understand how each character works psychologically and their day-to-day life and what clothes they do and don't have access to,” Boyarsky said.

Overall, the costume crew and other teams produced a show that brought the iconic movie onto the Performing Art Center’s stage.

“This is the first modern show I've ever designed for, so it was really fun,” Boyarsky said.

photos by annelise balentine and courtesy of paly theatre

text by lucianna peralta and minirva villegas

getting sketchy

eArtists showcase their first semester creations by displaying them in an annual school event.

very January, the Art in Unusual Places showcases a variety of student artwork and talents.

Tracey Atkinson teaches Art Spectrum, Digital Art Spectrum, and Advanced Painting and Drawing. She is one of the many teachers that help organize this event, from class projects to ultimately being in charge of placing them around school.

“It is kind of a lot of work to pull together,” said Atkinson. “And it has to be at a time of the year when students have made work that they feel comfortable putting up again.”

“It [Art In Unusual Places] began as a way to just celebrate the Visual Performing Arts at the school a little bit more,” said Atkinson. “It’s nice to get some color out there and hear some performances and just kind of celebrate the students and the magic here at Paly.”

Sophomore Polina Van Hulsen is taking Advanced Painting and Drawing and she submitted some of her artwork from this past semester.

“Most of the students just like submit an artwork or like give her [a teacher] an artwork to present…and everyone had, like, an opportunity to give their artwork,” said Van Hulsen.

to them about it.”

“Like a lot of them are from my classmates, too,” said Van Hulsen. “So I’ve already seen their work, but yeah, it’s super cool to just like walk around and see all this stuff, especially from Art Spectrum.”

“I think that this event is a great way to appreciate student artists and celebrate art,” said student Charlotte Anthony. “It also showcases student perspectives and ideas which I think is really important in high school.”

Paly art courses have a very diverse range of talent and skill. Most students who take Visual and Performing Arts for multiple years aren’t offered a regular opportunity to showcase their effort as compared to Theater or Music classes.

“You’d have concerts and performances, but with like, art, just like illustration and stuff like that, it’s more difficult to present it out,” said Van Hulsen. “So I think this is like a great way to show off what we have been doing all year.”

Tracey

“I think it definitely helps to get more exposure get seen more. I definitely think doesn’t hurt,” said Atkinson.

Many student artists were glad to see their artwork around school for the entirety of the week.

“My students that have worked up you know, I think they’re pretty excited to have people recognize them for it,” said Atkinson. “It makes them feel good when teachers, maybe for other classes, say something

Even though Art in Unusual Places cannot be year round, student art is always displayed in the library and the College and Career Center.

“Being a school that has a lot of outdoor space is a challenge, but I’m definitely open for more events of that nature,” said Atkinson. “And I know the choir and band would love to get out there as well.”

It definitely helps to get more exposure and be seen more.”

—

Atkinson, art spectrum and digital art teacher

in unusual places

JUST like PALY

and kat farrell

changed, first impressions start atsumptions. This story focuses on the

Whether you’re wearing giant red boots or common low top sneakers, you’re sending a message. These -

ture, which has evolved over the years from Converse in the 1980s to the viral MSCHF Big Red Boots in 2023, resembling the 1960s comic, “Astro Boy,”suwan Atom, wears a pair of red

Shoe culture around Palo Alto High School is constantly changing and in recent years, the trending shoe styles have shifted to comfort shoes, plain shoes and sneakers. Slides, Crocs and Uggs have been becoming more

choices.

Sophomore Tyler Kramer prides himself on his purple Jordan 1’s. Although he claims other people would think of them as mainstream, his reason behind buying them is deeper than the trend.

“I think a lot of shoes right now that are trending are designed for comfort over style,” Kramer said. “At least in the daily wear scene people seem to be wearing shoes more for how they feel and how easy they are to put on, take off, over styling an outfit with them.”

He buys his shoes from previous owners around Palo Alto, rather than a shoe store.

“The environmental impact of creating a new pair of shoes is much higher than the environmental impact of driving halfway across town to buy a

uying the latest trends when it comes to fashion may not be the most ethical choice.

For Tyler Kramer, shoes like the Purple Jordan 1s he's wearing are how he expresses himself.

students DO IT.

photos by amani fossati-moiane and jeremy dukes

new pair or used pair from some body,” Kramer said.

An environmental impact is not the first thing most think of when buy ing a new pair of shoes. Studies by Zero Waste Sonoma, a government agency created to reduce landfill waste show that overconsumption has led to 95% of the 25 billion shoes manufac tured each year ending up in the landfill.

For sophomore Hirem Garcia, the most import ant aspect in picking a new shoe is self-expression.

“I think that the color of my shoes and the design of my shoes show people that I am unique and I like different [styles] than the majority,” Garcia said. “For example, I don’t wear Air Forces like everybody

"

I think a lot of shoes right now that are trending are designed for comfort over style."

— Tyler Kramer, sophomore

Sporting his Golden Jordan 1s, Hirem Garcia shows off his favorite shoes.

Senior Kyle Park paints custom shoes to fit anyone’s liking

SSitting at a desk cluttered with Posca pens, Palo Alto High School Senior Kyle Park is hard at work. With a brush in hand, Park carefully applies acrylic paint to a brand new white shoe.

Though the room is so messy that you would believe that no one could possibly get any work done, Park says the disorganization helps him think. He is one of the few student artists that have stepped into shoe customization.

Being stuck at home during lockdown, then-sophomore Park came across a Tik Tok post of custom shoe designs. He instantly became hooked and decided to pursue this new form of art.

“When I saw that post, I think I just bought a pair of shoes,” Park said. “They were white and I was like, ‘You know what, I have a couple of pens in my house [so] I might as well just try it. It was pretty spontaneous.”

Now a senior, Park continues his passion for shoe customization, taking commissions from friends and family.

Always interested in the arts, Park has taken Art Spectrum, Graphic Design, Ceramics, and Glassblowing at Paly, as well as art classes outside of school. His designs can be seen on his water bottle, phone case, and backpack.

Starting from just two pairs of shoes, he went on to do more commissions, realizing how much people enjoyed his artwork.

At the beginning of each commission, Park conducts an interview to understand what his client wants, including hobbies, interests, and favorite colors, and brainstorms ideas for the design.

text

“It’s almost like I’m playing an icebreaker game,” Park said. “Like I just want to get to know the person more than surface level.”

The interview process helps to combine interests and allow Park to explore a range of possibilities for each commission.

“I’ll draw a mock-up design on Procreate, and I can send that to [the client] and then we go back and forth, do some revisions and then when they’re finally happy with the shoe design, it’s finalized,” Park said.

Park’s tools consist of Posca Pens, acrylic paints, brushes and Procreate — a graphics editing app used for digital art.

“Posca pens are just acrylic paint pens, and they already have an adhesive in them so that when you draw on, like a surface, they generally don’t come off that easily,” Park said.

Depending on a shoe’s glossy material, Posca pens can be replaced by an acrylic finish or a sprayed on coat to ensure the paint remains on its surface.

Park can paint just about any part of a shoe. From sole to upper shoe, his artwork fluctuates to meet his clients needs.

“I have to hit a wide variety of things, some of them are just rough scribbles and very minimalist designs, it kind of just varies depending on what the customer is asking,” Park said.

Planning the shoe design usually takes Park one to two days, factoring in the communication time with customers between drafts for revisions. But the actual painting process can be done in one day, ranging any-

where from 30 minutes to four hours.

Park enjoys the freedom that comes with designing the shoes and the joy that he can bring to his customers.

“It’s kind of a way for me to fully express myself creatively I guess,” Park said. Having done more than 10 commissions, Park’s experience level continues to evolve.

Park plans on continuing his business in college, but he is going to stick to catering for friends and family.

“I just want more of something casual or like a fun side way to make money and this has been really enjoyable, it’s been mostly like a hobby,” Park said.

While customizing his first shoe was very daunting, Park said that his designs gradually got better after each commission.

“You have to understand that when you get into something, especially art, [it’s] going to be a really tedious process to get to where you want to be,” Park said.

“Just don’t be afraid of failure, take failure in your stride.”

Left: Ponyo-themed shoes for a social media post.

Below: Track shoes and a pair of Naruto-themed “Air Force 1s.”

by lucianna peralta and vivian lin // photos kyle park and vivian lin

Bottom left: Shoe commission with characters from “Among Us.”

Too Fast Fashion

Why should fast fashion brands switch to investing in sustainability?

by vivian tang and divij motwani // art by vivian tang

Awoman converses with the cashier about the clothes she wants to sell in one of Palo Alto’s local thrift stores: Fillmore & Fifth. The seemingly endless racks of second hand clothing as customers of all ages stroll around, looking to buy another piece of clothing.

Brandy Melville, H&M, and Zara are wellknown among the public for constantly producing new clothes. Environmental concerns, however, have made younger generations think twice about buying from companies that use fast fashion.

Fast fashion is a manufacturing technique involving the mass production of clothing, in which a great percentage of those clothes end up in the landfill as waste.

“Due to this, fast fashion has become a popular controversy over the years, which is causing many brands like H&M to redesign their product line and marketing strategies in order to become more involved with sustainability,” project manager at

Thred-up Patricia Tang says. This poses the question: Are younger fashion enthusiasts more likely to buy from these brands with a new investment in sustainability?

“I think people are more likely to buy clothes from sustainable brands because they know they are making some sort of change for the environment and won’t be shamed because they did not buy from a brand with immoral production processes,” Palo Alto High School sophomore Melanie Bonilla said.

There are also hopes that with more of an investment in sustainable fashion, that there will be fewer underpaid workers with better working conditions.

“I’d also hope if these brands did more with sustainability, there would be fewer underpaid workers and better working conditions. Like at places like Shein, they get paid almost nothing for an eight hour shift,” Bonilla said.

If companies known for fast fashion continue to work towards a sustainable future, the interest in their brand would undoubtedly increase, as people are more inclined to buy a product if they know that the environment is not harmed from their purchase.

“Fast fashion is bad for both the environment and the workers, but if they use more sustainable methods then people would buy more, and that could mean higher pay for the workers,” Bonilla said.

Many Paly students are proud of their thrifted items, with online resale companies like Thred-up (an online consignment store that offers resale programs for brands interested in sustainability)

being used more and more with their partnerships with stores like J.Crew. For many brands, programs like these are the key to sustainability.

“Brands have been able to stand up their own sustainability initiatives through our product, which mainly focuses on just helping brands out instead of working directly with customers,” Tang said.

For many, thrifting is also the first step to their own version of sustainability. By buying second-hand clothes, a portion of waste is spared from polluting the environment.

“I like that it [thrifting] has the prices and diverse range of thrifting but it’s all online, so it’s more accessible and easy to buy,” sophomore Vit Do said.

Online consignment stores make it easier than ever to do this, as individuals can simply search up the exact style of clothes they are looking for,

without having to rummage through sections in a thrift store.

Younger people have traditionally grown up with a large access to the Internet and sustainability initiatives, and Generation Z has traditionally had a large influence on issues like pollution or waste.

“It would make me feel a lot more comfortable buying from them knowing that their product produces less waste, which helps the already dying environment,” sophomore Ellie Kwak said.

According to Tang, if more brands continue to dip their toes in greener manufacturing processes, fast fashion could slowly become part of the past, contributing to a safer, healthier environment.

“I think in today’s day and age, it’s important to be leveraging those resources to be a good steward,” Tang said.

“I think in today’s day and age, it’s important to be leveraging those resources to be a good steward”

— Patricia Tang, Thred-Up

strategically thrifted strategically thrifted

Here’s how avid thrifters find their favorite clothes to curate their dream closet

ur hoods, bedazzled logos, and … jorts? These are items of clothing Caroline Jittipun and Kali Ressi, juniors at Palo Alto High School, incorporate into their unique styles. Jittipun is inspired by the early aughts, while Ressi prefers a grunge and woodsy look. Both have become familiar with Redwood City’s Savers, a thrift store that takes donations of clothing, jewelry, and household supplies, selling them at an extremely reduced price. Here’s how they do it.

open your mind 44 phone a friend

Jittipun prefers calling up a friend. “It’s nice to have their opinion on clothes, and it’s a good, easy, hangout idea that you could do any time,” Jittipun says. Ressi prefers the freedom of going alone. “I’ve spent like three hours in a thrift store just individually going through all the racks by myself and listening to music,” she said.

casing the joint

Planning creates a smooth trip. For people who thrift frequently, there may be certain times that offer better finds than others. “You can also choose specific days, like if you find the days where they restock,” Ressi says. “Find times where there aren’t going to be a lot of people there and make sure you get in before other people get in.” Once inside, she typically creates a budget to avoid going overboard.

shirts first

When arriving, a good place to start is the shirts aisle, Jittipun says, “You can always find the most shirts or jackets,” these are a sought item, “you can wear an ugly outfit or not put a lot of effort, and it[a jacket]will just make look better.”

The next step is keeping an open mind. Because thrift stores contain a morass of miscellany, it’s difficult to find specific things. Both Ressi and Jittipun stress the importance of imagination. “Go through everything,” Ressi says. “Things might be cuter, they might have a better cut than you thought they did, you just need to actually look at it.” Having the ability to see potential in an item is integral, “You can also have a vision for stuff, you can always fix things.” Jittipun confirms, “Anything that you think is slightly cute, just try it on and see how you feel because you never know if you’ll like it,” She says, “you might end up liking it even if you’re skeptical.”

hidden treasure who’s ed hardy?

Go through every item.“You have to look through it in detail because you never know what you can find,” Jittipun said.

Look out for vintage brands, and know them! On one particular trip, Jittipun struck gold: A vintage Ed Hardy bag. Ed Hardy is a brand popularized in the 2000s, known for clothing inspired by American-style tattoos. The bejeweled blue and purple bag, stitched with the words ‘Love forever spirit,’ hangs proudly in her room, “It just gives you a rush of happiness when you see something that’s so unique and couldn’t find anywhere else,” Jittipun says.

mind your p's and w's

Keep other shoppers in mind. If thrifting is not a necessity for you, try to avoid pricier items, Ressi says, “When I’m thrifting I try to avoid things like prom dresses and wedding dresses because people can’t afford that at full price sometimes.” Another example is winter essentials, “Little hypocritical right here but jackets too. I’ve only thrifted one jacket and I’m trying to keep it at that.” Ressi reiterates that being mindful is important.

love week

Behind the scenes of Love Week.

Red and pink hearts decorate campus, in celebration of Valentines Day. This year’s Love Week featured Valgrams, matchomatics, polaroid photoshoots, and ring pop proposals.

Senior and Palo Alto Unified School District board representative Johannah Seah was part of the team that helped organize Love Week. The event had lots of different components to it and required extensive planning and organization, according to Seah.

Because the system of organizing Valagrams last year was flawed, Seah and the team had to come up with a new solution to solve this problem. They decided to use an online form where students could pay. Then, students would send a confirmation slip to ASB so that they could have a paper tally of all the orders and check that off on a spreadsheet.

“We did spend more money on Valagrams this year, but that was worth it because the animals are so cute,” Seah said.

“And I think for Valgrams, there was just a lot of behind the scenes work because every single day you would have to organize all the responses,” Seah said. “You have to make sure all the information is accurate, you have to screen the messages which are appropriate, which is what Associate Student Body adviser Mr. [Steve] Gallagher would do as an as a adult in our adviser. You would also have to pre-package the Valagrams, which I think we’re very efficient with. But ASB puts a lot of time into packing all 464 of them.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, matchomatics was an annual tradition at Paly. Last year, the Paly’s admins vetoed the idea. This year, ASB worked hard to make the idea of the event more appealing, proposing the idea of giving them out for free, not collecting students’ email addresses, and writing their own questions specific to Paly.

“I think people don’t realize that matchomatics is actually a little bit pricey because it’s meant to be a fundraiser where people purchase so you get your money back and we get a profit, but we decided to not do that again have a giveaway, but it’s about like 70 cents per printout sheet.”

Although this year’s Love Week was successful overall, some students thought the execution of the week’s activities felt weak compared to how exciting they were made out to be. Many others were only interested in one or two of the activities offered during the week.

“Most of the ASB activities are catered towards the older kids, the only way they really attract people are with ice cream socials and whatnot,” sophomore Manasvi Noronha said. “I feel like for Valentine’s Day they should have just put all their effort into a dance for the whole school, because we only have one dance a year for all grades and it’s a lot more appealing to all the ages rather than something like a ring pop proposal.”

Seah said that next year, ASB plans to take the events from this year and improve them immensely.

“For example, I mean we can buy more Ring pops, or more Polaroid photos, then more people can take photos,” Seah said. “And I think just getting feedback from this year really helps next year. We really want to get hedgehogs for valgrams as well, so we’ll also prioritize getting like the high quality, really appealing stuffed animals.”

ASB also hopes to continue encouraging student participation in activities like matchomatics, now that they have gotten it approved by administrators, according to Seah.

“I think for matchomatics now that we’ve gone I’m gonna prove for one year, I think we can definitely do it next year,” Seah said.

text by vivian tang and vivian lin art by madelyn castro

BREWING ART

Cal Ave coffee shop hosts an eclectic mix of local art, unusual drinks and an offbeat scene.

text

Backyard Brew can either be ac cessed via the parking lot or a rather foreboding alleyway wide enough for only one. Most people I observed opted for the latter. Despite the claustrophobic entrance, Backyard Brew is spacious yet cozy, likely owing to the ample cafeteria-style seating and the small blue vintage car dominating the back.

On the spring Sunday I visited, nearly all the seats were filled. Families with toddlers, teenage couples, people clutching flowers and fruit from the farmer’s market and churchgoers in their Sunday best circled around, waiting for their lattes or chatting over oat milk soft serves.

Contrary to commonly accepted convention and to the joy of toddlers all around, customers are allowed to leave little penned notes on some of the many surfaces available. They range from dreams of the future to curiously punctuated poems to little doodled dogs.

All this blends into an atmosphere resembling a well-attended block party.

Backyard Brew is nothing like the sanitized and glossy

experience of a Starbucks or Peet’s with the unassuming and tasteful commercial linearts of the Coffea Arabica adorning the walls. Backyard Brew is a true local café — though with Palo Alto prices — with art that makes you look. Really look.

On your way in, the narrowness of the alley prevents a quick overall glance at the taupe floor to tall roof mural. One piece at a time, as you meander slowly down the path. A similarly styled coffee wall painting by Palo Alto High School art club decorates another wall once you’re in, and then you’re quickly drawn to a black and white rendering of a

by karrie huang photos by annelise balentine

group of men. Yet another blue Picasso-es que mural by Evelyn Anderson frames a false window, a succulent pot intriguingly labeled “Long Life??” hanging off the scroll-worked grilles.

The line setup is a little confusing. It’s hard to sort out who’s waiting and who’s in line, but look for the cash register. They’re a lot quick er at taking orders than making them; there was no line for me but my Almond Joy took over ten minutes to come out.

The menu is dominated by its unusual Signa ture Brews, which range from a Desert Rose Latte with rosewater and cardamom to a Cold Brew du jour (you can check out the bean of the day at a sampling station across from the register). Beware: the menu claims all drinks can be served hot or iced, but some, like the Turkish Coffee, can only be made hot. They also have a selection of pastries, but their oat

Unveiling our moon & stars

text by maya mukherjee and arati periyannan // photos by arati periyannan

Social Justice Pathway students reveal mural of Cherokee delegate to Congress.

Asquare of red fabric falls away, revealing a 16-square painting of a Native American woman. The depiction is green, orange, yellow, white, and black to match the Cherokee Nation flag, with each color representing something significant to the tribe.

Student artists based their mural, which covers a wall on the front of the Palo Alto High School 800s building, on a photo of Cherokee congressional delegate designee Kimberly Teehee from when Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin appointed her as the designee in 2019. Around her are the Cherokee Seal, in which each point on the seven-pointed star represents a Cherokee clan; the phrase “Why not now?” referencing a quote from Teehee; and a handprint, to represent missing Cherokee women and children.

Right before history teacher Eric Bloom and senior Kellyn Scheel remove the cover from the mural, with Teehee and a crowd of students, parents, and teachers applauding, senior and project manager Megha Madhabhushi announces the project.

“At the end of the day, we are all one people who fall asleep to the same moon and the same set of stars,” she says. “So without further ado: Same Moon, Same Stars.”

This scene took place at an event held on Monday by a team of seniors in the Social Justice Pathway, in which they revealed their mural project and hosted a speech by Teehee and a virtual message from Hoskin. This project, which stemmed from a junior year assignment, had been in the works for months and aims to spread awareness about the fight to get Teehee seated as a non-voting delegate to Congress, as promised by the Treaty of New Echota.

This 1835 treaty moved the Cherokee tribe West, commonly known as the

Trail of the Tears. It also promised the Cherokee Nation a non-voting delegate to Congress, a promise which has gone unfulfilled for nearly 200 years. SJP students learned about this in their history class, and several were inspired to take action to educate other students about it, according to Madhabhushi.

“We thought that a mural would be a really good way to attract the attention in our community because it's art and it's in a very central location at our high school,” Madhabhushi said. “That would draw people in and hopefully promote learning.”

Teehee, who gave a speech and host ed a question-and-answer session at the event, said she believes the mural is a valuable tool in promoting knowl edge about the Cherokee Nation.

“The more education we get out there, the more awareness, I think the better,” Teehee said. “We'll have a chance in the future of having less

misrepresentation.”

The design of the mural was a collaborative effort between the students and Teehee’s team, according to senior and art lead Kellyn Scheel.

“Throughout this design process, I worked alongside the research team to edit the colors, elements, and layout of the piece as necessary to guarantee a culturally accurate painting, going through around 15 versions before we reached a final design,” Scheel said.

At a Social Justice Pathway’s Same Moon, Same Stars reveal event, senior Kellyn Scheel speaks in front of a crowd including Cherokee congressional delegate designee Kimberly Teehee. Scheel was the art lead for the project. “Everyone worked hard to make it happen, putting in countless hours and troubleshooting issues and developing new skills,” she said. “I’m excited to see art being used as an agent in creating social change.”

History teacher Eric Bloom pulls the cover off the mural, officially unveiling it.

MEET ME BY THE MURALS

Scenes of suburban life pepper the construction barriers by California Avenue, each composed of thousands of tiny colorful dots, hand-painted by local artist Judy Lew Loose. Passersby, California Avenue shoppers, and the construction workers overlooking it all take in the reflection of life in Palo Alto.

California Avenue is home to many murals sponsored by the Palo Alto Public Art Commission inspired by its “unique character, [...] diverse community, rich history, and iconic landmarks,” according to their website.

Last year, four murals popped up on the walls in between Park Boulevard and Birch Street. Although they’re all there for the same purpose — brightening the community around them — their artists all had different journeys and goals while creating the works of art.

Judy Lew Loose’s watercolor pointillism gives new life to the mundane parts of California Avenue – her murals, which are located in front of the Sherman Avenue parking garage, center around everything from readers on park benches to hat racks on the sidewalks.

“My experience was about trying to have a feeling of connection, whether it

be the people or the stores,” Lew Loose said. “Anything that came into my vision, I wanted to connect with it in some way.”

“If people can have kind of an imaginative experience looking at the paintings, that’s nice to me, no matter who it might be,” said Eva Struble, the artist behind “Sediment Atlas,” a mural on Birch Street that shows various plants that grow around the Bay Area.

“The nice thing about doing a largescale outdoor piece is the possibility of seeing it differently in different views,” Struble said. “One goal I have for my public work is that people can go by it multiple times and discover different things every time.”

Lew Loose also wants her mural to inspire a sense of fellowship in the inhabitants of the avenue.

“I want people to think, ‘I would love to come to this avenue [...] and be a part of the community,’” Lew Loose said.

text and photos by sarina grewal

“I want my art to be a platform that shares stories of people whose stories might not be as well known, and and I want to include those stories alongside everyone else’s stories,” said Deborah Aschheim, whose mural “Friends and Neighbors” lines the alley behind Jacaranda Lane.

“The beauty of it all is that anyone who comes to the avenue experiences a moment in time, of connection,” Lew Loose said.

The PAPAC are still looking for new muralists to work on projects in 2023.

“Friends and Neighbors” by Deborah Aschheim

“Avenue of Dots” by Judy Lew Loose.

“Sediment Atlas” by Eva Struble.

VOICES THAT ESCAPE

New San Francisco art gallery gives a voice to refugees.

On a bustling San Francisco street known for vibrant graffiti and unique shops, the Refugee Eye gallery sits quietly between a baptist church and a crowded neighborhood park. The sleek black storefront catches onlookers’ eyes, some even stopping to peer inside, some even taking pictures of old newspaper clippings and flamboyant art fes-

The exhibits focus on highlighting numerous global conflicts,the campaign titled; “More Powerful Than Bullets” catches the eye, regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, featuring over 10 artists. The co-founders, both refugees themselves, vowed to create a safe space for fellow refugees to express their

Since opening the first exhibit, “My Gaza: A City in Photographs,” by

co-founder Jehad Al-Satawi in March 2022, Refugee Eye has gained attention nationwide. Their promise is to deliver a new exhibit every six weeks.

“Many people connect with the exhibit because it shows an inside perspective of truly what it feels to leave home,” co-founder Lara Aburdamn said.

Aburadamn has been making waves internationally. She was chosen by Time Magazine among 34 spotlighted photojournalists around the world. Aburadamn and Al-Satawi have created a safe environment where refugees can display their artistics abilities.

“All we knew is that we wanted to create something related to visual art that would make sure that refugees didn’t feel alone,” Aburamadan said.

Both friends didn’t know where to start helping, but in 2018, Aburamadan started using the hashtag #RefugeeEye on Instagram. This hashtag was shared across friends and families and from there, an idea, resulting in the current creation of the art gallery, flourished. “It really reso-

text by lara su dumanli photos by jeremy dukes

nated with us because we wanted to find a way to talk about our homeland and our own experiences,” Al-Satawi said.

However, the existence of the gallery wasn’t easily established. Al-Satawi said that it took a lot of planning and hard work since both of them had no prior expeence or connections but, in the end, it was worth it.

“[It] really resonated with us because it was hard the first years, but this way, we could talk about our homeland,” Al-Satawi said.

According to Al-Satawi, growing up in an intense environment like Gaza pressured him to leave at an early age. “This story isn’t only me though, it’s the story of all kids that grew up in places [where] they couldn’t stay,” Al-Satawi said.

Al-Satawi said he was fortunate enough to work with journalists and gain language skills. This helped him be better prepared to leave and start a new life. “People [like me], we try to seek better

opportunities and leave war ravaged places like their home country,” Al-Satawi said.

The future of Refugee Art is still uncertain as many of the artists themselves don’t have citizenship papers. The artists are refugees seeking asylum; thus they have the ultimate goal of returning back home, which causes instability.

“It’s difficult,” Aburdamn said, “Can’t expect them to stay. Even for me, I’m still applying for my papers.”

Being one of the few Bay Area galleries showcasing refugee’s art, the commitment doesn’t go unnoticed by Palo Alto High School students. Sophomore Vit Do admires the nonprofit organization’s spirited passion for featuring voices that have been silenced.

“I think their art is inspiring and creative by showing the refugees’ perspective through art which is not commonly seen,” Do said.

The “More Powerful Than Bullets” art

exhibit was prominent in depicting the radical change the artists experienced since Russia invaded their nation, according to their website.

Tetiana Yakunova, a Ukrainian artist featured in this exhibit, said the real power was being able to share the art with other refugees. Especially in such a scary time in her country, feeling understood is vital to many people seeking asylum.

“[It] helps the victims of wars and people who have experienced it understand how important it is to be heard,” Yakunova said.

Refugee Eye has created an environment dedicated towards connecting the art to the viewers according to Aburdamn. More people can relate to the art because it not only gives an inside perspective of refugees but what it feels to leave home in general.

“I think what we are doing here is impactful, and purposeful. Our ultimate goal is to simply help people not feel alone,” Aburdamn said.

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYEBROW MORE THAN MEETS THE EYEBROW MORE THAN MEETS THE EYEBROW

There’s more than meets the eye(brow).

text by faizan kashmiri // photos by annelise balentine and arati periyannan

When I wake up in the morning, brush my teeth, and stare into the mirror to check on a concerning pimple, I’m always met with the reflection of a little patch of hair between my eyebrows. When I shave it, one might find a few pieces of

WW

hair in the sink, trivial compared to the near Afro-worthy hair I have. But to me, this remains my little hirsute beast, having made its home on my face.

This, my friends, is the unibrow. A streak of hair that connects two separate eyebrows. And it begs the question: How coulda simple strip of hair be such a menace?

Being Pakistani-American certainly comes with its benefits. I have a lot of pride in my culture. Taking away that part of my identity would render me unrecognizable. However, my mom’s side of the family came with one other special trait — being genetically disposed to a unibrow. It’s not exactly rare among Pakistanis, but it’s particularly prevalent in my extended family. So, just like my uncle and grandfather before me, I won the genetic lottery.

The unibrow will always follow me. I never paid much attention to the eyebrows of others. It was a fact of life. An inanimate part of the body.

On a lazy middle school afternoon surfing the web, I came across a video. A song, actually: “The Stereotype Song” by Your Favorite Martian.

It was tailored

for a middle school sense of humor. No one is spared, but it’s meant to ridicule stereotypes. The one little line that caught my attention? “Let’s come together and live in this world like a unibrow on an Indian girl.”

Emerging from the depths of my mind, my unibrow came alive. It was my hairy, burly, baneful little horror.

For a time, I could ignore it. Luckily for me, my unibrow hadn’t actually been brought up in conversation outside of a passing statement of fact. There wasn’t any point in addressing it.

But it didn’t go away. I realized that I was almost alone in having it. Sure, Frida Kahlo might have proudly paraded hers, but the closest thing I had to representation would be Bert from Sesame Street.

Nobody likes a unibrow.

Mainstream conceptions of how one looks at themselves are influenced by Eurocentric standards of beauty. ‘Ethnic’ features are particularly frowned upon. The unibrow is caught in that crossfire.

Even with that increase in representation, those ‘ethnic’ features are washed away. Zendaya, often lauded as an example of minority representation in media, admits that she’s Hollywood’s ‘acceptable version of a black girl’. In the end, all that’s left still has the aesthetics of white beauty, just without the white person. And that leaks into how we view ourselves. You don’t see a scruffy Pakistani kid with unibrows; rather people feel pressured to conform with very specific standards set by a white-dominated society.

Well, you do see one scruffy Pakistan kid with a unibrow: that’d just happen to be me. But I’m the exception, not the norm. And even though I’ve always accepted that about myself, it still stings to know it. I’ll

never be part of the majority, the known, or the familiar. It took me a while to embrace that fact about myself. Being outside the norm seemed like a downside, but I stopped caring.

The unibrow makes me unique ly me. My buddy between eyebrows has become to me a symbol of taking on the standard of beauty in my own little way. The unibrow makes me . A person not dreading shaving day or feigning security, but a person proud of his identity.

This is a message to You. To those with crooked teeth, big noses, bushy eyebrows, large stomachs, anything deemed imperfect by society. You de serve to love your body. You deserve to love yourself, your features, and what you are as a person.

And maybe just maybe, we can learn to be a bit happier with ourselves.

“““ I never paid much attention to the eyebrows of others. It was a fact of life.”

WATCHING

text by dora pang // photos by dora pang and mads ernst

Watch paint dry - an idiom, typically used to describe a tedious or monotonous activity

December 15, 2022

I stood on the railroad platform outside of John F. Kennedy International Airport, watching as different train cars piled, pulled, pushed through the station, waiting until the train headed out East to Southampton arrived. I boarded, taking a single seat on an empty row in a mostly empty car. In the seat to my left sat only a medium sized, blue bag and a bundle of blue thoughts. No less than 3,000 miles away from Palo Alto, I thought for a moment that I could have been Jack Kerouac — “On The Road”, on the go, on a train feeling farther from home than ever.

The railroad took a path between the bare trees, where scrap yards turned into shipyards, with no shortage of shiplap houses. Under the overcast light, many artifacts of the Northeast sat quietly: town squares, town signs, gazebos with all-American bunting. The train trammeled, twisted, turned. I transferred lines in Babylon and noticed anchor-shaped coat hooks by each of the new train's windows. What was I anchored to? I didn’t know.

Watching the line of craftsman homes whip by as I stared through

the glass, I saw that I was not even half of the vagabond Kerouac was, that being far away and on the go did not suit me, that the next few months would soon evade me. Distance would swiftly and inevitably be brought between people and memories. For the sake of even the most mundane moments, I began to wish time could be as close and lasting as watching paint dry.

January 22, 2023

Humming, whistling, skating, the train passes by the station closest to my house every hour. Although I have not been a passenger in a while, I have continued to look around to the places, doors, rooms, painted walls that fall around me. There appears to be a glimmer in it all: Sami’s adorable love for clouds; Evie’s jokes during a boring lecture; Ashley’s warmest hugs and smiles; and much, much more.

Sometimes, I think of all the homes that passed by my window on my journey out to Southampton; I know I would choose this one, with my friends (my anchors), over any other. While the future stretches branches dangling new wonders and new walls to cover, in capturing the past few months through photography, I know beauty in this placid nowness—in watching paint dry.

"morning at the beach in santa cruz with ashley and evie" — dora pang

PAINT DRY

"concert at shoreline with kaila and ashley" — mads ernst

"my friend lilly by the shore"dora pang

"red shoes on southampton beach" - dora pang

text by

THREADS OF SUCCESS

Katelyn

Pegg

uses TikTok to drive a crafting businesses.

Isat down at my desk one morning, sun pouring through the windows, and pulled out my computer– the same way I had for the past 4 months. After logging onto my Zoom meeting, I grabbed my phone as I waited for class to start. Going straight to TikTok, I checked my page to see the recent video I posted the day before. To my surprise, it had already reached over 100,000 views in one night. It was from that moment on that everything began to change.

Ever since I was little, I have always loved making things. From duct tape wallets to beaded necklaces, I was always crafting something with my hands. And once the quarantine started, I had a lot more time on my hands.

I started making smaller bracelets for my friends and family and as the pandemic went on, I was always making a bracelet in my free time. Because it was an easy way for me to share what I was creating, I started posting about my bracelets on Instagram. At the time Instagram seemed to be the most user friendly, and it was a simple way to show others the crafts I was making.

Over time, I had noticed that it was

much easier to go “viral”on a video platform like TikTok compared to Instagram. So after posting on Instagram for a few months, I decided to give TikTok a try. I wanted to be able to reach more people, so in order to do that, I had to test out multiple platforms.

One day I had gotten bored so I decided to film a quick TikTok video without giving much thought to it. When I checked it the next morning, I was shocked.

Over 100,000 views. On my first video.

Not only was I able to reach more people, but my following went up which in turn helped grow my Instagram.

Eventually, I was able to reach millions of people, with some of my videos reaching up to almost 15 million views. And while I wouldn’t consider myself an influencer, as my business has grown I have been able to show the crafts I make to a bigger audience.

My favorite thing about making bracelets is being able to share them with other people. It makes me happy to see other people wearing

something I put so much time and love into. Some customers will even send me photos on instagram after receiving their order and I love seeing the positive impact my bracelets can have on other people.

I have been selling my bracelets and keychains for around two and a half years now and I have noticed steady growth over the years. I have expanded from google forms order forms to a full website that I am able to customize, control and operate.

I would not be anywhere close to where I am today without the help of TikTok. I can definite-

“You have to start somewhere in order to succeed”

— Katelyn Pegg, content creator

Sophomore Katelyn Pegg sets up her tripod to film a tiktok. “I wouldn’t consider myself an influener,” Pegg said. “but as my buisness has grown I have been able to show the crafts I make to a bigger audience.” Photo:Maiya Pegg

@KP.CRAFTS

double knot bracelets

ly notice an increase in sales when a TikTok gets higher views. Instagram is a good way for me to share my creations but I find that TikTok is the main platform that really drives sales and gets my business out there.

I’ve been able to learn new skills like marketing my products and using different forms of content as well as the valuable lesson that it can be very rewarding to try new things that you might be hesitant to try at first. But one of the biggest takeaways from this whole experience is that you have to start somewhere in order to

1

Start with string 1 and loop it over and then under string 3. Hold string 3 straight and pull the knot snug.

3

Now take string 1 and make double knots around each of the remaining strands (3 and 4).

2

Do step 1 a second time so you have a double knot.

2

Keep going until the bracelet is as long as you would like.

4

Now do the same thing again. Start with the far left strand 2 and tie double knots, left to right, all the way across the other colors.

6

Gather the strings and tie a knot to secure.

student art gallery

We received many high-quality submissions to the gallery for this issue. Works here were evaluated blindly by the editors. Email proof.paly@gmail.com or visit the link in our Instagram bio (@proof.magazine) to submit for our next issue in summer 2023!

finley craig

jeremy dukes

leena hussein carly chandler

sophia lee

sophia lee anna

kai silverberg shirota

finley craig

caleb wong

yuuki matsuda austin eng

karrie huang

caleb wong