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Volume LVII, No. 9 • April 8, 2016 • Larkspur, CA
Mountain biking team enters vital transitional season p.16
Junior Filip Platek examines his spokes. Photo by Sam Slade
Redwood High School 395 Doherty Drive, Larkspur, CA 94939 www.redwoodbark.org
Editors-In-Chief
Olivia Dominguez Shiriel King Abramson Bella McWhorter Matt Ross
Copy Editors
Spanish Editors
Aaron Halford Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan Adam Kreitzman Anne Pritikin Rebecca Smalbach Pearl Zhong
Catherine Conrow Henry Tantum
Video Editor
Annie Forsman
Social Media Manager
News Editors
Kylie Kvam
Hannah Blazei Emily Cerf
Snapshot Editor Jenna Herz
Feature Editors Eric Ahern Gregory Block
Web Developer/ Newsletter Kevin Makens
Opinion Editors
Senior Staff Writers
Caleigh Stephens Nicole Stock
Julia Cherner Geneva Gist Megan Millard Robin Naylor
Sports Editors Michael Benz Heidi Roenisch
Business Manager Sabrina Dong
Lifestyles Editors Sarah Kimball Kendall Rhoads
Review Editors Sam Sheridan Sydney Soofer
Survey Manager Keely Jenkins
Equipment Manager Max Josef
Technology Aid
Adviser
Garet Jatsek Sam Slade
Erin Schneider
Reporters
Kayla Aldridge, Isabella Alioto, Danny Avins, Madison Barsi, Hayden Blum, Addison Brady, Kaylee Bushell, Ella Cook, Ovie Crum, Luke Dahlin, Jason Fieber, Annie Fogarty, Andrew Hout, Max Josef, Camille Kawawa-Beaudam, Isabelle Marmur, Macrae Sharp, Cosmo Taylor, Mary Winnick, Chloe Wintersteen
redwood
bark. redwood high school
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Swimming season preview
395 doherty dr., larkspur, ca 94939
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volume LVIII, no. 9
The history of Kanye
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April 8, 2016
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Pursuing pottery
www.redwoodbark.org
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Advisory period to be added to 2016-17 school year By Kendall Rhoads The Redwood Site Council and Link Crew teachers proposed a schedule change which will add an additional advisory period to the current schedule next fall. The schedule change was voted on by teachers and passed by a vote of 77 for, 16 against and 2 absent on Tuesday, March 29. A number of teachers involved in Link Crew researched and constructed a new schedule that includes an additional advisory period in order to help build the community and reduce stress. “One of the action plans of the school was to make a community, make a big school feel like a community, reduce stress, and also build relationships between students and teachers,” said Assistant Principal Katy Foster. The advisory period would not be THE MOST RECENT proposed schedule for the 2016-2017 school year will include a considered as academically focused as the new advisory period, will eliminate homeroom on Monday, and will add five minutes school’s current SMART period, according to lunches on Tuesdays and Fridays. to Foster. Students would be allowed to access Over the year, students would have the members to provide resources, it's a time non-academic resources, such as the opportunity to get to know their teachers to build relationships, and it's a time to Wellness Center or in a different way due actually gain back time that's lost from student run clubs, said to the second advisory certain departments,” Berkowitz said. Erik Berkowitz, Link period, according to There will be three changes to the Crew teacher and one of Foster. current schedule, according to Berkowitz. the main founders of the When proposed, On Mondays, five minutes will be taken schedule. some students in Link off of all seven periods and homeroom “There are also Crew and Site Council will be eliminated. Students will also be opportunities where a lot saw it as a break: a time released five minutes earlier on Mondays. of departments lose time to talk to their friends, By reducing the duration of the periods, during the school years or a time to attend Link there would be room in the schedule for the because there are admin Crew activities. 40-minute advisory. who give the ‘seniors Others saw it Secondly, on Tuesday and Friday, the in good standing’ talk as a time to work five extra minutes in second period for or the discipline chats on classwork and reading The Twig would be added to the for each of the different Erik Berkowitz complete homework lunch period instead. This would create grade levels and some Link Crew teacher efficiently, Foster said. a 40-minute lunch instead of 35-minute of those [meetings] “It's a time for lunch, according to Berkowitz. could go on during the students to access After creating the freshman houses, the advisory,” Berkowitz said. resources, it's a time for teachers and staff Link Crew teachers and mentors realized
It’s a time for students to access resources.... it’s a time to build relationships....
there wasn’t a system that allowed teachers to connect with the freshmen. Several teachers involved in Link Crew were determined to change the schedule in hopes of creating time to meet with their houses, according to Berkowitz. “We have been talking about having an advisory as a group for a long time and it seemed like now, with the implementation of the houses, that it was a good time to start it,” Berkowitz said. While working with Beyond Differences, an organization whose mission is to end social isolation in middle schools, the Site Council gathered data and found that a large number of students felt that they weren’t connecting with any adults on campus. The council also found there was an increased level of stress throughout the student body. This influenced the new schedule, according to Foster. “One of the ideas among the Site Council was to have an advisory period. After doing some research in the Site Council and we came up with some ideas, but in order to add an advisory there needed to be a schedule change,” Foster said. Link Crew and Site Council have simultaneously been collecting data and research to present to any teachers in complaints or questions arise. Although the idea had been around for a couple of years, the group effectively began to focus on the schedule in October or November, according to Berkowitz. Once they began to research options, the teachers reached out to other groups by presenting the idea of an advisory period and asking how they might be able to use it. Once speaking, the group received a lot of feedback not related to Link Crew, Berkowitz said.
• Schedule change Continued on page 2
Red Fund provides aid to students in financial crisis that the student’s basic needs (such as food, shelter, and clothing), were met so that the student could achieve “higher learning,” according to Redwood’s Wellness Center coordinator Jen Kenny-Baum. On March 30, the PTSA created a “Red Fund,” to Receivers of donations from the Red Fund will be fundraise money for an 18-year-old student who was determined on a case-by-case basis in the future, according left without family, inheritance, or income after a recent to Sondheim. tragedy. Within the first 48 hours of its existence, the fund This Red Fund, however, has generated so much raised over $20,000. revenue that a reserve has been created for future students The fund, which allows members who encounter situations of dire financial of the Redwood community to donate instability, according to Sondheim. online, was created after Redwood If another crisis occurs, the PTSA school administrators and Wellness will ask for the support of the community Center professionals notified the again to replenish the fund. PTSA of the at-risk student. “This was really a response to an Without support from the immediate need. We never had thought community, the student would have that this would blossom into something gone to live in a homeless shelter this impactful,” Sondheim said. “It's outside of the Tam District. wonderful to know that we've been able Through a gofundme.com account to help one student and we may be able created by the PTSA, 245 members of to help the next one if something serious the Redwood have raised $24,960 of happens.” donations as of press time. David Sondheim The contributions to the fund The original goal of the fund was Principal represented a coming together of the to raise $10,000 for the student. Redwood community behind this single “We became aware of the situation student, Kenny-Baum said. and wanted to help… and had the idea “I really find it heartwarming and that just as if we had a family that was in crisis because of inspiring that so many people were touched to care for say, a house burning down, our PTSA would try to help,” another person that they don’t even know,” she said. “A Principal David Sondheim said. lot of times people are more willing to care for someone According to the gofundme page, this money will go they've met, but it is totally different that people are to “providers of services” instead of to the student directly, going out of their way to make sure that people in their and will be used to provide the student with rent in a community are OK.” transitional living home as well as gift cards for groceries Sonheim also felt that the creation of the Red Fund and “other reasonable living expenses.” represented a coming together of the the Redwood It has not yet been established from which specific community. businesses the gift cards will be purchased. “We are very lucky that our school’s community is The Red Fund was created in order to make sure supportive in so many ways: academic, athletic, artistic, By Emily Cerf
We are very lucky that our school’s community is supportive in so many ways....
Courtesy of gofundme.com
PROMOTING donations for anonymous students in need, this “Red Fund” created by the PTSA raised $24,960 as of press time. and in this case, emotional support,” Sondheim said, praising the positive enviroment that exists at Redwood. The identity of the student in crisis has been protected for their privacy.
ecerf@redwoodbark.org
bark
Page 2 • News
April 8, 2016
Photo Survey:
What was the best April fools’ joke ?
“My cousin gave me an Oreo with toothpaste instead of the cream inside.”
“I told my mom that I got a girl pregnant.”
freshman
sophomore
Alexis Nunez
“My friend and I told my friend that she was moving in a week.”
Will Goltra
Kayla Dolberg junior
“I put a firecracker under a toilet seat.”
Garrett Aubert senior
Marin Teen Girl Conference aims to empower “It’s a place to realize that you’re not alone,” said Kris Cirby, a cofounder of the event who serves on the Marin Women’s On Saturday, 195 female teens from Commission. “Girls can see that they’re Marin shuffled into Bernard Hoffman not by themselves in the issues they are Elementary school auditorium to listen to facing and know that and get tools to help keynote speaker Cammy Nelson explain them in their community and help them the importance of incorporating small acts to be more confident as they go out in the world.” of bravery into daily life. Sophomore Natalie “I always like to Zachariou attended the say that bravery can program in eighth grade be big or small, and and returned this year as that just thinking an ambassador to help that bravery is about design the conference. doing something “I went to something huge in your first try,” about building confidence, Nelson said. and in middle school I was The speech was kind of shy––I still kind the beginning of the of am––but I know that 6 ½ hour Marin Teen it really helped me build Girl Conference confidence and get more dedicated to comfortable with who empowering teenage Natalie Zachariou, I am,” Zachariou said. girls in Marin to “be sophomore “It’s about being who you their own superhero.” are and not really caring The program about what other people consisted of a keynote speaker and a variety of workshops, all of think.” Zachariou is one of 35 ambassadors which were selected and planned by teen who had input in designing the conference. girls from the organization. The event involved teens from grade Although presented by the Marin Women’s eight through grade 12, and the goal of Commission, the speaker and workshops the event was to create a community of were chosen by teen girls who live in teenage girls who are knowledgeable about Marin. Cirby said that attendees are able to themselves and their potential. Aside from the keynote speaker, girls control their experience since they have attended three workshops titled “Fight the ability to swap in and out of workshops Back: Preventing Sexual Assault with once they are at the conference. “If their parent registers them, they Self Defense” to “Credit or Debit? Money Smarts for the Real World” to “Easier Said register for specific workshops, and when Than Done: Self Advocacy & Healthy they come [to the conference] they [can] swap-out their tickets for the workshops Relationships.” By Keely Jenkins
I know that it really helped me build confidence and get more comfortable with who I am.
Photo by Keely Jenkins
POSING WITH THEIR keynote speaker, ambassadors from the Marin Teen Girl Conference prepare for a day of empowering other girls to “be their own superhero.” they really want to go to,” Cirby said. The event was created six years ago when the founders realized there was a lack of programs available to female teenagers, according to Cirby. During a focus group that questioned teen girls about the issues they were facing, it was revealed that a girl’s friends had called her a slut, according to Cirby. “That started a dialogue about how even someone who is supposed to be your best friend may not always treat you with the respect that you deserve,” Cirby said. “That was one of the instigators for the conference.” Nelson, who travels the country to speak about bravery, was impressed
with the conference and recognized the importance of the message. “We’re taught to think about ourselves in very limited ways––about our appearance, about our presence with other people and how we look,” Nelson said. “If we change that thinking to, ‘How are you challenging yourself? What are you doing to step outside your comfort zone? What dream are you following?’— it changes everything. Your self esteem is suddenly yours. It’s what you can do, not what everyone else thinks.”
kjenkins@redwoodbark.org
Advisory period to be added to 2016-17 school year • Schedule change Continued from page 1 “There has been conversation in several different groups on campus,” Berkowitz said. “There has been input from teachers, from classified staff, from the food service, from parents, so there has been a lot of different feedback collected.” Over the six months the two groups have figured out what the schedule will look like, what they might do, which concerns they might encounter, which departments might have issues and how it would all be set up, Berkowitz said. Many of the ideas they gathered from groups were really creative and purely student driven, teacher driven, or resource driven, which led the two groups to come up with several creative ideas before agreeing on the advisory, Berkowitz stated. In order for the schedule to be changed, a local option vote against the contract and schedule was required to take place among the teachers. The contract says that teachers will work seven periods a day, five days a week, Foster said. If a group wants it changed, a vote among the teachers must take place. In this vote, a mutual agreement between the teachers and the district administrators regarding the created schedule is required. Student, parent and teacher input is acknowledged in the agreement as well.
Infographic by Kendall Rhoads
“The only people that actually vote on the schedule are the teachers in the union because it more directly impacts the teachers and their contract. You need 2/3 of the staff to vote yes for it to pass,” Berkowitz said.
Since the recent schedule passed, it is connected to a two-year local option contract in order to work out any potential issues that could arise, Berkowitz stated. In previous years, there have been two propositions to change the current schedule into four days of block periods and one seven period day on Friday. The ideas were shut down as teachers felt that only meeting three times a week would get in the way of the students’ learning, according to Berkowitz. While there has been no negative feedback received regarding the current change, Link Crew and Site Council teachers encountered several concerns about the change prior to the vote. “Certain departments at different times have had concerns. As a staff we have talked about different things and I think that helped alleviate some of the concerns,” Berkowitz said. A few details about the advisory are still being hammered out but will be settled over the next couple months once the schedule is implemented. “I think we’ve now seen that there are a lot of benefits to a schedule change and having an advisory,” Berkowitz said.
krhoads@redwoodbark.org
Page 3 • News
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Marin Sanitary Service urges district to compost By Kylie Kvam On March 16 at the Maintenance and Operations headquarters for the TUHSD, Zoe Pearl, the Education and Tour Coordinator for the Marin Sanitary Service in San Rafael, presented to a board of lead custodians from the district and one of Redwood’s vice principals, Larry Pratt. She suggested that the schools in the Tam District comply with Assembly Bill 1826 by subscribing to the Marin Sanitary Service (MSS) composting services, which are included in the district’s garbage service. Redwood already subscribes to their recycling services.
In Oct. 2014 Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB-1826, which took effect April 1, and requires businesses that produce at least eight cubic meters of organic waste to arrange for composting services. Organic waste means food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, nonhazardous wood waste and food-soiled paper waste that is mixed in with food waste. If businesses such as Redwood do not meet the requirements, they will be fined. Pearl said that ideally, high school students should be able to compost and recycle on campus. However, due to potential contamination and “laziness” of students it is nearly impossible, according
Photo by Kylie Kvam
PICTURED ABOVE, curent options for disposing waste on campus are recycling and trash. It has been suggested that the district subscribe to compost services as well.
to Drake’s lead custodian Robert Amaral. the misuse of the bins make the recycling Other campuses across the TUHSD program unsuccessful, according to have made numerous efforts to have Mullery. There is very similar predicament on-campus recycling and composting at other high schools in Marin, according available to students, to Pearl. much like the efforts Gannon said that of Redwood students. some of the classrooms The Environmental at Tam have a Action Club and the recycling system that Companamaneros Club is run well by the have attempted to start teachers and has active programs at Redwood participation from this year. students, but others At Tam, there make the recycling have been multiple bins provided in failed attempts to Patrick Gannon, the classrooms an starting a recycling Tam lead custodian extension of the trash and composting bins. program, according to “The custodians lead custodian Patrick get very fed up with Gannon. [the misused recycling bins] and they end “Over the years [running the recycling/ up throwing [the contents of the recycling composting programs] was just passed bins] out because it has other things than around like a hot potato or it was just recyclables,” Gannon said. everybody just does it themselves. It would Currently, there is no solution for start out enthusiastic in the beginning and the recycling and composting issue at then fail,” Gannon said. Redwood or within the TUHSD besides There are barriers hindering the occasional club startup, such at the composting and recycling from being Environmental Action Club’s petition. accessible to high school students within However, every custodian from the district the district, according to the district would eventually like to have a successful custodians and Pearl. Mullery, Amaral and waste diversion program on campus for Gannon attribute one of the major barriers students to use. to the lack of follow through from students. “We are all in agreement of wanting “It is not happening on the scale it this [recycling and composting] to work,” needs to or in any organized kind of way,” Mullery said. Gannon said. Director of Maintenance & Operations The recycling program within the of TUHSD David O’Connor echoed a classrooms at Redwood was initially similar sentiment. student run, but has not been successful “It’s evident this needs to be a bigger due to the lack of student initiative, thing, it’s the students, teachers and according to Tim Mullery, Redwood’s lead custodians,” O’Connor said. custodian. In each classroom there are three bins to sort paper, plastic, and cans and bottles, but kkvam@redwoodbark.org
It is not happening on the scale it needs to or in an organized kind of way.
Music department jams at Yosemite National Park By Emily Cerf On March 24, music students departed Redwood for a weekend of bonding in Yosemite Valley. Music students from Advanced Performance Workshop (APW), Jazz Band A and Wind Ensemble were invited on the trip. The students all brought their acoustic instruments and played them each night, according to junior Bryte Darden, a member of APW. “Every night at the village where we were staying we would have a big jam session and play on the spot,” Darden said. Audrey Smith, a senior in APW, felt that the connection that the music students had when performing at night was unique. “We did jam sessions every night and it was cool how easy it is for a bunch of young musicians to throw together a jam session and know this universal thing which is like how to set up a group jam session— everyone has their part,” Smith said. Unlike past Yosemite trips, the music department opted out of performing at different locations in the Central Valley, according to Darden. Students felt that the trip was less focused on working on music and more focused on bonding with their fellow music students. “All the kids who weren’t really friends before, it’s obvious they are becoming integrated into the whole group,” Smith said. Darden also felt that the trip helped create unity among the students. “Instead of a more work-oriented trip, it was more inthe-moment hang out with your music friends and bond,” Darden said. Junior Jesse Petersen felt similarly about the trip. “[Music class is] less about the grade and it’s more about what you’re taking from the class. That’s what I feel like this trip is related to,” Peterson said. By rooming together in tent cabins in Half Dome Village, as well as traversing up steep trails every day, the students were able to learn more about each other on a personal level in a unique location. The students spent two days exploring Yosemite Valley
Photo by Kevin Makens
ARRIVING AT THE top of Nevada Falls, students of the music department pose together before beginning the long trek down. The musicians spent a weekend hiking together in order to enhance bonds within the class. by hiking. According to Darden, music teacher and chaperone John Mattern would give them easy, moderate and difficult trails to choose from, and students would choose which trails to go on in groups of their own choosing. The students embarked on hiking trails that led them to destinations such as Vernal Falls, Yosemite Falls, Nevada Falls, and Mirror Lake. “I was also just really surprised at how fast everyone was and how [in] good shape music kids could be,” said Smith. “I consider myself to be in pretty good shape but I
was at the back. They were going full steam ahead up the waterfalls.” The trip was not funded by the school or by the music program, according to Petersen. Instead, most of the students going on the trip paid for it themselves or fundraised money through events such as bake sales.
ecerf@redwoodbark.org
April 8, 2016 bark Page 4 • News Community input wanted for Piper Park renovation By Hannah Blazei After years of planning, the city of Larkspur is asking community members for their final input on two master designs for the renovation of Piper Park on Doherty Drive. A link to a SurveyMonkey survey, which allows participants to view and choose between the different designs, was sent out last month and will continue to run through May. The redesign was originally envisioned in the 2012 Piper Park Master Plan with the intention of following ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards, along with providing a themed structure with “imaginative play opportunities,” according to the survey. In order to comply to ADA standards, Playworld, the commercial playground equipment manufacturer, must include accessible routes, transfer systems, ground level equipment and ramps to connect elevated play components. Option A in the survey is referred to as “In The Woods,” meaning that it is themed and styled after a treehouse with more traditional twisty slides, crawl tunnels, climbing walls, monkey bars and rope bridges. The model reflects the aesthetics of a tree with green roofs and brown “roots” that serve as climbing areas. Option B, or the “Free Play/Modern” themed design, proposes more abstract equipment including a variety of climbing equipment, crawl spaces and flexible slides. Additionally, many of these features have inclusive entertainment such
as tube net climbers and slings. Dual cozy cocoons would also be included in this design, which serve as a private place for kids to relax and can be positive for kids of all abilities, according to the survey. Although the designs are very different, they both will keep the current swing set and include ADA transfer stations. The project began in 2012 when the city of Larkspur first began taking input from the community on what they wanted to replace the outdated jungle gym at the park, according to Rita Schoch, city of Larkspur Public Works Department administrative analyst. “From that master plan we developed some concepts for designs for remodeling and upgrading the playground,” Schoch said. This past November, the city revealed four optional designs to the public and asked for opinions via SurveyMonkey. Out of the options in November, two stood out as obvious favorites, and those became the current designs being debated for the construction project that will begin over the summer. The renovations are not in the city of Larkspur’s fiscal budget for this year, which runs through June 30, according to Schoch, which is why the project will be delayed until after this date. Community members can vote for their favorite design at https://www. surveymonkey.com/r/piperpark3.
Option A
Option B
hblazei@redwoodbark.org
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Page 5 • News
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Senior drama students bond through Motherlode production By Chloe Wintersteen For the past three months, Ensemble Production Company (EPiC) seniors have been rehearsing for Motherlode, the company’s final Advanced Drama show in its spring season lineup. The annual student-written performance piece is named after a theater festival of the same name, typically hosted by Amador High School, in which the Motherlode students will compete. This year’s Motherlode is directed by drama teacher Britt Block. According to senior Ann Caindec, Block helps the students create their own content, collaborate and ultimately form a single, cohesive play. “We have an idea of where the show is going, Ann Caindec , but we’re mainly senior following Britt [Block] because she’s the director and she has a strong vision for where we’re going,” Caindec said. “We’re generating so much content in rehearsal, and Britt is the guiding force who strings it together. Britt is shaping it.” Because students are continuously contributing new content, the Motherlode play is constantly evolving. “If you have a script, you follow
the script. It’s very straightforward. But Motherlode is a really creative process. [The play] changes everyday, which is really unique. We’re heading into our last week of rehearsal, and we’re still generating new content,” Caindec said. According to Advanced Drama senior Paige Colvin, a few Block’s ideas for the play were guided by her dreams. “In the beginning, everything we did was a prophetic dream,” Colvin said. “One time, Britt walked up to us and said ‘I had a dream you guys did this thing, so now we’re going to do it.’” Britt’s dreams, however, are not the primary source of Motherlodes material this year. According to Advanced Drama senior Amanda Mosconi, Britt advised that students seek worldly experiences and actively observe the world around them. “Earlier on in the project, we had to go out and experience certain places. I don’t want to give it away, but we had to go out and experience the world for ourselves, and we came back and derived what we had learned to make our scenes,” Mosconi said. This year’s Motherlode is unique because the scenes the students have written are mostly fictionalized and contain commentary on what students have observed about the people surrounding them rather than on their own personal experiences, according to Colvin.
Motherlode is a really creative process. [The play] changes everyday....
Photo by Chloe Wintersteen
SENIORS ALISON BROWNE, Danielle Vizcarra and Braeden Harris will perform in the Motherlode festival among other senior drama students on April 23.
Photo by Chloe Wintersteen
SENIORS ANN CAINDEC, Benedict Conran, Braeden Harris and Carla Naylor rehearse for Motherlode which will be performed in the Little Theater April 19-21. “In a lot of the previous Motherlodes, scenes or monologues have been based on the person themselves, and with this one we’re playing a lot of characters,” Colvin said. “We’re going outside of ourselves, which is pretty cool. It’s not as introspective.” Another unique aspect of this year’s Motherlode is its lighter thematic focus compared to previous years. “So far, ours hasn’t been so dark and emotional, but there have been ones in the past that are a lot more strongly focused on the darker more emotional aspects of growing up,” Colvin said. “With the theme that we have, it’s not entirely about our emotions or angst.” The rehearsal Paige Colvin, process, however, has senior proven to be quite emotional. “In these scenes, you have to be vulnerable. You have to be unafraid to bare your soul to the class and to say ‘I have these emotions and I’m going to put them in this scene,’ and then perform it in front of people, and get their reactions to what you’re feeling and what you felt,” Caindec said. “It’s a really powerful experience to share pieces of yourself to people who you might not really know very well.” The fact that the graduating Advanced Drama class has been so emotionally intimate has brought them closer together, according to Colvin. For her, Motherlode is extremely special, as it serves as a seniors’ farewell to Redwood Drama. “I think any process really bonds
everyone, but because this is a studentwritten collaborative piece, and a lot of us are in it, I think Motherlode is a really big bonding experience for the seniors,” Colvin said. “We’ve all seen what we can do. We’ve all seen each other fail. We’ve all seen each other succeed, so we all know how to succeed together.” One acrobatics rehearsal had a significant impact on cast bonding, according to Mosconi. “We did a workshop with a guest artist where we flew into each other’s arms and did assisted cartwheels. It had nothing to do with anything that we were doing, but some of that stuff actually ended up in our play,” Mosconi said. “We were so touchy feely that day that I think we grew as a cast.” According to Mosconi, the graduating class is successfully fulfilling a renowned Motherlode tradition: keeping the rehearsal process secret. “Ever since I was a freshman, I remember [Motherlode] was a huge secret that no one could talk about,” Mosconi said. “We’re working on something sacred to us and we want it to be just for us until we’re allowed to show it to you guys.” The Motherlode cast will perform in the Little Theater April 6-7 and 19-21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the box office prior to the performance.
We’ve all seen each other succeed, so we all know how to succeed together.
cwintersteen@redwoodbark.org
opinion
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Creative writing: An untold fairytale of English classrooms By Rebecca Smalbach Once upon a time, in a far off place, there was a magical kingdom called Redwood where engaged students interested in writing forms other than dry essays about required reading had the opportunity to take a course called “Creative Writing.” There, the students were free from the monotony of analysis essays and given space to explore the depths of their imaginations and the various writing styles and topics that interested them. This class even counted as a “b” requirement on the UC requirement list for incoming freshmen, meaning that students could spend one out of the four required years of English thinking and writing creatively, expressing their thoughts in ways made near impossible in other classes. However, on a sad, sad day in 2002, the UC system decided that in order for a class to truly be an English class, it must include process pieces from “brainstorming to final paper,” as well as analysis and reading of “classic and modern literature.” The creative writing course at Redwood didn’t include all of that, so it miserably shuffled off to join the other classes that fell under the “g” elective requirement, meaning it didn’t get to belong to a certain subject––it was uncategorized. There was still hope for the creative writing classes at Redwood. Those in power thought students might be passionate enough about the course that they would still continue to take Creative Writing even though it wouldn’t help them satisfy a requirement. Alas, the number of students taking Creative Writing at Redwood dwindled, until in 2006 the course was forced to pack its bags and leave for greener pastures. As time went on, other institutions realized the value of the creativity that Redwood and the UC system had discarded. Buffalo State College, Saybrook University, Drexel
Illustration by Rebecca Smalbach
University, St. Andrew’s University and Eastern Kentucky University were among the schools that recognized the widening chasm between the formulaic skills taught in schools and the creative skills needed to become successful in the world outside of standardized education. They decided to begin offering majors or minors in creative studies in order to prepare their students for a changing world. Maybe they saw the IBM study showing that creativity was the most crucial factor for success. Maybe they saw that Google began interviewing potential employees with creativity in mind, asking them
to write toward thought-provoking prompts like, “Name all the potential uses for a brick.” Maybe they saw that the University of Chicago began asking application questions like, “How are apples and oranges supposed to be compared?” in an attempt to separate students who could think and write creatively from those who couldn’t. Maybe the sparse supporters of the creative writing class that Redwood discarded knew the benefits too, and that’s why they began shouting, “Bring it back! It can help! It can teach students how to think creatively!” The students at Redwood heard the supporters’ pleas and looked longingly toward Tam, which had realized the benefit of allowing students to write creatively and offered the class long after it had been moved to a UC “g” requirement. Tam probably knew that a study by Laura King showed that creative writing could make people happier and healthier, and that students who took creative writing would benefit from it, not only in terms of their thinking skills and their creativity, but also in terms of their wellness. The creative writing course that Redwood once offered shook its head and sighed, most likely because it knew that Redwood students suffer from alarmingly high rates of mental illness, and that it might be able to help at least a little, if only it were offered. Unfortunately, this story doesn’t have a happy ending yet. The Redwood creative writing class is still grazing in the pasture for which it left years ago, looking over the fence, trying to get the attention of Redwood students, Redwood administration, UC officials, anyone. It knows that creative writing courses are completely valid English classes that teach valuable skills, both for schoolwork and in the real world, and that they can improve the emotional well-being of students. It just needs other people to notice too. rsmalbach@redwoodbark.org
Flint water crisis pollutes governor’s authority By Chloe Wintersteen I wake up to a warm breeze leaking through my screened window on a lazy summer’s day. This breeze is not native to the Bay Area, but rather possesses a distinctly Midwestern character. I am in a city where children master backyard badminton and freely chase squirrels up treelined streets, activities I fondly recall participating in as a child. Nothing can taint my memories from my annual trip to my grandmother’s house in the Midwest. I brush my teeth and sneak down the creaky stairs into my grandmother’s kitchen. As I heat a pot of tea and gaze through the bay window at the front lawn, I notice a city worker trickle into view, pull out a large wrench, and loosen a few hubs on a nearby fire hydrant. Instantly, a dark beige liquid bursts out of the piping and pollutes the sidewalk. After getting a clearer look, my childish delusion washes down the drain. Flint, Michigan is not as I remembered. *** Though I wasn’t aware of it at the time, my grandmother’s hometown had been ravaged by a city-wide water crisis. Numerous frugal decisions regarding Flint’s water supply were made by a group of Michigan’s corrupt leaders, namely Michigan’s Republican Governor, Rick Snyder and his state-appointed Emergency Manager. Now more than ever, Flint’s citizens deserve to be under the authority of leaders whom they can trust to make proper decisions in this time of need. Snyder must resign from his position. The Flint water crisis should also prompt citizens and officials to identify potential environmental problems in their respective communities and take necessary action to prevent a similar crisis from occurring elsewhere. *** Until April 2014, Flint purchased Lake Huron water from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. However, in 2011, Snyder decided to disconnect from Detroit’s water system, and draw water from the Flint River instead to save money. The switch would have been successful had the polluted river water been treated with an anti-corrosion agent at a cost of merely $100 per day for the city. But Snyder refused to pay for the treatment,
and allowed untreated river water to corrode Flint’s transport pipes, leaching lead into the water supply. Though Flint switched back to the Detroit water supply in October, the damage to Flint’s pipes is irreversible. The only way to completely recover from the crisis is for Flint’s entire water-piping infrastructure to be rebuilt with money that Flint currently lacks. When Snyder was initially elected to office, he repeatedly squashed the desires of Flint’s local leaders and superseded the citizens votes. Flint’s 100,000 misinformed and defenseless citizens were instructed by Snyder and his bureaucratic appointees to continue drinking the water, even though Snyder’s two primary legal advisors instructed him against it in 2014. As a result, nine Flint citizens were killed by Legionnaires’ disease, and many Flint youth now have permanent brain damage as a result of the lead that was absorbed into their bloodstream. The Flint water scandal has left Snyder politically tainted and unable to regain the trust of not only Flint, but Michigan’s residents as a whole. After all they have been through, Flint residents deserve to live in a true democracy again, and be under the authority of a governor whose decisions they can trust in this time of political, social, and economic need. All American citizens should view the Flint water crisis as a cautionary tale to prevent a similar event from occurring in their own backyards. Though the media has recently focused on publicizing the Flint water crisis, lead has contaminated the water supplies in many other communities. According to USA Today, in the past four years, water tests have identified 2,000 additional water systems containing excessive levels of lead, 70 of which allegedly provide water to at least 10,000 citizens. American homes built prior to 1980, 75 million of which contain lead piping, are at a much higher risk. The Environmental Protection Agency, however, inadequately addresses the immediacy of this nation-wide issue, since current water testing standards
are inconsistent, poorly enforced and mostly regulated state-by-state. Everyone should advocate in favor of federal legislation requiring frequent, high-quality water testing and treatment throughout the United States, as well as piping replacement, in order to prevent a water crisis as colossal as Flint’s from ravaging a similar community. My summers in Flint were nearly carefree, but now I recognize that a tragedy like Flint’s crisis could even occur here in the Bay Area if we’re not careful. We all should take responsibility for our own health, advocate for increased water regulation standards nationwide and place a check on our authority figures so we can rest assured that our early morning cup of tea on those lazyww summer days is healthy and safe.
Illustration by Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan
For a longer version of this piece, as well as multimedia components, visit www.redwoodbark.org. cwintersteen@redwoodbark.org
Page 7 • Opinion
www.redwoodbark.org
Pro-Apple: Allowing access is a threat to civil liberties By Andrew Hout It is time for Americans to draw the line on the government’s ability to encroach upon our civil liberties. The U.S. government does not have the best track record when it comes to respecting the privacy of its citizens. The Edward Snowden leaks that took the public by storm in 2013 are great examples of how the government lied to its people in order to collect information on communications activities. Had the unlocking algorithm been created in the Apple vs. FBI case, it would have opened Pandora’s box for future abuse. The FBI claims that they only wanted to use this technology to open this one iPhone, but contradicted themselves by making several extra requests to use the technology throughout the case. Basically, if the FBI had won, they would have been able to strong arm Apple into letting them use the algorithm whenever they wanted by using the court decision as leverage. But so what? One might wonder why the creation of this technology would have been so consequential if it’s in the hands of the U.S. government. The truth is that government agencies can’t be trusted with the ability to access private information, because they have exploited that ability in the past to gain information. A compelling example of a blatant violation of privacy is the NSA program Stellar Winds. This program’s activities involve “data mining” a large database of communications through e-mail, telephone conversations, financial transactions, and Internet activity. Not only could they see who communicates with whom, but more importantly they can see exactly what was said. Another example of government surveillance is the NSA program PRISM, which was designed to collect Internet communications from nine major U.S. internet companies, including Google, Facebook, Skype, and Microsoft. These companies could not disobey because they were legally bound to give up the information due to the FISA Amendments Act of 2008. This unlocking technology could be worse, however, in the hands of other authoritarian regimes, like China’s,
which could use the algorithm to conduct heavy surveillance on activists or journalists who are often already censored. Chinese officials could pressure Apple, for example, to give it up to them or face reduced sales in China. But so what? Many could argue that they have nothing to hide from the government. This attitude, however, does not represent American ideals. Glenn Greenwald, the author of No Place to Hide and Guardian reporter of the NSA leaks, convincingly disqualified these beliefs when he wrote, “The true measure of a society’s freedom is how it treats its dissidents and other marginalized groups, not how it treats good loyalists.” The threat of surveillance at times promotes “desirable behavior.” A poll done by Amnesty International revealed that 42 percent across all countries polled believe that surveillance would inhibit their Internet usage. This might seem obvious, but in truth, surveillance has the effect of controlling populations because no one acts out when they are being watched. Apple’s creation of this type of program would have only been harmful to average citizens because it is a gateway into the government’s total control of privacy and a theoretical one-way mirror when it comes to personal information. Apple is one of the few massive technological companies that has withstood the aggressive requests from government organizations to blindly hand over every user’s private information. Apple stood strong and did not let these agencies cloud the public’s vision with constant reiteration of scare tactics. Believe it or not, one’s stance on this issue is unaffected by political ideology. This is an issue of the Fourth Amendment, which guarantees every citizen the civil liberties of privacy from unreasonable searches or seizures. Civil liberties are essential to the functionality of a society, and it is not within the government’s rights to possess this decryption technology.
ahout@redwoodbark.org
A topic that has recently surfaced in conversations held in Silicon Valley, throughout the halls of Redwood and ultimately worldwide, is whether or not the conglomerate technology company, Apple Inc., should assist the FBI by unlocking an iPhone formerly owned by one of the two terrorists known to be involved with the San Bernardino shooting in December of 2015. The case was settled last week when the FBI announced that they could continue without Apple’s help; however, the argument has not ceased, only evolved. Instead of asking “should Apple assist the FBI,” people are now wondering if the company “should have assisted the FBI.” The issue of national security vs. privacy is up for debate in the aftermath of the case.
Pro-FBI: Apple should act to help national security By Eric Ahern With access to the San Bernadino shooter’s phone, the FBI can now potentially determine the distributor from whom the shooters received the firearms and explosives that would go on to be used for the slaughter of 14 innocent civilians and the injuring of 22 more in an attack targeted at a center for people with developmental disabilities. They can also discover who the terrorists were communicating with about the attacks, the procedures they took to plan the attacks and whether more attacks were or still are being planned. Despite the fact that it is clearly possible that the FBI and other government agencies could prevent further attacks and fight the war on terror by obtaining access to the information that may be residing in the shooter’s iPhone, after being handed a multitude of court orders, Apple refused to comply. In a letter to all Apple customers, CEO Tim Cook referred the requests of the FBI as “chilling.” Cook also stated that the company is “challenging the FBI’s demands with the deepest respect for American democracy and a love of our country,” but the consequences that could stem from Apple’s decision are incredibly contradictory to Cook’s statement. If the company truly cared for the individual lives of American citizens, then wouldn’t they want to defend them? Wouldn’t they want to do anything in their ability to keep them out of harm’s way? Being one of the world’s most powerful companies, economically and socially, it is Apple’s responsibility to act accordingly by holding itself accountable for its technology. A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center prior to the closing of the case found that while 11 percent of Americans abstain from choosing a side, 51 percent of the
nation’s citizens believe that Apple should assist the FBI. In addition to more than half of the American public, Bill Gates, the father of Microsoft and an incredibly influential force within the tech industry, argued that it is only right for Apple to have followed along with the court order. However, 38 percent of citizens who were polled sided with Apple’s choice to not assist law enforcement. A common but skewed point argued by those who supported Apple’s decision on the matter is that if a decryption key is produced to gain access to this specific iPhone, it surely will not be the only time that the key is used. They fear that if the key were to be developed, the American intelligence community will continuously return to the judicial system to gain more warrants to access more civilian cell phones. Many believe that this could be the first drop of an immensely strong storm that will rain down upon America until this nation stands no more. What do I say to that? Let the rain pour. If the FBI feels that they need to be granted access warrants every single week of every single year for the next 10 decades to continue to dutifully protect and serve this country, then how dare people prevent them from doing so. If you have the desire to live in a nation with a weakened and strained system of security, then I applaud you for your bravery, but how dare you put your family, your neighbors, your classmates and all of your fellow Americans at risk. So to Apple and any Americans who believe they are safe without stringent security measures, I plead to you: help law enforcement before it is too late for law enforcement to help you. eahern@redwoodbark.org
bark
Mental health is a concern for minorities The Gist of it By Geneva Gist The TUHSD board is planning to shrink the district budget due to a projected increase in enrollment, and is examining areas it believes are using too much money. One of the programs the budget committee has recommended for re-evaluation is the Wellness Center. The fact that Wellness is one of the items on the board’s list of potential places to reduce funding shows that it has fallen victim to a larger social tendency to reduce the importance of mental illness because it doesn’t affect people of privilege on the same level as those in marginalized groups. Would society think that mental health wasn’t such a big issue if suicide was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34 years? What if 19.5 percent of people lacked health insurance? These numbers refer to the cause of death for Native Americans and the number of Hispanics with health insurance, respectively, according to 2014 studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Meanwhile, only 6.3 percent of White Americans are without health coverage, according one of the same studies. The Wellness Center is necessary because it provides mental health and educational services to those who don’t otherwise have access. Our society’s assumption that mental health is a disposable amenity fails to consider the needs of certain demographics. Members of the LGBTQ community have higher rates of some mental disorders, including depression and generalized anxiety disorder compared to straight people, according to the American Psychological Association. The study also stated that discrimination may be a cause for these higher rates. LGBTQ youth are twice as likely to attempt suicide, according to the CDC. Our society tends to view the world from a White, straight, cisgendered perspective, and we look at mental health in the same way. There’s an assumption that if you need help, you can get it on your own. Superintendent Yoshihara suggested this in an interview with The Bark, when he said, “I’m not certain in terms of how much responsibility the district should have in wellness because there’s a lot of overlap with the services provided in wellness and other social programs that exist.” The Wellness Center will bring these services on campus at no cost to students. Any student, at any point during the school day can get the help they need. There’s a difference between equality and equity. We might have ‘equality’ without the Wellness Center. But the idea of equality––that everybody is given the same resources to achieve the same goals––does not consider that not all people start out on a level playing field. What about the LGBTQ and minority students who face discrimination, depression and anxiety? Equity, however, means that people are treated justly or fairly. True fairness would be providing resources like the Wellness Center so that students struggling with mental illness can be given the same chance to recover. We shouldn’t even be considering cutting funding to a resource that can help so many get the assistance they need. If anything, we should be creating as many places like the Wellness Center as possible. The board’s consideration of cutting Wellness isn’t conscious discrimination. It’s simply the way issues facing our community are perceived, and that is through the eyes of a straight, White American. Consequences for not treating mental issues are huge. Over 60 percent of inmates in local jails have mental or mood issues, according to statistics from the Bureau of Justice. In addition, over a quarter of all sheltered people who were homeless had a severe mental illness, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. If funding for the Wellness Center is cut, Redwood students could slip through the cracks, and a disproportionate amount of those would likely be minority students. This isn’t fair. We have to make sure our students don’t end up hurt or homeless, and that everybody has an equal chance at a successful and comfortable life. Wellness isn’t going to end the obvious inequity in our community, but it’s a start. And that’s something we desperately need. ggist@redwoodbark.org
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Page 8 • Opinion
April 8, 2016
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Redwood High School 395 Doherty Drive Larkspur, CA 94939 www.redwoodbark.org E ditors -I n -C hief
Olivia Dominguez Shiriel King Abramson Bella McWhorter Matt Ross
Copy Editors
Aaron Halford Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan Adam Kreitzman Anne Pritikin Rebecca Smalbach Pearl Zhong
News Editors
editorial Committee: Fix what’s driving us crazy
Barks & Bites
Prevalent parking problem persists It is common to see cars pouring into the Redwood parking lots at about 7:40 a.m., 15 minutes before the first school bell rings, only to encounter hordes of cars circling around, searching for a space. The lots are filled with vehicles––parents dropping off children in front of the gym, staff members arriving on campus, and students who, despite their early arrival, have difficulty finding an open space. Students without a first period are forced to arrive an hour before their classes start if they want to get a parking spot. Redwood’s parking lots are filled with a variety of delineated spaces, 62 of which are “reserved” for district staff members who travel to and from Redwood throughout the week or attend meetings on campus, according to Pratt. Students are not allowed to park in these spaces, and when they do, they risk paying a $40 fine. Yet in order to avoid being tardy for class or having to wake up noticeably earlier to get to school in time to find a space, more Redwood students are choosing to park in both the “reserved” and “visitor” spaces. Those who do not want to take the financial risk end up searching for limited street parking, leaving “reserved” spots empty. The battle over parking at Redwood proves that our school has a serious problem: fewer spaces are available to students, making students late for class and contributing to more crowded parking lots. Thankfully, Redwood’s administration has taken the initiative of forming a committee to study the current parking situation and develop recommendations. The committee’s goal will be to form suggestions to improve Redwood’s parking issue, according to assistant principal Larry Pratt. We support the efforts being made by administrators to alleviate what is becoming an increasingly serious problem and source of frustration for many students. There are a few areas in particular that the committee must consider in order to ensure an effective solution. Reserved spaces: The district-only spots have unnecessarily decreased the number of available parking spaces, and should be reduced. While it is understandable that the school wants to improve convenience for important district staff members, with 62 reserved spaces, many are often left empty given how infrequently all district staff members are on campus at the same time. By even converting a portion of the reserved spaces into regular spaces, we could eliminate some of the chaos in the mornings and after school. A BARK to the warm weather just in time for spring. Now we’ll finally be able to get our sin/cos on. A BITE to May 1 being right around the corner. How are we supposed to choose where we want to go to college if we can’t even decide where we want to go to lunch? A BARK to Republican debates during this primary season. These candidates are making high schoolers in government class sound smart. A BITE to the AP test prices. If we wanted to pay $97 to hurt our self confidence, we would
Parking permits: Currently, there are 578 permits but only 390 spots, so even students who have permits are left scrambling down to find parking. Next year, the administration should only give out as many permits as there are spots, and strictly enforce that non-permitted cars cannot park. This would give a students a guarantee that they have a place to park, improving predictability in students’ commutes and lessening the hectic morning rush for a spot. Additional parking: Earlier this school year, the school opened temporary parking spaces on the blacktop basketball courts because spaces in the front lot were occupied by solar panel construction equipment. The school should reopen these blacktop spaces or look for other feasible options, as the additional parking had an immediate positive impact on traffic in the front and back parking lots. Though the school had to shut down the spaces because spring sports teams needing them for practice space, the committee will consider the possibility of re-opening them, according to Pratt. Carpooling: The administration has encouraged students to carpool by offering carpool-only spots in the back lot, but it is had little impact because it hasn’t been enforced. An increase in carpooling would be a logical remedy to the overcrowding, albeit one that may be difficult to enforce. The administration should enforce mandatory carpooling for families by limiting each family to one permit and creating real incentives to carpool with nonfamily members. Not only would carpooling alleviate our school’s parking strain, but it would also be environmentally beneficial. The administration’s attempt to address parking issues is a critical first step in resolving one of our school’s most immediate problems. As committee members considers the issue, we hope they will take prompt action to ensure that next year’s parking situation is less chaotic, less stressful, and better serving of the student body. Have an opinion regarding anything that appears in the Bark or in general? We encourage our readers to submit letters to the editor. Letters to the Bark should be 500 words or fewer, typed if possible and signed. They must be submitted to room 177 or the Bark mailbox in the facility. They may also be emailed to bark@redwoodbark.org.
hire our prom dates. A BARK to free snacks in the Wellness Center. They’re really raising the bar. A BITE to the ACT on the first Saturday of spring break. The only thing wet and wild about that day will be our tears. A BARK to all of the teachers who left school for golf trips. If you can be seniors in good standing, why can’t we? A BITE to visting colleges during spring break. If only they had an Ivy League school in Cabo. A BARK to the gradual increase in the minimum wage.
Now our post-college jobs will only give us minimum rage. A BITE to North Carolina for passing an anti-LGBT law. The only thing that isn’t straight is your thinking. A BARK to getting denied from colleges on April Fool’s day. That’s a joke, right?
BARKS and BITES are the collective opinions of the BARK staff concerning relevant issues. BARKS are in praise of accomplishments, while BITES criticize decisions or events.
Hannah Blazei Emily Cerf
Opinion Editors Caleigh Stephens Nicole Stock
Feature Editors Eric Ahern Gregory Block
Sports Editors Michael Benz Heidi Roenisch
Review Editors Sam Sheridan Sydney Soofer
Lifestyles Editors Sarah Kimball Kendall Rhoads
Spanish Editors Catherine Conrow Henry Tantum
Video Editor Annie Forsman
Website Developer Sam Slade
Business Manager Sabrina Dong
Social Media Manager Kylie Kvam
Survey Manager Keely Jenkins
Snaphshot Editor Jenna Herz
Senior Staff Writers Julia Cherner Geneva Gist Megan Millard Robin Naylor
Reporters
Kayla Aldridge Isabella Alioto Danny Avins Madi Barsi Hayden Blum Addison Brady Kaylee Bushell Ella Cook Ovie Crum Luke Dahlin Jason Fieber Annie Fogarty Jenna Herz Andrew Hout Garet Jatsek Max Josef Camille Kawawa-Beaudan Kevin Makens Isabelle Marmur Macrae Sharp Cosmo Taylor Mary Winnick Chloe Wintersteen
Adviser
Erin Schneider POLICY: All editorials are unsigned and have been approved by the majority of the Bark staff.
español
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Guía de viaje: Las mejores exursiónes culturales de España Por Sabrina Dong Doscientos mil millas cuadradas de arte, historia, playas, y cultura. En un país tan vasto y diverso, es imposible ver todo en un día. Vicens Vilá, estudiante de segundo año, y Miguel Serrano, estudiante de intercambio de último año, que tienen historias familiares y orígenes en España respectivamente, ofrecen sugerencias para actividades y lugares para visitar.
1) Empiece en una región en el norte de España, la Rioja en España, donde se puede ver viñas hermosas. Allí se puede aprender cómo se hace el vino, según Serrano, que es de una ciudad dendro de la región de la Rioja llamada Logroño. “El vino es muy importante en mi región”, dijo Serrano. “Es muy similar a Napa aquí”. La región de la Rioja es una de las más famosas por sus uvas y vino, especialmente su vino rojo. 2) Cerca del norte de España, visite Los Pirineos, cordilleras que forman la frontera entre España y Francia. Durante la primavera, Los Pirineos son un buen lugar para caminar, según Serrano. “Hay muchos sitios que no son los principales turísticos. Me gusta mucho ir a Los Pirineos en las montañas”, dijo Serrano. “Hay las rutas que no las conoce mucha gente y se puede caminar tranquilamente”. 3) Continúe su viaje en Barcelona, la capital de Cataluña y la segunda ciudad más poblada de España. Las playas en Barcelona son agradablemente calientes y es una necesidad verlas en España, según Vilá. “Me gusta ir a la playa principalmente porque las playas [allí] son muy frías. No se puede nadar en ellas. Asi que España está en el Mediterráneo hay tan pocas olas y la arena no es fina. El agua es tan clara. Se puede ver peces”, dijo Vilá en una entrevista en inglés. Una playa popular en Barcelona es la playa Barceloneta. Cerca de la ciudad, su proximidad lo hace un lugar nombrado para atracciones turísticos y restaurantes. 4) Para una segunda parada en el recorrido de Barcelona, tome un paseo escénico por “Las Ramblas”, una calle larga con árboles en ambos lados que se estrecha por 0.75 millas. En la calle, se puede comprar comida, recuerdos, o ver artistas callejeros. “Se puede ver artistas que se cubren en el maquillaje de oro o plata y llevan disfraces ornatos. Sacan un sombrero y se paran en un podio”, dijo Vilá. “Cuando una persona le da dinero al artista, el artista baila o se mueve porque la mayoría del tiempo, ellos quedan como estatuas. No se mueven”. Una panadería muy buena cerca de Las Ramblas se llama Éscriba, según Vilá.
Foto cortesía de Vicens Vilá
La gente relaja debajo del sol español en La Playa de Barceloneta en Barcelona. La playa es uno de las actividades fantasticas para hacer en España durante las vacacciones de primavera, según un estudiante nativo de España.
5) Si se quiere admirar la arquitectura histórica de España, el Barrio Gótico es un lugar muy bonito, y Vilá recomienda la catedral Santa María del Pi. “Es una catedral muy antigua y gótica y es hermosa. La arquitectura es tan medieval y siento como hay cantos gregorianos en el fondo cuando camino a través de él”, dijo Vilá. “Es muy oscuro y el techo es muy alto. Toda la gente parece muy pequeña. Representa que durante el tiempo que la iglesia fue construída, Dios era más poderoso que las personas. La iglesia es masiva”. 6) Cuando se tiene hambre, Vilá recomienda la Boqueria o el Mercat de Sant Joseph en Las Ramblas. El mercado se divide en secciones según el tipo de comida, y los vendedores tienen puestos individuales. “Se puede comprar cualquier cosa que quieras. La comida es tan fantásticamente fresca”, dijo Vilá. Los mariscos son las más deliciosas del mercado, según Vilá. 7) Si eres un fanático del arte visual, visite el museo nacional del arte Catalan, nombrado oficialmente el “Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya”. Este museo está abierto durante los meses de mayo a septiembre y tiene mil años de arte. El museo es famoso por su colección de
arte Romanesque. 8) Otra parte notable de la arquitectura en España es la Sagrada Familia, una iglesia católica romana diseñada por el arquitecto famoso Antoni Gaudí. La iglesia gótica está ornamentado y tiene ocho torres que representan los apóstoles. Actualmente, hay construcción de una torre excepcionalmente grande que va a representar Jesus Cristo. “Se quiere ir a la Sagrada Familia aunque va a haber muchos turistas allí… Parece muy modernista, o Art Noveau”, dijo Vilá. 9) Si viaja a España durante el verano, dé una vuelta por el gran festival en el Distrito de Grácia en Barcelona. Este año el festival ocurrirá entre el 15 y el 21 de agosto. “En cada parte pequeña del Distrito de Grácia en Barcelona se disfraza y se decora el barrio. Hay un tema para cada barrio y decoran sus calles según el tema. Si ellos tienen el tema de reciclaje, ellos decoraran su calle con objetos reciclados”, dijo Vilá. El festival es un carnaval lleno de color y celebra la idea de la comunidad. sdong@redwoodbark.org
‘Una Última Vez’ por Sin Bandera carece de originalidad con letra como “caso perdido” que se combina con el lento ritmo para hacer un tono melancólico. Sin embargo, “Sobre mi” no es similar a los demás. Las voces de fondo proporcionan un ritmo más rápido a diferencia de algunas de las otras canciones con un tono más oscuro. Las voces agudas hace que la canción destaque de las otras en su sentido pegadizo y fácil de cantar. La canción más popular del álbum, “En esta no”, tiene un ambiente relajante, que lo crean la guitarra y el piano. La letra es un poco emotivo en el principio cuando el grupo dice que “Ni podemos escribir un verso. Que describa nuestro amor,” pero la letra repetitiva “tal vez en otra vida” se pone aburrida hacia el final. “Sin bandera” está actualmente de gira en América Latina, presentando las canciones de su álbum nuevo.
Por Ella Cook A pesar de las voces fuertes, el disco “Una Última Vez” carece de variedad en total. Sin Bandera, un grupo popular de México, lanzó su álbum nuevo en marzo y ofrece cinco canciones con tonos relajantes y temas de amor. El grupo ha ganado varios premios de discos anteriormente, incluyendo “mejor álbum pop por un dúo” para su disco “Sin Bandera” en los Latin Grammys. “Una Última Vez” tiene un sonido completamente diferente, con silbatos y aplausos, que da al álbum premiado un ritmo pegadizo. Cuando se compara con otros discos del grupo, el humor calmante es muy similar. Muchas de las canciones del grupo tienen el mismo tema de amor y relaciones, y las de “Una Última Vez” no ofrecen un descanso. El álbum combina instrumentos como guitarra y baterías con voces suaves, pero mucha de la letra enfoca en sentimientos de angustia, que se hace un poco repetitiva. “Y Más Te Amo”, lo más original del álbum, está envalentonado con instrumentos electrónicos para dar un sonido lento. Los instrumentos hacen que la canción se destaque, y las voces de fondo ayudan que la canción sea pegadiza. “Y Más Te Amo” tiene la mejor letra del álbum. El grupo utiliza la repetición y las metáforas que hace la canción
ecook@redwoodbark.org Foto cortesía de Sony Discos
intrigante. En la línea, “Siempre con la fuerza de un mar”, el grupo compara con belleza la fuerza de los sentimientos de una persona con la fuerza de un océano. Algunas de las canciones tienen letra
oscura, que es muy diferente de otros grupos de pop. En la canción “Sobre Mí”, la primera línea, “Tengo los recuerdos rotos y me mata”, crea un humor triste. Más tarde, la canción es más intrigante,
Para leer más artículos y versiones en inglés, visite www.redwoodbark.org/ spanish. For more articles and English translations, visit www.redwoodbark. org/spanish.
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Page 10 • Feature
April 8, 2016
Race at Redwood
PART ONE: Academic Achievement By Megan Millard and Robin Naylor
Hispanic and African American students perform far below White and Asian students at Redwood and in the TUHSD, according to the Western Association of Schools and Colleges report. Every six years, Redwood conducts a report as required by California law to accredit public and charter schools regarding “capacity, commitment, and competence to support high-quality student learning and ongoing school improvement,” as stated by the WASC. While there is an external review process to encourage honesty and quality in the
report, it is a self-study that the school conducts internally. The data presented in these infographics has been taken from the 2014 WASC report and exhibits the academic and social disparity between various demographics at Redwood and TUHSD, specifically among races. This page is the first component of a two-part series that explores the rift between different races in Redwood’s student body. In a future issue of The Bark, we will feature administrative and student perspectives.
By presenting this data, The Bark intends to bring to light a disparity among students of color, not to single out any demographic, but rather to spark a dialogue about academic equity.
900
Infographic by Megan Millard
Academic Performance Index and Race
800
According to Greatschools.org, “the purpose of the Academic Performance Index (API) is to measure the yearover-year growth in academic performance for California schools. The API summarizes a school’s standardized test scores into a single number, which ranges from 200 to 1000. The statewide API goal is 800 for all schools; higher numbers generally indicate better performance on the tests.”
700
600
500 Infographic by Robin Naylor
Infographic by Isabelle Marmur Infographic by Megan Millard
Page 11 • Feature
www.redwoodbark.org
Marin local strides to overcome paralysis
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By Camille Kawawa-Beaudan Hands allow people to communicate this diagnosis. He could still feel every emotions, commands, and ideas to one limb, every muscle in his body, but just another. For 21-year-old Theo St. Francis, couldn’t control most of them. He set the however, they are a sensitive topic. huge goal of returning to school and living “The hands are hugely tied into how on his feet again, and has been achieving it we relate to our environment. They were one step at a time. designed to allow us to manipulate things He was particularly inspired to and to change our environments and to overcome his injury by a friend he made express ourselves,” St. Francis explained. while hospitalized who, despite suffering “I just saw early on that...if I could move a crippling injury, resumed his medical my fingers totally fine, I would be able to residency because he could use his arms to type and write code and manipulate objects assist in surgeries and other procedures. and just like do basic things, even if it was “Within just weeks of being injured, from a seated position.” he was right back to his residency,” St. When St. Francis was a student at Marin Francis said, smiling. “[He] was very Academy (MA), he swam for his school shortly thereafter installing pick lines and team as well as for North Bay Aquatics, sutchering and doing all these things— where he befriended from a wheelchair—but some Redwood doing them.” students. Despite living St. Francis retained in Sonoma, St. Francis control of his deltoids, managed to get to the biceps and some Redwood pool at 5:30 forearm muscles, a.m. every morning allowing him free use before then arriving at of his arms. He counts MA on time for school himself as lucky for and later participating not having injured a on his school’s swim vertebra higher up. team,eventually “It was a totally captaining it his senior fluke incident, and year. because of that, I could S t . F r a n c i s have broken a higher had committed to vertebra,” St. Francis Massachusetts Institute Theo St. Francis, said. of Technology (MIT) former Marin resident Despite the fact to study engineering. that other muscles Physics, especially involved in breathing aerospace, enthralled were impacted because him, and he arrived on campus in August they are innervated by lower vertebra, St. 2013 ready to partake in pre-orientation Francis always had control of his lungs, activities. However, his future was allowing him to survive in the water and suddenly snatched from him on the last day later on to live without a tracheostomy of pre-orientation when he fractured his machine. C6 vertebra during a diving accident at the St. Francis said his engineering mindset beach. By the time classes began for the has helped him understand his condition fall semester, St. Francis was struggling to and explore novel treatments to repair his accept his doctor’s diagnosis that he would body. never walk again. “In my experience it’s helped However, St. Francis never did accept tremendously to understand what’s going
... as I get more able and more independent, the ability to adapt more in the moment is getting better.
Photo by Camille Kawawa-Beaudan
THEO ST. FRANCIS poses with his Galileo Training machine. After several months, St. Francis has regained sensation in his legs.
Infographic by Camille Kawawa-Beaudan
on,” St. Francis said. “I think it’s a good thing to be really engaged in that way with understanding your own body.” Through various friends, St. Francis made contact with Alejandra Monsalve, a physical therapist who specializes in a new and localized form of pilates called Neurokinetic Pilates. “It’s actually much less in the body and much more in the practicing new neural pathways to say, ‘Okay, the highway down the spinal cord, there is a traffic jam there. We’re not going to go through there, we’re going to take this detour along this connective tissue,’ and then ‘Brain, I want you to do that every time I send a message,’” St. Francis explained, stressing that through repeated movements he and his trainers are establishing automatic nerve-muscle responses. “The exact position every joint in my body is in is crucial because [when] the brain remembers the movements, the position of the joints is recorded with that movement,” he said. St. Francis works with another physical therapist, Kinley McCracken, who comes to his house to do pilates-based training. “I’ve never worked with somebody who’s so interested in learning every aspect of his body and I find that it’s a real collaborative effort between us figuring out what he needs to work on and how we’re going to work on it the best,” she said. McCracken has recently seen a mental shift in the way St. Francis approaches his recovery. “He’s always been determined and he’s always said, ‘This is going to happen no matter what,’” McCracken said. “But I do think recently he’s become a little more open to the process and being able to really focus on the goal in front of him instead of allowing that further big-picture goal to be his main focus every day.” Throughout the course of several months after the accident, St. Francis slowly regained sensation in his toes and legs. “I can feel the wind on my legs, which is a really small thing but at the same time it’s like, that’s big!” he said. “When you’re outside and you’re able to feel that, that’s you participating in the environment, that’s you sensing.” Despite his euphoria about the discovery that sensation pathways were still working in his legs, St. Francis was not able to send signals along movement pathways. St. Francis has dedicated hours to the tiny movements demanded by pilates training, and says he has reaped massive rewards. With the pilates method, he has gained immense stability to the point that he is able to conduct a full 90-minute long interview without slouching, falling over or having
any additional support, as he might have before. He also has the ability to perform many basic movements without assistance from his trainers anymore. St. Francis has begun to participate in various physically strenuous activities again. He has attended over six concerts in the past few months and competed in swimming races, and he went skiing for the first time in January. While these activities might not compare to the extensive backpacking trips he took during his freshman year of high school or the demanding swim schedule he once followed, they represent a new beginning into a different but equallly fulfilling life, according to St. Francis. During a Kygo concert that St. Francis attended with a few of his therapists, he stayed standing for over three hours. Despite not being able to move much or do anything else, standing almost unassisted for so long was a milestone, he said. The most memorable moment happened before the concert began. “We got to the concert pretty early and wound our way to the front, and I had help standing up, and so people who filled in behind me hadn’t seen me come in in a wheelchair,” St. Francis recalled. “As they filled in behind, we got so many questions of ‘Whose wheelchair is this, what is it doing here?’ We were laughing so hard because people were so confused. I remember turning around one time and saying, ‘I don’t know, I don’t need it.’ It was a good moment.” St. Francis’s overall optimistic view of life has also helped him accomplish many of his goals and adapt to his new way of life. “I have much less ability to adapt in the moment to things as I would have. When things go wrong, I will often have to get help as opposed to solving it on my own,” he said. Backpacking serves as a perfect example in his eyes because backpackers carry everything needed for survival on their backs. “It’s just you and nature. That’s such a fundamental essence of earning your stay on this planet and being able to fend for yourself and handle whatever happens,” St. Francis said. “I’m not as good at that now because things are harder for me and I need to plan them out more, but as I get more able and more independent, the ability to adapt more in the moment is getting better.”
ckawawa-beaudan@redwoodbark.org
Struggling for sur By Catherine Conrow and Macrae Sharp
A
lthough sea lions can be spotted at beaches along algal blooms along the West Coast. the California coast, many of these marine mammals “The contamination of the food web with domoic acid will end up in our backyard, 15 minutes away in was the biggest we’ve seen yet, and so we’ve seen a lot of Sausalito. Upon entering the Marine Mammal Center, toxins in the marine mammals,” Melin said. a veterinary research hospital, seals and sea lions bark According to Melin, she and her team are working loudly as they are fed sardines in the form of “fish with the Marine Mammal Center to research domoic acid milkshakes.” It is here that a group of baby seals are toxin samples and investigate the associated health effects learning to properly feed before being released back on marine mammals. into the Pacific Ocean. “This would have caused some of [the sea lions] to die The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito has or become sickened due to the ingestion of this neurotoxin. seen a drastic increase in the number of starving and Perhaps that contributed to their inability to find food to abandoned California sea lion pups sustain themselves, as it affects both in the past two years, according to movement and short-term memory,” Courtney Good, guest experience Cochlan said. coordinator at the center. Researchers at the Farallon The majority of the current sea islands have also found domoic acid to lions at the center are pups who are significantly alter the mental function younger than a year old and have and behavior of sea lions, according to been abandoned by mothers who left Bradley. them in search of food, according to “The toxin makes the sea lions do Good. strange things, like crawl up on the “Those fish are moving to colder island a lot higher than they normally and deeper waters, so then you have would or they just seem to make starving pups that are stranded on the strange decisions,” Bradley said. shoreline because they cannot find Although the productivity of the fish that they need to eat,” Good the marine ecosystem has decreased Courtney Good, said. due to the recent rise in ocean There have been four times Marine Mammal temperature, Bradley is hopeful that as many sea lions found stranded Center Emplyee the negative trends will reverse due along the California coastline in to high winds that blew through the Jan. and Feb. 2016, as compared to California coast from the northwest. the average from 2003-2012, according to the center’s Bradley said he hopes that the winds will bring down sea website. temperatures and create a marine ecosystem that is better “Every time there is an El Niño, we see a disruption able to support marine life. in where the nutrients are because there is warm water “We are seeing a lot of negative impacts now, but we in places where it is usually cold, so there are more are in this very critical period. If the ocean becomes cooler algae blooms and so there are more fish in those areas,” and if we even get a few strong pulses of productivity, it she said. “The Marine Mammal Center starts to see could turn the tide and improve things greatly,” Bradley animals that it doesn’t normally see, like Guadalupe fur said. “The timing of these events are crucial.” seals and Northern fur seals.” Despite Bradley’s hope that sea temperature levels The presence of the El Niño weather patterns has will drop, the Marine Mammal Center is continuing caused a warm body of water that moves through ocean to see an influx of severely malnourished animals, currents, a phenomenon referred to such as the sea lions, coming to as the “Blob” by scientists. the hospital. Although “the Blob” is only 3-5 Junior Lindsay Thornton, who degrees Fahrenheit warmer than volunteers weekly at the Marine surrounding waters, the temperature Mammal Center, said that the increase can have drastic effects on feeding routine for the sea lions small fish. in rehabilitation is important so Due to this lack of fish and the that they will not adapt to being increase of poor food quality, female fed by humans, but rather learn sea lions are also aborting their to rely on natural instinct. fetuses at an almost exponentially “I’ve noticed that [the pups] increasing rate, according to Lindsay Thornton, come in really, really skinny Russell Bradley, senior scientist junior and emaciated. It’s really sad and Farallon program leader for seeing their ribs,” Thornton Point Blue Conservation Science, a said. “Especially the elephant nonprofit research center located in seals, they come in really Petaluma. lethargic.” Furthermore, under normal conditions, mother sea Today, four types of marine mammals lions usually deliver their babies during the summer. are housed at the Marine Mammal Center in This year, however, sea lions were already giving birth Sausalito: California sea lions, elephant seals, by the end of March, according to Bradley. Pacific harbor seals and fur seals. The warm water of the Blob is also more hospitable to On March 20, there were 73 California harmful algal blooms, according to Sharon Melin, who sea lions and 32 elephant seals at the researches the health impacts of algal toxins on marine Marine Mammal Center. The mammals at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The largest algal bloom yet of pseudo nitzschia, a diatom that produces domoic acid, was reported in 2015, according to Melin. center has a capacity for Domoic acid is a biotoxin that, with exposure, affects 225 animals, and is currently hosting approximately 130 the brain and causes animals to become disoriented and patients. lethargic, and sometimes even have deadly seizures, Many of the sea lions at the center were transported according to the Marine Mammal Center’s website. to the Bay Area by volunteers instead of swimming up Domoic acid contaminated much of the foraging the coast, themselves as they instinctively do, according fish stocks—Northern anchovies and sardines—that to Good. California sea lions usually eat in large amounts, senior research scientist William Cochlan wrote in an email. Cochlan is a biological oceanographer and a marine microbial ecologist at San Francisco State University, and he has published research on these recent harmful bark@redwoodbark.org
...you have starving pups that are stranded on the shoreline because they cannot find [food].
I’ve noticed that [the pups] come in really, really skinny and emaciated.
The Marine Mammal Center responds to calls about injured sea lions and seals along 600 miles of California coastline, according to Good. People can call the center’s 24-hour hotline at (415) 289-SEAL (7325) to report any marine mammals that appear to be ill, abandoned or in danger.
rvival
The Bay Area’s sea lions are facing a challenge: El Niño. Storms have affected their lifestyles and sent many to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. What’s the next step for the aquatic creatures? Photos courtesy of Ingrid Overgard and Sarah van Schagen
The Marine Mammal Center has seen a drastic increase in the number of sea lion pups. The El Niño winter has contributed to the increase by disrupting seal eating habits.
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Page 14 • Feature
April 8, 2016
Belvedere producer brings home an Academy Award By Jason Fieber Belvedere resident Blye Pagon Faust brought home the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 2016 Oscars for her role as a producer of “Spotlight.” “Spotlight” profiled the investigative journalism performed by the reporters of the Boston Globe in uncovering the Boston Archdiocese clergy abuse scandal in 2001 that became a story with worldwide implications. Faust grew up in Monroe, Washington before traveling to California to attend Santa Clara University. After Santa Clara, Faust went to UCLA to study at the School of Law. Once she finished her time at UCLA, she began working as a lawyer, and dealt primarily with entertainment litigation. Her involvement in the entertainment industry helped her transition into producing. “My husband and I moved to the Bay Area and had two kids, so I decided I wanted to start up something that I could do locally with the family,” Faust said. At this point, she started an interior design business, but film always came first in her eyes. “Spotlight” was Faust’s first film to make it to the big screen and she said that winning an Academy Award for the film is an indescribable experience. “It is one of those things you dream of as a kid,” she said. “You truly can’t believe it has happened to you.” Faust said that the award was icing on the cake following the seven-year period from the conception of the idea to opening night. However, she said that the profound social significance of the movie was the real reward for everyone working on the film. “I think the coolest thing along the way was that “Spotlight” has ongoing social importance,” Faust said. “I think the fact that we had so much support from the survivors to the journalism community made us feel like
Photo courtesy of Blye Pagon Faust
POSING WITH FELLOW producers of “Spotlight,” Belvedere resident Blye Pagon Faust (left) holds up her award for best picture at the 2016 Oscars. we had an impact on all of their lives.” As a producer, Faust had to transform the film from the conception of the idea and turn it into something that could
be made into a major motion picture. “We had been working with a novelist on a completely unrelated project and he told us about the story of the [Boston] Globe and said we should look into it because it would make an incredible movie,” Faust said.” He knew the reporters and put us in touch with them at the end of 2008. In early 2009 Nicole [Rocklin] and I flew to Boston and secured all of their rights.” Faust said that she and her partner, Rocklin, saw the story as something that could make a great movie from the discovery of the idea. “These guys had inflicted global change through their work,” she said. “Something that really struck us was the power of this local story and the work of these journalists and how they changed the face of the Catholic Church, which is centuries old and an international institution.” Faust said that she was also struck by the difference that these journalists were able to create in the average person’s everyday life. “If these guys had not gotten the story and had the resources and the time spent on breaking the story, would we still be here today not knowing that this was taking place? Would we still be in the dark?” Faust said. Despite working two jobs, Faust said that she still has plans for future film projects and that she will use the lessons of her first film experience in future projects. “One of the things that we have believed in since the get-go is the importance of integrity to the story and to the people in the story we are telling,” she said. Faust added that everyone involved in the creation of the movie remained honest to their sources and the story. She said her experience showed her how important integrity is in the process of making a film. jfieber@redwoodbark.org
Taking a stand: Teachers turn towards ergonomic desks By Kayla Aldridge and Nicole Stock Records Secretary Suzanne Ledbetter was one of the first Redwood staff members to make the switch to a stand-up desk after seeing one of her colleagues at Tam do so. “Most of the people, including myself, do it for health reasons because the sitting is not good for you,” Ledbetter said. Many staff and faculty at Redwood are making the shift to a more adaptable, flexible substitute: the ergonomic desk. An ergonomic desk is a structure that allows the user to adjust the height of the desk. Ledbetter said she has noticed a substantial decrease in discomfort because of her switch to the ergonomic desk. She said that she was driven to switch to a standing desk because of her own physical ailment. However, she’s aware that there are other health benefits. The increase in ergonomic desks began when a few teachers requested ergonomic assessments last year, according to Assistant Principal Larry Pratt. However, after various assessments proved costly, the district began taking requests based on medical needs only. Assistant Principal Katy Foster said that she received an ergonomic assessment, which included an outside source’s professional opinion on purchasing office equipment to best suit her health needs. English teacher Jeff Ryan swapped out his traditional desk for an ergonomical one in the fall semester. “I don’t sit when I teach, so that was never an issue for me,” Ryan said. “When I have to do grading, especially stuff that’s computer based, I would find that if I had to sit for long periods of time, I was going home in pain. It was really bothering me.” Ryan said he feels as though the change in desk type has significantly improved his teaching environment and alleviated his lower back pain, particularly when he has to grade papers for an extended period of time. Sitting puts more pressure on the lower back than standing, according to San Rafael chiropractor Dr. Kirk Rockwell. “One of the things to keep in mind as
far as sitting is concerned is that you put about 25 percent more pressure on your lower back sitting than you do standing. If you were to do that through the course of the day, whether it be school or work, obviously that is going to build up, so it’s actually better for us to stand,” Rockwell said. Rockwell recommends to his patients that they take frequent walking breaks throughout the day if they work in a job that requires them to stay seated for extended periods of time. Additionally, he said that there are ergonomic chairs that are designed to help make sitting more comfortable. “If I have patients at work that have full back issues or mid back issues, one of the things I recommended for them is to try to get up and move around throughout the course of the day,” Rockwell said. Rockwell said that he is not certain that standing desks help to mitigate the negative impacts of sitting; however, he has seen this switch be beneficial for some of his patients. “It’s a different approach, it’s unique, to be honest I’m not quite sure if I’m 100 percent behind them or not,” Rockwell said. Although standing desks have become somewhat of a new trend in many workplaces, some researchers disagree about whether they have real health benefits. Finnish researcher Dr. Jos Verbeek said that the desks have not been proven to be beneficial for your health during an interview with National Public Radio (NPR). Though Verbeek claims there is no health benefit behind ergonomic desks, there are ergonomic chairs which are specially designed to provide lumbar support for the lower back, promoting better posture, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. Frequent breaks and specialized ergonomic chairs may also help minimize the risk of sitting-related health problems, such as back and neck issues. While sitting excessively is not the direct cause of the aforementioned health complications, prolonged sedentary behavior may take a toll on person’s life expectancy, according to the British
Photo by Kayla Aldridge
STANDING AT HIS ergonomic desk, English teacher Jeff Ryan prepares for his first class of the day. Journal of Sports Medicine. In a study the Journal conducted in 2011, for every hour a person spends sitting, their life expectancy decreases by an average of 21.8 minutes because of the various health problems that are correlated with excessive sitting. Studies by the Pain Management and Injury Relief Medical Center have shown that even one hour of exercise during a regular school or work day cannot undo the negative impact on the body’s insulin levels caused by prolonged sitting. Although there are limited solutions available to minimize the repercussions of excessive sitting, small lifestyle changes
can decrease these health damages. According to Biddle, incorporating physical movements throughout the day can help break up long periods of sitting and can be beneficial to a person’s health in the long run. Ryan said that since he has made the switch to an ergonomic desk, he has seen marked improvement in his well being “I feel better, I feel healthier, I feel more productive. I’m just happier at work,” Ryan said.
bark@redwoodbark.org
bark Senior competes in state tournament after second place NCS finish Page 15 • Sports
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By Geneva Gist Senior Riley Dow waits below the arena. The noise of the crowd screams in his ears. The ten mats spread out across Rabobank Arena lie before him. His name is called. Cheering. And he steps out. On March 4 and 5, senior Riley Dow competed in the California Interscholastic Federation Boys Wrestling competition. He was the only one from MCAL to make it into the state championships. Accompanying him were a collection of his teammates from Redwood as well as his coach, Alan Morris. In order to qualify, Dow had to finish in the top three in NCS. He came in second. At the championships, Dow won his first match by one point in triple overtime against an opponent who had previously defeated him. He lost his next two matches. “My initial goal for the season was just to get to state. Then I got there and I was like, alright, now I just want to win one match,” Dow said. “I would have liked to win another match but it didn’t work out. But I’m happy with how I did.” According to Dow, the biggest challenge with wrestling is accepting defeat, something he noticed after losing to the fifth-ranked wrestler in the state. “It gave me a sense of confidence, you know, fifthranked guy in state. It actually took him a while to end the match,” Dow said. “It made me feel good to know that I could do OK against somebody who is really good.” Dow didn’t start wrestling until his freshman year. “I don’t know why I decided to [start wrestling]. Probably just because I have two younger brothers and I was just like, ‘I don’t have to run,’ and I think I have some experience with that, just from my brothers. [I] tried it out and loved it,” Dow said. The best aspect of wrestling, according to Dow, is the individuality of the sport, something that isn’t as prevalent in his other sport, water polo. “In wrestling, hard work does pay off. It’s an individual sport. Whatever work you put in is going to
Photo courtesy of Riley Dow
STANDING ATOP THE podium, senior Riley Dow takes in the moment after placing second in the NCS tournament. This win sent him to the CIF state tournament, where he was defeated by the fifth-ranked wrestler in California. be reflected in your performance on the mat. You can’t blame it on your teammates,” Dow said. “I think that’s a lot more rewarding when you actually see your own work pay off as opposed to team sports like water polo. I think just wrestling is a tough sport and gives you that sense of pride.” In order to improve his skills, Dow has had to selfmotivate and search out ways to practice in the off-season. “In off-season, I worked on freestyle and trained at MC twice a week with their club,” Dow said. “In the summer there are a couple camps that I did as well just for a couple days. I also got a small mat in our garage
so during water polo season, we would go down and lift weights or just drill.” Dow said he doesn’t plan on wrestling on an official college team, but hopes to continue with the sport in any way he can. “My goal is just to keep with the sport in some way— club wrestling, maybe start club wrestling at whatever school I go to,” Dow said. “I kind of just want to help train my brothers and help them achieve what they want to achieve.” ggist@redwoodbark.org
Swimming plunges into potentially promising season
SCORE BOX
By Kaylee Bushell The swimming and diving teams hope to build off their successful season last year and hang yet another banner on the walls of the gymnasium. Last year, the Giants clinched a pennant against Tam for both boys’ and girls’ swimming and diving. “We knew it was going to be tight going in, but we also knew if we swam our best we would win. It was definitely close because Marin Catholic and Tam have strong swimmers as well that were juniors last year,” captain Sarah Herzer said. This year, while the team is still strong, it has lost many key swimmers on both the girls’ and boys’ side that gave the team an edge in previous years. According to Herzer, the biggest scorers for girls last year were Emma McCarthy and Elizabeth Duncan, both of whom now swim at the collegiate level. For the boys, Jake Racich and Giorgio Cico were key scorers who are now graduated. However, Herzer believes the team will be able to repeat last year’s success because the team has a strong senior class and a couple of strong underclassmen. “ We h a v e a g o o d a m o u n t o f underclassmen that will make an impact and help rack up points. Every year we have a few strong underclassmen that can help us out a lot,” Herzer said. According to Herzer, sophomore Claire Birchenough will be a key asset to the team this year. She competes on a club team and attended junior nationals this past year. “While we may have lost some swimmers it’s good to know that we have upperclassmen and underclassmen filling these holes,” Herzer said. As for the veterans, Herzer and senior Emilio DeSomma will be leaders as they have experience from previous years. At the MCAL championship meet DeSomma helped push the boys’ team to a victory and has already been even stronger
Photo by Kylie Kvam
COMPETING IN THE freestyle event, Redwood outswims Tam in one of the biggest meets of the season. this year. “Last year was a strong team, but I do think this year we have some strong upperclassmen who know how to lead the team,” coach Fred Ferroggiaro said. Last year, the team racked up 450 points on the boys’ side, led by DeSomma, who won the 200-yard individual medley, 100-yard backstroke, along with a 200yard medley team that set a meet record with a time of 1:37.21. Returning from an MCAL championship last season, the swim team hopes to replicate its success this year. So far the team has had six meets and has gone undefeated. It defeated Marin Catholic, a strong competitor in MCAL.
The team also defeated Tam, its biggest competitor in MCAL. “At this point we all just need to come together as a team and get those easier points, then work our way up from there. We are a pretty deep team, which helps us out a lot,” Herzer said. The team has a few more meets that will decide the rest of the season. The Giants will compete at San Rafael today at 4 p.m.
kbushell@redwoodbark.org
• B a s e b a l l : 3 - 2 w i n against Marin Catholic • • Boys’ Golf: 170-206 win against San Rafael • • Boys’ Lacrosse: 8-16 loss against Marin Catholic • • Girls’ Lacrosse: 6-18 loss against Marin Catholic • • S o f t b a l l : 3 - 4 l o s s against Marin Catholic • • Boys’ Swimming: won against Tamalpais • • Girls’ Swimming: Won against Tamalpais • • Boys’ Tennis: 3-6 loss against Tamalpais • • Tr a ck & F i e l d : wo n against Novato
April 8, 2016 bark Page 16 • Sports Mountain biking team overcomes bumps in the road By Jason Fieber Last year, the mountain biking team failed to bring home the state race championship for the first time in three seasons, but this year it remains optimistic while looking to build the team for the future. Dave Carbonell, who is in his third year advising the team and his first year as one of the head coaches, said he is excited for the upcoming season given the quality and experience of the returning team, although three of its top performing bikers from last year have graduated: Drake Murphy, Daniel Bernstein and Annika Weiss. He also discussed the advantages that the loss at the state race has created for the team. “I think that not getting first place is actually a pretty good lesson for the riders,” Carbonell said. “It is inspiration and motivation to work harder.” The team’s experience at the state race last season will also help to shape its training for the season, according to Carbonell. “You think about what went right in the previous season, what didn’t go right, and how to fix the things that weren’t ideal to improve for the next season,” he said. “I don’t see it as any failure. It is more for self improvement.” Senior team captain Harrison Jantze spoke about the importance of this season for the team’s future. “While we may not win this year, I think that in the next couple of years we will start to get really strong again,” Jantze said. Jantze said that this future is built around the current group of new riders and experienced riders like himself. “Everyone else is growing around you,” he said. “Being able to help the new riders and the kids who are newer to the team is important.” Junior Viveka Brockman talked about her experience trying to learn from the more experienced riders. “When I was a freshman I got to ride with seniors and older riders who were faster than me, and I learned a lot from them,” she said. Brockman also commented on the relatively small number of girls on the team, which can impact the team’s score. In a race, the top eight finishers from a team score points, but two of these finishers must be girls in order to count. “We used to have a lot of strong girls, but a lot of them graduated,” Brockman said. “This year we only have four girls on the whole team.”
Photo by Sam Slade
BIKING THROUGH THE trails around Phoenix Lake, Harrison Jantze and head coach Doug Ott go on a ride to practice technique and endurance. The team also lost senior Kelsey Urban, one of its top female racers. Urban now attends Tamiscal and dedicates most of her time to mountain biking for the United States National team. While expectations for the team at state may not be as high as they have been in the past, the team still believes they have the tools to put together a deep postseason run. “It has to be the right conditions, riders have to be peaking in their training program, and no mechanical issues,” Carbonell said. “It all has to come together on race day.” Another aspect of the team that has helped its development has been the commitment of some riders to continue mountain biking outside the team through private practices and coaching. Brockman is one of these riders. She has been working with a private coach for the first time this year. “It’s very different,” she said. “Rather than just riding
for fun, now it is more training based.” Brockman has only participated in one race so far this year, but she said that she has seen significant improvement in her results compared to last year. “I get so much information from every ride that it is easy for me to see how I am improving,” she added. Jantze, on the other hand, said that he only trains based on the training plan that the team puts out. “You can be very competitive with [the team training plan],” Jantze said. “I have seen significant growth from the team training plan.” Carbonell said that regardless of where the training plan comes from, consistent practice is what will make the difference in a rider’s performance. “The more practice and time you put in on the bike, the more fit and skilled you are going to be as a rider,” he said. The team has also created more rules to help improve in the future. “We made the rules a little more strict this year. We were having some trouble with attendance, so this year we are being a lot more strict with that,” Jantze said. “Our goal is that over the next two or three years we will have a stronger team because we have stricter rules.” Carbonell added that having a club team rather than being a part of a varsity sport gives the team certain advantages, such as not having to follow MCAL offseason practice rules. “Because it is a club sport, our training can start a little earlier, so we have rides that start in December,” he said. However, Carbonell also said that the expectations for their athletes are the same as any other sport. The 32-rider team practices three times a week, usually going on two-to-three hour rides for endurance and working on skill-based drills to help riders with the mechanics of racing. It will be practice and individual time put in that will make the difference in the team’s performance for the whole season, according to Carbonell. “We have some super talented riders on our team and everybody works hard, so if everything works out, I absolutely think it is a possibility [to win state],” Carbonell said.
jfieber@redwoodbark.org
Sports Spotlight: Klein dominates the doubles circuit By Michael Benz Standing at 6’0” and weighing 170 lbs, Thor Klein is one of the last athletes you’d expect to play tennis. However, he has been a member of the varsity tennis team since arriving at Redwood as a freshman, when he was a thin 125 lb and 5’10.” Klein, now a junior and captain, boasts an impressive 46-5 career record according to his partner, Zach Babikian, in doubles. Babikian spends more time with Klein on the court than anyone else. “He doesn’t get mad or scared on the court. He doesn’t show any emotion no matter what,” Babikian said about Klein. Klein is quiet, yet his friends know him as a fierce competitor. “I would call him menacing,” varsity golf player Chad Ferrando said. Ferrando has known Klein since elementary school. Ferrando spent considerable time with Klein on the baseball field when they were younger, and if tennis and baseball didn’t share the spring season, Klein would have likely played both sports in high school. Klein stated that he still misses playing organized baseball. The tennis captain grew up in Greenbrae, playing baseball in the Ross Valley Little League. He played many sports growing up, refining his competitive edge. Klein began playing tennis at about the age of 7. “It was either I did an after-school program or I did a tennis thing because I couldn’t get picked up [by my parents],” Klein said. “So, I chose the tennis thing.” Klein said he doesn’t regret his decision
to play tennis, because he feels he’s more skilled at tennis than at baseball. Because he felt like he had nothing better to do, Klein began to hit the weights in his free time. He has been lifting seriously for about a year and a half. “Due to my work in the gym, at the net I can get to more balls,” Klein said. He never had a trainer, yet through using the free weights at Mt. Tam Racquet Club, he learned how to get stronger. “Because I’m stronger, I can hit the ball harder,” Klein said. More unique than his strength are his eyes. Klein was born with heterochromia, a genetic mutation that makes the eyes two different colors. Sometimes the variation is slight, but Klein has one brown eye and one green eye. Often times Klein jokes with Babikian that due to his condition he can’t serve into the sun. However, his eyes have no real effect on his tennis game. Although he doesn’t believe himself to be the best player on the team, and according to Klein he does not play in either of the top two slots, he has undoubtedly propelled himself into a leadership role on the team as one of the two captains of the varsity squad. When he first started playing tennis, he took tennis lessons with some of his friends, the majority of whom have moved on from tennis to other sports. “If Thor focused on baseball and didn’t play tennis I think he could’ve contributed to the program,” said Henry Zeisler, a starter on the varsity baseball team and a close friend of Klein’s. Baseball has been a large part of Klein’s life, as his father has worked as an usher for Oakland Athletics for about seven years.
SPORTS SPOTLIGHT
Photo by Michael Benz
JUNIOR THOR KLEIN has played varsity doubles since his freshman year with partner Zach Babikian. Their overall record is 46-5. Despite his immense playing ability, he is not looking at colleges just for tennis, but he believes that wherever he goes he would want to play tennis at least at the club level. The duo of Babikian and Klein are 11-2 this year, with their only losses coming
against the tennis powerhouse and MCAL rival Tam Red-Tailed Hawks.
mbenz@redwoodbark.org
bark Drop it like it’s squat: juniors compete in CrossFit Open Page 17 • Sports
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By Annie Fogarty At 5:30 a.m., while most students are still asleep, two athletes can be found wide awake, pushing through intense cardio intervals and weight repetitions. These two athletes, juniors Robert Schwartz and Sam Roiz, both participate in CrossFit training and competition. For five weeks, Roiz and Schwartz competed in The Open, the first round of the CrossFit games, which is a Worldwide CrossFit competition. Roiz was a returning contestant hoping to improve upon his finish from last year, while Schwartz was new to the competition. “I am really competing to see how I stand among other people my age,” Schwartz said. On the other hand, Roiz hoped to see himself advance his rank. He placed in the top 10 in the region in the 16-17 year old division last year, but felt he had more of an advantage now, given that he is older. The Open round consists of five workouts, one per week from Feb. 25 through March 28. The athlete’s rank is cumulative of their performance each week. The top 20 globally ranked teen individuals in The Open go directly to the CrossFit Games in July. The Northern and Southern California Regionals are hosted at the Del Mar Arena in Southern California in May. However, because of the teen division’s recent addition, there is no regional round. “The competition is very new for teenagers,” Roiz said. “This is the second year [Crossfit is] doing a teen competition.” After the first three workouts, Roiz was ranked third in Northern California. “I am really happy to be ranked in the top five in Northern California. The competition is not over yet, so I will have to see how I do in the next two workouts,” Roiz said, following the third week. After week four, Roiz moved up to first place in Northern California and maintained this spot through week five. Roiz finished The Open round first in Northern California and 24th Worldwide in the teen division. Schwartz finished twelfth in Northern
Photo by Annie Fogarty
SWINGING FROM THE rings during an Open event, junior Sam Roiz ended up placing first in the Northern California teen division. California after the fifth workout. “We don’t know what [the workout] will be until the officials announce it. They post the workout on Thursday at 5 p.m.,” Roiz said. “Then we have three or four days to do the workout.” Each workout is different. For example, the week four workout challenged the athletes to complete as many rounds of 55 deadlifts, wall-ball shots, calorie rows and handstand pushups as possible within 13 minutes. The athletes are then ranked by how many repeats they complete or
the time it takes to complete a workout, according to the CrossFit games website. The CrossFit Games App allows the athlete to see other people’s results while they are doing the workout. The competitors are allowed to attempt the workout as many times as they please within the three-day time period. The competitors can perform their workout in any location that has a certified judge to verify the results. Roiz trains at The Cave CrossFit Marin and Schwartz trains at TJ’s Gym in Corte
Madera, but both follow similar extreme training regimens. “I train in the morning from 5:30 to 7:00, and then will also double up some days, and go after school also,” Schwartz said. Schwartz typically trains five days a week, while Roiz trains six. Roiz began CrossFit training when he was eleven. Although it was originally a way to become more in shape for other sports, it grew into a passion. “The first workout I was dead, but I loved it. I felt like it was really good for my body. As I kept going to the classes, I started losing weight and everything was changing,” Roiz said. Roiz has taken CrossFit a step further recently, which he claimed likely accounted for his progress in the competition. “In the past, I didn’t focus as much on CrossFit. I would focus more on baseball and school. This year I am falling more in love with CrossFit over baseball,” Roiz said. To be successful in CrossFit you need to excel in all categories of fitness: speed, endurance, strength and cardio, according to Roiz. “The thing about CrossFit is that to be good at [it], you can’t just be good at one thing. You need strength and cardio,” Roiz said. Trainers plan the workouts for classes, making sure that the athletes balance their work. “Let’s say today we do legs. Then tomorrow we would work something else that does not involve legs so that you do not overuse them,” Roiz said. CrossFit appeals to Schwartz and Roiz because of the diversity of workouts. “I love how every workout varies. It’s always something new,” Schwartz said. Roiz and Schwartz have both formed close-knit communities at their gyms because of the group classes. “I like CrossFit because it is more like a family. At the gym you see other people doing their own thing. With CrossFit, most of the time you do your workout with other people,” Roiz said. afogarty@redwoodbark.org
Lupario and Winters lead undefeated volleyball team By Luke Dahlin and Addy Brady Quickly gliding through the air, the speeding volleyball crosses the net onto the Redwood side of the court. Junior libero Andrew Lupario maneuvers to get under the ball before it reaches the hardwood, and strikes it, propelling it high up into the air. Bump. Another teammate gets into position underneath the now descending volleyball, again driving it into the air and towards the net. Set. The ball is now in perfect position for junior outside hitter Brendan Winters. A jump, a perfect strike, and the ball instantly bounces off the gym floor. Spike. This has become a common sight for spectators of the boys’ volleyball team this season, largely thanks to the efforts of Winters and Lupario. Many of Redwood’s possessions and winning points begin and end with Lupario and Winters. Together, along with senior Nate Orwig, they form one of the best serve-receive units in all of the North Coast Section. “We pass together in serve-receive and our coach wants us to talk more to the other teammates, but we pretty much know when we’re going to get the ball and pass to each other,” Winters said. Off the court the two have been best friends for as long as they can remember, and their athletic partnership started when the two began playing Tee-Ball over a decade ago. They began playing volleyball together freshman year and they say that their friendly yet intense competition has brought out the best in both players. “I think coming in [Lupario] and two others were the only people I knew,” Winters said. “That really helped because we warmed up together and did things together off the court to strengthen our relationship.” Lupario agreed, and elaborated on how their friendship has influenced their styles of play. “[Playing together] makes it more fun, makes it more competitive,” Lupario said. “It makes it better being out [on the court].” Together Lupario and Winters have silently emerged
Photo by Luke Dahlin
PREPARING TO RETURN a serve, juniors Brendan Winters and Andrew Lupario have developed chemistry as outside and libero, respectively. Although the two are not vocal on the court, they lead by example. as leaders of the team, and their presence on the court is as reassuring to their teammates as it is to one another. “It’s important to help individual people rather than the whole team because not everyone makes the same mistakes so it’s good to individualize and then put it all together,” Lupario said. “I play my hardest and work my hardest in practices to help younger kids try and learn from it and improve themselves.” Crucial to the serve-receive unit, both players’ role in each play begins with defending the serve and then repositioning for the spike. While Lupario’s role as libero is more defense-oriented and Winters focuses more on
scoring points, the two have dominated the court for Redwood thus far in the season. “I think that we play pretty well together because we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses so we can help each other out in that way,” Winters said. “[Lupario] is a really good passer so his passing really helps me transition to prepare to hit the ball on the outside.”
bark@redwoodbark.org
bark
Page 18 • Sports
April 8, 2016
Coaching trio proves key to success on the diamond By Mary Winnick Under the lights of Albert Park, Adam Hussein hit a line drive, scoring two runs and clinching the MCAL title for Redwood in walk-off fashion. As the red-clad crowd erupted, those on the team knew that there was more to their success than just those on the field. As baseball season swings back around, the Bark has decided to look into exactly what makes this coaching staff so special and different. These three coaches led the varsity team to victory in both North Coast Section and the Marin County Athletic League in 2015, a marked improvement from the middle of the pack finishes that characterized previous seasons. With high expectations for this year’s team, Coaches Mike Firenzi, Tim Grayson, and Joel Russo are working hard to help this team play to the best of its ability and defend their titles. Mike Firenzi: As a former Giants baseball player, Firenzi has always had his eye out for Redwood and its baseball program. Although he was an assistant coach here in 1987 for three years, Firenzi always wanted to be a head coach. Therefore, when he was offered a position as the head coach for Marin Catholic, he took the job offer and managed the Wildcats for nearly 20 years, from 1991 to 2010. Firenzi was then offered a job as assistant coach back at Redwood and felt that it was only right that he returned to his alma mater. “I probably wouldn’t have taken any other coaching job besides [coaching] here,” Firenzi said, “These are my roots. This is my community, and this is where I want to be.” Firenzi became head coach in
2015, when he lead the team to victory winning both the MCAL and NCS championships. The championships placed Redwood at a ranking of 21st in the nation, the highest since they were ranked first in 1977. Firenzi was also named the NCS DII Coach of the Year after the championship wins. In addition to winning both championships last year, Firenzi has also won nine other MCAL championships and four other NCS championships in his coaching career. On a typical game day, Firenzi is on the field by 8 am to set up and get the field ready, and is typically there for an hour after to help clean up. In addition to spending time preparing the field for game days, Firenzi also arrives at the baseball field two hours before practice and stays for an hour after practice to set up and discuss the team’s progress in key areas. “I’m probably [working on the team] at least 40 hours a week in total,” Firenzi said. In contrast to other sports, Firenzi believes baseball teaches players how to go through adversity because it is a failure driven sport. “If you can’t deal with failure, baseball is not a great sport for you,” Firenzi said. Firenzi believes baseball requires a lot of skill because there are so many different aspects to it. “We have a lot of time to stand around and think about our failure or our success,” Firenzi said.
Photo by Mary Winnick
JUMPING OUT OF the way of a tag, coach Joel Russo helps the infielders work on their defense. Russo played baseball for Firenzi while he was at Marin Catholic. Grayson said. Grayson appreciates the sport of baseball because of the mental aspect of the game. “I motivate from hard work, discipline, respect, being a good teammate, and just being a good person in general,” Grayson said. Joel Russo:
Photo by Mary Winnick
WATCHING PRACTICE, Tim Grayson has coached baseball for 35 years.
If your players trust you as a coach, then they will respond a lot better.
Assistant coach Joel Russo is currently in his second year coaching a high school varsity Joel Russo, varsity coach baseball team. Tim Grayson: Russo grew up in Varsity baseball assistant coach Tim Mill Valley where he Grayson has been coaching baseball for 35 played little league baseball and later attended Marin Catholic. years. He played for three years on the “My dad was a coach, my uncles were coaches, I coached my nephew in little varsity baseball team for coach Firenzi where he won both the MCAL and NCS league,” Grayson said. Grayson was the varsity head coach at championships his freshman year. Four days after graduating high school, Tamalpais, San Rafael, and Marin Catholic. Russo left to play He won both the MCAL baseball in Italy for and NCS championships a few years. He then in 2011 and 2012 at Marin returned to Marin Catholic. In addition to play baseball for to coaching at the high College of Marin. school level, Grayson Russo decided has also been a Bombers to take a break from travel ball coach for the playing baseball after past 16 years. college, but started Grayson came to playing semi pro three Redwood when Firenzi years later. asked him to be an Russo came to assistant coach. Along Redwood last year with Firenzi, Grayson is Mike Firenzi, when Firenzi asked at the field roughly two varsity coach if he wanted to help hours before practice coach Redwood starts preparing the field varsity baseball as for the team. Grayson especially enjoys coaching an assistant. This is Russo’s second year Redwood baseball because of the values coaching for the Bombers travel team as Firenzi has worked to root into the players. well. “Mike instilled in these guys hard work, and being a family, and looking out for each other and pushing each other, and just being there to pick each other up,”
These are my roots. This is my community, and this is where I want to be.
Russo believes all of his past coaches, from little league to high school to professional, have had a vital impact on who he is today. “I remember every coach I’ve ever had, and for as long as these guys are around and long after they leave Redwood they will remember me,” Russo said. Russo also hopes to leave the team with good values and lessons for their futures outside of baseball. “I want to make sure I leave a good impression and give them something to look up to and aspire to as a person, and as a baseball player,” Russo said. “Ultimately, their baseball career is going to end and I want to make sure that what I leave them is long term for their life.” This also comes into play when giving the team new tips and techniques to try. “For the most part I try to get them to understand what I’m teaching so that they can apply it on their own rather than me telling them,” Russo said. “If your players trust you as a coach, they will respond a lot better.” Russo believes baseball is different from any other sport because of the “dugout culture” that helps build camaraderie among the team, which translates to the field. “The guys that aren’t in the starting lineup everyday still have a role to play, and the guys that are out there lean on the guys that aren’t playing,” Russo said.
mwinnick@redwoodbark.org
review
Page 19
Friday Night Bites: Go cuckoo for Boo Koo in Mill Valley By Rebecca Smalbach Friday Night Bites, The Bark’s newest review segment, highlights hip places to eat and hang during your night on the town. From delicious desserts to superb suppers, The Bark knows where to go to tantalize your tastebuds. For those who place a high priority on healthy, flavorful, vegetable-filled dishes, Boo Koo offers plenty to choose from. Housed in the classy version of a strip mall in Mill Valley, Boo Koo is the place to go to satisfy those Friday night cravings for Asian food, minus the grease and MSG. Boo Koo was originally founded in 2011 as a way to provide southeast Asian street food with some Californian twists. Everything on Boo Koo’s menu can be made vegan, and fresh produce takes the focus in most dishes. The name Boo Koo is a play on the French word beaucoup, meaning ‘plenty,’ and there most definitely is plenty on the menu here to enjoy. People can go to Boo Koo for anything from a small snack to a full meal, and it’s difficult to come away unsatisfied. Starters are excellent for a quick bite, and Boo Koo’s wide-ranging menu means that it’s possible for picky eaters to go for simple choices like the potstickers ($4.95) or the edamame ($3.50) while more adventurous ones can hit up options like the tiger prawn roll ($5.95). The Asian brussel sprouts ($5.95) were also a denser choice with heavier flavors and more salt, contrasting nicely with the light, crispy, mildly sour flavors of the other appetizers. For a full meal, vegetarians and vegans who come to Boo Koo will be laughing at their meat-eating friends because although everything is tasty with or without meat, adding meat or other proteins to dishes can really run up the price tag, anywhere from $3.50 for green curry chicken to $6.95 for teriyaki tiger prawns (which are delicious, but ridiculously expensive). However, meat lovers should keep an open mind at Boo Koo because even the vegetables are delicious. The salad menu has plenty of fresh, appetizing options, and the standout chile lime salmon salad ($11.95) has a tangy flavor—the combination of the salmon alongside bean sprouts, rice noodles, mint and lime makes for a dish with exactly the right balance of sweet and sour. Not to be counted out are Boo Koo’s homemade not-
Photo by Rebecca Smalbach
BOO KOO SHOWS off its excellent use of fresh vegetables in a sweet and savory combination of South Asian flavors that make up the Chili Lime Salmon salad, which costs $11.95. so-sweet sodas. Listed at the bottom of the menu, they are excellent for cleansing the palate in between dishes or simply making you rethink just how sweet sodas really need to be. The Fuzzy G ($2.25) tastes of ginger and lemongrass and it’s a tasty way to feel refreshed after a grueling week at the books. Another way to spice things up at Boo Koo is with the coconut shroom soup ($4.95). No, there are no psychadelic mushrooms in the soup—the refreshment comes from the pleasantly spicy aftertaste, making it a great way to pep yourself up for a night out.
However, the real standouts on the menu are the bahn mi sandwiches, made on delicious French bread and filled with chili aioli, jalapenos, an assortment of other vegetables and your choice of meat, tofu or grilled vegetables. Quick and easy to eat, the bahn mi embodies the essence of Boo Koo—an excellent place for a fast meal or snack that will expand your tastebuds and make you feel healthy. rsmalbach@redwoodbark.org
‘Zootopia’ zealously delivers entertainment to audiences of all age groups By Madi Barsi With a dynamic plotline and a heartwarming message about overcoming adversity and defying stereotypes, “Zootopia” proved itself an engaging movie for all ages. A box office hit, “Zootopia” has topped the charts since its release, raking in a whopping $479 million. Although an animation film, a genre thought to be mainly for children, this film is delightful for audiences of all ages due to its engaging dialogue and parallels to actual society, leaving everyone in the theater laughing and tearing up at all the appropriate parts. The cast, starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman and featuring Shakira, Idris Elba and J.K. Simmons, gives life to the characters and the comedy is a must see whether you are with your younger siblings or a group of friends. In “Zootopia,” the Zootopia Police Department (ZPD) found itself with 14 “missing mammals” cases. Enter rookie Judy Hopps, a “country” bunny who dreams big of being a police officer in the city of Zootopia. She continually finds herself thwarted in her endeavors by those who say she can’t pursue her dream merely because she’s a bunny. With her misfit partner and the predatory fox, Nick Wilde (Bateman), Judy Hopps demonstrates that she’s ready to break the stereotypes prevalent in animal society among predators and prey so that the animals can live harmoniously, and she can overcome the adversity of being
Photo courtesy of Disney
JUDY HOPPS (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) share a hug, a symbol of their relationship in the Disney movie “Zootopia.” a minority herself. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde must work to solve the case of the missing mammals in 48 hours. “Zootopia” offers comedic relief in its satirical parallels to society. The sloths that worked at the DMV, who move so slowly that the partners find themselves leaving well into the night, accurately portray how just about every citizen feels when the dreaded day comes to renew their driver’s licenses.
From a feminist perspective, it’s particularly moving. Judy Hopps parallels the plight of many women. She faces a significant obstacle when her male colleagues doubt her ability to complete the same tasks that they are able to perform. Judy Hopps is assigned the menial job of “meter maid” in a scene in which she goes above and beyond her assigned task while comically portraying every “cop” stereotype in the book.
In the final scene, Judy proves that with wit, intelligence and determination, she can do anything. The message is overwhelmingly positive and the delivery of the comedy is fantastic. “Zootopia” can also be found to be revealing of deeper rifts in society. In a political regime that targets minorities by attempting to expose them as “predatory,” the movie it is eerily reflective of the media coverage of minorities in our society. The actions taken by the animals in this movie parallel how we should idealistically handle these issues in real life. Judy Hopps also faces socioeconomic adversity when she makes her way from a farming family to the big city world of Zootopia where she must learn to adjust to her new life. Though she worked hard, people criticized her for being a country bumpkin, and she was nicknamed “Carrots” because her family grew carrots. However, through many trials and tribulations, she is able to fight her way above her family farmer name. “Zootopia” shows that through hard work and perseverance, community harmony can be achieved regardless of gender, race or socioeconomic status. Though it contains an obvious deeper meaning, it’s a comical must-see for any age.
mbarsi@redwoodbark.org
bark
Page 20 • Review
April 8, 2016
Discover the Discography: Kanye West By Sam Sheridan and Aaron Halford
After the recent release of “The Life of Pablo,” The Bark decided to examine the full discography of Kanye West and analyze his stylistic evolution throughout the years. West is a man judged more often by his actions rather than the quality of his music, but here we will focus on Kanye’s music. Many brush him aside because of the character he presents in the spotlight. West seems to be an arrogant celebrity, but his pride takes root in his masterful lyricism and production. West grew up in Chicago, and prior to his pursuits as a rapper, he worked behind the scenes as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, producing hit singles for artists such as Alicia Keys and Jay-Z, who he would later come to collaborate with at many different points throughout his career.
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In Kanye’s debut album “The College Dropout,” he took his producing prowess and intertwined it with his impeccable flow and relatable, downto-earth lyrics. Evident in the album are Kanye’s Chicago roots, as he uses soulful gospel background vocals and creative string parts to set the foundation for his rapping. Kanye’s lyrical depth in the album set a very high bar for the rest of his career. His focus on taboo and incendiary topics such as religion, racism, family and self-consciousness contributed to his Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2004. West’s ability to translate real-life experiences into poetry that his audience can relate to is part of what makes “The College Dropout” so special. The album’s motif of neglecting higher education is fittingly ironic, given that West articulately discusses topics associated with high-level thinking.
In Kanye’s second album, “Late Registration,” he was able to utilize the same sounds from “The College Dropout” and further find himself with insightful and sometimes comedic lyrics, and groovy backing tracks. “Late Registration” is clearly inspired by Kanye’s soulful background, as multiple songs on the album feature soul vocal samples from Curtis Mayfield, Otis Redding, Shirley Bassey and Jamie Foxx (inspired by Ray Charles’ “I’ve Got a Woman”). West’s honesty and sensitive side are evident throughout the album, something listeners heard less of in “The College Dropout.” These songs (“Hey Mama,” “Heard ‘Em Say,” “Roses”) mesh well with Kanye’s more up-tempo and fun songs like “Touch the Sky” and “Gold Digger,” making “Late Registration” Kanye’s best and most complete album. Similar to “The College Dropout,” West’s 2005 masterpiece took home Rap Album of the Year at the Grammys.
“Graduation” marked Kanye West’s transition from his more soulful and old-school hip hop to his modern sound. The album took on more anthemic music that West could perform in front of thousands of people, and integrated synthesizers and electronic sounds into his songs, styles not previously seen before. With samples ranging from Daft Punk to Elton John to Michael Jackson, it is clear that “Graduation” took on a wider variety of genres than past albums. Like his previous two albums, “Graduation” also took home Rap Album of the Year at the Grammys, marking hip-hop’s transition from ‘Gangsta Rap’ to more mainstream, hard-hitting beats and catchy lyrics. “Graduation” brought us upbeat staple songs such as “Stronger,” “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and “Homecoming”.
Kanye released “808’s and Heartbreak” in 2008, and as the title implies, it’s jam-packed with 808 beats (beats made on or sounding similar to those of a Roland TR-808 drum machine), synths and electronic sounds. “808’s and Heartbreak” is vastly different from the soul and R&B samples Kanye used in the past. Kanye’s focus shifted from snappy lyricism to autotuned, electronic-sounding vocals. “808’s and Heartbreak” laid the groundwork for some of the electronic beats in Kanye’s future albums. The album lacked solid rap, but in many ways was still stylistically genre defining and marked a departure from Kanye’s classic style. Kanye can’t sing, but autotune helps give “808’s and Heartbreak” an eerie sad feel that goes hand in hand with the title of the album. Even though “808’s and Heartbreak” may not be one of Kanye’s best albums, it is by no means insignificant and definitely deserves a listen every once in awhile.
At the beginning of “Dark Fantasy,” the first song on the album, Teyana Taylor sings, “Can we get much higher?” to which the answer is no. “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” marked (at this point) the peak of Kanye’s career and discography in the minds of both Kanye and the general public. Released in 2010, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” is Kanye West’s first maximalist, all out, over the top album. “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” has varying heavy and dynamic beats as well as features on almost every song. Kanye samples a wide range of artists from Black Sabbath to Aphex Twin in order to create songs that have vastly different themes, but fit together in his album. “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” is an album that’s close to perfect, yet somehow sounds slightly superficial, and lacks the character “The College Dropout” and “Late Registration” possess. This album marked the final transition into Kanye’s modern style of music and set a precedent for Kanye that his future music would fail to meet.
Released in 2011, coming hot off the wheels of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”, Kanye (and Jay Z) have mounted the throne of hip hop. An ode to their self-proclaimed monarchical control of the rap game, “Watch The Throne” brags about their so called “luxury rap” while also contrasting serious undertones. The beats are booming and heavy in songs such as “Why I Love You” but also has the classic soul R&B samples Kanye is so accustomed to in songs such as “Otis.” This album is hence a combination of classic Kanye style and Kanye’s newfound heavy electronic and genre mashing style, and shows Kanye’s style moving toward the intensity of “Yeezus”. “Watch The Throne” combines both Jay-Z and Kanye’s unique rapping styles on top of the more modern beats Kanye started to show off in “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”
“Yeezus” dropped in 2013 and was a return toward the electronic beats of “808’s and Heartbreak” (minus the simple 808 beats), but with much heavier rap and lyrics and an intensity even more aggressive than “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.” The electronic music and synths were backgrounded by heavy bass to create an almost industrial sounding rap album. The lyrics vary from song to song, some racially charged and others which acknowledge Kanye’s new relationship with Kim Kardashian. “Yeezus” is dark, fierce, and ravaging. It’s “808’s and Heartbreak” on steroids, roid rage and all, and it’s no wonder the electronics are excellently done, thanks to Daft Punk’s help with production. Kanye held nothing back on “Yeezus,” making a sonically experimental album that combined a wide array of genres and masterful samples to create something new and unexpectedly pleasant.
This year Kanye released “The Life of Pablo” (originally named So Help me God, then Swish, then Waves) with some mild backlash. West decided to put the album out exclusively on Tidal (JayZ’s music streaming service, prompting a spike in illegal downloads). West also went back and made revisions to the songs multiple times. Despite this, TLOP is still an enjoyable listening experience. The album is not only a profound sonical serenade, but is the epitome of Kanye West. The album is very meta at points. In the skit called, “I Love Kanye,” Kanye references both his old and new self as well as his portrayal in the media. Kanye even goes as far as saying, “I love you like Kanye loves Kanye.” There are countless examples of this; in the song “Famous,” Kanye references his 2009 Grammy incident with Taylor Swift. TLOP has religious motifs complemented by recurring gospel-esque background vocals. There are choppy beats and the album feels imperfect on purpose. The album has a variety of features including Chance the Rapper. All of the features add on to the album and help glorify Kanye in an album that is a product of his perpetual stylistic changes.
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bark
Page 21 • Review
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North Bay beignets that will blow your mind every time By Keely Jenkins Originated in France and adopted as a New Orleans specialty, beignets are fried pieces of dough covered in powdered sugar. The light, airy treats were judged by The Bark based on their size, taste, price and amount of powdered sugar covering. Looking at three locations in Marin and one in nearby San Francisco, here are the best beignets within 30 minutes of Redwood High School.
Bungalow 44 Approximately the size of a thumb, the Bungalow Beignets, served at Bungalow 44 in Mill Valley, were disappointing and burnt. Although six beignets were served, the beignets were half the size of those served at Salito’s, yet more than a dollar more in price. The beignet itself was thick and chewy and covered in an adequate amount of powdered sugar. Its redeeming quality was the variety of sauces that accompanied the pastry. With both a bitter chocolate and espresso-based sauce the twist of flavors elevated the sophistication of the fried dough, but for $9.50 they just aren’t worth it.
Hummingbird Cafe Crispy and golden on the outside while doughy and airy on the inside, the Hummingbird Cafe’s beignets are all one could hope for. Basked in powdered sugar, the pastries were served piping hot and perfectly sweetened. Additionally, the beignets from the Hummingbird were the largest and the cheapest; one can get three large beignets for only $4.30, and while they were not served with any additional sauces or sides, the pastry was so good that additions were unnecessary.
Photo by Keely Jenkins
EARNING FIVE STARS, DOWNTOWN Fairfax’s own Hummingbird Cafe’s beginets were everything one could hope for when craving a traditional sweet doused in powdered sugar.
Salito’s Crab House
Brenda’s French Soul Food
Disappointing to the eye, the bare beignets served by Salito’s are much tastier than they look. Having only a light dusting of powdered sugar, the pastries’ sweetness was delivered by the side of whipped cream that worked well with the warmth of the pastry. At $7.95 for five good -sized beignets, the price is much more reasonable than other options explored. The beignets also retained an airy inside, making them the second best beignets reviewed.
Located on Polk Street and offering traditional, chocolate-filled and other flavorful beignets, Brenda’s French Soul Food serves three beignets for $5.95. While the beignets are perfectly fried and covered in powdered sugar, the dough tasted of bread rather than sweet pastry. A good size, the pastry is pillow-like and sweet enough to be considered a well-made beignet, earning it three stars. kjenkins@redwoodbark.org
No breaks on the insane train of the new House of Cards By Andrew Hout The fourth season of House of Cards was a rollercoaster of previously unexplored ideas that completely altered the series’ universe. The lousy dynamic of season three was ditched, and the new season attempted to mimic the theme of “rising in power” that was successfully pulled off in seasons one and two. However, the setting in this new season was different because Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) resided in the White House as the President instead of as a Congressman. This meant that he had more power and capabilities, but less secrecy since he is the most public figure in America, which was a captivating spin on the show’s previous theme. In season four Frank had to act devious, but remain in the realm of legality because he was held accountable for his actions and decisions. The show had to make do with less violence, so it created more stressful workrelated situations throughout the series. This was a good way to manage without the violence because it generated excitement for every new episode. Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) has a much more independent role in the new season even though her character is closer with her husband than ever before. The Underwoods are planning something big, which means that Claire is often on her own, managing their political opponents. This larger role for Claire gives her more time to shine in the spotlight, which is good because her acting is incredible. Older characters like Peter Russo and Zoey Barnes make returns in this season to play crucial roles that decide the future of the Underwood legacy. The Underwoods tread on very thin ice throughout this season: dealing with Russia, stopping terrorist threats, battling
Photo Courtesy of Netflix
KEVIN SPACEY POSES for a campaign poster of his character Frank Underwood for the newest season of House of Cards, released March 4, 2016. Republicans, running for the primary election and evading journalists who possess incriminating information. Spacey and Wright, have won multiple awards for their work in the series due to their extraordinary acting.
Spacey won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and Wright won a primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress. Their acting performances have only gotten better in this season since every other scene was a nailbiter.
The first two seasons were magnificent with dramatic reveals and devious plans in every episode. They portrayed the Underwoods as cold, calculating politicians who would deceive anyone to achieve political power. Season four builds on this idea because Frank uses his new executive power to bully other parties into conceding with his plans. Part of the fun of those first two seasons was that Frank outsmarted everyone in his quest to ascend the ranks from congressman to president. Season three, on the other hand, was rather boring and seemed more like a soap opera than a political thriller. Frank and Claire had already reached the top so they had nothing else to do except get backstabbed and taken advantage of, which was not exciting to watch. Season three ends with a small cliffhanger that piqued the audience’s interest, but did not quite leave us at the edge of our seats. However, the ending of season four blew me right out of my seat through the window of a four story building. Every episode presented a new problem that the Underwoods needed to solve and they sometimes had to take massive leaps of faith to do so. My one main criticism of this season is that it was not the show’s final season. It should have ended in a nice bow-tie at 52 episodes like a deck of cards since the show is called “House of Cards.” Aside from that small problem, which does not have to do with the content of the show, this season was outstanding. “House of Cards” season four is currently available only on Netflix, for your viewing pleasure.
ahout@redwoodbark.org
bark
Page 22• Lifestyles
Anna Benitez: Caretaker connecting with students
Random Facts 32
By Megan Millard
students are part of the Redwood mountain biking team.
195 21.8 77 130 5 390
April 8, 2016
Marin teen girls attended a speech about the importance of bravery in daily lives. minutes is cut off a person’s life for every minute they spend sitting. teachers voted in favor of adding a new advisory period to the schedule. sick marine animals are hosted currently by the Marine Mammal Center. minutes will be added to Tueday and Friday lunches next year. wins varsity baseball coach Mike Firenzi has in MCALs.
Walking into the Wellness Center, students are greeted by Anna Benitez, officially known as a “Wellness Outreach Specialist,” but more commonly recognized as a friendly face and the bountiful provider of the much sought-after Kind Bar. Dozens of students interact with Benitez on a daily basis, but few know what goes on in her life beyond the boundaries of Redwood’s campus: foster parenting. “My partner and I currently run the Emergency Foster Home for Marin County,” Benitez explained. “We’ve been doing that for almost three years and we’ve fostered 55 children.” Benitez and her partner have one 7-year-old biological daughter, and another child who is due to arrive in May. Just recently, Benitez and her family said goodbye to a teenage girl who stayed with them for seven months. The family just welcomed another teenager. “We’ve always worked with foster kids, we’ve just never parented or lived with foster kids. When we both did social work, a lot of our caseloads were foster children,” Benitez said. “When we worked at a charter school in Arizona a lot of those children were foster children. It’s always been a population that we’ve worked with.” Benitez joined the Wellness team in October 2015 following five years in health education at Planned Parenthood. In her job at the Wellness Center, she said she is able to connect with students on a more personal level and see familiar faces on a day-to-day basis. “I really wanted to be a part of a program that helps students more holistically but also includes reproductive health, which Wellness does, and work more one-on-one with students,” she added. Benitez stressed the importance of “self-care,” which she defined as doing things that help her to relieve stress, particularly when it comes to welcoming so many different people and eventually saying goodbye to them. “That could be meditating, going to the gym, going for a walk, talking to a friend on the phone, connecting with other people, connecting in nature, eating something really good,” she said. Benitez believes that being a foster parent is not difficult, but does require a big commitment in the longrun. “It is challenging to hear their stories as to why they were removed. That can be dramatic. Even though it didn’t happen to you, hearing the stories is pretty grim. You just wonder what kind of world we live in where people do pretty crazy things to children,” Benitez said.
Photo by Megan Millard
WELLNESS OUTREACH specialist Anna Benitez greets students attending the Wellness Center.
Benitez added that the challenges not only have to do with the incidents of trauma themselves, but the long term effects of such events, like the coping skills that children develop to deal with this kind of distress. “Figuring out what that is initially and then dealing with it and trying to reshape and guide them in a different way––that can be challenging. Especially because a lot of times, a lot of children don’t have trust for grown ups and it is really hard for them to have trust and to open up. That can be a long process.” Benitez said her experience as a foster parent has helped her be a better biological parent as well. “It reminds me that it is really important to be forgiving. Forgiveness is really huge. Acceptance of people, where they are at, and what they have been through,” Benitez said. Benitez also emphasized the importance of grown-ups being “advocates for young people.” Benitez and her family will take a short break from fostering in order to raise their expected child but intend to take in more children in the future. “Everyone needs a safe space. Everyone needs someone to advocate for them. It doesn’t matter where people come from, people need a grown-up to care for them,” Benitez explained. “The rewards definitely outweigh the challenges.” mmillard@redwoodbark.org
Junior aspires to open online business selling pottery By Annie Fogarty At any given lunch period, junior Alice Sowa can likely be found in the ceramics room, working away. Sometimes she is sitting behind the wheel, shaping a lump of terracotta clay into a smooth sphere or dipping a fired piece into a sea blue glaze, her favorite color to work with. She spends most of her free time at school adding new pieces to her collection of nearly a hundred, some of which she is planning to sell. “I’m someone who really doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty. My jeans are always covered in something arty,” Sowa said. Sowa is in the process of opening an online store to sell her pottery and other art. She is planning to use the platform Etsy, an online marketplace where vendors sell their art such as jewelry and clothing directly to customers. Though Sowa loves drawing and painting, she believes that she really excels at creating sculpture and ceramics. “My mind thinks in a very three dimensional way, so I am able to make the things that my mind actually thought of instead of trying to be flat on a piece of paper,” Sowa said. In the past, Sowa has sold her pieces in the ceramics department’s annual sale in June, which is hosted by ceramics teacher Liz Lauter. This inspired her to take her sales further and open her own business. Sowa has had success selling her practical items such as dog bowls, candle stands, and pitchers. She began exploring three dimensional art in ceramics her freshman year. She is enrolled in three art classes: AP ceramics, Drawing and Painting and Artist’s Voice, a Wednesday night class.
One of Sowa’s favorite aspects of her art is the imperfection. “I love taking something from my mind and putting it on a form and not caring if it is perfect or not,” Sowa said. Though she enjoys sculpting practical pieces, Sowa considers herself to be very adventurous because she always experiments with different techniques. “I’m experimenting with a double wall to make a doughnut and figuring out different carving ways to make things pop in and out,” Sowa said. Sowa said that it typically takes her two days to complete a piece, but she sometimes goes further to incorporate intricate details. “I am really into mixing different medias together,” Sowa said, pointing to a pile of fired triangles. She explained that she would combine these ceramic triangles with different types of metal such as tin and copper to create a geometric sculpture. According to Sowa, many of her pieces are inspired by nature. Whether it carving graphic floral patterns into the clay, or basing her colors and forms off of the environment. “[In one of my pieces], I will use a blue glaze like the ocean and a green-brown glaze to represent the mountains,” Sowa said. Some of her pieces unintentionally begin to resemble parts of nature, according Sowa. After completion, Sowa saw that one piece looked like bushel of artichokes and another looked like a coral reef. Sowa said that she believes accidents sometimes lead to the most unconventional and creative pieces. “It is fun to see how the piece will turn out,” Sowa said. afogarty@redwoodbark.org
Photo by Annie Fogarty
JUNIOR ALICE SOWA presents one of her handmade pitchers. Sowa will soon be selling her pottery and other art pieces on her personal website through Etsy.
bark Face-to-Face: Should the smoking age be raised from 18 to 21? Page 23 • Lifestyles
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By Ovedia Crum Face-to-Face is a feature that allows two members of the Redwood Community to grill each other, argue, or simply converse about a relevant issue or event. We provide the topic, and they do the rest. This month’s participants are seniors Michelle Lewis and Katie Isaacson, and they discuss their views on what the legal smoking age should be. On March 2, San Francisco legally changed the smoking age from 18 to 21 in an effort to minimize teen smoking. Should the smoking age be raised from 18 to 21 on a larger scale? Katie Isaacson: It should not be raised from 18 to 21. It should be 18 because if you’re willing to be drafted into the war or be able to decide what you are going to do in college or just in your career in general, then you should be able to have the responsibility to choose whether you want to smoke a cigarette. Michelle Lewis: I believe that we should change it to 21 because you are putting toxic chemicals into your body by smoking cigarettes. Most high schoolers have access to it but if [the age] were 21 it would be less likely for people to become addicted and try it. Do you think a lot of smokers are underage? KI: I do, unfortunately. But I think there are other ways to prevent people from smoking other than making it illegal. The U.S. actually has made a lot of progress in reducing teen smoking. For example, Europe has way higher rates of people smoking in general. And I think
KI: I think that if you are a smoker you are most likely going to be addicted, so if the smoking age were increased to 21, you aren’t telling people to break the law, but they will break it anyway. It’s going to be like underage drinking—the fact that the age requirement is 21 hasn’t stopped it.
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ML: It will probably cause people to break the law but I think that it might also help prevent more addictions from happening.
Katie Isaacson - vs Michelle Lewis through education and awareness we can reduce teen smoking, rather than changing the law. ML: Yes, and I believe it is because if you start smoking and trying things at a younger age you’re more inclined to start liking it and become addicted to it. People want to try cigarettes and they have access to it.
What do you think is more dangerous: alcohol or tobacco? KI: I think drinking is more dangerous, just because you are more likely to overdose, which can cause death. There is more social pressure to drink. ML: I definitely think that tobacco is more dangerous because it has toxic chemicals in it, which cause cancer, unlike alcohol, which you can overdose from.
Do you think that changing the age will actually stop underage smoking?
Do you think e-cigarettes are prompting younger people to smoke?
KI: I think that it will decrease it but I don’t think that it’s going to stop it—people are just going to go against the law and make fake IDs. People will be more likely to break the law if the age is no longer 18.
KI: Yeah, I think it’s just because they are so accessible and I think that people have this idea that it’s more hip. For some reason they have this mindset that it’s not dangerous.
ML: I think that it will help decrease it. If you’re 21 then you will probably see it in college, but I think that it will decrease in high school because it will be harder to get. It should decrease the number of smokers you see by a lot.
ML: I believe that it is attracting a lot of teens, especially here at Redwood. I think that instead of having an actual cigarette, people think that smoking vapor is a healthier way to do things and experiment. But I think that if you smoke vapes you might actually want to try cigarettes.
How do you think smokers who now smoke legally will react once they can no longer buy tobacco legally?
ocrum@redwoodbark.org
Students navigate the music industry using sharing websites
about how the music sounded, but as he gained experience, he began to feel better about the music he was posting. As a kid, all senior Jake Baldwin wanted Unlike Baldwin, junior vocalist and to do was play music. Once he found his guitarist Noa Zimmerman does not use passion, he needed a way to share it with Soundcloud. Instead, she uses iTunes, others—so, he turned to SoundCloud, an Spotify and CD Baby to share her music. online platform for aspiring musicians and Zimmerman said that the process is producers alike. pretty simple and only takes a couple of Baldwin, who plays bass, acoustic steps. guitar, and sings, has 282 followers and has “The process of putting your preposted 17 tracks on SoundCloud. recorded music on one of the sites like CD He first started uploading his music on Baby is simple. You self-upload the music the internet in seventh and then [the sites] are grade. the ones that distribute “It was really a your music for you, silly endeavor since I but you have to be sure did not have much to that you copyright your put out there. I was music before posting it,” just trying to promote Zimmerman said. myself,” Baldwin She also stressed that said. “I did not get a music sharing sites are lot of feedback, but for people who want to what I got back was attract attention to their really nice. People music rather than make Noa Zimmerman, were so encouraging money. junior to me.” “If your intention Baldwin said that is just to make money, I he had a trick to gain would only use iTunes, followers on SoundCloud. but if you want people to get to know your “I had a dirty trick to gain followers. I music, I would use CD Baby and Spotify,” followed like 5,000 people who followed Zimmerman said. bands I liked, and waited until they Zimmerman characterizes her genre followed me back. It worked,” Baldwin as acoustic singer-songwriter folk music, said. “It was a really poor self-promotional mainly modeled after singer-songwriter tactic.” Elliot Smith. One of the initial hurdles he faced was Most of Zimmerman’s exposure comes his inability to compose music, according from performing and sharing her music to Baldwin. with her friends. “The stuff that I posted back then was “I have these sites so people can listen not very good in my opinion. When I look to my music after they see me at one of my back, I want to get away from it,” Baldwin shows. It allows them to really get to know said. “It was unmusical garbage. It was what kind of music I do,” Zimmerman almost exclusively bass which does not said. “When my friends see my music on sound good alone.” Spotify, they are like, ‘Oh, I saw you on Baldwin said that he was embarrassed Spotify!’ It’s pretty cool.” By Max Josef
I have these sites so people can listen to my music after they see me at one of my shows.
Photo by Sam Slade
SENIOR JAKE BALDWIN rehearses on his guitar. Baldwin often uses music sharing sites like SoundCloud to share his musical talents. Similarly, freshman vocalist Sylvie Cox turned to music sharing sites when she needed a way to share her music with people. Cox has 63 followers and has posted 12 tracks on SoundCloud. “I started using [SoundCloud] because I do not have a record company that I am working with so it was the only way I would be able to get my music out there,” Cox said. Cox also uses her personal social media accounts to showcase her singing. “I also share my music on my Instagram and Facebook accounts.” Like Zimmerman, Cox wanted to stress that people should use websites to share their music. “I would recommend SoundCloud because it is widely used and people know
about it. SoundCloud music is also really easy to share on social media,” Cox said. Baldwin recommended that before musicians put their music out on the web, they should really sit on it for some time or run it by mentors who know music, such as band members and teachers, because once the music is on the Internet, it never goes away. As for the music published by Baldwin in seventh grade, he has embraced it and has not taken it down after the initial embarrassment. The three musicans can be heard on their personal music sharing accounts by visiting SoundCloud, Spotify or iTunes.
mjosef@redwoodbark.org
Mastering the art of Irish dancing By Kaylee Bushell She stood up on the stage waiting to show what she had worked on for 15 years. She had one minute to show the judges she was worth it. It was all muscle memory at that moment. Senior Julia Halloran started dancing at three years old, inspired by her family’s Irish heritage. “I’m Irish, so all my cousins had been dancing. It was mainly my sister who is six years older. I would go and watch her practices. She was the drive for my inspiration,” Halloran said. After her sister quit, Halloran convinced her mom to let her start dancing and Halloran
Photo by Kaylee Bushell
quickly found a passion for the type of dance. Halloran began her dancing career in San Francisco at the Healy Irish dance studio. She danced there from the time she was three years old to her freshman year and then transferred to Dillon Magh Adhair in Walnut Creek. Halloran attends practice three times a week, but if they are coming up on regionals or on the world competition it can be anywhere from five to seven days a week with an hour commute both ways. Because of the uncertainty, Halloran made the decision to switch to a different location. “I look back on it all the time and think if I made the right decision to leave or not. My friends who stayed at the school did really well in solos, but they didn’t end up getting the opportunities to go to worlds,” Halloran said. According to Halloran, there are team dances and solos. The solo dances are more structured, while for the team dances they can make up their own routine. “In solos you get to show your own style and pizazz. In teams everyone needs to look uniform. You can’t have one person way better than everyone else. Everyone needs to look the same,” Halloran said. Over the years, Halloran has been training to compete in competitions all over the world. In order to attend worlds one needs to qualify at regionals, which can be a tough process according to Halloran. “It’s much more difficult to go for solos because there are more people competing. The solo dancers go through three rounds to qualify. Teams are difficult too because it takes a certain person to work well in a team,” Halloran said. For the past two years, Halloran has attended the world competitions in London and Montreal and claimed second place. “Those were absolutely terrifying because it’s a week-long event and there are people all over the world competing,” Halloran said.
It can be hard not to crack under the pressure, said Halloran. One year Halloran and her team were disqualified because one girl stepped the wrong way. “Everything has to be exact. You can’t mess up the traditional dances from the book,” Halloran said. The traditional dances come from the Book of Kells. Other dances can be choreographed, making up the story with about 20 people,” Halloran said. In teams everyone wears the same dress and wig to make it look put together. According to Halloran, the attire is also a big part of the dance as well as an expensive part. Solo dresses, depending on where they are purchased, can cost up to 3000 dollars. Many people purchase dresses in England and Ireland. “Mine is black velvet and it has red and white embroidered going down the chest and the torso and the skirt has petal type things with embroidery and I have my family crest on the back of it,” Halloran said. In older years attire used to have designs from the Book of Kells that made sense to the Irish heritage. “Some people for a while had pictures of Irish Saints embroidered on their skirts or were having folktales. They had a story board on the skirt,” Halloran said. Once Halloran walks up on stage she knows what the judges look at instantly, her dress and wig. “The second you walk on stage you want to be the one the judges look at not because you’re a hot mess, but because you have all the jewels and look presentable,” Halloran said. When Halloran is up on that stage she stands alongside 20 other girls who she has been dancing with since the beginning. “The group of girls I dance with is like my family. I know some of the girls that I dance with better than I know my sister because you spend so much time with them. You just go through everything with them and have known them forever. They are part of my family,” Halloran said. Halloran looks forward to seeing her team and is motivated by them on hard practice days. “When it’s a really long practice day and you’ve been there for four hours already and another two to go you have to think about the wins that you had and how all this work does pay off,” Halloran said. kbushell@redwoodbark.org