December Issue 2015

redwood

bark.

Volume LVIII, No. 5 • December 11, 2015 • Larkspur, CA

“In the end , I love the person inside of me.”

Mental illness feature pg. 12 Illustration by Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan

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

Review Editors

Kayla Aldridge Aaron Halford Macrae Sharp Rebecca Smalbach Caleigh Stephens

Julia Cherner Heidi Roenisch

Spanish Editors Madison Barsi Henry Tantum

News Editors

Camille Kawawa-Beaudan Megan Millard Gregory Block

Video Editor Hayden Blum

Social Media Manager

Feature Editors

Kylie Kvam

Annie Forsman Nicole Stock

Snapshot Editor Chloe Wintersteen

Opinion Editors Eric Ahern Geneva Gist

Web Developer/ Newsletter Kevin Makens Sam Slade

Sports Editors Ovie Crum Adam Kreitzman

Business Manager Sarah Kimball

Lifestyles Editors Hannah Blazei Ella Cook

Survey Manager Keely Jenkins

Adviser

Erin Schneider

Reporters

Isabella Alioto, Danny Avins, Michael Benz, Addison Brady, Kaylee Bushell, Emily Cerf, Catherine Conrow, Luke Dahlin, Sabrina Dong, Jason Fieber, Annie Fogarty, Jenna Herz, Andrew Hout, Max Josef, Maxime Kawawa-Beaudam, Isabelle Marmur, Robin Naylor, Anne Pritikin, Kendall Rhoads, Sam Sheridan, Sydney Soofer, Cosmo Taylor, Mary Winnick, Simone Wolberg, Pearl Zhong

redwood

bark. redwood high school

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Division III Commitments

395 doherty dr., larkspur, ca 94939

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volume LVIII, no. 4

Hot Cocoa in Marin

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21

December 11, 2015

Teacher Featured on NPR

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www.redwoodbark.org

Beloved former Redwood Spanish teacher passes away

By Heidi Roenisch Former Redwood Spanish teacher Stacey Goodwin died the weekend of Nov. 7-8.

Goodwin worked at Redwood for eight years and previously at Tam and Drake, before moving to Ibiza, Spain in January of 2015.

Goodwin and her family had returned to the United States to live in Los Angeles in July, where she died. In the weeks since, her husband and two children Vicens Vila, have moved sophomore back to Ibiza.

While she took a semester leave for surgery recovery in 2013, details about Goodwin’s death are still largely unknown, as her family has decided to maintain privacy while

they mourn.

The information was communicated to the student body through friend and fellow Redwood Spanish teacher Deborah McCrea, who received an email from Goodwin’s husband informing of her passing.

Despite her grief, McCrea said that working with Goodwin was an adventure in itself. “ S h e always had something going on in her life––she moved to Spain, she traveled a lot, she was so involved with Spanish culture,” McCrea said.

McCrea also shared the impact Goodwin had on her students.

“I think her students really appreciated how she really respected them and encouraged

She was so colorful and one of the most vibrant people I’ve met.

Photo courtesy of Deborah McCrea

PICTURED WITH HER daughter is Stacey Goodwin, a beloved former Redwood Spanish Teacher.

and welcomed them,” McCrea said. “She really wanted to make learning fun and interesting for the kids, and would always try to involve them, whether through making them sing or writing mad lib stories.”

According to McCrea this energy led to a close relationship between Goodwin and her students.

“She would try to get them engaged, and I think that it worked. Kids enjoyed her class.

She made Spanish not limited to translations; it was something that would involve all of the students. It allowed them to see that a language can be fun and exciting,” McCrea said.

Sophomore Vicens Vila, who was Goodwin’s student his freshman year, said that she left a mark on the Spanish program at Redwood.

“She had so much energy that it translated into student enthusiasm, which made things so much better,” Vila said.

“While she was a teacher, she was also very much someone you just had a lot of fun with. She was so colorful, and one of the most vibrant people I’ve met.”

One of Vila’s favorite memories of Goodwin’s enthusiasm came from the first day of school.

“The first day of school, she wouldn’t let us go into the classroom at first and made us go in one by one, and then she would scream our names and we would cheer for and applaud each other as we walked in,” Vila said. “It was a really warm welcome back to school, and it set a tone for a very good semester.”

A favorite memory of McCrea’s pertains to Goodwin’s unique teaching style.

“We have this really hard tense in Spanish, the imperfect

Photo courtesy of William Crabtree

STACEY GOODWIN died unexpectedly the weekend of Nov. 7-8.

Goodwin taught Spanish at Redwood for eight years before moving to Spain in January 2015. subjunctive, and it was really hard for us to make it understandable for the kids, so she took the Enrique Iglesias song ‘Hero’ and created a whole backstory around it where she was a superhero, and then she would run into my classroom and change into a Superman costume and go back to her class and get her kids singing along. She would even get on the desks and jump around,” McCrea said.

“Some of the kids thought she was a little crazy, but that was the way she got them invested,” McCrea said. “The kids were willing to put themselves out

there because they saw that she was doing the same thing every day.”

Vila also mentioned the impact Goodwin’s teaching style had.

“You could hear her down the hallway- you could tell she loved what she did,” he said.

Redwood students can make cards or send letters to Goodwin’s family by contacting McCrea.

Grief counseling is also available in the Wellness Center.

hroenisch@redwoodbark.org

Fall Arts Spectacular paints a new tradition at Redwood

By Pearl Zhong Redwood art students will be hosting the first-ever Fall Arts Spectacular on Wednesday, Dec. 9 from 6-8 p.m. in the CEA. Students from various art departments are given the opportunity to exhibit their works created during the first semester.

“It’s a celebration of the arts here at Redwood,” said junior and Artist’s Voice student Eve Anderson. “We have art students from intermediate and advanced classes showcasing their work, one piece per student.”

In addition to displaying different works, which range from paintings to ceramics, students will also be hosting an Art Rodeo to fundraise for the arts program.

According to Anderson, student artists participating in the Art Rodeo will draw for 30 minutes. Each student’s final piece of work created will be sold for $20 per drawing.

“The proceeds will go to the art program, because we need money for field trips, so we’re hoping to get a bus to take us to the De Young or any other sort of art museum,” Andersen said.

Photo by Pearl Zhong

JUNIOR ARTIST’S VOICE STUDENTS Alice Sowa and Megyn Horton work on splatter paint decorations for next week’s Fall Arts Spectacular.

Junior and Artist’s Voice student Alice Sowa also said that there will be a community wall at the event for everyone to draw on.

“The community wall is sort of like a giant coloring book that people can do

designs and abstract art. There is going to be be paint and markers for anyone to draw stuff on it,” Sowa said.

In addition, Film Focus students will be screening student-made films during the event, and Advanced Drama students will

be performing scenes, monologues and hosting improvisation games.

Students in the Art Exploration classes will be managing face painting booths, and the music department will be hosting a concert in the Little Theater.

Andersen also mentioned that on the same day as the exhibition, the amphitheater will be covered with words and phrases written by Redwood students of what they wish to complete in their lifetime.

“It’s an interpretation of Candy Chang’s interpretation of ‘Before I Die,’” Andersen said. “So it’s like performance art, which is great [because] it’s on the same day.”

According to both Andersen and Sowa, the idea of hosting the Fall Arts Spectacular originated from the Artist’s Voice class, which meets after school every Wednesday from 6-9 p.m., and is meant to give artistic students another opportunity to get creative.

“We’re hoping to do another one in the spring semester, and we’re reaching out to other departments to try and make it a bigger event,” Sowa said.

pzhong@redwoodbark.org

bark

Page 2 • News

December 11, 2015

Photo Survey:

What was the coolest holiday gift you have ever received?

“Probably my Mercedes Lewis Hamilton hat, that was pretty cool.”

T.J. Ross freshman

“I got a little brother.”

Isabella Liu sophomore

“I got a pooper scooper, which I later found out was for my new puppy.”

“I got some really sick socks.”

junior

senior

Lauren Knott

Karl Tietze

College Board approves Redwood to pilot Advanced Placement Capstone

By Rebecca Smalbach Redwood was recently approved by the College Board to pilot a new Advanced Placement (AP) program, AP Capstone, for the 2016-2017 school year, according to Principal David Sondheim.

According to the College Board, AP Capstone is a two year program which consists of two year-long classes, AP Seminar and AP Research. If students obtain at least a three on the AP exams of both courses as well as threes on at least four other AP exams, they will earn the AP Capstone Diploma.

Students in AP Seminar will work with a team to research a topic of their choice, develop a written report, and deliver a presentation, according to the College Board.

Students in AP Research will conduct a year-long research project on a topic of their choice, culminating with a 5,000 word paper.

However, according to Sondheim, just because Redwood has been accepted to pilot the program does not mean that it will actually be implemented.

“We will bring a justification or reason for doing this to our teacher leaders and Site Council, and then ultimately we’ll make a decision as to whether to move forward with it or not,” Sondheim said.

Even if the Redwood community agrees that the program should be run at Redwood, there will still be a few obstacles before the program can be officially approved.

“If we decide to move forward, then we would create courses of study for each of the courses, and the School Board would then look at them and ultimately the Board would then approve whether to have the courses or not,” Sondheim said.

According to the College Board, it is up to individual schools to choose whether AP Capstone classes will be run on their own, or combined with other AP classes, such as an AP Environmental Science/AP Research combination that would only take up one class period.

Sondheim says that Redwood has not yet chosen whether AP Seminar and AP Research will be stand-alone courses, or whether they will be combined. “[Teacher leaders] are putting together a proposal for the rest of the community to see whether the interest is there,” Sondheim said, and he believes that the format of the courses will be decided then.

Sophomore Griffin Ward expressed interest in taking the courses, but also concern over how they would work with his schedule.

“It’d be a cool class, but there are other classes I want

Information courtesy of College Board, Infographic by Rebecca Smalbach

to take too,” Ward said. “It’ll depend on how it fits into my schedule.”

Currently, the University of California system has designated the courses in AP Capstone as “g” electives, meaning that they would not fill requirements that the University of California has for any specific subjects.

Ward believes that since the courses only have elective designation, he will prioritize other classes that the University of California system recommends for specific subjects.

However, Ward also thinks that the courses will teach valuable new skills, especially time management, because the assignments in the classes will span the entire year rather than just a few days.

According to Sondheim, the courses will be mainly skill-based, rather than content-based like many current AP classes such as AP U.S. History.

“It’s really teaching students to think critically, creatively, how to research, how to develop arguments and pose solutions,” Sondheim said.

This difference will be reflected in the course exams as well.

In AP Seminar, the exam will consist of an essay, a team project and presentation, and a written test, according to the College Board. The exam in AP Research will be an academic paper and an oral defense of the paper.

Unlike other AP courses, where exams only cost $92, AP Capstone exams will cost $139, according to the College Board.

Sondheim said that students and parents will start hearing about proposals for AP Capstone in the next few months. rsmalbach@redwoodbark.org

bark Marin hospital takes next step towards gender equality Page 3 • News

www.redwoodbark.org

Marin General becomes first in North Bay to offer gender confirmation surgeries.

By Anne Pritikin The Marin General Hospital began providing gender confirmation surgeries in September, becoming the first and only major hospital in the North Bay to make these operations available to transgender patients.

The operations, also known as gender reassignment surgeries, are life-changing and lifesaving for many patients, according to Dr. Thomas Satterwhite, who performs gender confirmation procedures at Marin General Hospital in Larkspur and California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco. He is one of three physicians at Marin General Hospital who perform the surgeries.

According to Satterwhite, the majority of transgender patients who seek surgery were suicidal at some point in their past; 41 percent of transgender individuals have attempted suicide at least once in their lifetime, as stated by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Depression, anxiety, and drug abuse have also affected many transgender patients’ lives in some way, Matthew Moser Satterwhite said.

“The majority Senior of my patients who come here have a huge degree of gender dysphoria. They’re very, very unhappy because there is a part of the anatomy that’s there that shouldn’t be there and they want it off or changed in some way,” Satterwhite said.

Gender dysphoria is defined as the distress one feels due to the mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Evidence of the clinical effectiveness and success of gender confirmation surgeries as a treatment for gender dysphoria is one of the main reasons some states and some insurance companies cover the costs of procedures, Satterwhite said.

“The moment after the operation is over,

whatever the operation is, when they’re in the recovery room, this huge weight has been lifted,” Satterwhite said. “Without fail, they’re all happy. Their gender dysphoria is gone.”

The gender confirmation operations available at Marin General include vaginoplasties, mastectomies, phalloplasties, breast augmentations, and facial feminization procedures that range from $8,000 to $80,000.

A vaginoplasty, a male to female operation, involves using the patient’s own tissue to create female genitalia. One part of the surgery involves removal of the testicles to stop testosterone production and repositioning of the urethra, according to Satterwhite.

“I take tissue from the tip of the penis, called the glans, and I make sure the nerves are still attached to it. Then I make a clitoris and place it on the pelvis in the correct anatomic location,” Satterwhite said. “The other part of the operation is making the vaginal canal itself. I open up a space in the pelvis and use skin from the shaft of the penis to line the opening of the vagina and skin from the scrotum to line the deeper part of the vagina.”

Previously these surgeries had been cost-prohibitive for many patients.

However, with the advent of broadened insurance coverage under California’s Insurance NonDiscrimination Act of 2006, the gender confirmation procedures have become more accessible because the cost is less of a roadblock.

“The vast majority of my patients have been living as their desired gender for years. They’ve been accepted by the community, by their workplace, by their family. By the time they come here, I’m the last stop in this process and we’re getting this huge influx of patients because they now have insurance,” Satterwhite said.

California is one of 11 states that provide insurance for gender confirmation surgeries. All California-based insurance companies must provide care for transgender patients because of the 2006 law, according to Satterwhite.

Nonetheless, the surgeries are only available in specific geographical areas because of the limited number of surgeons who specialize in the procedures.

The idea of gender identity isn’t just a black or white thing and...is complex.

Photo by Anne Pritikin

Dr. Thomas Satterwhite is one of three surgeons at Marin General Hospital who perform gender confirmation procedures.

Satterwhite said that Northern California breast augmentations.

Prior to receiving surgery, all is a national pioneer in transgender health care, as multiple hospitals perform gender prospective patients are required to meet certain criteria, Satterwhite said. They must confirmation surgeries in the region.

“It’s a wonderful thing that Marin obtain two recommendation letters from General is finally sponsoring and mental health therapists, have lived and performing gender reassignment presented themselves as the gender with surgeries,” said Matthew Moser, president which they identify as for at least 12 months, of Redwood’s GTSA (Gay Transgender and have taken hormones for 12 months.

Straight Alliance) club. “We live right next In most cases, patients must be at least 18 to San Francisco, which is a milestone area years old and Satterwhite will not perform for the LGBTQ community and so it’s nice any genital-related surgeries on a patient younger than 18. to know that areas S a t t e r w h i t e ’s surrounding it are patients have trying to become more ranged from 14 to open to the idea that 78 years old and gender identity isn’t he has performed just a black or white mastectomies on thing and that gender patients younger identity is complex.” than 18 because Satterwhite they continued performed the first to have a large gender confirmation degree of gender surgery at Marin dysphoria despite General Hospital Dr. Thomas Satterwhite hormonal treatment in September and Marin General surgeon and psychotherapy. expects to perform In such cases, many more. He is Satterwhite booked for gender confirmation surgeries six months in requires parental consent and approval advance at CPMC. In the past 14 months, from a psychotherapist and, if possible, a Satterwhite has performed approximately pediatrician.

Despite the fact that 20 percent of 80 vaginoplasties, 200 mastectomies, 15 facial feminization procedures, and 30 Redwood students do not believe a transgender woman is a “real” woman, according to an October 2015 Bark survey, Satterwhite thinks otherwise.

“You can imagine that someone has a biological sex of male, but their identity is female. The way that I see it, is that they were born as a woman, but happened to have a birth defect, which was [male genitalia].

It’s not that their gender is changing, it’s that their body is being realigned to their true gender,” Satterwhite said.

Satterwhite was inspired to pursue the specialized expertise necessary to perform these surgeries due to the mentors he met during his training at Stanford University and his personal experiences.

“I can certainly relate to the underdog and the underserved, and I think I’ve always wanted to work with the underserved community. The transgender community always happened to be that way and hopefully at some point in the future it won’t,” Satterwhite said.

For more information about the transgender community at Redwood, see Transgender Teenagers: Breaking the Boundaries of Binary.

I can certainly relate to the underdog...I’ve always wanted to work with the underserved community.

Information courtesy of Dr. Satterwhite, Infographic by Anne Pritikin

apritikin@redwoodbark.org

December 11, 2015 bark Page 4 • News Seasonal job offers provide students with work opportunities

By Andrew Hout

On Nov. 3, a stand from Macy’s was displayed outside the CEA, meant to recruit Redwood students for seasonal jobs that are easy to attain and simple to find.

These seasonal jobs are beneficial to students who, due to busy schedules, do not want to commit to a full time job during school weeks, according to College Counselor Paula Vantrease. Seasonal work offers an opportunity for students to put jobs on their resumes, as well as a chance to save up for holiday gifts.

Senior Zach Wieck, who has worked seasonally at Macy’s for the past two years, earned his job after visiting the Macy’s recruitment stand at Redwood.

Wieck believes that a recruitment stand is more effective at providing students with job opportunities than the College and Career Center job board and the Internet.

“I definitely wouldn’t have gotten a job as soon as I did without the stand because it really pushed me toward the idea of working,” Wieck said.

Because the stand encouraged Weick to apply for the job, he believes the stand’s presence motivates students to think about the idea of a job.

“I wasn’t looking for a job at the time, but I was definitely interested since I just turned 16. I thought maybe I could see

what working is like since I legally can,” Wieck said. “I gave them my name and contact information, and they set up a date for an interview. Then I got the job.”

Despite being motivated through the Macy’s stand to start a job, Wieck believes that finding jobs through the College and Career Center is easier, considering the busyness of a typical school day.

“I think it is good for the community when the school helps students find jobs, because we are here for six hours a day anyways so that’s six hours of the day we can’t be working or looking for jobs,” Weick said.

Over 50 percent of students who currently have jobs acquired them through referrals from others, according to the December 2015 Bark survey.

These processes could be streamlined by having more job stands. Only 23 percent of students who are searching for jobs use school resources, even though they are readily available.

“Instead of having the idea that, ‘I want to work, but I don’t know where to start,’ the recruiters were very helpful with the whole process,” Weick said.

Vantrease believes that the Macy’s recruiter handing out job applications was more “visually” appealing for students.

Though she posts job opportunities on the job board weekly, she agrees that the

Photo by Andrew Hout

EMPLOYEES RECRUIT extra student workers in anticipation of the holiday season. presence of the Macy’s stand was more effective in inspiring students.

“Macy’s does not normally hire students under the age of 18, but during the holiday time they hire students who are 16 or 17 years old to work,” Vantrease said.

Macy’s is currently employing 80 parttime workers during the holiday season, three of whom are students at Redwood,

according to Macy’s Human Resource Manager, Melissa Jaquysh. Macy’s has visited all four schools in the Tam District area with recruitment stands.

ahout@redwoodbark.org

Bark Patrons Gretchen & Drew Alden

The Corren Family

Jim & Tami Jackson

Sarah Ames

Beth & Chris Cummings

Jill Kauffman & Tyler Johnson

Anonymous (6)

Jim & Robyn Dahlin

The Josef Family

The Arrick Family

The Dalzell-Piper Family

The Bacino Family

The Desin Family

The Kehoe Family

The Becker Family

Diane & Rich Dow

Marla & Tim Kelly

Cammi Bell

The Duncan Family

The Key Family

The Bialek Santas Family

The Evershed Family

The Blum Family

The Finegold Family

The Klein Family

The Boutwell Family

Sandra Fisher

Steven & Nicole Klopukh

Bill & Kathleen Brady

The Foehr Family

The Kopstein Family

The Bronzo Family

Keith & Beth Forsman

The Brugger Family

Steve & Kari Fulton

The Leograndis Family

Liz Brusseau

Colleen Bourke Geiger

Bill & Cori Lewis

Cheryl Vohland & Don Buder

The Gerson Family

The Lind Family

The Bushell Family

The Goldwasser Family

Anna Cahill James

Brendhan & Katherine Green

Eugene & Janey Lupario

The Canady Family

Francesca Greenberg

Courtney Lynch

Stacie & David Cherner

Susan Gregg

The Alliston-Johnston Family

Therese Courtney

The Jensen Family Sylvia Jones

Laura & Mark Anderson

The Cusack Family

The Arnowitz Family

The Daly Family

Sydney & David Joyner

Miriam Kupperman & Andy Avins

Michele & Peter Dean

Lisa Katz

Mary & Jack Barber

Will & Milena Dixon

The Kardel Family

John Kellerman

The Kennedy Family

The Belgum Family

The Dudgeon Family

Stephanie & Brad Bennett

Mark & Janet Epstein

Martin Khadoenouri

Vito & Linda Bialla

Wendy & Scott Ewry

Mike & Coral Kisseberth

The Botas Family

Steve & Becki Finkbeiner

The Kimball Family

The Klionsky Family Jill & Larry Knott

Trish Brady

The Flynn Family

The Briggs Family

The Fogarty Family

The Kreitzman Family

The Brostoff Family

Laurie Fried

The Lentz Family

The Brune & Deuss Family

The Gardner Family

The Leiter Family

John & Linnea Leonhardt Carolyn & Michael Lewis

The Buchanan Family

The Geitheim Family

Paul & Karen Burrous

The Gibbs Family

Kirby Bartlett & Lisa Choy

The Byck Family

Kiki Goshay

Joan Lubamersky

Maura Thurman & Thom Calandra

The Green Family

The Carswell Family

Jeff Greendorfer

The Madison Family

The Chou Family

The Hackett Family

Dorothy Marschall

Todd & Susan Christman

Dominique & Neil Halilej

The McBride Family

The Cicala Family

The Hanssen Family

Bruce & Robyn Cohen

The Herz Family

Patrick & Sabrina Middleton

Kristina & Steve Campodonico

The Hoehn Family

The Miller Family

The Cooperband Family

The Isaacson Family

Jimmy & Jacqui Miranda

Pavlo Gesmundo & Christine Gregorak The Halford Family

The Loo Family

Pat Lynch

Alice & Bob Marks The Massik Family

The Churton Family

Lisa Hannah

Mary Beth McClure-Maorz

The Cico Family

The Hardiman Family

The McKellips Family

Clay & Katy Colvin

The Hetrick Family

The Conrow Family

The Hood Family

The Corn Family

The Jacks Family

Kevin McGee

The Miller Family

The Mindel Family

The Moglinicki Family

Juliana Morgan

The Stiles Family

Steve A Nielsen

The Stocker Family

Mark & Donna Norstad

The Sylla Family

Jodie O’Connor

The Tallerico Family

Vickie Feldstein & Dennis Orwig

The Tede Family

The Overson & Allen Family

John & Jane Thornton

Bernice Kintzer & Kurt Paul

Paul & Paula Trish

Janet Raiche & Alan Perper

Ellen & David Turner

Karin, Scott & Alex Peters

Lesley Van Voorhees

The Petri Family

The Vargelis Family

The Pritikin Family

The Wagner/Towns Family

Robin Snyder & Manny Ramos

The Walters Family

The Rhoads Family

The Ward Family

The Roenisch Family

Jordan Warren

Karin Rosen

The Watridge Family

Tim & Annette Ryan

The Whelpley Family

Mimi Sardou

The Wilford Family

The Saylor Family

Isolde & Alec Wilson

Dan Segedin

The Wintersteen Family

Chris & Corinne Seton

Kristin Wolcott Farese

The Shepard Family

The Wong Family

Jack & Ramelle Sholl

Amy Young

Karen Smart Hill

The Zeitz Family

Janeen & Wade Smith

The Zlatunich Family

The Mowbray Family

Christy Seidel & Peter Stock

The Nolan Family

Michelle & Alan Sullivan

The Notter Family

Robert Taitz

Dennis & June Oh

The Tantum Family

The Overmyer Family

The Tholan/Fair Family

Barbara & Christina Owens

Monique Tiger

Kit Burnet & Maddy Peng

The Tull Family

Linda & Mike Perrella

Susan Sellers & Peter van Pruissen

Lynn Soper & David Peterson

Karen VanBrunt

Robyn Finley-Pope & Brad Pope

Kris & Philip Wade

Christine S Ramos

Sheila & Scott Wakida

The Renner Family

Jim Granger & Yu-Ling Wang

The Rocha Family

Leroy & Vasiliki Ware

Frank J Rollo

The Watkins Family

The Ross Family

Dr. Jennifer Watters

The Safavi Family

Sara & Erik Whileford

The Sarmiento Family

The Willens Family

Carlyn & Jon Schulberg

The Winters Family

The Seidler Family

Joe & Entela Wolberg

The Sharp Family

Denise Zvanovec & Liang Wong

The Shiomi Family

The Woolard Family

The Smalbach Family

The Zeisler Family

Louis Smith

The Zhong Family

Lida & Kaveh Soofer The Stephens Family

Page 5 • News

www.redwoodbark.org

bark

Wellness center brings mental health awareness to campus

By Macrae Sharp The Wellness Center sponsored a Mental Wellness Week called “What’s Foggin’ Your Noggin? Let’s Get to Uncloggin!,” which began on Nov. 30.

The week was comprised of events to promote awareness of mental health and wellness and to inform students of the services that the Wellness Center provides.

Throughout the entire week, community agencies hosted mental health workshops in select classes, and there were also daily lunchtime activities.

Redwood Wellness Coordinator Jennifer Kenny-Baum spent weeks collaborating with coworkers to plan the structure of the week’s informative events.

The idea of a week dedicated to wellness awareness sparked from the results of a recent needs assessment and from the 2013-2014 California Healthy Kids Survey, according to Kenny-Baum.

Thirty-five percent of all 11th graders and 26 percent of all ninth graders at Redwood reported chronic sad or hopeless feelings in the past 12 months.

Additionally, 21 percent of 11th graders and 17 percent of ninth graders seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months.

Kenny-Baum wanted the events to teach people about mental illness, and brought in inside organizations to do so.

“Every day we had outside presenters who offered classroom presentations to teachers on different emotional health [topics],” Kenny-Baum said prior to the event. “We had people from the community, different therapists in the community, people from different agencies that specialize in emotional health, and then we also had staff on site. We had wellness staff, school counselors, we had the drama department participating. They did different presentations that teachers could sign up for to have be offered in their class.”

District Wellness Director Jessica Colvin reached out to community agencies with which Redwood has connections, and many were interested in presenting, according to Kenny-Baum.

The workshops ranged from “Teen Mental Health 101,” to “Equal Teen Relationships,” to “Detain the Strain: Coping with Stress in High School, College, and Beyond.”

Some days there were 10 workshops offered, whereas other days there were only four, according to Kenny-Baum.

“We tried to pick something that would be kind of fun and interactive,” Kenny-Baum said. “[We wanted to] reach out and create alternatives, managing stress and keeping yourself well, and potentially getting people to try something new that they’ve never tried before. Or, if it’s something that you already know and love, that you get a chance to do it at school.”

The lunchtime activities consisted of aikido on Monday, yoga on Tuesday, mindfulness meditation on Wednesday, a carnival on Thursday, and a presentation by the EPiC Drama Department on Friday.

Kenny-Baum said she chose to offer aikido as an activity because it is a stress reliever and a way to release aggression.

The aikido instructors discussed with students how to use aikido as a stress reducer.

Yoga was offered because of the effects it has on calming the mind and the body, according to Kenny-Baum.

Photo by Macrae Sharp

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL KATY FOSTER participates in Thursday’s lunchtime activities.

Photo by Macrae Sharp

A TRADITIONAL JAPANESE DRUMMER accompanies the lunchtime aikido on Monday, Nov. 30. Activities were available for students to participate in throughout the entire week to raise mental health awareness.

“You’re doing something positive physically for your empowers people to love themselves, according to club body in a way that you’re also allowing yourself to not co-president Caroline Noble.

The club tries to spread self-love through the be competitive in the moment,” Kenny-Baum said about community and will also help raise awareness for mental the positive effects of practicing yoga. “We want to push health throughout the Wellness Week, Noble ourselves to achieve, but each said. day if we aren’t well or if we’re The club ran a poster campaign in the sick, our physical limitations hallways and also sponsored a booth during might alter.” the carnival.

Kenny-Baum chose to have At the booth, the club offered lighthearted, mindfulness meditation because educational activities that raised awareness she said it is a recommended about mental health issues. Students could method for combatting anxiety write their own positive comments about body and depression. perception on blank white posters.

However, it is also useful “It’s not huge, but it’s still trying to gain for those who don’t suffer from awareness for the club and to get you thinking anxiety or depression because Jennifer Kenny-Baum, about body image. That’s the first step to the idea of mindfulness is to Wellness Coordinator changing your mindset, to really think about learn how to pay attention in the messages you’re receiving,” Noble said. a particular moment, which is Kenny-Baum invited students from useful for everybody, regardless freshman Social Issues classes to create games for the of mental health.

“For students who struggle with distraction, from week. “[Stephen Hart] has made [the students’] final in the attention deficit to sort of being a bit of a dreamer, class to create something that participates in this event,” everybody always just says pay attention, but that’s not really something you learn how to do,” Kenny-Baum said. Kenny-Baum said.

According to Kenny-Baum, Hart’s students created “How do you learn how to redirect your thoughts?”

Mindful meditation is a way to quiet the mind and be games for students to play at the carnival, in addition to posters to advertise the week’s events, a Redwood TV present in the moment, according to Kenny-Baum.

“A lot of times multitasking is a real benefit in terms advertisement, and an app, among other creations.

“It’s really cool that they are all doing this as a part of of productivity, but in terms of focus it can be a real challenge when you’re trying to juggle 50 things at one their final—it is going to be fun,” Kenny-Baum said. “The time. In order to really be present, to turn off the other games will be designed by students, for students.”

Kenny-Baum explained that some of the games for the things that are pulling you out of this moment, [it requires] carnival involved students spinning a wheel and learning a very specific practice,” Kenny-Baum said.

On Thursday, the carnival on the South Lawn featured information about wellness.

There was a coin toss, a “Redwood Wall” poster where about 20 different tables with information from community organizations and wellness-related games for students to students could write what made them happy, “If you played [the games], then you got a ‘Wellness play.

On Friday, the lunchtime activity was a drama Buck’ and then you could trade those in—however many department performance called FML (From My Life): games you play—at a prize table for fun things,” KennyConfessions from the Edge, and was based upon student- Baum said.

Winning easier games earned one “Wellness Buck,” written diary entries that were transformed onstage.

“It’s all about the inner life and the emotional experience whereas other games that took more thought earned three. of the average high schooler, and [they performed] it Students could turn in the “Wellness Bucks” for a range of prizes. onstage. I think that’s pretty great,” Kenny-Baum said.

The prizes included reusable coffee mugs, chapstick, Kenny-Baum said FML: Confessions from the Edge was performed both at lunch and during seventh period Clif bars, and stress balls in the form of brains, all aimed at improving students’ health. on Friday.

Body Positive, a school club that promotes positive body image, combats negative media messages and msharp@redwoodbark.org

We tried to pick something that would be kind of fun and interactive.

opinion

Page 6

Finding the positive side to social media usage

By Ovie Crum In seventh grade, I got an Instagram. In eighth grade, I got a Facebook and in ninth grade I got a Vine. Like many of my peers, I use my social media accounts to stay in contact with my friends and family, local and otherwise.

It’s easy to point out the negatives in social media. In many ways, our generation has a culture of overposting and over-documenting our lives. In a time of followers, likes, and friends, it can be hard to put down our devices and truly live in the present.

However, there is a positive side to social media, which is rarely discussed. Because social media allows us to connect with people all over the globe, we can offer better support to loved ones and those in need. In the wake of the attacks in France, popular social media companies used creative outlets to show their support.

Snapchat created a ‘filter’ that could cover photos with a picture of the French flag and a slogan showing support for the city, and Facebook released a program that covers profile pictures in the French flag for the same reason.

Though showing our support through social media may seem impersonal, in a time of need and hurt, any love and support matters to those affected.

The use of social media for good doesn’t stop there.

In the summer of 2014, amid Instagram posts about vacations and Facebook posts about summer homework, there was a new trend––the ALS ice bucket challenge.

The challenge was simple––all you had to do was pour a bucket of ice water over your head and then film it and upload it to your preferred social media platform. From

there, people “challenged” two or three friends, who had to either post a similar video or donate a suggested $100 to ALS research within 24 hours. The challenge gained immense popularity, with 2.4 million tagged videos posted, and celebrities joining the trend. It’s estimated that the challenge raised about $10 million dollars. Without social media promoting the challenge, not as much money would have been raised for ALS.

Illustration by Asha Cummings

Besides being used to support and unite in support of a global cause, social media can also be used for more personal positive reasons.

The summer before my freshman year, I moved to Marin from Massachusetts, leaving behind childhood friends.

Because of apps like Instagram and Snapchat, however, I have been able to keep in very close contact with my childhood best friend. It is great to have someone to talk to about my daily life who lacks a bias. I am able to talk to her without worrying about how her personal opinion may

affect her advice, because she is far enough away from the situation. I am also lucky enough to be able to see her around once a year. Not only that, I have been able to connect with and keep in contact with many friends and child acquaintances.

Without social media websites and apps, I would have no idea that my eighth grade classmate was pregnant and that my old neighbor decided which college to attend. Though some may argue that knowing these details about people from whom I had grown apart is a waste of time, I tend to disagree because it brings back a sense of nostalgia and memories from my childhood.

This is especially helpful because when I moved, I didn’t just leave behind my classmates, but also my mom. I am able to see her three or four times a year, but my relationship with her would be much more strained without technology. Though we email, text, and talk frequently, we would not be able to connect in the same way that we can with social media, as I mainly keep my mom in my thoughts through looking at social media accounts of my childhood friends.

Social media appeals to my sense of nostalgia, which helps when I am having a bad day or missing my mom. I am able to get a better look at how my close friends and family are living.

Though we need to know when to unplug from our devices and enjoy the present, social media connects us to far-away friends and strangers who need our support.

ocrum@redwoodbark.org

Letters to the Editor The political correctness debate Practical learning in high school In November, an opinion article by Macrae Sharp was published on the Bark website. The article described her perspective on the effects of Redwood’s focus on political correctness. In this letter to the editor, senior Jason Seavey states his opinion.

In Macrae Sharp’s recent article titled “Debate about political correctness hinders social progress,” she argues Redwood’s focus on terminology hinders conversations regarding race and gender issues. Not only is Sharp misguided in her approach to the argument, but also the debate over terminology rises out of a growing, dare I say productive, dialogue on these issues. “Political Correctness” is our society’s way of determining the boundaries of discourse. Without it, local and national conversations could be refilled with ugly language from cruder eras.

Sharp’s case rests upon several examples from her experiences at Redwood. First, she cites the rebranding of Powderpuff to “Klassy Kickoff.”

To compare this to national debates on sexism and politically correct language is fallacious. The language surrounding Powderpuff doesn’t carry an ounce of the weight nor does it have a comparatively complex and charged background. Next, she mentions debates she has had in class concerning the use of Black versus African American and of LGBT versus LGBTQIA. I have never seen debates like these during my time at Redwood and I also question how long these debates took. Surely Ms. Sharp wasn’t that inconvenienced by a momentary clarification of which words were appropriate.

In this opinion Sharp aligns herself

with many on the American right who see Political Correctness as liberal’s newest attempt to shut down debate. She aligns herself with those who would raise “free speech” in defense of recent controversies at Missouri and Yale. Her tone is similar to that of a recent article by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt in The Atlantic titled “The Coddling of the American Mind.” In the article, Lukianoff and Haidt rail against trigger warnings and dismiss the concept of microaggressions. But, like Sharp, they fail to grasp the larger issues.

By zeroing in on debates over simple and civil courtesies like trigger warnings—similar to how Sharp zeroes in on terminology—Lukianoff and Haidt are, to use Sharp’s words, “only scratching the surface of progressive discussions.” On top of this hypocrisy, Lukianoff, Haidt, and Sharp’s arguments all go counter to compassion. Do we not owe those who have been consistently subjugated and disadvantaged by those in this country’s seat of power for centuries a moment in class to determine what they would like to be called?

America is in flux on the issues of race and gender. Thanks to the tenacity of those before us, we have made progress and our national awareness of these issues is more complex and well-reasoned than ever.

But we can’t let the pain of recognizing our societally dictated preconceptions— and of pushing them back down into the black void of ignorance from whence they came—slow us now.

In the November 2015 issue of the Bark, an opinion article was published by Eric Ahern discssing his thoughts on the true purpose of high school and secondary education. In this letter to the editor, junior John Van Liere presents his stance on the issue.

“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”

- Aristotle I recently stumbled upon the Bark article, “High school should prepare students for the future, not college,” and have some differing opinions that I wish to express. I believe that it fails to acknowledge the true purpose of education in our society.

The article claims that while the purpose of a secondary education is to prepare the student for his or her future, the current school system’s dominant emphasis is on preparing the student for a University or other form of higher education. It later goes on to explain concern for how more than half of the senior class failed to attend school on the day of the mini-courses.

While the latter section concerns me as well, I do not believe that the general premise of the article is a fair view of our education system.

As high school students, we learn a variety of required subjects in school, and they progressively go into more depth as the student’s understanding of the topic grows. Advancement in a given course yields more specificity and complexity, which in the eyes of many students, is synonymous with difficulty and unnecessary information. As the student

Letters to the Editor

Jason Seavey

progresses into pre-calculus or physics, the rigor and detail of the course will grow. Thus, in the midst of struggle in an advanced course, the student immediately turns to the following crutch: “When will I ever need to know this anyway?”

The answer to this question may be never. However, realization of this must accompany a realization that the real lesson does not lie in the numerical properties, cosine laws, or polynomials that you study; it lies in the skills that you develop through the process of learning.

Even more so than this, the importance is that you learn HOW to learn, not necessarily the information that you are actually taught.

Once this truth is accepted, one can begin to see the value and real-life application that school has in the real world. While graphing a cosine function is not something you may need to know if you want to be a lawyer, or a business owner, you will need to apply the skills you established in high school.

Teachers know that any job a student might encounter may incite a workload beyond the student’s capabilities, and to compete for a job in today’s world requires that students are pushed beyond their limits in their secondary education.

What is often mistaken as excessive, or unmanageable workload may actually be the most accurate and useful representation of our future lives. Our world is constantly progressing. If teachers don’t prepare us for a rigorous world, where details may be the difference between a secure job and scrambling for rent, they are failing us as mentors.

John Van Liere

bark Teenagers inebriated under the political influence Page 7 • Opinion

www.redwoodbark.org

By Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan Presidential election season looms just around the corner. Already, late night hosts and news channels bombard the radio waves with the scandals, updates, and announcements from a wide variety of campaigns. The hallways are abuzz with the occasional offhand comments about this presidential candidate or that one, the remarks about the Republican debates, the widespread Trump-basing and everyone’s saying the same thing.

This unanimity is an unfortunate aspect of the Redwood political scene. Everyone is chirping to the same tune. There is little, if any, debate. And, what’s more, it seems that many of these voices have little idea what they’re talking about.

Perhaps it’s out of an unwillingness to admit ignorance, or the embarrassment of knowing less than a friend, but it seems that many students, when confronted with political matters (whether they understand them or not) resort to baseless, grandstanding remarks that others will generally agree with.. In strongly Democratic Marin, this often takes the form of disparaging Republican policy.

But it seems unlikely that many of these students could summarize the agendas of the Republican and Democratic parties, or describe what sets the two apart in fiscal methodology or fundamental ideology.

How many of these students could name three Republican senators and three Democratic senators?

The political ignorance I perceive arises because few students are willing to challenge the idea that Democrats are in the right and Republicans are not. Students don’t feel the pressure to do their own research or form their own political opinions because their own ideas have never been challenged.

The political homogeneity of the Redwood student body is no surprise; it’s a reflection of its environment. While rural eastern and Central Valley agrarian communities are still strongly conservative, urban regions like the Bay Area and Los Angeles have only become more liberal,

Illustration by Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan

according to the Public Policy Institute of California’s Statewide Survey.

Democrats dominate California government offices. Both of California’s senators are Democrats, as are 64 percent of our congressional representatives. In 2008, 61 percent of Californian voters voted for Obama. The California Secretary of State’s office found that in 2012, 84,374 out of the 155,025 registered voters in Marin County registered as democratic, a full 54.4 percent.

Eighteen percent registered as Republican, with the rest of the vote split among smaller parties and undecided voters.

It is problematic that so many Redwood students and families have the same opinions because it reinforces and validates political conclusions that students might

not have come to on their own. It stifles the opportunity for healthy contrarian opinions to develop. Students continually bolster each other’s opinions, choirs preaching to other choirs, resulting in an obstacle-free political landscape.

I believe that the primary source of political bias for students is their parents.

It’s common for students to simply absorb what their parents tell them or what they overhear their parents saying and spit it back out a day later—I know I’m guilty of this. It’s easier than doing my own research, and the opinions come from authority figures.

However, I implore students not to parrot parents. It’s an unsound way to develop political opinions. The most basic

political divisions, liberal and conservative, are so hotly debated because there are so many vastly different opinions regarding current social issues. If students want to make decisions about where they lean now, that’s fine, but it’s unhealthy to do so without challenge and research.

Solidifying one’s political education is integral to making better decisions about government. But with nobody to challenge their beliefs, the risk is that Redwood students will go into situations like college or high school government courses, internet comment sections, or, most important, the voting booth, not having done their homework, instead simply regurgitating their parents’ beliefs.

Students should challenge themselves to do their own research, inform themselves, and make their own decisions based upon their findings. Find infographics on the federal budget. Read up on Republican goals and agendas. Play devil’s advocate when you hear a friend making a claim you agree with.

Additionally, students should alternate where they get their information. Try switching news sources for a week, or for two days every week. A stagnant news feed means a stagnant mindset when it comes to politics.

Step into a place where knowledgeable people with sensible points take issue with your ideas and take up a position opposite yours. Read their articles or columns or watch their YouTube videos—the way you do it doesn’t matter, just absorb opposing ideas. Come to terms with the fact that not everyone agrees with you like they do in Marin, and familiarize yourself with why they don’t.

There’s no better intellectual defense than knowing the opposition. So get to know it. Change your mind a few times.

Decide for yourself what you think of candidate X or candidate Y. Above all, don’t let your parents’ words come out of your mouth. Don’t rely on someone else to do your thinking for you.

mkawawabeaudan@redwoodbark.org

Photo vault apps provide platform for child pornography

By Simone Wolberg Hundreds of naked photos were exchanged between high school students at Cañon City High School in Colorado, prompting a felony investigation by police on Nov. 6. These photos were covertly stored and shared on phone applications known as “photo vaults,” disguised, in some cases, as calculator apps.

By providing a distribution platform for what is child pornography under the law, photo vault companies are culpable as “enablers.” Photo vault app developers should share in the punishment, via fines or other means, for the life altering outcomes to teens who used their apps and are charged or convicted of “sex crimes.”

While distributing child pornography may not be the app’s intended purpose, under many existing child pornography laws including the law in California, this activity alone may be a crime.

In using these applications, the accused Cañon City students face potentially serious criminal charges, which may require that they register as sex offenders. Once a “sex offender,” the label remains for life, and can limit one’s ability to find housing and employment.

Although Redwood students would probably find this punishment wildly disproportionate, the same thing could happen here under current California law, in accordance with [Penal Code 311.2(b)].

The issue is not just theoretical. Recent statistics show that “sexting” is very common among high school students. According to a 2014 Drexel University study, 54 percent of university students surveyed said they “sexted” as minors.

Very few of these students are aware that, aside from being edgy, it may also have severe consequences under the law. The same study found that 61 percent of sexters were unaware that sending “sexts” could be considered child pornography, a felony charge.

No one, it seems, has questioned whether the hundreds of photo vault app makers will share the legal responsibility

user. However, for minors, these applications provide a forum for unlawful activities. They share similarities with “darknet” websites such as Silk Road, which once provided a platform for a variety of illegal transactions.

Although photo vault applications may appear harmless, they subject unwitting users to criminal charges in many states including California.

These platforms provide a false sense of security and anonymity for teen sexters. No matter how strong and well crafted, privacy policies cannot be used to conceal criminal activity.

In the Colorado Cañon City High School case, students face Class 3 felony charges, which, if upheld, cannot be expunged from their record. An 18-yearold teen sexter, an “adult” by law, could also be charged as a child pornographer and subsequently, a sex offender. The punishment does Illustration by Simone Wolberg not fit the crime.

With such serious legal repercussions, educators and for teen sexting. There is no doubt that photo vault apps provide a covert distribution platform for nude photos of photo vault purveyors are obligated to inform teens on the law. The photo vault companies should, by regulation, minors. be required to carry a prominent warning informing of The app developers have escaped scrutiny so far.

“Calculator Lock,” one photo vault application, potential criminal penalties for teen sexters. If it turns out transforms from a calculator into a secret vault where that the predominant use of photo vault applications is for users can store photos, messages or browse the internet. illegal activities, perhaps more restriction is in order.

The risks of too much online “exposure” are clear.

Another app, Photo Vault, uses decoy passwords to stump “snoopers.” Once inside, users can send private messages App makers should be held accountable for the illegal activities they facilitate, before another impulsive gesture and store illicit photos.

There are completely legal uses of these apps, turns criminal. depending on the nature of the photos and the age of the swolberg@redwoodbark.org

bark

Page 8 • Opinion

December 11, 2015

bark

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

Support victims of all nations editorial Je suis Bei-what?

Barks & Bites

As news of the massacre in Paris surfaced late Friday, Nov. 13, social media support for the city and the victims began to take different forms. Some people voiced their sorrow through Instagram and Facebook posts, writing short paragraphs to offer their support for victims.

“Pray for Paris.”

Others chose to voice their solidarity by posting a Snapchat image or covering their Facebook profile with a semi-opaque image of the red, white, and blue of the French flag.

“We stand with Paris,” many posts said.

“They supported us during 9/11, now we should support them,” others said.

But in the midst of the social media frenzy following the attacks in Paris, it seemed almost nobody discussed similar attacks that had taken place the day before.

In Beirut, Lebanon, on Thursday, Nov. 12, ISIS suicide bombers killed 44 innocent Lebanese civilians and wounded 239 more. Like the victims in Paris, the Lebanese victims were going about their everyday business and were attacked randomly.

Despite this, there was little support for the Lebanese victims. Facebook did not offer the option of allowing users to cover their profiles with the Lebanese flag. If a social media user happened to scroll through their Facebook feed on Friday and Saturday, they would likely have little to no idea of what took place in Beirut.

It’s easy to say that if there were no attacks in Paris, the Lebanese attacks would have received more attention, but this seems unlikely. Our attention is so focused on happenings in the “Western world” that we ignore similar tragedies in other parts of the globe.

The American media is justified to demonstrate more interest in the attacks on Paris because they were such an anomaly; attacks happen in the Middle East much more often than in Europe.

But our lack of attention to Lebanon also shows our more deeply rooted bias. It’s not as if we have no connection to the country­--in fact, the highest majority of Middle Eastern immigrants in the United States come from Lebanon, as shown by census data from 2013. Instead, because we don’t share religious and cultural similarities with the Lebanese, we don’t pay attention as we did with the attacks in Paris.

Instead of demonstrating our support for the victims of the Beirut bombings on Thursday, we write it off as “another bomb” in what appears to be an unexceptional day in some country overseas.

This is the “empathy gap,” which is the idea that we feel more empathy toward people, cities, and communities to which we feel most alike. It is obvious that Americans feel more of a connection to Paris than they do to Beirut because France is a Western country, unlike Lebanon.

A BARK to mobile devices that allow us to watch TV shows in the cold weather. Now we can literally netflix and chill.

A BITE to the new reserved parking spots in Junior Row. Eleventh graders have struggled enough for parking already.

A BARK to online final grade c a lc u l ators. I ne e d a 189 percent, so I guess I’ll calc-youlater.

A B I T E to t h an k s g iv i ng leftovers. The only thing I’m left over with is a few extra pounds.

A BARK to the 30 degree weather. We can’t wait for Mt.

It seems there is a stigma attached to supporting a country within a region home to some of the most feared terrorists groups in the world. It is much easier for people to group all Middle Easterners together and dismiss their actions as another part of the frightening and fragile place in which they live.

Identifying all Middle Easterners as radicals makes many of us ignorant to the troubles that nonviolent Middle Easterners face everyday. Let us not allow our current sentiments toward the Middle East to prevent us from thinking critically about individual countries in the region.

The people impacted by the attacks in Beirut deserve our support just as much as those impacted in Paris. Yet their country received no Facebook profile picture changes, no supportive posts on social media, and less recognition from the American media.

We should not rescind our support and allegiance on behalf of the French people. The massacre in Paris was the worst attack on Western civilization since 9/11 and on France since World War II, and it is our duty as Americans to support the French just as they supported us. But along with our support for France, we should support the victims of the attacks in Beirut by educating ourselves on the conflict, offering assistance to victims, and at the very least, demonstrating our social media support.

Any death from terrorism is equal to another death, no matter the victim’s nationality. Although to us it may seem like just another bombing in the Middle East, that does not mean we should ignore the victims and their struggles.

If we are truly global citizens, we must know a variety of topics and places in order to understand the entire international picture. While the media may have covered Paris more than Lebanon, there was enough written about Lebanon to understand the terror happening there as well. In fact, the New York Times published a story about the attacks on page A6 on Nov. 16.

ISIS likely won’t go away anytime soon, and it is time for America to strengthen its support and relationships with victims of their terror, regardless of nationality.

We don’t have to read al-Jazeera to truly understand what is happening in Lebanon. But we should at least read news about not only the attacks in Paris, but the attacks in Lebanon too. That is the first step in closing the empathy gap.

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.

Tam to be the next Squaw Valley.

A BITE to chemistry teachers for giving their students an unmanagable number of quizes before finals. What are you trying to do, Barium?

A BARK to Winter Break being only one week away. Ho ho hopefully we’ll make it.

A BITE to the Starbucks cup controversy. We thought cups were the least of our worries.

A BARK to the teachers who didn’t assign homework over Thanksgiving break. We are most thankful for you.

A BITE to people who won’t

tell you what they want for Christmas. I have many gifts, but reading your mind isn’t one of them.

A BARK to teachers who round. Raising our spirits and GPAs every semester.

A BITE to Black Friday putting an end to thankfulness and being just another reason to want more stuff.

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.

Kayla Aldridge Aaron Halford Macrae Sharp Rebecca Smalbach Caleigh Stephens

News Editors

Camille Kawawa-Beaudan Megan Millard Gregory Block

Opinion Editors Eric Ahern Geneva Gist

Feature Editors Annie Forsman Nicole Stock

Sports Editors Michael Benz Adam Kreitzman

Review Editors Julia Cherner Heidi Roenisch

Lifestyles Editors Hannah Blazei Ella Cook

Spanish Editors Madi Barsi Henry Tantum

Video Editor Hayden Blum

Website Developer Sam Slade

Business Manager Sarah Kimball

Social Media Manager Kylie Kvam

Survey Manager Keely Jenkins

Snaphshot Editor Chloe Wintersteen

Reporters

Isabella Alioto Danny Avins Addison Brady Kaylee Bushell Emily Cerf Catherine Conrow Ovie Crum Luke Dahlin Sabrina Dong Jason Fieber Annie Fogarty Jenna Herz Andrew Hout Max Josef Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan Kevin Makens Isabelle Marmur Robin Naylor Anne Pritikin Kendall Rhoads Sam Sheridan Sydney Soofer Cosmo Taylor Mary Winnick Simone Wolberg Pearl Zhong

Illustrators

Asha Cummings

Adviser

Erin Schneider P O L I C Y: A l l e d i t o r i a l s a r e unsigned and have been approved by the majority of the Bark staff.

español

Page 9

Estrellas espectaculares brillan en los Latin Grammys

By Sabrina Dong Los Latin Grammys ocurrió el 19 de noviembre en Las Vegas y se destacaron muchos artistas famosos de diferentes países hispanos del mundo. Fue presentado por las actrices Jacqueline Bracamontes y Roselyn Sanchez, y el evento fue emitido vivo por la red y en la televisión, con representaciones por más de treinta y dos músicos.

Para la mayoría del tiempo, el evento fue espectacular y divertido. Como fue un evento serio, no había muchos chistes y sátiras como muchos espectáculos de premios americanos. El espectáculo estuvo asombroso porque, en vez de una atención en el entretenimiento de la audiencia, había un enfoque en la música y el reconocimiento de los músicos. Como los American Grammys, mucha gente famosa de diversas partes del mundo asistieron a este espectáculo.

El claro ganador de la noche fue Natalia Lafourcade, una cantante mexicana del género de música pop-rock.

Lafourcade ganó premios por cinco de las seis de sus nominaciones, que incluyen la Grabación del Año, la Canción del Año, el Mejor Álbum Alternativo, la Mejor Canción Alternativa, y el Mejor Ingeniería de Álbum. La única nominación que no ganó fue “álbum del año” que se ganó Juan Luis Guerra. Él mereció el premio por su álbum optimista, “Todo Tiene su Hora.”

“Hasta La Raíz,” que ganó los premios de la Canción del Año y la Mejor Canción Alternativa, es una canción pegadiza con un ritmo optimista –– sin duda mereció los premios que recibió en Los Latin Grammys. La voz suave y dinámica de Lafourcade armoniza con una gran variedad de instrumentos de cuerda para crear un sonido hermoso.

La canción lleva sentimientos tranquilos y felices y tiene una melodía alegre.

El álbum que ganó el premio de Álbum del Año, “Todo Tiene Su Hora,” también es muy optimista y pegadizo. Este álbum asombroso, con géneros de merengue y fusión Afrolatino, fue creado por el dominicano Juan Luis Guerra, un cantante, compositor de canciones, y productor. Su música tiene muchas trompetas, percusión y una variedad de instrumentos de cuerda que llevan sentimientos muy contentos y felices. “Tus Besos,” una canción más popular del álbum, tiene un ritmo energético, muchos instrumentos diferentes, y algunos cantantes en el fondo.

La Academia Latina de la Grabación organiza las canciones en muchas categorías del género y una categoría general. La Academia distribuye muchos premios como los premios de la Mejor Canción y el Mejor Álbum para cada género. Los premios más importantes –– Grabación del Año, el Álbum del Año, y el Mejor Artista Nuevo ––

Imagen cortesía de The Recording Academy

NATALIA LAFOURCADE recibe un premio en los Latin Grammys el 19 de noviembre. Ella fue la ganadora de la noche, con cuatro premios en las catagorias de Grabación del Año, Canción del Año, Mejor Album de Música Alternitiva, y Mejor Canción Alternitiva. están en la categoría general porque los ganadores de estos premios son los mejores por lo general, en lugar de lo mejor de un género específico.

La parte más memorable era el momento en que Will Smith llegó al escenario para cantar “Fiesta Remix,” y la audiencia aplaudió y gritó mucho. Esta canción, que está en ambos inglés y español, era muy buena para los Latin Grammys porque atraía oyentes de países hispanos y países anglófonos.

Hacia el final, el espectáculo tuvo un tono más serio.

El grupo Maná y el grupo Los Tigres del Norte usaron su tiempo en el escenario a vituperar públicamente el candidato presidencial Donald Trump. Después de su presentación de la canción, “Somos Más Americanos,” los grupos mostraron un letrero que decía, “Latinos unidos no voten por los racistas.” El comentario político a Trump

proveyó un cambio de paso muy innovador; fue inspirador ver a un grupo de personas expresar sus creencias.

Los Latin Grammys fue una noche muy enriquecedora y debe tener más cobertura de la media estadounidense.

Mientras todos los representaciones fueron muy bien, el representación de Bomba Estéreo y Will Smith se destacó porque la canción era una buena mezcla de las culturas colombianas y americanas. Los Latin Grammys llamó la atención de 9,4 millones de telespectadores y fue una noche con un torbellino de sentimientos, música mágica, y declaraciones políticas.

sdong@redwoodbark.org

Algunos de los Ganadores Mejor Album de Música Alternitiva

Grabación del Año

Mejor Canción Alternitiva

Canción del Año

Natalia Lafourcade Datos cortesía de Latin Grammy Awards

Álbum de Año

Mejor Álbum Pop/Rock

Juan Luis Guerra

Maná Infografía por Madi Barsi y Henry Tantum

bark

Page 10 • Feature

December 11, 2015

The life of a

Christmas Tree

By Annie Fogarty Eight in 10 American households purchased a Christmas tree in 2014, according to a Pew Research survey. Out of these millions of people, many may not consider the life of a Christmas tree beyond the few golden weeks it lights up the house. In actuality, it takes years for a tree to reach a tree lot, and it does not magically disappear after it is laid on the curb for pick up.

Origin and Growth Carla and Jon Pronzini, the owners of Pronzini Christmas Tree Farms, begin preparing for the holiday season in early spring. Currently, the Pronzinis have approximately 750,000 trees growing on their 500-acre farm in Salem, Oregon.

“We plant in February, March, and April when it is still wet up here,” Carla said.

According to Carla, the retail manager, they purchase six-to-eight inch seedlings called “plugs,” from nurseries and plant them on their farm.

The trees are relatively low maintenance from the age of one to four years. Then at four to five years, farmers begin trimming the trees and sheering them into a proper shape, according to Carla.

The Pronzinis grow several varieties of fir trees—Douglas, Fraser, Grand, Noble, Nordman, and Silvertip Firs—all of which have distinct characteristics.

While the Nordman Fir and Grand Fir are denser symmetrical trees, Silvertip and Fraser have a more natural nonuniform shape.

The Douglas Fir and Noble Fir are some of the most popular varieties of Christmas trees in the United States. The Douglas Fir accounts for 47 percent of trees grown in the Northwest, and the Noble Fir accounts for 45 percent of Christmas trees grown in the United States, according to the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association.

Trees continue to grow for about six to 10 years and are harvested at a variety of heights, ranging from four to nine feet, depending on age, according to Carla.

Though most Christmas trees are harvested when they are under 10 feet, a fully grown fir tree can grow to over 200 ft, according to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA).

Photo and Infographic by Annie Fogarty

Transport and Retail The purchase of a Christmas tree holds different meaning for different families. For some it is an annual ordeal, running through a maze of trees, and pointing at nearly each one before finally shouting “Yes, this is the perfect one!” Others, however, make a quick stop at a big-box store, checking the errand off their list of fundamental holiday chores.

The American Christmas tree industry is massive.

In 2014, 26.3 million live Christmas trees were purchased in the United States with a total retail value of 1.4 billion dollars, according to the NCTA. From late November through Christmas, the Pronzini company makes shipments to the Bay Area twice a week.

Pronzini Christmas Trees are

sold in six Bay Area lots, including the Bon Air Center and Civic Center in Marin, according to Carla.

“The trees [are] loaded into trucks and sent down to California,” Carla said.

The trees can only maintain freshness for about a week before needing water, so frequent shipments are necessary throughout December, according to Carla.

“Our first shipment goes down the Sunday before Thanksgiving for large commercial trees that go in hotels or public centers,” Carla said.

The Bon Air center lot opened the day after Thanksgiving.

In 2014, 85 percent of Christmas tree consumers purchased pre-cut trees from retail lots, chain stores, and nurseries, according to the NCTA. After

being distributed to locations for sale, Christmas trees are bought and taken into millions of homes, where they stand dressed in strings of lights and reflective ornaments, celebrating the last stages of their life.

Disposal and Renewal

When January arrives and the needles begin to dry, families unhook their ornaments. Many drag their barren tree to the curb, where it is picked up by disposal services. The Christmas tree then serves another purpose beyond holiday decoration.

Sanitation and composting services in Marin collect trees in January, taking them to destinations where they can be renewed for other uses, according to Jim Iavarone, managing partner of Mill Valley Refuse. Mill Valley Refuse serves Mill Valley, Tiburon and Corte Madera, while Marin Sanitary, another disposal service, covers most of Central Marin.

According to Iavarone, Mill Valley Refuse picks up approximately 10,000 trees each January from its customers.

They then ship the trees in trucks to the Redwood Landfill and Compost Center, which is located in Novato.

The Christmas trees are composted at Waste Management’s composting facility at Redwood Landfill, which collects food and yard waste from Marin residents and produces landscaping products, according to the Waste Management website.

Similarly, Marin Sanitary also has an estimated collection of 10,000 trees, according to Chance Shelley, Marin Sanitary Community Outreach Coordinator.

While some trees are shredded and composted at Marin Sanitary’s San Rafael facility, others are shipped to biomass treatment centers throughout California, according to Shelley.

The Christmas trees are used as biofuel, a renewable energy source that contributes to five percent of U.S. energy production, according to the Institute for Energy Research.

A Christmas tree witnesses more than a warm fire and a visit from Santa Claus during the winter season. It endures years of growth in preparation for its primary purpose of becoming a comforting symbol of holiday joy. afogarty@redwoodbark.org

For a longer version of this story, as well as multimedia components, visit www.redwoodbark.org

Page 11 • Feature

www.redwoodbark.org

Terrorism

bark

Birth and development of isis reaches redwood populace Infographic by Adam Kreitzeman

“We were all being told to try and live the way we civil war with his militant response to the Arab Spring. did before the attacks, but it is hard to move past such a It was at this time that the Islamic State added a Syrian horrible event,” Kumar said. “I have had nightmares every branch and grew even stronger. single day since the attack.”

Prior to the conflict, ISI and The conflict led to Atrocities in Paris affect Redwood community Junior Nicolas Desarnauts, who lived in France for a rift between the previously allied ISI and al-Qaeda.

A night on the town. An evening at the Germany 11 years, felt empathy for those who were affected by the Afterwards, the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria, vs. France soccer match. A music-filled outing at a attacks, and even brought a French flag with him to school otherwise known as ISIS, was formed.

For two years, ISIS gained key territories in the popular concert hall hosting a California-based rock the following Monday after the attacks.

“I felt that I owed it to my country to bring the flag to Middle East, taking over the second-largest Iraqi city, band. A dinner at various venues Le Petit Cambodge, Le Carillon or McDonald’s. Six different locations were school,” Desarnauts said. “I went to the French Consulate Mosul, and establishing a “capital city” in Al-Raqqah, in San Francisco for mourning over the weekend and I Syria. In the midst of its territorial achievements, it unsuspecting targets of recent terrorist attacks in Paris.

Lauded for being one of the most beautiful cities in brought the flag with me there as well. Bringing the flag declared itself an Islamic State, headed by ISIS leader caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. the world, Paris was ravaged by unforeseen violence on was [in] solidarity [with] all of the people that died.”

Desarnauts added that the attacks In September 2014, the U.S. Nov. 13. The onslaught left 129 dead and 352 seriously declared a campaign against ISIS wounded. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), have changed his post-high school to continue the prolonged effort to also known as The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant plans.

“I used to think that I was just going eradicate terrorism from the globe.

(ISIL), claimed responsibility for the attacks.

ISIS arose as a powerful new

Described as a “blood bath” and “the beginning to go to college in France, but now I Islamist extremist group by rapidly of more to come” by observers, the attacks have feel like it is my duty to my country to join the French army and try to fight gaining territory in the Middle East frightened people across the globe. and leaving al-Qaeda in the dust. It The attacks in Paris, which happened just 10 months ISIS,” Desarnauts said. “I don’t think quickly became the largest Jihadist after the fatal shootings at the offices of the satirical that I will ever be afraid to return back extremist group, raising billions magazine Charlie Hebdo, targeted the Bataclan concert to my home country.”

The attacks also affected the family of dollars in funds and creating a hall, an international soccer match, and numerous members of junior Toma Dufficy. fighting force of over 200,000 people. restaurants along the streets of Paris.

Nicolas Desarnauts, Dufficy, who was born in France junior Since its conception, ISIS has The hall where the performance was located is just launched dozens of attacks, killing three blocks away from the Charlie Hebdo offices. and moved to the United States at the thousands of people in European Thousands had gathered there to witness the performance age of 1, said that the attacks have been detrimental to his relatives who live in countries, including hundreds of the popular band, “The Eagles of Death Metal.” of people in France and Russia during the previous In the wake of these unexpected and horrific attacks, France.

“My cousin’s girlfriend and his newborn baby live calendar year. there has been an outpouring of reactions across social The proliferation of ISIS into parts of Europe and media and throughout the world, including many from directly across [from] the music hall that was attacked.

Redwood students and alumni who expressed their She was frightened so she went to hide at her neighbor’s America has caused both European countries and house,” Dufficy said. “We weren’t able to contact her for America to ramp up security on the borders and raise the solidarity for France. about four hours, so our entire family terror threat level to high alert, according to CNN. ISIS’s Redwood alumna and former was really worried.” popularity and appeal rose as the result of the massive ASB President Kismet Kumar chose Dufficy said that his family number of propaganda videos they released, including to study abroad in France during her members in Paris are noticeably the beheadings of journalists who had gone to Syria to first semester at USC. Although she unnerved. report on the events. was in Italy at the time of the attacks, “Most of them are afraid of Recently, the attacks that have made headlines she came back to Paris only to find another attack, but they are rallied by were the shootings and bombings in Paris, as well the that USC had taken action to ensure the worldwide support that they have bombing of a Russian plane and the bombings in Beirut, that its students could come home received,” Dufficy said.

Lebanon. early and still gain credit for their According to Dufficy, his uncle The Russian plane, which was headed towards St. time spent in France. saw many horrific sights while walking Petersburg, Russia on Nov. 7, blew up in Egypt and left According to Kumar, the attacks through the aftermath of the attacks. all 224 passengers dead. Russia’s president Vladimir have shaken France to the core.

Kismet Kumar,

“My uncle told me that when Putin vowed to exact revenge.

“Before the attacks, Paris was Redwood alumna he went to check on my cousin’s “The tears in our soul and heart will remain with known as the ‘walking city.’ There girlfriend, he could actually smell the us forever, but this won’t stop us from finding and were always tons of people on the blood as he walked across the Bataclan punishing those guilty,” said Putin in a statement on the sidewalk and the city was very lively,” event.

Kumar said. “Now, it’s comparatively empty and there [concert hall],” Dufficy said.

Meanwhile in Beirut, 43 people lost their lives are fewer people out on the streets. I haven’t taken the because of a double-suicide bombing on Nov.12. metro since I got back [from Italy] and I normally take it The rise of ISIS ISIS’s ability to spread terror across the globe has five to six times a day.”

ISIS, an Islamic caliphate, originated in 2006 as the frightened many, and has prompted world leaders like Kumar said the entirety of France was panic-stricken following the attacks, and that it was hard to leave her Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). The caliphate operates under Obama and Putin to convene at the G20 summit in the belief that their caliph (leader) is a religious or political Turkey to determine a course of action toward putting house without feeling afraid.

“Every time I leave the house I am constantly worried successor to the prophet Mohammed, and is worthy of an end to the ISIS threat, according to CNN. Whether or not terrorism can be wiped out remains about something happening,” Kumar said. “Now I don’t leading the entire Muslim community.

However, it was not until six years later that the ISIS of unknown, but for now, fighting ISIS is a top priority for even know if my Uber drivers or the people I see on the street are trustworthy because there is so much paranoia today was formed. It grew and strengthened as U.S. troops the U.S. and many other countries. gradually withdrew from Iraq. going around.” akreitzman@redwoodbark.org In 2012, ISI benefitted from the outbreak of civil war According to Kumar, many in Paris are being encouraged to revert back to the daily routines they in Syria regarding the Assad regime. Bashar al-Assad, who For a longer version of this story, visit assumed the Syrian presidency in July 2000, started the www.redwoodbark.org. followed before the incident.

By Adam Kreitzman

I don’t think that I will ever be afraid to return back to my home country.

Before the attacks, Paris was known as the ‘walking city.’

Now it’s...empty.

MENTAL

TEENS SHARE EXPERIENCES OF H

By Jenna Herz an

IT

is a typical school day for students at Redwood High School. The sun trickles through a few stray clouds and hordes of students fill the halls with laughter and noise. However, to some, the world outside appears gray, and the laughter is muffled. They walk in slow motion with their heads down, avoiding their surroundings. To others, the sounds of the school intensify and nip at their necks. The crowded hallways make it hard for them to breathe and the sun seems to turn everything to flame. The world spins.

“When I’m having a panic attack, it feels like everything’s on fire. I don’t do anything, I don’t talk, I just stare and hyperventilate. It feels like everything around me is heating up,” described “Calvin,” a junior boy who wishes to remain anonymous.

Calvin, who suffers from depression and anxiety, is just one of the many students at Redwood who currently struggles with mental illness.

***

A mental illness is a condition that impacts a person's thinking, feeling or mood, and may affect their ability to relate to others and function on a daily basis, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. These illnesses include depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, borderline personality disorder, and eating disorders, among others.

Psychiatrist Richard Goldwasser said that mental health issues are very prevalent among teens. At Redwood alone, 13 percent of students suffer from a mental illness and 47 percent of students know someone close to them who suffers from a mental illness, according to a recent Bark survey.

There are many reasons why mental illnesses appear or are first diagnosed during high school, according to Goldwasser.

“Just in a biologic perspective, there’s a lot of changes going on both physically and hormonally as well as emotionally [during this time],” Goldwasser said. “There’s a lot of brain development that happens from the early teens up into the mid-20s.”

Environmental factors can also greatly affect a teen’s mental health, Goldwasser said.

“It’s really a mix between what they call ‘nature’ and ‘nurture.’ Much of it is biologically what we’re predisposed to and how our biological predisposition interacts with environment,” Goldwasser said.

Goldwasser acknowledged that environmental pressures for teens can be a trigger for those who are predisposed to mental illness.

“There’s a lot of stress academically, socially, and relationship-wise,” Goldwasser said. “[Problems] within the family, becoming more independent, having more freedom, getting into trouble, and the big picture questions like ‘What am I going to do with the rest of my life?’ all can contribute to mental health issues in teens.”

“Calvin”

Anonymous junior “Calvin,” who has suffered from depression and anxiety as well as suicidal tendencies since the fifth grade, believes gender roles have worsened the pressures of his mental illness.

“Our society is shaped in such a way where it is considered unmasculine to talk about your feelings. So I bottled it up,” Calvin said.

Because his friends expected him to be masculine and strong, Calvin felt as though he couldn’t show any signs of weakness. According to a recent Bark survey, 20 percent of Redwood students consider men with mental illnesses to be weaker than those without.

“I’ve always been expected to be tougher than everyone else, and in many ways I am, but in other ways I just need to break down and cry. But I can’t do that with the guys,” Calvin said.

Calvin has learned to cope with his illnesses by talking to family, friends, and teachers’, however, he dealt with his issues in unhealthy ways when he kept quiet.

“I was so ashamed of my depression that instead of cutting myself, which lots of people do, I would eat the inside of my gums so people wouldn’t see the scars. I would rip off a layer of skin over and over again, and at the end of the day my cheeks would be bleeding,” Calvin said.

Calvin considered suicide multiple times, beginning in the fifth grade. According to Calvin, when he is severely depressed, he feels that there are no alternatives to suicide.

“Nothing makes sense when you’re depressed. You keep questioning yourself and questioning yourself and you get to the point where you ask yourself the question ‘Should I commit suicide?’ and you just say yes because that seems like the only option, which is insane to think now,” Calvin said.

According to the 2013-2014 California Healthy Kids survey, 17 percent of ninth graders and 20 percent of 11th graders seriously considered committing suicide last year.

Calvin said his mother, who is currently receiving chemotherapy treatments, is sometimes the only thing that keeps him from killing himself.

“Everything has been falling apart. It’s hard to deal with it all because my entire life my mom has been the person who I could lean on.

But it’s basically flipped these past few months,” Calvin said.

In addition to his schoolwork, Calvin has assumed a parental role by making dinner, cleaning the house, “Calvin,” picking up prescriptions, and caring junior for his mother.

“Everyone always asks me how I do it, and if I’m alright with it. But honestly, my mom is the one glowing light in my life,” Calvin said. “You just need to find the one thing that you’re good at, the one thing you love. Just focus on that one thing, and everything around will start to glow. And that’s what my mom is to me.”

Calvin said his teachers and the support staff have been incredibly helpful and accommodating of his situation.

“I’ve been able to talk to my teachers with the help of

my counselor and the Wellness Center,” Calvin said. “Last week, one of my teachers talked to me for 2 ½ hours after school just to make sure everything was going OK, and he made dinner for my mom.”

In addition, Calvin’s private therapists have been integral in helping him balance all aspects of his life.

“It’s a free space where I’m able to tell them what’s happening,” Calvin said. “Letting someone in is the hardest part. But once they’re in, they’re in.”

Supported by his therapists as well as his friends and family, Calvin has learned to come to terms with his illness.

“I was ashamed of my depression [for] forever, and in many ways I still am, but when you accept that you are depressed, it just gets a little bit easier. Once you accept it, you start to realize that you’re not the only one who is depressed,” Calvin said. “Depression has shaped me into the person I am today. In the end, I love that person inside of me.”

Grace

Junior Grace Garcia, a current student in Tamiscal’s TEAM program, is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety.

Garcia said signs of her mental illnesses were apparent at an early age. She was diagnosed with depression in seventh grade and was not diagnosed with bipolar disorder until her freshman year, even though it was common for her to have massive mood swings while growing up.

“I was more happy than an average person on a given day, and then my lows were just terrible,” she said.

These tendencies persisted into her teenage years, when her fits of mania and depression worsened.

According to Goldwasser, when an individual with bipolar disorder experiences a manic episode, they tend to not remember a lot of what happened during a manic period.

“It has to do with the ability of the brain to lay down memory and the chemical environment in the memory centers of the brain,” Goldwasser said.

Garcia describes manic episodes as overwhelming and says that when she is in a manic state she seems to lose control of her body and mind.

“You just have a million thoughts racing through your head, a lot of scary thoughts too, and you can’t control yourself. Multiple times my mom would try to calm me down, she’d rub my back or something and I would get aggressive and scream and hit her,” Garcia said.

Garcia has realized that not everyone can empathize and understand the severity of her condition.

“I’ve even had manic episodes at school, and I’ve had to leave multiple times and my teachers didn’t really understand that,” Garcia said.

Outside of the classroom, Garcia faces additional obstacles, such as her father’s lack of support and acceptance of her disease.

“My dad doesn’t understand it at all. He doesn’t think it’s real,” Garcia said. “He grew up in a really poor town in Mexico, and none of that was talked about, so he doesn’t

Letting someone in is the hardest part, but once they’re in, they’re in.

ILLNESS

HURT, HARM, AND HELPLESSNESS

nd Chloe Wintersteen

Illustration by Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan

think I need to be on medication. He thinks I’m making it all up. So that’s hard.”

Relationships in general are hard for Garcia to maintain.

Garcia said she tends to become too invested too fast.

“When I get into relationships, I tend to want to stay with them forever. I never want to leave them,” Garcia said.

Garcia, however, has created strong connections this year with her fellow classmates in TEAM which she said have helped her overcome periods of emotional instability.

“The people I’ve met this year from TEAM are the most understanding people I’ve ever met and I haven’t had a manic episode in months,” Garcia said. “I feel better right now.”

“Ivy”

Throughout the last 10 years of neuroscience research, there has been more recognition of the effect of trauma on the brain’s chemistry, according to Goldwasser.

“Psychologically as well as ideologically we change as a result of trauma,” Goldwasser said.

Anonymous junior girl “Ivy” believes a significant traumatic moment triggered her feelings of depression.

“In fifth grade my best friend at the time killed herself in front of me,” Ivy said. “I think that triggered it.”

One day Ivy and her friend were playing at a park when it appeared to Ivy as if her friend began hallucinating.

“It was around twilight and she went over to the railroad tracks and started saying these weird things about the sky, like ‘Look up there, do you see that?’ but there were just clouds, there was nothing. She kept saying ‘No look, there’s something there’ and then, I don’t know why, but she laid down on “Ivy,” the tracks...then there was the horn,” junior she said.

Despite her efforts to try to make sense of the situation, Ivy had no control. To this day, her feelings of helplessness remain.

“That experience triggered my depression at an early age. If it hadn’t happened everything would be different and maybe nothing would have triggered the depression,” Ivy said.

Ivy’s experiences with depression have affected her not only emotionally, but also socially and academically.

“I had trouble making friends for a while. I became socially awkward and tried to stay in my room. My parents didn’t really know what to do, so they just left me alone or would yell at me for things I couldn’t really help,” Ivy said.

Other negative experiences have triggered rough patches in Ivy’s depression.

“My second semester sophomore year my sister, who at the time was in eighth grade––she was 13––got raped,” Ivy shared. “That really affected everyone and everything.

I just kept turning in everything late and I was failing all of my tests and I just didn’t even have a motivation to change that because it was just too much on top of everything going on at home.”

Despite facing lots of ups and downs in her emotional state, Ivy said that finding individuals with whom she can confide has helped her to cope with her depression.

“Honestly everyone feels alone in this, like they’re on their own little deserted island, but they’re really not alone.

There are so many people that they could go to,” Ivy said.

“Natalie” Anonymous senior “Natalie” is diagnosed with severe depression, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, compulsions, and trichotillomania, an impulse control disorder.

While her symptoms hinder her ability to socialize in public situations, Natalie’s compulsions greatly affect her ability to think rationally.

Natalie’s trichotillomania urges her to pick hairs out of her scalp or eyebrows.

“It feels like something is on your face. You feel the hairs that are less soft than the other ones and you can’t think about anything else until they’re gone,” Natalie said.

Natalie was first driven to pick out her hair in fourth grade, when she found it alleviated her feelings of incompetency in school.

“It was hard to deal with because my mom and teachers thought it was a habit and not an actual mental disorder.

I couldn’t physically stop it,” Natalie said.

According to Natalie, picking out her eyelashes can be satisfying because it gives her a sense of control.

“It gives me the sense that I have something that I can do to myself with my body that nobody else can technically make me stop,” Natalie said.

When she was in middle school, Natalie felt insecure about her body, and coped through self-harm and an eating disorder.

The inability to control her thoughts and actions led Natalie to fall further into depression.

“My entire sophomore year I was incredibly depressed.

There wasn’t a day I can say I was happy,” Natalie said. “I had terrible suicidal thoughts, and self-harming got worse and worse. It was so bad that I started having severe panic attacks every day.”

Natalie knew she had to get clinical help for her mental illnesses following a traumatic experience at the Back to School Dance her junior year.

“I was pushed around and I fell and was trampled on, and that caused the worst panic attack I’ve ever had,” Natalie said. “I realized that I couldn’t live that way anymore, so I went to a psychiatrist and they put me on Lexapro, an anti-anxiety and anti-depression medication, and that helped so much.”

One of the most difficult aspects of having mental illnesses is being misrepresented or misperceived by her peers, Natalie said.

“I’m not friends with a lot of the people I used to be friends with because they don’t understand that sometimes

I don’t know why, but she laid down on the tracks...then there was the horn.

my physical body can’t do something because I feel like I’m going to die,” Natalie said. “Sometimes I don’t want to be friends with other people because I feel like I’m just a burden to them.”

Natalie wishes that teachers understood her heightened difficulty in social situations.

“Having to work in group projects for some kids is a nightmare, or having to go in front of a class for some people is the worse thing you could do,” Natalie said. “I wish that teachers understood there are some accommodations you have to make for people who have severe mental illness, and to understand it’s not that I don’t work hard, or that I’m lazy, but that I couldn’t do homework because I was up all night trying not to break down or do anything hurtful.”

Natalie said that her drama teachers and the drama program itself provided her with support to help her cope with her depression.

“The reason why I came to school everyday my sophomore year was because of drama,” Natalie said.

“The reason I continued on with my life was drama.

That was the class that I could leave it at the door, but also take it all in and put my emotional baggage into something that I loved and enjoyed.”

Natalie urges everyone to be cautious of how they characterize people with mental illnesses.

“When people say ‘I’m feeling so depressed today,’ but it’s because their mom took their phone, it’s actually really hurtful to the people who are depressed.

It makes them feel like they’re not valid anymore,” Natalie said. bark@redwoodbark.org For the full version of this story, visit redwoodbark.org

Anxiety disorders: A group of related conditions, each with unique symptoms. All anxiety disorders have one thing in common: persistent, excessive fear or worry in situations that are not threatening.

Bipolar disorder:

A chronic mental illness that causes dramatic shifts in a person’s mood, energy and ability to think clearly.

Clinical depression:

A mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger or frustration interfere with everyday life for weeks or more.

Trichotillomania:

An impulse control disorder (ICD) that involves strong urges to pull out one’s own hair.

Sources: National Alliance on Mental Illness and U.S. National Library of Medicine.

bark

Page 14 • Feature

December 11, 2015

Youth Court

offers restorative justice

By Catherine Conrow On a Friday night in March, “Emma,” a current senior who wished to remain anonymous, was arrested for shoplifting from a store in The Village.

“I thought I was great at [shoplifting] and was never going to get caught but when I did I was so scared and embarrassed,” Emma said.

“I didn’t know entirely what would happen to me because I didn’t know about Youth Court.”

The Twin Cities police department sent Emma’s case to the Marin YMCA Youth Court, a peer-driven, restorative justice program for youth, according to program director Don Carney. Here, she told her story to a jury of peers.

“I was really honest about it and I think that they were pretty understanding because they understood that I knew that I made a mistake,” Emma said.

Since 2004, the Marin YMCA Youth Court has offered youth an alternative to being sentenced through juvenile court, according to Carney.

“It is a good eye opener because a lot of kids get caught doing things that they don’t think that they’ll get caught for or they don’t know the severity of, so I think that Youth Court helps with both of those things,” said Jason Hight, the juvenile detective for the Central Marin Police Authority.

According to junior Kate Garrison, a volunteer juror in the program, about 90 percent of cases that are brought to Youth Court are drug or alcohol related, while the other 10 percent usually involve theft or destruction of property.

Once on the stand, the defendants tell jurors about the incident that lead to their arrest. Each juror then asks the defendant questions, according to Carney. Sixty percent of jurors are volunteers while the other 40 percent serve on the jury as part of their restorative justice plan.

“When we are asking them questions we don’t just want to ask them about the event,” Garrison said.

“We want to get to know them and their life, like how their family situation is, who their friends are, and what they do in their free time. It’s also really important for us to know if they are in a household that is supporting them.”

According to Garrison, the jury of students can also provide the defendants with free tutoring and counseling if the defendant thinks that they could benefit from the support.

“We also ask them if it was their first time drinking or doing the thing that they were arrested for,” said junior Emily Johnson, who also volunteers on the jury. “If it was a one time drinking thing then they are going to have a much lower sentence than someone who is habitually drinking and doing drugs.”

Emma’s “restorative justice plan” was three mandatory jury duties at Youth Court and 20 hours of community service, which she completed by working at a research lab in the East Bay.

Infographic by Sam Sheridan

The minimum “restorative justice plan” that the peer jury can order is two jury duties and 15 hours of community service, while the maximum sentence is 5 jury duties and 40 hours of community service, according to Carney.

“We emphasise that the community service is not punishment. It’s restorative justice because they have to restore the bonds they broke with the community,” Johnson said.

As a juvenile detective, Hight’s job is to determine whether a case should be sent to Youth Court or the traditional juvenile justice system. When making the decision, he usually looks at the severity of the crime and whether it was the youth’s first time offense.

“Typically Youth Court is for first time misdemeanants of non-violent crimes, so that looks like a minor in possession of tobacco, marijuana, or alcohol related charges,” Hight said. “We also see some cases that involve weapons on campus, theft, and those types of things.”

Hight does not consider a youth’s behavior in school when determining if a case will go to Youth Court.

However, he does consider the youth’s behavior and interaction with police officers at the arrest.

“If we get a lot of attitude or if the youth is not cooperative then my interpretation of Youth Court is that it isn’t going to help that person because the first thing in Youth Court is that you have to admit fault or guilt,” he said.

Only 8 percent of the 95 percent of students who complete the program will come into contact with law enforcement again, according to Carney.

“Typically our contact is very minimal afterwards,” Hight said. “However, with someone that goes to probation or juvenile

court instead of Youth Court, we typically end up seeing them again.”

According to Johnson, students who go through Youth Court take the program seriously.

“It’s a wake up call for them because they can see that the next time they get in trouble the consequences will be real and much more permanent,” Johnson said.

Now that Emma is 18 and has already been to Youth Court once, she said she knows the consequences of being arrested again will be much greater.

“I stopped [shoplifting] immediately after going through Youth Court because the whole experience was really terrifying,” Emma said. “Almost everyone I know has [shoplifted], whether it’s taking cookies from Woodlands or stealing a $500 nice bracelet from Macy’s. The people that I am close to learned from my experience and have stopped shoplifting too.”

Those who fail to complete the program or are arrested again have to go through the traditional juvenile system, according to

Garrison.

“If the defendants don’t comply in Youth Court then they will have to face a real court, so they are all happy to be [in Youth Court] because it is not going to go on their permanent record,” Johnson said.

Instead, Youth Court cases involving minors are stored privately in police databases, according to Hight.

“The fact that they were arrested still exists. You can’t erase the fact that you were arrested. If you do any type of governmental job cop, military, politics they do a very in- depth background check,” Hight said. “If you are asked the question ‘Have you ever been arrested?’ you have to say yes because you have, and they will find it.”

The Marin YMCA Youth Court holds court from 5-7 p.m. on Thursdays at the Marin County Juvenile Hall. cconrow@redwoodbark.org

Page 15 • Sports

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bark

Boys look to repeat prior success with new faces

By Jason Fieber The boys’ soccer team began the 20152016 season with many fresh faces, but remains optimistic about its possibilities for the coming season.

Last year the team won MCALs and advanced to the NCS playoffs before losing in the semifinals.

Despite losing multiple players, including two captains and a goalkeeper who were key to last season’s success, third-year varsity head coach Gabe Zieff remains upbeat about his team’s future. He believes it can repeat last year’s postseason run and go even further.

“We lost two of our captains from last year, and we also lost our goalkeeper,” Zieff said. “We are looking to fill those holes, but I think we will be able to do that just fine with a little bit of time.”

Senior Marcus Talke, an outside back, is entering his fourth and final season with Redwood soccer.

“We lost some good players, but this year we have a strong group of players who are willing to work really hard,” Talke said.

According to Zieff, progress made during practice time will be key in improving the team and preparing for the MCAL season and beyond.

“It’s just going to be about finding our identity and working together. I think we will have a very strong team,” he said.

The team was forced to add a significant number of new athletes to help fill holes created by the departure of past players.

Photo by Jason Fieber

JUNIOR MATTHIAS REIMINK dribbles through defenders while attacking the goal.

Reimink is a new player this year as a foreign exhange student.

“We have probably a half dozen players who were not on the team last year who I am very excited about,” Zieff said.

These new players could be a difference maker for the team’s future, according to Zieff.

“We have some players who didn’t play last year who people around the league don’t know about,” Zieff said. “We have a lot of new dynamic aspects of our team that are exciting and fun to see develop.”

Zieff added that strong teamwork will

be crucial to incorporating the new athletes and to making a competitive team.

“Everyone needs to accept their role on the team, whatever that may be,” he said.

“We have to want to do it for each other, not just for one individual.”

Once the players are working together, Zieff said that they need to use the weapons they have to carry them through games.

“I think we have a lot of very dynamic attacking players, so I think once players get to know each other that should gel

pretty smoothly,” Zieff said.

Talke added that the attack is an important asset to the team and that the team has great depth this year thanks to a large crop of talent.

“On the other side of that we just need to make sure we are very clean on the defensive end, and the attack will take care of itself,” Zieff said.

While attacking may be the team’s strong suit, Zieff said this doesn’t mean other parts of the team are weak.

The team also holds a potential advantage against its opponents because many players are physically fit, according to Talke.

However, Talke said the team needs to communicate more between offense and defense in order to strengthen the team’s connection.

Zieff said the team will try to redesign strategies around its strong attack.

“We are not playing any crazy style,” he said. “We want players in the attacking third to be creative, to take players on, create changes of speed, changes of direction.”

If the team is to make MCAL playoffs this year, Zieff said that every game is going to be equally important for its standing, which will ultimately affect its position in the playoffs.

“There are a lot of teams that people may not have their eyes on, but we are not taking anyone for granted,” Zieff said. jfieber@redwoodbark.org

Girls anticipate experience will lead them to a better season

By Isabella Alioto After a difficult season headlined by young players adjusting to the rigors of varsity soccer, the girls’ varsity soccer team hopes to advance further this season as the majority of its starters return with another year of experience.

Last spring, the girls’ varsity soccer team qualified for the MCAL playoffs, but didn’t do as well as they’d hoped, finishing in sixth place. The team hopes to rebound this season after losing only two seniors last year.

According to senior Shaya Barry, the addition of the five freshman could help the team reach their goal of advancing further in MCAL playoffs.

Senior Rachel Dabora also has high hopes for the season and believes the team will see more success than it has in previous years.

“I think we are going to do a lot better than last year.

Last year was a really bad year for us even though we still made MCALs and we still made NCS,” Dabora said.

Both Barry and Dabora have been playing on the varsity team since their freshman year. “[Last year] we didn’t have a single person who had been on the team since freshman year all four years,” Dabora said.

Dabora thinks that it will be helpful to have seniors on the team who have played on varsity for Redwood for all four years.

“Last year we had some awesome seniors, but there were fewer of them, so our team was so overpowered by younger people who were still nervous and trying to learn,” Dabora said.

According to Dabora and Barry, the team has been putting immense focus on working well together, which was problematic last year.

“I think what was lacking last year a little bit was our ability to play with each other. I think we sometimes found ourselves a little lost,” Dabora said.

Barry and Dabora both think that the team’s biggest competitor will be Branson, especially because Branson had a relatively young team last year and many of its top players have yet to graduate.

The Marin Catholic team, which is often tough competition for the Redwood team, lost two valuable

Photo by Max Josef

VARSITY RETURNING PLAYER sophomore Hannah Halford (10), dribbles past a Branson defender. According to senior Shaya Barry, Branson is the teams biggest competitor. seniors this year, according to Barry.

Redwood, on the other hand, expects their team to be better this year than it was last year.

“Now all of [last year’s] freshman who were such a big impact last year know what they’re doing and know what they’re getting into so I think that is going to help a lot,” Dabora said.

The girls’ varsity soccer team lost its first league game of the season against Branson by a score of 2-0 on Dec. 2, and will play their next game Dec. 12 against Drake, as of press time. ialioto@redwoodbark.org

December 11, 2015 bark Page 16 • Sports Academics lure athletes to Division III schools

By Julia Cherner and Addison Brady Though many equate collegiate sports with only Division I universities, some have a broader definition that includes Division III. Seniors Kayla Rose, Zach Cohen, Marguerite Spaethling, and Michael Sullivan will each play for Division III schools next fall, even though they were recruited by Division I. Rose will play softball for Rhodes College next year, and said she couldn’t be happier. After being in communication with many schools, both Division I and Division III, Rose narrowed her list down to Rhodes, UC San Diego, Southwestern, Hillsdale, and Rollins. Rose ultimately chose Rhodes because she thinks she will enjoy all aspects of what the school claims it has to offer.

“I knew I didn’t want to go into a program where they owned me,” Rose said. “That’s why I picked [Division III]. I wanted to go to a small, liberal arts college in the South with a cohesive campus and a great town. Rhodes fit all of those categories.”

Rose said that receiving a good education will be her main priority in college, and a main reason she chose to go Division III was that the school understands that.

“My coach described it to me as ‘games before class but class before practice,’” Rose said. “They take education very seriously. We don’t travel during the weekdays, we’re not missing class. So really education comes first and softball come second.”

With few post-collegiate softball opportunities, Rose was worried that a Division I career wouldn’t take her anywhere in the future.

“There aren’t a lot of opportunities to play softball after college,” Rose said. “There is a professional league, but it’s almost not worth it. You don’t get paid enough to sustain a good lifestyle. The only other opportunity would be to coach, which I was planning on doing anyway.”

Rose said that choosing where she will spend the next four years was “one of the most nerveracking decisions” she’s ever made and added that Rhodes offers the programs in the fields in which she plans to study: religious studies and art history.

Kayla Rose, “By the time [I made the decision] I knew that the school senior was a fit for me. I was talking to big Division I schools, but I didn’t want to go to a huge school that was [science, technology, engineering, and math] based,” Rose said. “UCSD didn’t have what I wanted to study so it wasn’t going to be worth it to go and have to play softball as well. It’s the right campus, it’s the right part of the country, so that’s why I picked it.”

Rose said that ultimately, she has reached her athletic goals after playing softball for 14 years, even though Division III athletic programs do not carry the same prestige as those of Division I. “There’s a huge stigma that if you want to play sports and you’re not playing DI, you’re not playing the best,” Rose said. “I feel like I’ve achieved my goal of putting in 14 years of softball by playing DIII. We’re getting the DI perks, but we’re not signing our lives over.”

Cohen, coming off of an MCAL and NCS championship, decided to commit to New York University to continue his pitching, despite receiving offers from multiple Division I schools.

“I made the decision early on to play Division III baseball because I knew I wanted more of an academic, education-based college experience versus fully for just sports,” Cohen said. “That being said, ever since I knew what college was, a dream of mine was to play ball in college.”

Photo by Julia Cherner

SENIOR MARGUERITE SPAETHLING recently committed to Colorado College, a Division III school, for volleyball. Spaethling was a captain on this year’s varsity volleyball team, which lost in the NorCal semifinals.

Although strong academics were the main factor in Cohen’s decision, he wouldn’t go to a school if he couldn’t play baseball, he said.

“For me it’s all about still playing. The academics might have been more of the ‘goal,’ but baseball was on the table as well, so it was perfect, and that’s why I went [Division III].”

Cohen added that the city location of NYU provides many innovative opportunities, perfect for Cohen’s desired career path of mathematics and economics.

Sullivan recently decided to play basketball for Pomona College, a small liberal arts school in Claremont, California, part of the Claremont University Consortium. He said he didn’t consider Division I schools for various reasons.

“I would’ve had to walk on to a DI team, and DI sports consume the social and academic life of the athletes,” Sullivan said. “DIII sports are less time consuming, and set people apart from someone not playing a collegiate level sport when applying for grad schools or a job.”

Sullivan added that when he visited, he liked that Pomona felt like a larger university because of the other surrounding colleges in the consortium.

“It feels like one massive college with four neighboring schools, so there’s a lot to do and the coaches at Pomona are awesome,” Sullivan said. “I love the guys on the team, too, and the future of the team looks bright.”

Spaethling will play Division III volleyball at Colorado College next fall.

“I’d been doing the recruiting process for volleyball since I was a sophomore and I was looking at majority DI schools in the beginning, and that’s how the

I knew I didn’t want to go into a program where they owned me. That’s why I picked [Division III].

recruiting process goes––I had top choices that were mostly DI, but they didn’t really work out,” Spaethling said. “Once it came down to it, I had offers from DIII schools that are high academics and DI schools, but in the end those DI schools really didn’t fit the profile and academics that I wanted to have in my college experience.”

Spaethling added that earlier in the process, she wanted to play for an Ivy League school because, though they are Division I, their volleyball programs are not as demanding as other larger, public universities. In addition, they compete with higher level Division III schools such as Colorado.

“Being at Redwood and playing on the teams that I’ve played on, I really wanted to be at a competitive level, but also one that had the good academics and the programs I wanted to study: architecture and environmental science,” Spaethling said.

Spaethling was left deciding between Colorado and Wesleyan, but ultimately chose Colorado because she felt it was the better fit.

“I visited Colorado and I just kind of fell in love,” Spaethling said. “Everyone was wearing Birkenstocks, they had composting everywhere, I really felt at home.

Everyone was super outdoorsy.”

Lizzie Ahern, a member of the Redwood class of 2012, also decided to play for a Division III team, though she had the skills to go DI. Ahern plays volleyball for Amherst College and said she is content with her decision.

“I chose DIII because I wanted to have experiences in college that a DI program wouldn’t allow me to have.

Small class sizes, personal relationships with professors, and time to do other things in the off season besides training were all very appealing to me,” Ahern said.

Ahern added that she believes she is able to get the collegiate athlete experience of playing for a school, traveling around the country, and being involved in a tight knit athlete community, while benefiting from the opportunities provided by the Amherst athletic department.

She has worked a number of jobs on campus and studied abroad in Italy, is active in student groups and dorm life, and believes she has a fulfilling life outside of academics and athletics.

Ahern advises seniors who are currently deciding between schools to try to picture themselves five years after graduating college.

“Make sure you choose a school that you would still want to go to if you couldn’t play your sport anymore,” Ahern said. “Injuries occur, people quit, things happen that end athletic careers early, so it’s important to be in a place that you still want to be, regardless of your sport.” bark@redwoodbark.org

Photo by Addison Brady

bark Dostal cheers way past stereotypes as male cheerleader Page 17 • Sports

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By Sarah Kimball During halftime of the varsity girls’ basketball game, the JV cheer team stormed the court. As they began their detailed and enthusiastic dance, one cheerleader stood out. In addition to his bold moves, something else differentiated this cheerleader from the rest: he is the only male cheerleader in the program.

Freshman Max Dostal is the first male in four years to be on the cheer team.

Dostal originally showed interest in becoming a cheerleader due to it being a non-contact sport.

“I really wanted to do a sport but I didn’t want to do something super physical,” Dostal said. “I decided to do cheer because it seemed really fun and it seemed like everyone is really unified as a team.”

Although Dostal is excited to be the first male on the cheer team in four years, he wasn’t aware of the potential honor when he decided to try out.

“I never thought of joining the team as me instituting change. It was something that I wanted to do, and it just happens that I am the first guy in four years,” Dostal said.

According to head coach Heather Long, in 2012 Redwood had four-year male cheerleader Cody Estes and in 2004 there were three senior male cheerleaders.

One of Dostal’s teammates, sophomore Lauren Kenneally, is excited to have a guy on the team because it opens up new possibilities and adds energy to the team.

“There are so many advantages of having guys on the team, but mostly I am excited for the possibility of co-ed stunting,” Kenneally said. “We usually have all girls on the team, so each stunt group requires four people but with co-ed stunting we can have one person hold up the flier, which will increase the potential of the stunt.”

Head JV coach Shannon McGuinness sees the advantage of extra strength for stunting, but also faces a minor challenge of dealing with the integration of both masculine and feminine-like dance movements.

Kenneally believes that there are few male cheerleaders because of the stereotypes boys learn from the media.

“Most people know the stereotypical cheerleader as the girls on the side of the football field yelling and waving their arms, which is a very small percentage of what we actually do. In reality, we mostly practice the dances and

Photo by Sarah Kimball

FRESHMAN MAX DOSTAL practices routines during a cheer practice. Dostal is the first male to join the cheer team in four years. stunts that we usually perform during halftime, which can be very hard work at times,” Kenneally said.

McGuinness agrees with Kenneally’s reasoning to explain the lack of boys participating in cheer.

“Boys think it is a feminine sport based on what we have to wear, how we look and the moves in general,” McGuinness said. “But it definitely doesn’t have to be a feminine sport, it can be masculine too in certain ways beyond what it looks like.”

McGuiness hopes that in the future more guys join the sport.

“It would help to have more strength on the team

because it would create more impressive and clean stunts,” McGuinness said.

While the team has only practiced seven times, Dostal has already found his favorite part: the routines.

“We have already learned a lot of really cool dances that are super hard and challenging but give you something to work for so you can be better at them,” Dostal said.

skimball@redwoodbark.org

Preparing for upcoming season, girls’ varsity looks ahead

By Ella Cook After open gym training all fall, the girls’ varsity basketball team looks to reload for its upcoming season and make a statement in MCAL. According to head coach Diane Peterson, the team participated in summer tournaments but has been training mainly through open gyms, consisting of pick up games, led by senior Carli Jacks.

Last year, the team made it to the MCAL semi-finals before losing to JustinSiena.

The team is also looking to fill the hole left by junior point guard Jaina Harris, who transferred to Tam at the beginning of this year. Harris was a starter her freshman year, but was out due to an ACL injury last season.

The starting five for the preseason has consisted of returning juniors Nicki Yang and Heidi Roenisch, and seniors Jacks and Hayden Dean, as well as sophomore Zoe Stachowski.

According to coach Diane Peterson, the preseason practices have given the girls an advantage for the upcoming season.

“The girls have been in the gym for the past couple of months consistently, so the team comradery has been really strong this season at open gym and it’s a comradery that usually takes time to build,” Peterson said. “The fact that these girls are already laying that foundation down prior to tryouts is something that’s really going to be beneficial throughout the year.”

Yang said that the team must work on changing their tempo this season.

“I think we are going to have to start playing at a faster pace, not just coming down with more offense all the time, but running the floor and using are speed as an advantage against slower teams,” Yang said.

Photo by Gabe Di Donato

LOSING TO THE Alameda Hornets, the girls’ varsity basketball team tries to claw back from an early deficit. They went on to lose this game 54-34. Their next game is Dec. 22 against Capuchino High School.

Peterson believes the lack of fall league tournaments won’t affect the team this season.

Both Jacks and Yang were elected captain, along with senior Kayla Rose and Dean.

“Being a senior, I want to be more of a leader than I was last year. Since our captains [have graduated], I would like to step up,” Jacks said.

According to Peterson, the leadership of returning seniors has made a positive impact on the open gym practices and therefore the team as a whole. “[The seniors] have taken on leadership qualities and taken ownership, leading by example in a positive way and showing how to integrate all grade levels into open gyms,” Peterson said.

As of press time, the team’s record is 1-2, after a win over San Domenico and losses to Alameda High School and Eastside Prep. ecook@redwoodbark.org

December 11, 2015 bark Page 18 • Sports Girls’ varsity volleyball hangs MCAL and NCS banners

By Max Josef The crowd cheered as the volleyball hit the ground for the final time on Maria Carrillo’s side. The girls’ volleyball team had claimed the NCS Division II title.

The Giants exploded with excitement and congratulated each other in the middle of the court. The girls rose their arms as if to say, “We are the champions.”

The girls’ volleyball team wrapped up its NCS postseason on Nov. 21 with a win against the Pumas in three sets, securing its third consecutive NCS title.

A flawless MCAL regular season campaign was rewarded with the top seed in both MCAL and NCS playoffs. The team was finally able to win the MCAL championship for the first time in four years.

The team ended its overall season after a dismal, three-set defeat against Presentation High School in the Norcal Photo by Max Josef Semifinals.

THE GIRLS’ VARSITY volleyball team celebrates following its dominant performance in the North Coast Section Finals. The This year, the team has many players team had a successful MCAL season, finishing undefeated in league play. Its season ended with a loss at Norcal Semifinals. who can perform in different roles. They have been able to succeed even with an injury to key starting outside hitter junior The team has six seniors who will be assistant coach Alisa Cox picked up the at Redwood.”

The team finished as the 12th best Claire Jackson. graduating at the end of the school year, mascot during a team bonding trip to team in the state and the 22nd best team, “In the past, we’ve had a main captain four of whom will continue to play in Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.

“One of our coaches picked up Mokiki, according to MaxPreps. As of Nov. 3, the or star on our team, but this year we’re all college: Elly Lundberg (Arizona State), evenly balanced and everyone contributes,” Lily Barber (Cornell), Adelaide Shunk who is one of those puppets with strings team ranked first in California with 1535 senior captain Elly (Amherst College), on it. The name Mokiki comes from a kills and 1457 assists. The team ranked Lundberg said. “When and Margo Spaethling, “Saturday Night Live” skit called “The fourth in California with a .392 hitting Legend of Mokiki and the Sloppy Swish.” percentage, 31st in California with 366 [Jackson] went down, (Colorado College). service aces, fifth in California with 334 we were still able to Shunk, a two-year We love it,” Shunk said.

Coach Katie Pease has brought in blocks, and 18th in California with 1981 succeed because of our varsity player, feels the multiple assistant coaches this year, which digs. versatility.” team is really close.

Senior Margo Spaethling placed first Molina attributed “We really mesh the players liked.

“The assistant coaches bring that fun in all of California with a .536 hitting part of the team’s as a team. We hang success to senior libero out with each other on attitude. Mike [Buller] helps us with our percentage and junior Mari Molina placed Lily Barber. the weekends. We’re defense because of his offensive skills, first in California with 1115 assists.

The team was in a somber mood after “[Barber] has spent all best friends on and Olivia [Urban] is that person who we can most of the season in Katie Pease, off the court,” Shunk relate to and we can talk to,” Lundberg its final loss at Norcal Semifinals, as the background. She’ll girls’ varsity volleyball coach said. “A lot of us have said. “[The coaches] all have a different Spaethling noted.

“It stings and it burns, but you hope to pick up any ball, she’ll played with each other, role and it really helps us.”

This season was one of the team’s best have that feeling. Without that feeling, then sprint, she’ll go for a whether it be for club or ball that no one thinks another team, which has under Pease, who has been head coach for it does not mean anything,” Spaethling said.

18 years. she is going to get and definitely helped us.”

“It has been a great season. We went she always gets it,” Molina said. “She’s The team’s “mascot” is a pink puppet, 42-5,” Pease said. “This is one of the best one of the people on this team who does which it brings to most of its games. not get as much credit as she deserves.”

According to senior Adelaide Shunk, teams that I have coached in my 18 years mjosef@redwoodbark.org

This is one of the best teams that I have coached in 18 years at Redwood.

Varsity cross country powers through MCALs, NCS and State Meets

By Keely Jenkins Both the girls’ and boys’ varsity cross country team ran at the California Interscholastic Federation State Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 28. It was a race for which six months of training had been dedicated, and for the first time in four years both the of the varsity teams, not just individuals, qualified for the state meet.

“It’s a really big deal for a program to have both squads qualify for state,” said Laura Schmitt, the head coach of cross country.

Their success was evident in MCALs, where the girls’ varsity team placed first and the boys’ varsity team finished in second by a margin of three points.

“Going into it after we had won the regular season, we were definitely hoping to win and we knew exactly who our biggest competitors would be,” said senior co-captain Campbell Nolan. “It was really close, 40 to 43, and we all gave it our best effort and really went out there and it just didn’t work out in the end.”

Despite coming in second, the boys’ team still went on to compete in the North Coast Sectionals (NCS), where they again placed second. In the individual standings, Redwood runners held the first and second place. Andy Ehrenberg, senior team captain, finished first, followed by freshman Liam Anderson.

“He didn’t even realize that he got second. He thought more guys had been up with Andy, and when he crossed the finish line Andy was like ‘you got second!’” said senior team co-captain Rachel Bordes. “Laura always says it’s not the freshman’s role to lead a team and get a team to state, but he 100 percent led that team and got that team to where they are.”

Anderson ran the fastest time ever for a freshman boy in Marin County during the state meet. Additionally, he ran the 13th fastest time for a freshman in the entire state,

Photo by Keely Jenkins

JUNIOR ANDREW THOMAS, senior Campbell Nolan, senior Zac Patel, and freshman Liam Anderson (from left to right) train for the MCAL and NCS events. according to Schmitt.

The girls’ team also placed second at NCS. Junior Glennis Murphy nabbed second place, while Rachel Bordes placed eighth, only a minute behind.

“We push each other hard. That’s what’s great about having some of the best teammates in the state—we can be friends but we’re also competitive with each other—and I think that’s what makes us so good,” Bordes said.

The goal of the girls’ team was to be on the podium

at State because last year it finished in sixth, according to Bordes. This season it placed fifth.

“You set your goals...but you also reach a little bit, and you don’t base your joy for the season on one meet,” Schmitt said. “And it was a phenomenal meet. They ran the fastest time in Marin County, as did the boys in the history of Marin County. No one’s upset.” kjenkins@redwoodbark.org

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‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II’ hits bullseye with expectations

By Anne Pritikin “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II” begins where “Part I” left off, culminating “The Hunger Games” series in an entertaining combination of fast-paced action scenes and slower, emotional moments in this predictably well-done finale.

The film marks the return of familiar faces from the first three installments of the series and introduces new characters, evolving the plot without letting it overwhelm or steal the spotlight from the true heroine, Katniss Everdeen. Jennifer Lawrence continues her incredible acting as Katniss and many veteran actors of the series still shine in their roles: a shallow Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, a gruff but loyal Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy, and a convincing Donald Sutherland as the odious President Snow.

The beginning of the movie feels slow, while the end sped up a bit. Altogether, the movie would have been better combined with “Part I.” However, the most important aspect of the movie, and director Francis Lawrence’s greatest achievement, is that the film is true to the book, a worth-noting feat in the film-making industry.

Throughout the long, but necessary 137 minutes of the film, Katniss and her close companions (including the ever-present Gale, played by Liam Hemsworth) leave District 13, embarking on a journey to the Capitol to join in the battle against President Snow. A large part of the film does not take place in the city, but rather in its outskirts, where the group must tread carefully to avoid triggering “pod” attacks from the same horrific monsters that threatened lives in the Hunger Games arenas.

Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) joins Katniss and her squad to be filmed in propaganda videos in an attempt to create a facade of order and alliance for the rebellion. However, when the cameras are off, he is treated more as a captive than a companion, since he still poses a threat to Katniss after his memories were hijacked. The former lovers are now threats to each other—meanwhile, Gale is thrown into the mix to make for a rather unconventional, twisted love triangle. Romantic love is of little importance to the actual movie, a wonderfully refreshing change to the romance-infused dystopian genre.

Tense moments define this finale, such as the eerie underground assaults, which feature an infinite supply of mutts (which look more like emaciated humanoids than dogs) and compensate for the lack of action in the previous installment. In “Part II,” close up shots of Katniss’s subtle expression are interspersed between these fast-paced sequences, which allow the audience to see into her mind,

Photo courtesy of Lions Gate Entertainment

“THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART II” is a satifying end to the “Hunger Games” series. Jennifer Lawrence has an excellent and emotional performance as Katniss Everdeen. like the first person narration of the novels, and avoid cliche voiceovers. All the action does have a downside, however, as the audience hardly has any time to react, empathize with, or even miss some characters after their quick and untimely deaths.

The finale clearly completes the journey of Katniss’s character from a camera-shy, defiant girl born into poverty to a woman whose name is synonymous with that of a revolution and the silhouette of a mockingjay.

Katniss’ evolution parallels that of Lawrence’s own as she developed from a nascent star to Forbes’ highest paid actress of 2015. Lawrence portrays Katniss with such skill that one is easily convinced she is not acting, but displaying a part of herself.

What is most impressive about “Part II” is not actually

the film itself, but the message it delivers about the filmmaking industry. Katniss does not fall into a female stereotype and she isn’t defined by the men in her life, rather, they are defined by her. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” was the first film with a solo female protagonist that topped the annual domestic box office in four decades. Katniss is a dynamic mix of anomalous characteristics: she is tough, yet vulnerable, loyal to her friends and defiant against injustice, powerful, but not power-seeking. If Katniss can cause a revolt in fictional Panem, perhaps Lawrence can cause a revolution in our world by redefining female characters in the movie industry. apritikin@redwoodbark.org

Adele’s ‘25’ shows maturity, but lacks fresh ideas

By Caleigh Stephens After four years and an almost careerending vocal surgery, Adele returned on Nov. 20 with “25,” a new album focused on nostalgia and full of drama.

In “25,” Adele answers the question of how to follow up the larger-than-life album “21” that Billboard recently proclaimed “The Greatest Album of All Time.”

She does it by sticking strictly to what made “21” a smash hit. “25” evokes the same themes, the same emotions, the same sound as her past two albums. In fact, many of the songs on “25” could seamlessly fit in on “21” or even “19”.

“When We Were Young,” is a perfect example of this. Adele sings, “Cause I’ve been by myself all night long/Hoping you’re someone I used to know.” The lyric evokes the break-up album that “21” was, and the song itself is just another sad regretful ballad that comprises Adele’s signature.

“25” shows a little maturity, especially in subject, but any growth or other development in Adele’s sound is virtually nonexistent.

This isn’t to say that “25” isn’t a perfectly good album. It’s nothing new, but Adele’s powerful voice has an enchanting quality that would be able to drive any album. At this point, Adele could release anything and watch it rise to the top of

Image courtesy of XL Recordings

ADELE STICKS with the somber themes that made her previous albums “19” and “21” so successful, but in doing so shows little growth. the charts. In its debut week alone, “25” sold 3.38 million copies, according to Billboard.

The album is a true powerhouse, full of heart-wrenching songs anchored by Adele’s unmistakable voice. If you are looking for some optimism, there is none of that to be found here. Even the most upbeat songs have an undeniably somber tone. “25” is pure, simple Adele, and if

attempted by any other artist, wouldn’t be nearly as successful.

The lead single, “Hello,” skyrocketed up the charts upon its release in late October.

The ballad starts out the album with a bang and sets the tone of the album. The song itself starts out slowly, and transitions into a soaring yet utterly melancholy chorus.

The seventh track, “River Lea,” is one of the only true standouts on an album that

largely blends together. The gospel-tinged collaboration with Danger Mouse brings the rawness that is severely lacking on the rest of the album.

In “Million Years Ago,” Adele channels a little Amy Winehouse in a powerful song dealing with the nostalgia that is a consistent theme throughout the album. The lyric, “I know I’m not the only one/Who regrets the things they’ve done/ Sometimes I just feel it’s only me/Who never became who they thought they’d be,” encapsulates the feel of the song, and of the album. The music in the song is quiet, as Adele is accompanied solely by an acoustic guitar, something that allows for her voice to shine and take all of the focus.

“25” has all the elements to be a sure hit, but whether or not it will stand the test of time as its predecessors have is less likely. It leaves the listener feeling a little unsatisfied, and doesn’t go as deep as it could, with Adele passing up the perfect opportunity to take some risks and expand her sound. The album has everything that is expected from it, but not everything I wanted out of it.

Is “25” a good album? Yes. Is it better than “21”? Not quite.

cstephens@redwoodbark.org

December 11, 2015 bark Page 20 • Review One Direction writes ‘Perfect’ album before embarking on hiatus

By Kylie Kvam One Direction released its highly anticipated fifth album on Nov. 13 following the announcement of its oneyear hiatus and the departure of former band member Zayn Malik in March.

Throughout the album, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson show development not only as singers, but also as songwriters.

“Made in the A.M.” is One Direction’s best work to date. The band members wrote more of their own songs for this album than ever before, which allowed them to discuss more personal topics and ultimately bring emotional depth to the album. There are 17 songs on the deluxe version of the album, 13 of which are co-written by Styles, Horan, Payne and Tomlinson.

The depth of subjects within the album is based off of the number of personal events that have taken place within the band in the last year, such as Zayn’s departure and the multiple breakups between girlfriends. The messages in songs like “Love You Goodbye” and “What A Feeling” encapsulate those themes.

The album was written and compiled during early morning hours while the group was on its “On The Road Again World Tour,” which led to the title, “Made In the A.M.” When compared to 1D’s first album, “Up All Night,” “Made in the A.M.” displays a major advancement in the band’s musical abilities. Although the pace of the album is quite slow, it is justified because there are more than a few songs that are about somber heartbreak and goodbyes.

In addition, the toned-down sound of the album works because it sets the right mood for the group’s goodbye to its fans–– no mutual breakup between fans and their idols should be paired with an upbeat

Image courtesy of SYCO MUSIC

RELEASED NOV. 13, One Direction’s latest album, “Made in the A.M.,” proves its best work. The album serves as a goodbye to fans, as the band will embark on a hiatus. number.

“Perfect” is a light-hearted ode to casual relationships. Spontaneity is shown in the catchy chorus, “If you like causing trouble up in hotel rooms/And if you like having secret little rendezvous/If you like to do the things you know that we shouldn’t do/ Then baby, I’m perfect/ Baby, I’m perfect for you.”

“Perfect” is distinctively different from any other One Direction love song, keeping a cool and casual feel to it. Indeed, it is the “perfect” anthem to an anti-committal relationship.

“History” is 1D’s cheerful tribute to its fans. The lyrics, “You and me got a whole lot of history/We could be the greatest team that the world has ever seen/You and me

got a whole lot of history/So don’t let it go, we can make some more, we can live forever.” The optimistic lyrics reassure fans that this album is not the end of the band and their love for it.

The first single off the album, “Drag Me Down,” was released this summer, accompanied by a humorous space-themed music video shot at the NASA station in Houston while the band was on tour. The lyrics of the song captivate how criticism and doubt from the past five years can’t drag it down.

“Made in the A.M.” is an album that highlights how the band has matured since entering the music industry in 2010.

The band hasn’t skipped a beat without Zayn Malik. The musicians’ voices sound slightly different now that they have to make up for the high notes that Zayn would typically hit, but they are successful in trying out their new roles.

Many of the songs on the album follow in the style of the band’s typical pop music, but some also feature less electronic production and richer vocal sounds during acoustic songs like “I Want to Write You a Song” and the stripped version of “Perfect” that was released with the “Perfect EP” Oct. 22.

On Nov. 13, One Direction’s album went up against Justin Bieber’s album, “Purpose,” for the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart. Though Justin Bieber clinched the spot with what some are calling “his comeback album,” One Direction is still number one in its screaming fans’ hearts.

One Direction made one last performance in the Bay Area at the 99.7 Triple Ho Show 6.0 on Dec. 2 at the SAP Center in San Jose. Its hiatus will begin at the end of the year. kkvam@redwoodbark.org

‘Love the Coopers’ fails to convey a unique message

By Ella Cook While most holiday movies focus on the positive aspects of the Christmas season, “Love the Coopers” takes a much deeper look into the holidays. In doing so, however, it fails to convey a cohesive message.

The film has a similar format to movies such as “Valentine’s Day” and “New Year’s Eve,” where four separate stories intertwine themselves at the end.

Despite an attempt to create suspense before combining the separate storylines toward the end, the relationships between the stories and characters were clear far too soon, which took away from the suspense of the relationships. A sense of uncertainty about how the characters are related would have given the movie a better resolution.

The movie begins with the story of Charlotte (Diane Keaton) and Sam Cooper (John Goodman) as they prepare for their grown children to return home on Christmas Eve. This portion of the film focuses on the couple’s turbulent relationship, and how they plan to end their marriage come the new year.

While the relationship between Charlotte and Sam is a convincing portrait of an unsteady marriage, their dialogue lacks humor and becomes repetitive at times.

Each scene depicts the couple fighting about their family, which becomes tiresome to watch.

The most interesting storyline was the ongoing relationship between Ruby (Amanda Seyfried), a young waitress at a cafe in Pittsburgh and Bucky Cooper (Alan Arkin), a retired teacher. Their stark difference in age makes the tale of these two stand out from the other stories in the film.

The story of Ruby and Bucky had the clearest and deepest message out of all four because it was the most realistic. Additionally, comedic moments were integrated into some of the more sentimental scenes. One of the most memorable scenes was when Bucky begged Ruby not to leave, though a few moments after Bucky proclaimed his feelings to Ruby, the camera quickly cut to the background of the kitchen in the the restaurant to show the restaurant workers. This provided a slight comedic tone, as the sentimental scene took place in an unconventional area.

The story of Eleanor Cooper (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Jake Lacy) was almost as interesting. When Eleanor’s flight lands early in her hometown of Pittsburgh, she meets Joe, a soldier who is returning home to Pittsburgh. Eleanor quickly learns Joe’s flight is delayed until the morning after Christmas, and invites him to pose as her boyfriend

Photo courtesy of CBS Films

ELEANOR COOPER (Olivia Wilde) and Jow (Jake Lacey) meet at the airport and pretend to be engaged for Eleanor’s parents. While heartwarming at times, the film lacked a deeper meaning. in front of her family.

Through their time together, Eleanor learns she has many political differences with Joe, which leads her to believe they could never actually date. As time progresses, however, Eleanor learns to look past these differences and begins to realize she has feelings for Joe. While this story is very unrealistic, the message is convincing.

This portion of the story provides a clear meaning and a few funny moments. One of the most memorable scenes is when Eleanor and Joe ride the escalators in the airport in opposing directions, causing other travellers to become angry.

The least practical story was about Emma Cooper (Marisa Tomei), the sister of Charlotte. Her story begins at the mall, as she attempts to steal a brooch for her sister in an effort to outdo Charlotte’s gift. When she is caught, a policeman arrests her.

This section is mainly based on the car ride to the police station, which becomes boring at times. There is no diversity of setting in the scenes, as it all takes place in

the police car.

While it is hard to relate to the character of Emma due to her actions at the mall, the message of this story, which focused on the competitive relationship between sisters Emma and Charlotte, is very real to life.

In the ending scenes, as the whole Cooper family joins together, each of the separate stories becomes connected in a satisfying culmination of events. The competitive relationship between Charlotte and Emma is clearly brought out during the family dinner scene.

One highlight of the film was the soundtrack. The music included classic Christmas tracks such as “O Holy Night,” and “Soul Cake,” performed by Sting, which provided a familiar, holiday feel to the movie.

Overall, while each separate story had a deeper message, the movie itself lacked a clear message. Despite the lack of cohesiveness, the movie did redeem itself with a diverse cast and upbeat holiday music. ecook@redwoodbark.org

Page 21 • Review

www.redwoodbark.org

In love with the cocoa: Best hot chocolates in Marin

bark

By Sydney Soofer What better way to warm up during the winter season than drinking a cup of velvety hot chocolate topped with whipped cream? The Bark set out to find the ultimate hot chocolate, whether from a trademark chain or a local eatery. The beverages from Starbucks, Peet’s, Rustic Bakery, and Emporio Rulli were evaluated based on affordability, taste, texture, and quality of experience.

Rustic Bakery For a seemingly pricey $3.27, Rustic Bakery’s hot chocolate establishes itself as one of the best in Marin.

Served filled to the brim in a large mug, it is well worth the splurge. Not only was the hot chocolate superb, but the employees were as well. They greeted all the customers with a smile and embodied holiday cheer with timely and upbeat service. The smooth, creamy texture of the hot chocolate was very pleasant, and the richness of the chocolate was balanced out by the fluffy homemade whipped cream. However, once all the whipped cream melted away, there was nothing to balance out the richness of the chocolate. It could have been improved with the addition of more of the delicious whipped cream. This hot chocolate will surely hit the spot on a cold winter day.

Starbucks Starbucks’ trademark hot chocolate did not live up to expectations. It was rich and flavorful, but the cocoa was overpowering. There was a faint bitterness to the drink on the whole, which was displeasing. Totaling $2.95, a small hot chocolate at Starbucks is quite overpriced because of the meager amount of light whipped cream. One would think that since Starbucks is a chain, its atmosphere might feel impersonal. However, the opposite is true. The baristas welcome the customers and set the mood by playing faint holiday music throughout the café. They were also kind, patient, and accommodating.

Photo by Sydney Soofer

RUSTIC BAKERY’S HOT CHOCOLATE, priced at $3.27 a cup, was ranked as the best beverage due to its excellent flavor, temperature, and whipped cream to liquid ratio.

Peet’s

Emporio Rulli’s

The hot chocolate from Peet’s Coffee and Tea made a usually pleasant treat unenjoyable. Peet’s served the most mediocre beverage. It was served at a scorching temperature, which made it painful to sip. The flavor was tasteless and very watered down. Additionally, a small hot chocolate was also quite pricey, costing $3 for a 12-ounce portion. However, Peet’s has perfected the whipped-creamto-liquid ratio, giving the beverage one redeeming quality.

Upon entering the cafe, I was also pleasantly surprised by the cozy atmosphere, which was cultivated through festive holiday decorations.

Rulli’s hot chocolate was served at the ideal temperature, allowing for full enjoyment of the flavors.

The whipped cream had a kick of vanilla, which was a pleasant surprise, but more would have been better.. The whipped cream served the dual purpose of adding texture to the drink as a whole and balancing the heat of the drink.

The rich dark chocolate was prominent in the enduring aftertaste. Even though Rulli’s drink is the least expensive, with a price of $2.25, the quality isn’t compromised. ssoofer@redwoodbark.org

Bark Beats: Holiday Style

By Sabrina Dong

Christmas Michael Bublé

Merry Christmas Mariah Carey

This album instantly became a Christmas classic upon its release in 2011. Bublé brings the warmth of the holidays to his listeners by adding his own personal flare to classic Christmas tunes with his low, suave, melodic voice.

People who love traditional holiday music with no modern twists or added remixes will thoroughly enjoy this album as it features many time-honored favorites such as: “Jingle Bells,” and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas.”

Bublé’s masterful vocals expertly capture the feeling of sitting cozily in front of a fire on a cold winter day.

A true holiday essential, Carey’s famous seasonal album delights with its soulful collection of Christmas ballads.

Her widely ranging vocals are paired with a background gospel choir, jingle bells, and jaunty piano keys. Her explosive singing style adds a cheerful feeling to classics like: “Joy to the World” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” while also delighting us with some upbeat Christmas originals. Although this album features original songs, most songs are unoriginal and offer standard melodies that do not show any different or unique vocal and instrumental choices.

Recommended: “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”

Recommended: “All I Want For Christmas Is You”

Bublé’s arrangement of this classic has a dynamic mixture of instruments and vocals. His voice floats smoothly over a sea of beautifully mixed percussion and string. His version includes slow, lilting background music, giving listeners a mellow feeling to carry throughout the season.

The album’s biggest hit, this original song embodies all the feelings of the holidays. Complete with jingle bells and a gospel choir, the melody, unlike other songs on the album, is unique and interesting. Carey’s passionate delivery and catchy background music creates a tune you won’t want to stop singing.

A Maccabeats Hanukkah

The Maccabeats

“A Maccabeats Hanukkah” offers a refreshing take on Hanukkah music.

Sung in a capella style, the group uses no instruments, only their own voices to sing both the lyrics and background music. Each group member’s energetic voice comes together to form a beautiful, upbeat set of songs. This group of allmale singers create catchy tunes in both Hebrew and English. Their one-of-a-kind, more modern approach to Hanukkah music gives the genre a fresh face and makes it all the more enjoyable to listen.

Recommended: “Light Nights”

Up

the

This song is the best example of the Maccabeats’ strengths, showcasing a conglomeration of the Maccabeats’ harmonious voices, lively attitudes, and enthusiasm for the holidays. Sung in English, the group sings about the story of Hanukkah. The catchy chorus is bound to make you tap your feet and bob your head. This lively rhythmic tune is bound to get stuck in your head.

The Christmas Song Nat King Cole For the listeners who crave a completely traditional Christmas album, “The Christmas Song” is a must for this holiday season. Nat “King” Cole is the king of holiday music; his low, smooth voice perfectly encaptures the holiday sentiment. Released in the ’40s, This album features all of the Christmas classics, with no modern twists or remixes, just simple holiday music. Cole’s soothing voice, paired with an animated background chorus, stringed instruments and piano usher in feelings of nostalgia and warm contentment.

Recommended: “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)” This holiday classic is a traditional Christmas melody. Its slow, jazzy feel will immediately put listeners into the holiday spirit. Cole’s voice that expertly hits every note along with the wellknown lyrics of all his songs, create a perfectly crafted tune that will dance in your head long after the holidays.

bark

Page 22 • Lifestyles

Random Facts 12

is the state rank of the girls’ varsity volleyball team.

13

percent of Redwood students report suffering from a mental illness.

11 4 62

states, including California, provide insurance for gender confirmation surgeries. years have passed since Redwood’s cheer team has had a male member. percent of Redwood students donated to the Valley Fire Fundraiser.

December 11, 2015

English teacher’s writing featured on National Public Radio

By Jason Fieber English teacher Steve Hettleman’s recent publication on National Public Radio (NPR), and added to the many highlights throughout his extensive writing career.

Hettleman’s perspective piece, which aired on Nov. 18, was published on KQED, the local affiliate of NPR. His piece detailed how a childhood experience at summer camp influenced his current approach to teaching.

Despite receiving little attention for this achievement at Redwood, Hettleman said the experience itself was more valuable than any publicity.

Hettleman credited two major inspirations with leading him to begin writing the piece.

“A friend I have, who teaches at Kent, had published a perspective and encouraged me to write one,” Hettleman said. “My AP Language [and Composition] kids were also writing at the same time and I wanted to write along with them.”

Hettleman said he used his writing process as a model for his students.

“I wanted to show [my students] that even people who are older benefit from the writing process,” he said.

According to Hettleman, his students played a role in his path to publication by helping him make edits on his work.

“The fact that this piece was published is actually a testament to the feedback that [my students] gave me,” Hettleman said.

“I took suggestions that they gave me and tinkered with the piece before I submitted it.”

Hettleman’s writing has also been published in a Japanese textbook and in an alumni magazine for his alma mater, Northwestern. Hettleman said the excitement of publishing a work doesn’t wear off.

Photo by Jason Fieber

ENGLISH TEACHER Steve Hettleman published a perspective piece on NPR last month. Hettleman describes the impact a childhood experience at summer camp had on his teaching approach. “[That feeling] is completely validating,” he said. “It is wonderful because it feels like somebody appreciates something that you had to say.”

Hettleman said that when he first moved to California, he tried to write short fiction, but was unsuccessful.

“I discovered Dave Barry and I thought he was incredible, so I tried to write stuff that imitated what he did. I discovered that what he did was incredibly difficult,” he said. “Then I went into teaching and I just dabble here and there with different writing projects as time permits.”

Hettleman uses his free time to focus on his writing projects and also on teaching, which plays a crucial role in his process.

“A lot of my writing process is just thinking,” he said. “Then, once I have an idea, I like to write for an hour or an hour and a half, tops. Then I have to put it away and come back to it.”

Hettleman added how influential

language has been in his writing.

“The thing that is always most interesting to me is the way that words sound,” he said.

Hettleman added that teaching has played a huge part in keeping him writing and improving his writing.

“Teaching has been instrumental because I read so much and I study how language works,” Hettleman said.

He added that he now has a greater understanding of language than he did when he first moved to California to pursue a writing career.

Hettlman said that he would like to write and publish one piece a year.

“I’ve accumulated a lot of stories over my lifetime and I like telling those stories.

I think the next step for me is to think about those stories and think about why I like telling them,” Hettleman said. jfieber@redwoodbark.org

bark Face-to-Face: What does ‘going green’ mean to you?

Page 23 • Lifestyles

www.redwoodbark.org

By Hannah Blazei

FACE

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 senior Henry Hood and junior Glennis Murphy.

They discuss the ongoing climate change debate, focusing specifically on the San Francisco ban that will completely phase out the sale of plastic water bottles in the city throughout the next four years.

TO

FACE

Henry Hood - vs Glennis Murphy

Do you agree with the recent ban on plastic bottles in San Francisco?

Henry Hood: I agree with it. First of all, plastic is inefficient. So using different water bottles, such as cardboard water bottles that can compost or recycle infinitely, is better than plastic that can only be recycled two to three times maximum.

Glennis Murphy: I disagree with the ban. Obviously I think we should do what we can to protect the environment, but I just don’t think this is the best way to do it. It is unrealistic in a city like San Francisco just to say, ‘We’re not going to use plastic water bottles anymore.’ I just don’t think it is something people might actually follow and I don’t think San Francisco can keep up with this.

What are some realistic actions that people can take in their everyday lives?

HH: Turning off electronics and things that use energy when they are not in use is the best way. The leading cause of electricity and water use is in agriculture because electricity is being used to pump the water. Creating a way

Cooking Corner:

By Nicole Stock Chocolatey bliss with a hint of mint and candy cane crunch makes for a perfect treat this holiday season. With only four ingredients, even a novice chef can whip up this seasonal dessert.

To begin, clear a workspace in your kitchen and prepare a baking sheet with lined parchment paper.

Next, assemble your ingredients: 24 ounces of semisweet baker’s chocolate, 16 ounces of white baker’s chocolate, six candy canes, and peppermint extract. While the recipe actually calls for half of this amount, I found that if your intended yield is a baking sheet size amount, the results are tastier if you double the ingredients.

However, although you’re doubling the ingredients, do not double all aspects of the recipe. For example, do not try to fill two baking sheets full as this will make your bark too thin—stick to filling one sheet.

Break up both the white and semisweet chocolate bars into approximately six sizable chunks per bar, and then set them aside. Although any baker’s chocolate will do, I recommend using bars of chocolate

Do you think there is anything our school should do differently to counteract climate change?

to lessen the amount of electricity used for farming water resources would be the best way to reduce electricity and water use.

GM: Obviously recycle, turn off your electronics, and take shorter showers. Just do what you can to reduce your footprint on the world. Be very aware of your position and what you do to the world.

Do you think kids at Redwood are paying enough attention to the drought?

HH: At Redwood, specifically, there doesn’t need to be much regulation because the school is a public school and it is already being regulated. And at home, the county is above state average and the state is doing a good enough job with water. We just need to continue what we’re doing.

GM: I know that in the Marin Municipal Water District, we have reduced our water usage by a significant percentage.

I think kids at Redwood are really aware of what is going on and I know we’re a very environmentally conscious school.

GM: I think we are pretty on track right now. We’ve got the solar panels and we have the water bottle fountains, which I know I use every day and I think it encourages people to use reusable water bottles instead of buying plastic bottles. As a school, we are so aware of what is happening. I think everybody here agrees that we want to protect the environment and that we want to prevent climate change.

What does “going green” mean to you?

HH: “Going green” I think has grown to be an old term.

It has been overused and I think it was a good term, but kids and teens just oversee it. It is a good message, but I think a new term needs to created to get attention from the younger population.

GM: For me, when we were in elementary and middle school, “going green” was a phrase we used to raise environmental awareness. To me, “going green,” represents protecting the environment and I think it is catchy and a good phrase. But he has a point to address the younger population- maybe we should do a new ad campaign to get attention.

hblazei@redwoodbark.org

Peppermint Bark, a sweet holiday treat

broken into pieces which melts better in the pan than when you use chocolate chips.

Next, place the candy canes inside a small plastic sandwich bag and use a mallet or wooden spoon to crush the candy canes into small pieces without converting them to peppermint dust. Set the bag aside for later use.

Now you’re ready to heat the chocolate.

Using a double boiler pot, let the water come to a boil and place about three quarters of the semisweet chocolate in the top pot. If you do not own a double boiler, you can fill a saucepan with water and then place a heat-safe bowl within the pan for a makeshift solution.

Setting the heat to a medium level, slowly stir the chocolate continuously and gradually add in the remainder of the semisweet pieces. Once the chocolate is about three quarters melted, take the top pot off of the water and continue to stir until the chocolate is melted thoroughly.

Now add in about a teaspoon and a half of peppermint extract to give the chocolate an extra hint of mint. This is a little less than what the original recipe calls for, but I found that if you add too much extract, the

Ingredients

HH: There are individual people at this school that have specifically impacted Redwood, but what we’re doing right now in the Environmental Action Club is trying to educate people on continuing that at home and limiting their electronics and water use at home.

Materials

3 tsp

peppermint extract

•

wooden spoon

24 oz.

semisweet baker’s chocolate

•

16 oz.

white baker’s chocolate

double boiler pot or saucepan with heat-safe bowl

•

baking sheet

6

candy canes

•

parchment paper

Photo by Nicole Stock

PEPPERMINT BARK is a yummy holiday favorite that can be made for an easy gift idea or just to enjoy with your family and friends. mint is overpowering, especially once the crushed candy cane bits are layered on top.

Spread the melted chocolate on top of the parchment paper in the baking sheet and set it aside for 10 minutes to cool.

Making sure it doesn’t harden completely, repeat this process but this time with the white chocolate. After melting the white chocolate and adding the appropriate dose of peppermint extract, spread the white chocolate layer on top of the semisweet chocolate.

As you spread the white chocolate on top, you may accidentally mix the white chocolate and the semi sweet, but don’t worry! This often happens, and could be a result of the semi sweet chocolate not being firm enough. Regardless, it all tastes the same in the end.

Once your white chocolate layer is spread out, sprinkle the crushed up candy canes on the top to your liking. Try to do this right after the white chocolate is placed on the pan, because if you wait too long, the chocolate could harden and the candy cane pieces may not stick!

After you finish sprinkling on the peppermint treats, let your new masterpiece set and cool. After about an hour, the peppermint bark should be cool enough to break into pieces and put on display (or if you’re impatient or hungry, to eat right away!).

nstock@redwoodbark.org

Justin Inscoe: The transformation from bulk to Hulk

By Aaron Halford Growing up, senior Justin Inscoe revered the Incredible Hulk, frequently wearing a green costume in the hopes of one day becoming the Hulk himself. Years later, Inscoe’s prodigious presence on campus is not the result of a lab experiment, but rather the product of an unconventional diet and a strict workout routine.

“Hulk was this outstanding muscle monster that could withstand anything, and tough out bullets and all forces of nature,” Inscoe said. “I just thought being tough was the most exciting thing in the world, and that being this huge muscle monster was really cool.”

Inscoe began bodybuilding his sophomore year after feeling unhappy with his body for the majority of his childhood.

“As a kid, I always felt like I was ‘the fat kid,’” he said. “After sophomore year, I was hitting 215 pounds, and wasn’t looking how I wanted to look. I was fed up with the body I had, so I said, ‘Why not make a change and be the person that I’d rather be?’ So I found the selfmotivation to do it.”

Through a stringent diet and workout regimen, Inscoe has gradually made the transition from looking at Hulk in admiration to taking on the Hulk’s traits and physical

Photo by Aaron Halford

appearance.

According to Jean Scutt, Inscoe’s trainer and fitness consultant, Justin’s remarkable transformation was the result of strong motivation, will, and perseverance.

“When I first started working with Justin, he was over 200 pounds, very shy, and a little cautious. As time went by, however, he became more dedicated and committed, and in the end he ended up achieving his goal of getting bigger, more fit, and more lean.”

Scutt, an ex-bodybuilder and current firefighter in the Marinwood Fire Department, also said that his personal relationship with Inscoe has strengthened their connection in the gym.

“Because he’s such a nice person, respectful and polite, I have kind of taken him on as something like a little brother to me,” Scutt said. “He’s been a great guy to work with, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”

According to Inscoe, both a regimented eating schedule and diet are crucial to obtaining a perfect muscular figure.

Inscoe eats extremely lean,

Infographic by Sam Sheridan

slow-digesting food such as steaks, chicken, turkey, broccoli, and sweet potatoes every 2 ½ hours to keep a high metabolism.

“Bodybuilding is 70 to 90 percent eating and diet,” Inscoe said. “Every 2 ½ hours I’m eating a full Thanksgiving-type dinner.”

Inscoe’s unorthodox diet, however, has unsurprisingly prompted argument with his parents due to his regular consumption of raw eggs.

However, Inscoe justified his eccentric diet due to the uncooked eggs’ convenience and mobility.

“Raw eggs are easier to prepare in a blender, and I can add oats into it and carry it around,” Inscoe said. “Eating whole foods instead of protein powders is more beneficial to my muscle gainage.” “[My bodybuilding] is all self-motivation. My parents think I go too hard on it, and they’re worried that I’m harming my body,” Inscoe said. “However,

I’ve had no issues health-wise and I haven’t gotten sick in the past 2 ½ years.”

While Scutt does not advocate for nor support Inscoe’s consumption of raw eggs, he explained that he trusts Inscoe to make the right decisions.

“I wouldn’t personally advise him to drink raw eggs, but he’s taken an oldfashioned approach that many bodybuilders did decades ago,” Scutt said.

In the future, Inscoe hopes to become involved in either fitness modeling or body building competitions.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to come out with some sort of supplement line or clothing line, or model for companies that reach out to me,” Inscoe said.

ahalford@redwoodbark.org