February2017

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Volume LVIV No. 5 • February 3, 2017 • Larkspur, CA

Skiers hit slopes after surprising snowfall p. 16

Photo by Andrew Hout

Editors-InChief Gregory Block Emily Cerf Sarah Kimball Rebecca Smalbach Head Copy Editor Caleigh Stephens Copy Editors Gemma Calandra Shannon Donelan Tilly Friedlander Sam Sheridan Christine Watridge News Editors Annie Fogarty Maggie Smith Opinion Editors Caroline Cummings Alicia Vargelis

Business Manager Jordan Overmyer Social Media Manager Mary Winnick Snapshot Manager Sydney Soofer Art Consultant Maxime KawawaBeaudan Data Analyst Adam Kreitzman WebDevelopers Hayden Blum Kevin Gao Senior Staff Eric Ahern Sam Sheidan Caleigh Stephens Mary Winnick

Reporters Feature Eric Ahern Editors Michael Benz Pearl Zhong Josh Cohen China Granger Catherine Conrow Sports Editors Luke Dahlin Jason Fieber Sabrina Dong Daniela Carolyn French Schwartz Jack Green Andrew Hout Review Max Josef Editors Kaelin Kragh Julia Jacoby Jocelyn Alexandra Lee Overmyer Kendall Rhoads Lifestyles Charlotte Seton Editors Rachel Schten Anne Pritikin Henry Tantum Heidi Roenisch Amanda Trusheim Spanish Brendan Editor Winters Hallie Fox Advisor Video Editors Erin Schneider Garet Jatsek Sam Slade

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Freshman Soccer Star

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volume LVIV, no. 4 volume LVIV, no. 5

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Search and Rescue

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December 16, 2016 • www.redwoodbark.org February 3, 2017 • www.redwoodbark.org

Students participate in San Francisco Women’s March

By Shannon Donelan Colorful signs dotted the view for as far as the eye could see, and there was an energy in the air that was unparalleled: a mixture of hope, frustration and passion.

The rain didn’t deter more than 100,000 people from peacefully marching through San Francisco on Saturday to show unification following the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

The marchers demonstrated their support for issues such as LGBTQ rights, civil rights, treatment of disabled people, immigration, climate change and women’s rights.

The San Francisco march was one of three in the Bay Area and one of hundreds that occurred worldwide.

The goal of the march was to unify communities and create change in a peaceful manner. Many Redwood students attended the march. Junior Talia Klein, who attended the San Francisco march, described the environment as hopeful and uplifting.

“Seeing that activism inspired me to do more. It makes you feel less alone, to be with a large group of people like that. It makes you feel like the things that you are fighting have a bigger meaning,” Klein said. “You can see the effect it has on other people. It was a really beautiful experience.”

Protesters gathered at the San Francisco Civic Center at 3 p.m. for the rally, although many arrived hours earlier.

The rally featured speakers and performers such as Joan Baez, Ameena Jandali (Director of Content for Islamic Network Group) and Jane Kim (San Francisco Supervisor for District 6). The march started at 5 p.m. and by that time, the rain was pouring down.

The goal of the march was to unify communities and

Photo by Shannon Donelan

PROTESTING AT THE San Francisco city hall, marchers demonstrated for women’s and civil rights.

AP Art History introduced

By Sabrina Dong Come this fall, students will get to “draw” themselves a new understanding of art and culture all while “brushing” up on their historic knowledge. Advanced Placement choices will expand with the addition of AP Art History (APAH), taught by fine arts teacher Susanne Maxwell.

The new class will be a blend between history and art and will teach students about multiple forms of art, while letting them delve deeper into how major historical events have influenced culture. “[APAH] offers students the chance to connect their love for the arts with world history and culture. It is a unique balance of academic study and a studio based exploration of methods and materials,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell said that the class is sparking the interest of art students and history fans alike.

Part of the course’s goal is to help students who are interested in art gain a deeper knowledge of their craft.

“The real purpose of the class is that it offers students, who are really into the arts, the opportunity to go into more depth in their practice,” Maxwell said.

In addition to art students enriching their learning, Maxwell believes the course will also appeal to people who love history and are interested in looking at it through an artistic lense even though they may not consider themselves artists.

“It allows the kid who might love the arts, but not be an AP Studio Art or Honors student the opportunity to do something at a higher level, a deeper level that engages them in all of the arts,” Maxwell said.

Junior Ines Schwartz is one of these students. A history fan, she is interested in taking the APAH class because she wants to look at history from a different perspective.

• AP Art History Continued on page 2

Photo by Shannon Donelan

DISPLAYING HER SIGN, junior Violet Morris participated in the San Francisco Women’s March on Jan. 21, following Trump’s inauguration. create change in a peaceful manner. Junior Ali Janku supports you and believes in your rights. I think that for described it as an extremely powerful experience. women, and everybody at the march, if you find a group “We have really come a long way with abortion rights, that believes what you believe, even though your leader and having things like Planned Parenthood, the affordable may not agree with you, you still have people to support care act and gay rights,” Janku said. “It is so important to you.” me that those things are maintained and not undone by According to Ewry, activism is extremely important, Trump’s and Pence’s policy.” especially in the next four years.

While some people were protesting against Trump’s “I am about to turn 18 and go into adulthood with this inauguration, many were there just to express their person in power who doesn’t believe I should be a strong, concerns for issues they are passionate about. powerful, adult,” said Ewry. “I think it is very important to “I don’t agree with Trump, but I know he is my stand up for what you believe in and fight for your rights.” president and I’m not trying to change that. I wasn’t there The event took collaboration from many people to be to hate Trump, I was there to show him, and the world, that successful in terms of turnout. Laura Talmus, the mother love is stronger than hate. When there is a lot of hatred and of a Redwood graduate, organized six buses that brought divisiveness, the only thing we can do is come together,” Bay Area residents to the march in San Francisco.

Janku said.

“These buses have become symbolic for people to According to Janku, this event inspired her to get more express their gratitude and their need to get out together involved and continue her activism through the coming and be part of this Women’s March,” Talmus said. years.

Senior Shauna Ewry said, “I think it’s really important • Women’s March through [Trump’s presidency] to find a community that Continued on page 5

Stress Reduction Advisory begins

By Alexandra Lee As second semester classes ramp up for the spring, a new optin “Stress Reduction” Advisory has been created for juniors and seniors as a way to combat the often hectic and stressful environment at Redwood.

The new class, taught by drama teacher Britt Block and Spanish teacher Alison Castro, focuses on using mindfulness and yoga to introduce stressrelieving methods that students can use inside and outside of the classroom.

Block, who has been practicing mindfulness for 26 years, often tries to incorporate mindfulness into her classes.

In mid-October, Block had the idea to combine advisory with mindfulness and create a stressfree zone at Redwood.

“I thought, well, we’ve got this advisory thing, we have a situation where we have some flexible time, and if we had an opportunity to opt in for people who are interested in spending their time learning skills and

techniques that will that will help them reduce stress, I was curious if people were interested in that,” Block said.

The new advisory class will still participate in some of the regular advisory activities, such as watching Redwood TV and listening to announcements from class representatives, but it will focus less on having extra free time and more on mindfulness and making connections with each other. The advisory will dedicate about 20 minutes to yoga and 1520 minutes to mindfulness each Monday. According to Block, it is important to build upon the skills of mindfulness in short bursts, so that’s why advisory is the perfect amount of time to practice.

“People will walk away that day hopefully feeling like, ‘I had a little space today,’” Block said.

“But [they will] also learn skills and techniques that they can repeat on their own that will help them with their own stress reduction and mindfulness and life skills.”

Junior Hannah Wieck admits that this school year in particular

has been quite stressful, and she is excited to get the opportunity to have a place to focus on herself and practice wellness during the school week.

“Instead of a normal advisory and stressing out about what you need to do, and doing all of the Leadership things and the Link Crew things, in this we just meditate and do yoga, which is really calming before having to go to a hard class. I have AP Calculus after, so it’s a really nice transition into that,” Wieck said.

Block believes that allowing time for homework would take away from the purpose of stress reduction, so the advisory will be primarily split between mindfulness and yoga.

“Doing homework might feel like it reduces stress because it means you have less of this today, but it doesn’t give you any skill in handling the ongoing situation because the homework is just going to keep coming,” Block said. “Stress reduction is not

• Stress Reduction Continued on page 4

bark

Page 2 • News

February 3, 2017

Photo Survey: What are your Valentine’s Day plans?

“Go to a movie with my friends.”

Grant Igou freshman

“Order Sol Food and watch The Office.”

Carmen Monroe Watts sophomore

“Sit in my room and cry to ‘The Fault In Our Stars.’”

“Hire a string quartet and surprise someone very special.”

junior

senior

Eamon Rogan

• AP Art History

Continued from page 1 “I don’t do art, I like art but I just never tried art class,” Schwartz said. “I’m interested in taking [APAH] because I think it would be a fun way to synthesize all the history I’ve been learning in visual form. History is an interesting class and it’s cool to see it through a different lense than just through writing and documents.”

Though the class will definitely integrate various art projects in each unit, the goal of doing the art is to create a hands-on experiences that bring the material to life.

“Each unit will have art that connects to what was happening at that time. For example, in the Indigenous Americas Unit we’re looking at doing pottery. For the Renaissance Unit we’re going to be doing Madonnari Street Painting and sidewalk chalk drawings. The South East Asia unit examines shadow puppets and storytelling.

We’re doing a mosaic piece for the Roman Era Unit and some photography for Modern Art,” Maxwell said. “You don’t have to be a master artist to excel in the

Photo courtesy of Tiffany Dong

PAINTING A CANVAS, senior Haley Bjursten sits in AP Studio Art, one of the two AP Art classes currently offered at Redwood.

class, it’s more about experiencing arts as they connect to the unit.”

Some students like junior Jake Hanssen were inspired to take the class after seeing Maxwell’s enthusiasm for it.

“I’m not a big fan of art but I’m a big fan of history. I went to the informational

meeting and Ms. Maxwell showed us that we’ll be studying art and then proceeding to create it or be given some kind of hands on exercise that relates to what we’re learning about. It seems like something that Ms. Maxwell’s really passionate about and something that’s fascinating to me,”

Sophie Landeck

Hanssen said.

The district currently offers a regular Art History course at Drake, but Maxwell and other colleagues have been working to bring an AP version to the district.

The class is offered for juniors and seniors with the prerequisite of one year of Fine Arts The class’s curriculum will be based on AP guidelines and will help students be prepared for the AP Test, which includes multiple choice and essay questions based on analyzing art and its historical relevance. The AP test will also ask students information on specific pieces of art. The students will need to be able to identify the artist, the era it was created in, its historical significance and more.

Overall, Maxwell and the fine arts department are very excited to take on this new course and are thrilled to delve into subject matter that interests her on a deep level.

“The bottom line is we in the arts are pretty darn passionate about art history.

We love it,” Maxwell said. sdong@redwoodbark.org

Page 3 • News

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Northern California pronounced drought-free after heavy rain

By Daniela Schwartz In the past five years, California has suffered from a serious drought, but thanks to the recent winter storms, Northern California has officially become droughtfree, according to the U.S Drought Monitor.

As of Jan. 10, the U.S. Drought Monitor has declared Northern California, from the Bay Area to Oregon, drought-free due to the downpours of rain that have swamped the area over the past few weeks. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 35.5 percent of California is no longer in drought, whereas another 24.3 percent of California is still experiencing extreme drought.

“In a nutshell, the gamechanger was January because we had a tremendous amount of rain in Northern California.

Some places, from the Santa Cruz mountain to the North Bay got about 30 to 50 percent of their annual rainfall,” said Rob Mayeda, NBC Bay Area’s broadcast meteorologist.

According to Mayeda, the downpours of rain experienced in January were even astonishing to the meteorologists.

Computer models that help to forecast rain projected seven day periods of 20 inches of rain in the week of January.

“As meteorologists, we were kind of surprised to see that because a lot of computer models are color coded and so when we looked at these charts they had quite frankly, colors we had never seen before at the upper end of the color table,” Mayeda said.

Unlike most of the Bay Area, Marin County has been out of the drought for two years, but it hasn’t reached its average annual rainfall of 52 inches for the past five years, according to the Marin Municipal Water District. However, Ann Vallee, a Public Information Representative at the Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD), said that Marin only needs three more

inches of rain by June 30 to reach the annual rainfall average.

According to Vallee, the ongoing rain throughout January will improve Marin’s water supply, but because the local reservoirs are small, residents should still use water wisely.

Sergio Paganelli, a Water Conservationist at the MMWD, said that the reservoirs in Marin County only hold about a two-year supply of water. Therefore, it is important that the community doesn’t reverse the progress it has made to be water conscious, according to Vallee.

During the drought, Marin residents

Photo by Daniela Schwartz

FOLLOWING THE HEAVY January rains, Marin is only three inches away from the annual average rainfall.

complied with enacted federal water reduction rules. The requirement was a 20 percent reduction of water usage, which residents followed voluntarily, so the MMWD didn’t need to implement mandatory water conservation.

“We hope that this rain doesn’t really change the mentality of people’s thinking, like ‘Oh well, we have water now so we can start doing all the things that we didn’t do last year,’ because it takes one year [of little rain] and then we are in the same boat,” Paganelli said.

In the past, Marin County has seen unpredictable amounts of rainfall every few years, according to the MMWD. In 2011, there were more than 70 inches of rain recorded in Lake Lagunitas, one of Marin’s reservoirs, but in 2012 there were only 40 inches of rain.

“At the height of the drought, we went from our reservoirs being 100 percent full to about half full, in one year,” Vallee said.

Large amounts of rainfall were common in both Marin and the Bay Area years ago. Mayeda said that first few weeks of January may have been the wettest weeks in the Santa Cruz Mountains since the 1950s.

John Daykin, a Greenbrae resident of more than 60 years, was pleased that the rain has ended the drought, but the harsh rainfall did not come as much of a surprise

to him.

“Years ago we used to have a lot of rain and a lot of flooding. I can remember where what is now College of Marin was a parking lot and people were water skiing,” Daykin said.

Fifty-five year Marin resident Virgil Talson also said that high levels of rain used to be common in the winter, so seeing floods and landslides was less unusual.

Though the rain in Marin is becoming more usual again for residents, not all of California is getting their share of rain. Six years ago, Southern California was drought free, along with the rest of the state, according to the U.S Drought Monitor.

But now, unlike Marin County or Northern California, the Santa Barbara region is still in a condition of “exceptional drought,” according to the U.S Drought Monitor.

“The rainfall season can be compared to a football game, now we are almost at halftime, for the first half of the rainfall season,” Mayeda said. “I think if we can maintain average totals [of rain] in the next two months, most of the state, especially the reservoirs levels, are looking good to break out of the drought.”

dschwartz@redwoodbark.org

Meg Heimbrodt welcomed as new College and Career Specialist As a San Anselmo resident, Heimbrodt is very familiar with Redwood and already knows quite a few students.

New College and Career Specialist Meg Heimbrodt She has five children of her own between the ages of 12 started working on Jan. 11, replacing Paula Vantrease, who and 24, so she has been through the high school transition retired after more than 10 years at Redwood. process as a parent.

“She is very eager and enthusiastic,” Assistant Heimbrodt said that she is most excited about meeting Principal LaSandra White said. “We are excited to have with students, helping them determine their college and her. [It] seems like she’s picked up right where Paula left career goals and developing the process to achieve those off in working with counselors and students.” goals.

Heimbrodt previously worked as a Before Vantrease left, Heimbrodt registrar at White Hill Middle School spent about three days with her in a in Fairfax. This is her first time working “crash course” to transition into her at a high school. new role.

Part of what Heimbrodt enjoys “It seems like it’s a pretty seamless about her new role is helping students transition,” White said. “Obviously by influencing the decisions they there’s a lot to learn, but I think she’s make. She believes that decisions doing a really good job.” made during the high school years are Heimbrodt recognizes that critical for a child’s future.

Vantrease’s systems have been in “I’m really passionate about place for a long time and appear to be helping kids, particularly [at] this age working well, and doesn’t anticipate because it’s such an important stage in making any changes.

Meg Heimbrodt their lives,” Heimbrodt said.

Although Heimbrodt has been in her Heimbrodt believes that conversing new role less than three weeks, she has with students often helps them to already worked with seniors on their recognize the schools and careers that college applications, school transcripts interest them. and other college admissions-related “I think the most important thing is to listen [to issues. She is also starting to see sophomores and juniors students] because it’s amazing even at the young age [of] trickle in to make appointments with her.

Redwood students they have a pretty clear inner voice. If Senior Sergio Martin, Heimbrodt’s teacher’s assistant, you listen, you can help them,” Heimbrodt said. performs various tasks including updating college

By Charlotte Seton

Redwood students have a pretty clear inner voice. If you listen, you can help them.

Photo by Charlotte Seton

TYPING IN THE College and Career Center, Meg Heimbrodt started this month. information in Redwoods’ support center and sending out student slips. He believes that Heimbrodt interacts well with students.

“She’s really nice [and] we get along really well,” Martin said.

The biggest difference, Heimbrodt noted, between her role at Redwood and her previous role at White Hill Middle School is that it’s much quieter at Redwood. She saw many kids each day in her previous job and is looking forward to the opportunity to spend time individually with students at Redwood “She’s hit the ground running,” White said. cseton@redwoodbark.org

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Page 4 • News

February 3, 2017

• Stress Reduction Advisory Continued from page 1

about changing the outside world, it’s about figuring out a way to be in it so that you can respond to it, instead of reacting.”

Wieck also says that using the advisory time for homework wouldn’t be worthwhile considering the purpose of advisory “I think doing homework would just add stress instead of de-stressing. It’s nice to have SMART for homework, but I think this advisory’s point is to destress and detox, and not think about school or what’s going on in your life,” Wieck said.

Senior Kate Kiehfuss became the Link Crew leaderin the new advisory after signing up for it, and said she is excited to implement more stress reduction time into her schedule.

“I think it’s cool that we’re dedicating a period of time to stress reduction, because it’s a little bit ironic that it’s in this huge stressful environment of Redwood,” Kiehfuss said.

“But if we’re going to change the culture of Redwood and try to make it something that’s not as deathly competitive or stressful, I think it’s a good start.”

Kiehfuss was introduced to mindfulness practices last year, when Block would lead “Mindfulness Monday” in her drama class. She doesn’t use mindfulness every day, but believes that in times of stress, going back to simple mindfulness activities can be very helpful.

“I’m definitely not the ‘stressed out student’ because I take mostly the classes that I want to take and I’ve been more relaxed than a lot of people over the course of my four years,” Kiehfuss said. “I think [the Stress Reduction Advisory] will really help reinforce a lot of my goals, because a lot of my goals have to do with bettering myself and going through my life in a more mindful and aware way, so I’m really excited to get that opportunity.”

There was originally a discussion among the staff about having themed advisories, but that was put on hold to see how the regular advisories worked the first semester, according to drama department leader Erik Berkowitz, who is also part of the committee in charge of advisory. “[Block] approached me and she was really wanting to teach mindfulness to students, and we’ve been having a lot of conversations as a staff about stress reduction and mindfulness,” Berkowitz said. “And when she approached me about doing it as an advisory group it did seem like a clear way we could try this out for a limited amount of time, see how it works, and then discuss it as a staff.”

According to Berkowitz, it is important to remember The Ahern Family The Alioto Family The Alliston Johnson Family Cynthia Altman & Malcolm Brenner Susan & Mark Anderson Laura & Mark Anderson Anonymous (2) The Arnowitz Family James & Katheryn Baldwin Cammi Bell Barnes Family Stephanie & Brad Bennett Lisa Bernardi The Bialek Santas Family Tonya Bjornson & Don Roelle The Blazei Family The Blixt Family The Block Family The Blum Family Hannah, Lauren, & Ella Blazei Bill & Kathleen Brady Mimi & Bill Breck The Briggs Family The Brostoff Family Donal & Brenda Brown The Brune Deuss Family Jim & Carrie Burroughs The Byck Family Thom Calandra & Maura Thurman The Callaway Allen Family The Carswell Family The Cerf Family The Chou Family The Christman Family The Churton Family The Cico Family The Cohen Family Jody Coker & Mark Dosker The Colicci Family Rebecca & David Conant The Conner Family The Conrow Family Fred & Lara Conte The Cook Family The Cooperband Family The Corn Family Beth & Chris Cummings The Cusack Family

Photo by Alexandra Lee

PRACTICING MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES that she learned in the Stress Reduction Advisory class, junior Hannah Wieck performs a yoga pose. that the Stress Reduction Advisory is a trial run, and staff will be learning alongside students what works and what does not in terms of mindfulness and relieving stress. However, since the focus of the new advisory is on community, Berkowitz believes that it has a somewhat greater potential to bond students than a regular junior or senior advisory does.

“I think people bond over doing meaningful work together, so any room that they’re doing meaningful things together, they have more of a chance to connect even if they’re not ‘bonding,’” Berkowitz said. “But if everyone just pulls out a binder and does their own thing, they’re never going to connect because they never try and reach out to somebody to make that connection.”

The Dabora Family The Dahlin Family The Dalzell-Piper Family The Desin Family Will & Milena Dixon The Dong Family The Downing-Chao Family Laurie Dubin The Dudgeon Family The Edington Family Naz Erickson The Evans Family Ewry Family John & Deirdre Evershed Dee Ann & Gus Ezcurra The Fargo Family Sara Fargo The Felder Family Jill & Jeff Finegold The Finkbeiners The Foehr Family The Fogarty Family The Fragakis Family The French Family Steven Fulton Eva Geitheim Lynn & John Gerson Elon Ginzburg Emily Glidden Donna Ellison Goldman The Goldwasser Family Cindy & Chad Goodman The Graf Family James E Granger & Yu-ling Wang Brenhan & Katherine Green Francesca Greenberg The Grujic Family Tom Guarcello The Gustafson Family Catherine Guthrie The Hackett Family Dominique & Neil Halilej Joe & Debby Hanssen The Hankin Family Kevin Haroff & Donalyn Pryor Peter Henry Caroline Henry The Henry Family

Bark Patrons The Herz Family Bill & Caren Horstmeyer Kevin & Karen Hout The Jacks Family The James Family The Jackson Family The Jensen Family The Jessen Family Lee & Jeff Johnson Tyler Johnson & Jill Kauffman The Johnson Family Sylvia Jones Sumi Kaga Lisa Katz The Kawamura Foley Family The Kehoe Family John Kellerman Amy Kelly The Kennedy Family The Key Family Janie & Jon Kimball Joe & Angela King Bernice Kintzer Coral & Mike Kisseberth The Klein Family Klionsky Family The Klopukh Family The Knott Family Linda Kreitzman The Lando Family The Lawler Family David & Melissa Lee The Leo Family Carolyn & Mike Lewis The Leslie Family Jean & Norton Lin Rachel Lin The Lloyd Family Karen Loebbaka The Loo Family The Malck Family The Marlowe Family Erin & Chris Matthews Kevin McGee The McKechnie Family

Wieck also believes that this new advisory will bring students closer together than they were in her previous advisory by focusing on self-awareness and being present. “[The new advisory] is not really cliquey, because instead of talking to your friends it’s more about yourself, which connects people differently than these artificial Link Crew activities would,” Wieck said.

The Stress Reduction Advisory is held in room 306, and is able to expand in size if there is more interest from the student body. There is also a pre- and post-evaluation of the advisory in order to obtain constructive feedback. alee@redwoodbark.org

The McKernan Family The McKinley Family Laura Mellberg The Middleton Family The Mikolon-Gomez Family The Millers The Mogilnicki Family Juliana & Mia Morgan The Morse Family The Mowbray Family Stephen P. Mulcahy The Neustaetter Family Christine Nguyen The Noble Family Mark & Donna Norstad The Notter Family Dennis & Jude Oh Ilissa Oulch The Overmyer Family Barbara Owens Vera Palczynski Kurt Paul The Peppel Family The Perczek Family The Peters Family David Peterson & Lynn Soper The Petri Family The Pole Family The Polidora Family The Porter Family The Pritikin Family Manny Ramos & Robin Snyder The Rankin-Williams Family The Ratcliffe Family Diane Rittenhouse & Charles Sakai The Robinow Family Jill Carole Robinson The Rocha Family Frank Rollo Stacy & Jack Rose Allison & Andy Ross Christy Seidel & Peter Stock Chris & Corinne Seton Jane Sherman & Paul Smith Tom Sivertsen The Slade Family The Smalbach Family Louis Smith

The Soofer Family The Sperlings Dana Linker & Rich Steele The Stephens Family Paul & Paula Strand The Strotz Family Andrew E. Sweet The Sylla Family The Tallerico Family The Tantum Family Karl & Jeanine Tede The Tenaglia Family Greg & Heidi Thomson The Thomson Family Jane Thornton Marylou Tierney Jeanette Tietze TJ’s Gym Wendy Tolkin Richard & Sophia Tong Karol Towns & Ronal Wagner J. Gregory Tull The Tully Family Maureen Valley The Van Brunt Family The Vance Hadley Family Vickie Vann & Steve Gregory Cheryl Vohland & Don Buder Kris & Philip Wade Jordan Warren The Watkins Family The Watridge Family The Welch Family The Whelpley Family Isolde & Aleck Wilson Amy Young Zachary & Marlies Zeisler Joe & Joanna Zesiger The Zlatunich Family

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bark Local author releases debut novel about life as a teenager in Marin County Page 5 • News

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By Alicia Vargelis Marin County native Lindsey Lee Johnson discussed her highly acclaimed debut novel, “The Most Dangerous Place on Earth,” at Book Passage’s author event on Jan. 20.

The event was attended by Marin community members, Johnson’s family, students of Tamalpais High School and readers who wanted to receive a signed copy from the author.

Johnson’s fictional book is set in Mill Valley and is written from the perspectives of a teacher and several teenagers as the high school students deal with the social and academic pressures from the environment they grow up in. The book begins with an eighth grade boy’s suicide after he is bullied on social media, an event that haunts the characters and causes pivotal relationships and identities to change.

“I’ve read this book in and out, especially preparing for this event, and there aren’t many novels out there that capture the modern day high school experience as well as this one does,” said Garrett Omi, host of the Book Passage event. “What this book does is provide perspective for not only just the Marin community, but people everywhere in America that are ignorant or unaware of the repercussions that technology advancements are playing a role in raising kids today.”

Throughout the event, Johnson took the audience through a slideshow in which she delved into the methodology required to write the novel and how she found inspiration for the main characters.

After growing up in Marin County and attending Tam, Johnson attended University of California, Davis and received her master of professional writing degree from University of Southern California. After teaching writing at USC as a graduate student, Johnson returned home when she was 28 and tutored students at Sage Educators in Marin on and off for four years.

“I had the experience of coming back to my hometown and seeing it with fresh eyes and then working with kids who were exactly where I had been 10 years before,”

Photo by Alicia Vargelis

BEFORE PRESENTING HER novel “The Most Dangerous Place on Earth” at Book Passage, local author Lindsey Lee Johnson talks with two Tamalpais High School students.

Johnson said. “All these memories came back to me. I had represented and that they have been respected and treated a cool experience of seeing [Marin] from both an insider well in the book.” and outsider view.”

Omi believes the book will raise awareness of the It was while she was tutoring students that Johnson struggles teenagers face in Marin County. decided to write her novel, in order to shine light on the “I believe it will do a good job of covering the many many struggles Marin County teenagers face. unheard voices of adolescents that deserve to be heard that “I know this place like you can only know a place you aren’t heard for the sake of age,” Omi said. grew up in, but it’s a little confusing when you become a Mill Valley School Board member Robin Moses teenager because I remember feeling like there wasn’t a attended the event because she has two children who lot of room for me in Marin. There weren’t a lot of places attended Tam and to support Johnson. Moses hopes that where teenagers were welcome,” Johnson said.“I think the book will give her daughters an understanding that it’s a hard in-between time anyways, high school doesn’t define who you and being a teenager in a place where will be. everything is kind of perfect and most At the author event, Johnson people are exceptional, it puts a lot of discussed how she related most with pressure on you.” the character Dave Chu, who was Johnson saw how many students she always anxious and attempting to tutored were struggling and working please his parents throughout the hard to meet the expectations that come novel. The crowd cheered and clapped from living in a privileged community often, and the guest turnout was much like Marin. larger than Book Passage expected.

“I think when the outside world Book Passage employee Sam looks at privileged Marin kids, society Lindsey Lee Johnson, Barry explained that in the planning at large tends to judge them and that author process that the bookstore goes bothers me,” Johnson said. “I think it’s through for each author event, the really nice to have money when you’re store is typically contacted by either growing up, it’s really nice to grow up publishers or self-promoted authors. in a place that has Redwood trees and the beach. I mean Book Passage then orders the author’s books from a it’s wonderful, but it doesn’t necessarily make you happy. warehouse and plays the “guessing game” for how many It’s not enough, and I think that growing up is hard and books they will sell at the event. The bookstore promotes teenagers are kids, and kids deserve empathy regardless of the event through Facebook and puts it in their newsletter, whether they drive a BMW or not.” which is physically mailed to 40,000 people and is emailed Johnson anticipates that her novel will be controversial to 15,000 people, according to Barry. and that Marin County parents may not like the content Omi said he was pleased to see so many community they read about their children. members at the event despite the bad weather.

“I tried to write things as I saw them, not as I wish “It’s really great to see it all come together,” Omi said. they were,” Johnson said. “I think that the truth is hard “I think that if not a great debut novel release, this event is to see and to read sometimes, especially when it involves a wonderful community gathering which is so necessary.” kids. People are very emotional and sensitive about their kids, as they should be. I hope very much that teenagers in Marin like the book and feel like their voices are avargelis@redwoodbark.org

I tried to write things as I saw them, not as I wished they were.

Photo courtesy of Lindsey Lee Johnson

UPON RETURNING TO her hometown of Mill Valley, Lindsey Lee Johnson wrote a novel about the teenage experience in Marin.

• Women’s March Continued from page 1 Talmus said the buses transported a variety of people coming from all walks of life and all corners of Marin.

Talmus’ idea originated as a way for just her and friends to get to the march, but it quickly escalated when they realized it could help the entire community.

“Before I knew it, the idea to fill one bus went viral and it ended up where people were just emailing me everyday.

One hundred emails were coming in asking if they could get on the bus,” Talmus said.

The large turnout demonstrated that when individuals band together they can create powerful change.

A common sign at the march read, ‘Respect existence, or expect resistance.’

A chant heard frequently throughout the event was, ‘Tell me what democracy looks like,’ followed by, ‘This is what democracy looks like.’

Janku expressed her pride in standing alongside millions of other individuals.

“It just was great to be a part of something bigger than myself,” Janku said.

“To be another person, in the millions and millions of people, who came together around the world and to be part of that will go down in history. To be out there physically fighting for what I care about made me really want to go to more marches. I feel like I talk so much about what I believe in, so it’s cool to actually take action.”

Photo by Shannon Donelan

sdonelan@redwoodbark.org

PROTESTING ON MARKET Street, junior Violet Morris holds a sign to promote women’s rights.

opinion

Page 6

Death penalty won’t solve America’s mass shooting epidemic

By Kaelin Kragh When Dylann Roof, the white supremacist who murdered nine Black people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, was sentenced to death by a federal jury on Jan. 10, millions of Americans vocalized mixed emotions in response to the verdict.

Some believed the only way Roof will pay for his actions was by receiving the same punishment that he inflicted onto those nine Americans, while others felt it was best for him to spend his life in prison.

Although sentencing Roof to death could be considered justice, it’s hypocritical to punish a criminal by inflicting onto them the same exact crime they committed.

I wholeheartedly believe that Roof deserves repercussions for his actions, but killing Roof means that he won’t have to live with the decisions he’s made.

Execution as a form of achieving justice is not only economically damaging, but ineffective in achieving its main premise: discouraging those who contribute to the staggering number of homicides our nation experiences each year.

A common misconception is that capital punishment reduces the rate of homicides in the U.S., when in reality there is little evidence that the death penalty deters any crime at all. In fact, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, in states that eliminated the death penalty, the murder rate has declined in the years since the executions stopped. In some years the murder rate in states that don’t have the death penalty was as much as 46 percent lower than those in death penalty states, according to the North Carolina Department of Justice.

Let us not forget that there are recurring patterns of mental instability for the criminals who have committed mass shootings in the past. For example, Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook assassin, was diagnosed with anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and suicidal disorder, according to the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate. Additionally, Elliot Rodger, who shot and murdered six people at Isla Vista in 2014, suffered from anxiety disorder, depression and attempted to commit

suicide according to the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office.

Many of those who commit such heinous crimes are either under the influence of drugs or alcohol or were mentally unstable. Therefore, if their mental state is impaired, then the likelihood of them making rational decisions, such as thinking they would be sentenced to death if they shot numerous people, is extremely slim.

Criminals who experience mental instability won’t be cognizant of the potential consequences of their actions, which completely undermines the whole purpose of the death penalty, a form of justice meant to deter crime.

Not only is it ineffective to sentence Roof to death, but the cost of capital punishment is far more expensive than alternative sentences. On average, cases without the death penalty cost the state $740,000 while cases where the death penalty is tried cost the state $1.26 million, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. In fact, a 2012 study conducted by the Death Penalty Information Center showed that the death penalty has cost California more than $4 billion since 1978.

The study also claimed that transferring all the state’s death sentences to life imprisonment would result in $170 million in savings annually of taxpayers’ money.

The immense funds that are prioritized for capital punishment take away from other programs that help address the factors that lead to higher crime in the U.S., such as gang prevention, mental health services and drug and alcohol treatment

services.

Providing programs for at-risk youth and mentally unstable people is far more efficient in preventing crime than punishing criminals after it’s too late.

One could argue that “real justice” requires people to suffer for their actions and that each criminal should receive the punishment their crime deserves.

However, that statement implies that the death penalty is meant to inflict revenge rather than retribution, which is an immoral act and in many ways sinking down to the criminal’s level. If we, as a nation expect to resolve this problem then we must find alternative punishments, such as life in prison. Life in prison holds criminals accountable for their crime.

At the end of the day, killing Roof won’t stop our nation’s homicide problem. If we, as a united nation, prioritize the funding of crime prevention programs rather than spending money to fund the death penalty for committed criminals, then we could see our murder rate decrease.

Capital punishment aside, yes, Roof will be served justice and it’s something he fully deserves. However, killing Roof won’t grant justice to the families of the nine innocent people that he murdered.

Illustration by Christine Watridge

kkragh@redwoodbark.org

U.S. News & World Report rankings: A self-fulfilling prophecy

By Rebecca Smalbach In the next few months, many seniors will be finding out which schools they were accepted to, and many, when choosing which they want to attend, will use the U.S. News & World Report rankings to help them decide.

I used to consider the U.S. News & World Report college rankings gospel.

If the rankings said that MIT was one spot better than Duke, then I believed wholeheartedly that MIT was a better school than Duke.

I dreamed about attending schools at the top of the rankings, because if they were at the top of the rankings, then I thought that I would learn more and have the best experience if I went there.

Then one day, I took a look at the actual methodology used to calculate the rankings.

I thought that a majority of what determined the rankings would come from class size, student satisfaction or graduation rate. And while graduation rate and class do factor into the rankings, their role is a small one.

The factor that is weighted the most in determining the standings is “undergraduate academic reputation.”

This turns out to consist of allowing top officials at competing colleges and universities, as well as high school counselors, to rate the quality of any given school’s academic programs.

As well as providing numerous opportunities to unfairly rate other schools with the hope of boosting one’s own, this measurement of reputation turns the U.S. News & World Report rankings into a selffulfilling prophecy.

The schools with the best academic reputations are given the best scores by counselors and officials, in turn boosting

Illustration by Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan

their academic profiles, and so on.

This unfairly discriminates against schools that work hard to improve their programs, but aren’t able to reflect that improvement due to already negative reputations.

There are several other tremendous problems with the U.S. News & World Report ranking system.

Take, for example, Deep Springs College as a case study. Deep Springs is a tiny college in rural California with an enrollment that varies from about 10-16 students each year.

It is highly selective, its graduates go to selective schools to pursue doctorates and its academics are intense and not to be taken lightly.

Yet it shows up nowhere in the U.S. News and World Report rankings simply because it is too small (the minimum enrollment needed to appear in the

rankings is 200 students), just one of the many excellent small schools that the rankings let slip through the cracks due to size, rather than focusing on other, more important, academic factors.

Schools rely so much on the ranking system that many of them have changed marketing and spending strategies in an effort to climb up the rankings.

Washington University in St. Louis, for example, is known for both accepting many students Early Decision and for only accepting Regular Decision applicants who have shown demonstrated interest, so as not to lower their yield rate (percentage of admitted students who attend) or raise their acceptance rate.

Both yield and acceptance rate factor into the rankings, and this admissions strategy has been influenced by a desire to sit higher on the list of universities.

Claremont McKenna College went

even a step further, going so far as to completely lie about the SAT/ACT scores of incoming freshmen to U.S. News and World Report, artificially inflating their selectivity score to move them up the rankings.

The measurements that the ranking system uses encourages schools to take these types of actions, because in order to improve a ranking, schools must increase selectivity, something which does not benefit students or faculty at all.

But some colleges have begunw to hold out for something better, a system that isn’t as biased toward already established institutions.

The president of Reed College has stated that he will no longer send the relevant information to U.S. News & World Report due to the harmful priorities it is causing students to have, and many other colleges have followed in his footsteps.

It is not too late to start ignoring the rankings and focus on the more important factors when choosing a college or university.

Instead, look at student outcomes, campus safety or income mobility—data that is often easily found on colleges’ websites as they are all factors which can’t easily be artificially manipulated, but are much more important to the college experience than an average SAT score.

Picking a school to go to based on superficial factors such as those the rankings provide results in students choosing schools for prestige rather than fit. We can’t prioritize the rankings over something as important as our own happiness in college.

rsmalbach@redwoodbark.org

bark

Page 7 • Opinion

February 3, 2017

UnPresidented: Immigration ban exemplifies blatant Islamophobia

By Caleigh Stephens

“UnPresidented” is a new weekly column discussing the transition and first days of the Trump administration. For more “UnPresidented,” visit redwoodbark.org/unpresidented In terms of immigration and foreign policy, this past weekend has been a whirlwind. It all began Jan. 27, when President Trump issued an executive order blocking citizens from seven Muslimmajority nations–Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen–from entering the U.S. for at least 90 days.

Signed as a result of concern over the so-called existential threat of terrorist attacks from immigrants, the act is no more than thinly-veiled Islamophobia and racism. And while the list may seem comprehensive, the notable absence of several Middle Eastern nations in the ban raise suspicions that Trump’s business entanglements are already affecting foreign policy.

As could reasonably be expected, the repercussions were immediate, with Iran quickly vowing to take reciprocal action.

The weekend ended on a better note than it started, however, with the White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus, conceding Sunday that those with green cards will

not be banned from entering the U.S. in the wake of impromptu protests at major airports all around the country and a federal judge-issued stay that was ordered Saturday night, in what must be record timing for the judicial branch.

The stay is not permanent and only affects those who were held in airports at the time, and the overturn of such a ban will no doubt be a long legal battle.

But even as Trump points to the 1952 law allowing the president to deem some people “inadmissible” to the U.S., there is legislation in place that prevents discrimination on the basis of national origin.

Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which states that “no person shall receive any preference or priority or be discriminated against in the issuance of an immigrant visa because of the person’s race, sex, nationality, place of birth or place of residence.”

In other words, Trump’s executive order is illegal.

While the 1965 act does not specifically protect against discrimination on the basis of religion, Trump’s actions against Muslims still feel distinctly unAmerican and nowhere near the freedom of religious expression guaranteed by the First Amendment. Speaking historically, Trump’s ban has a number of eerie similarities to 19th and early 20th century laws.

Consider the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which banned immigration from Chinese laborers and declared all current US citizens that were Chinese to be unlawful. Essentially a codified form of racial discrimination, the Chinese Exclusion Act stripped an entire race of their rights and even after it was overturned

in 1943, Chinese-Americans were still unable to own property.

Another good example would be the decidedly nativist Asiatic Barred Zone Act in 1917, which required literacy for immigrants, restricted immigration from a broad swathe of Asia and wasn’t overturned until the mid-50s.

Or the National Origins Act of 1924, which established quotas that attempted to decrease the number of Eastern and Southern European immigrants.

The restrictive immigration laws from the past century were united by their blatant racism, and Trump’s order is no different. He doesn’t have a problem with immigration per se; after all, his wife did emigrate from Europe and his own mother came from Scotland and we see no indicator that he will deport them. Simply, the order is Islamophobia and racism written into law.

Some may argue that the threat of terrorism is enough to warrant the order.

However, terrorism is not as big of a threat as rhetoric will have you believe.

In the years since 9/11, terrorism has accounted for one out of every 1870 murders in the United States, or 1/3 of one percent, according to a study by Duke University. An American is more likely to be crushed to death by unstable televisions or furniture as they are to be killed by a terrorist, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Since 9/11, no American deaths from terrorism have resulted from someone who has emigrated from, or even whose parents have emigrated from, any of the seven countries included in Trump’s ban, according the same Duke study.

This begs the question: why those seven countries? Or perhaps more importantly, why not Egypt? Why Iraq, arguably the

seat of ISIL resistance, but not Saudi Arabia and the other countries that were the origin of 9/11 attacks?

One place to look for the answer of Trump’s “chosen” Muslim-majority countries would be to look at his business conflicts of interest.

Trump listed companies affiliated with Egypt and Saudi Arabia on his FEC filing.

In Turkey, Trump is currently working on the construction of two Trump towers and has a licensing deal for Trump-branded furniture. In the United Arab Emirates, Trump has a branded golf-course in the works and a licensing deal with a major developer in Dubai.

Concerns that Trump’s business affairs may impact foreign policy certainly seem to be validated at this point. It is clear that his focus is more on maintaining good relationships with countries directly involved in his business ventures rather than achieving his purported goals.

As president, it is Trump’s job to do what is best for the country, but it looks like he’s only doing what’s best for his finances.

If there’s anything this ban has put on his display, it is the Trump administration’s blatant Islamophobia, willingness to extend executive power and obligation to Trump’s business interests.

With Monday’s drama between Trump and the acting attorney general, it is clear that Trump’s ban will not cease to be contentious. Though it may be a long legal battle, foreign relations in the Middle East and civil rights cannot be preserved with the ban in place.

cstephens@redwoodbark.org

Page 8 • Opinion

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Redwood High School 395 Doherty Drive Larkspur, CA 94939 www.redwoodbark.org E ditors -I n -C hief Gregory Block Emily Cerf Sarah Kimball Rebecca Smalbach

Head Copy Editor Caleigh Stephens

Copy Editors

Gemma Calandra Shannon Donelan Tilly Friedlander Sam Sheridan Christine Watridge

News Editors

editorial Media plays a vital role in democracy The journalism schism

Barks & Bites

Journalists are many things—inquisitive, determined, sometimes even annoying. But dishonest? Definitely not. After all, journalists are dedicated to reporting the truth and providing information to the public.

So when President Donald Trump called journalists “among the most dishonest human beings on earth” following his inauguration two weeks ago, it not only echoed the same vitriolic sentiments about the news media that he preached during his presidential campaign, but also signaled a fast-growing rift between the government and the press.

The relationship between the news media and the government is delicate, but it is an essential piece of any well-functioning democracy, where the press is one of the few institutions with the power to truly check the government’s actions.

Hard-hitting press is a stalwart of American society. In the early twentieth century, muckrakers such as Upton Sinclair and Ida Tarbell pioneered the field of investigative journalism, reporting on injustices in industry. And in 1972, perhaps most famously, the Washington Post’s Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward brought down President Richard Nixon after he was caught committing illegal activities. The Watergate scandal was an example of how journalists can keep politicians in check and hold public officials accountable.

These are just a few of the instances where the press has done their job in exposing injustices and checking those with power. They also exemplify the importance of the American public supporting the institution of the media and valuing its role in our democracy.

Unfortunately, a September Gallup poll found that only 32 percent of Americans have a great deal of trust in the media, the lowest percentage in polling history. Interestingly enough, the year in which the highest percentage of Americans had trust in the media was 1976, immediately following the Watergate scandal.

The current lack of public trust comes during an unsteady year for the news media, both in their shaky coverage of the presidential election and in the “fake news” epidemic, which highlighted how social media makes it difficult to decipher news credibility.

Yes, the news media has new challenges at hand, but as American citizens, we must understand the role that the media plays and has always played in our democracy, especially with

A BARK to Peer Resource for “Shine a Light.” They’re finally lighting up at school.

A BITE to people who don’t believe in immunizations. Why don’t you just give it a shot?

A BARK to Mr. VP on his top notch basketball skills in the student staff game. Some might even call him... MVP. An alternative BARK to Kellyanne Conway. We can always count on her factual demeanor.

A BARK to the Women’s March even though it’s only February. There May be more...

A BITE to senioritis. Or a

a presidential administration that has shown it will continue to cast the press in a negative light.

It was perhaps foolish to expect Trump to change his media tactics upon entering the White House. But even so, the rhetoric used

by Trump and his administration to describe the news media is troubling because it adds to an already strained relationship between the media and the government, and, more important, shows the government may have opportunities to potentially lie to the American public.

Last week, Trump said that he is “running a war” with the media. But it was the statement from White House strategist Steve Bannon which rang out the loudest. Bannon said the media should “keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while” before calling the media “the opposition party.”

The media exists not to keep their mouths shut and listen, but to speak out and inform.

Working for the Bark as student journalists, we have been taught to do just that, to write about injustices in our community, to express our opinions on important social topics and to hold those in leadership positions to a high level of accountability.

The professional news media has a profound responsibility. With a politically inexperienced and controversial president in office, they have the challenging task of trying to hold him and his staff accountable.

It will not be easy to do, but the news media should do their best to band together, respond to Trump’s attacks aggressively, and put the necessary pressure on his administration.

And as citizens, we must do our part as well.

Not only should we read the news (and check it for accuracy), but we should also do our best to have a general faith in the press and what they are trying to do. If the public does not support the press, Trump’s attacks on the media have succeeded.

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.

Bark? Whatever, we don’t care.

A BARK to the Class of 2017 for winning musical chairs two years in a row. Let’s go for a three-peat.

A BITE to CPK for closing.

Mac and please don’t go away.

A BARK to AP Art History.

Way to van Gogh.

A BITE to more red spots in the parking lot. The lot is a bigger red zone than the basketball game.

A BARK to the snow. Now our friends don’t judge us when we say we want to do powder on the weekend.

A BITE to only being 55 percent done with the school year. The only time anyone has been happy about a 55 is on a calc test.

Annie Fogarty Maggie Smith

Opinion Editors

Caroline Cummings Alicia Vargelis

Feature Editors China Granger Pearl Zhong

Sports Editors Jason Fieber Daniela Schwartz

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Spanish Editor Hallie Fox

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Adam Kreitzman

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Erin Schneider 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.

POLICY: All editorials are unsigned and have been approved by the majority of the Bark staff.

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Página 9

Sophomore persigue tango argentino en clase de adultos Por Neva Legallet Periodista de Cub

A pesar del tiempo animado y los cada vez más intrincados pasos, Madsen Sparler, una estudiante en su segundo año, está calmada. Sus pies dan unos golpecitos y se deslizan en un ritmo perfecto con su compañero mientras siguen el ejemplo de los instructores en el centro del estudio.

Otras parejas giran en un tumulto colorido de movimiento mientras que la clase practica el tango argentino.

Sparler ha tomado clases de tango en Alma del Tango, un estudio en San Anselmo, por más de un año. Ella ya está en las clase de Tango 4, el nivel más alto del estudio.

La parte favorita del tango según Sparler es las amistades que ha encontrado.

“Me gusta la comunidad del estudio, y la gente allí”, Sparler dijo.

Aunque la mayoría de la gente en la Foto cortesía de Madsen Sparler clase tiene más de 50 años, Sparler no ha tenido dificultad en conectar con ellos, SOPHOMORE MADSEN SPARLER presenta el tango argentino con su compañero. y dice que disfruta socializar con sus Sparler baile en un clase de adultos mayores que ella por más de treinta años. compañeros bailarines.

Cada clase de tango es de tres horas, veinte años. Según Goodwin, Sparler que los otros tipos de baile que ha probado lo que ha guiado a Sparler a adaptar su encaja bien con los bailarines mayores, es porla libertad que se le permite con la vida social a incluir la una persona positiva y es improvisación. comunidad del tango, una presencia bienvenida “[En otro bailes latinos] hay ciertos a pesar de la diferencia a la clase. ritmos en los cuales necesitas dar un paso de edad entre ella y los “Ella conecta con en una cierta manera, y por eso es más otros bailarines. adultos muy bien en restringido”, Sparler dijo.

“Es como tener general, y pienso que El tango argentino da a cada bailarín la veinte padres a quienes esoes en parte por su flexibilidad en cómo interpretar la música, solo ves tres veces cada personalidad”, Goodwin según las dos Sparler y Goodwin. semana”, Sparler dijo. dijo. “Es bueno que ella “Es un estilo libre y variable. Algunas Aunque ella está esté involucrada”. personas hacen todo a un millón millas por relajada con un clase de Debbie Goodwin, Sparler también ha hora, y algunas personas son más relajadas”, adultos, cree que otros profesora de baile estado involucrada en Sparler dijo. adolescentes podría no otros tipos de baile en Según a Goodwin, la manera en que estar tan cómodos. el pasado, como baile de una persona personaliza el tango a menudo Uno de los salón y otros estilos de es una expresión de su personalidad, ya instructores de baile latino. Sin embargo, sea a través de gestos de los brazos o con Alma del Tango es Debbie Goodwin, actualmente ella dedica la mayoría de su florituras más elaborado. una profesora de baile quien ha estado tiempo al tango.

Goodwin añadió que el baile es una involucrada en el tango argentino por Ella prefiere el tango argentino más forma de comunicación.

No es solo un baile, es una cultura entera.

“Cuando bailas con alguien, no necesitas hablarte y ya puedes saber mucho sobre la persona”, Goodwin dijo.

Por tomar clases múltiples con Goodwin y su esposo, John Campbell y por participar en la comunidad del tango, Sparler ha obtenido un conocimiento amplio sobre el estilo baile. Aunque el tango se originó en Argentina, ha crecido en popularidad alrededor del mundo.

“Conozco a gente de Tokyo España Alemania y Reino Unido y todos bailan tango”, Sparler dijo.

Goodwin dijo que porque muchos profesores se han preocupado por viajar a Buenos Aires y estudiar el tango allá, el tango argentino auténtico se puede encontrar casi en cualquier lugar.

“Ha aparecido en todo el mundo”, Goodwin dijo. “A cualquier ciudad grande a la que vayas, puedes Googlear ‘el tango argentino’ y encontrar clases y bailes”.

Goodwin admite que acostumbrarse a la intimidad del baile puede tomar un poco de tiempo a los principiantes, especialmente por los principiantes jóvenes.

“En nuestra cultura [en los Estados Unidos], es muy difícil acostumbrarse a la proximidad del abrazo, y porque bailando el tango ya estás pecho a pecho con un desconocido total”, Goodwin dijo.

Sin embargo, Sparler dijo que esto depende de la zona de confort de una persona y que cada bailarín puede elegir la cantidad de proximidad que quiera tener.

“Hay algunas conexiones que formas cuando tocas a alguien, pero si no quieres formar esa conexión y no quieres que sea muy personal, no lo será”, Sparler dijo.

Todos los matices del tango argentino que lo define, tales como la intimidad e individualidad, se han unido por crear un estilo de vida completo.

“No es solo un baile, es una cultura entera”, Goodwin dijo. nlegallet@redwoodbark.org

Premio atrae atención a la imagen de latinos en Hollywood Artículo e ilustración por Hallie Fox El 18 de enero, Sofia Vergara recibió el premio de Elección de la Gente por la Actriz Cómica Favorita, y cuando yo oí el discurso de ella, mi reacción fue crítica.

Ella dijo que su papel como Gloria Pritchett en el programa de televisión muy popular “Modern Family”, abrió muchas puertas para otros actores latinos. Oí esto y pensé, “¿Son las puertas que Vergara abrió para otros actores latinos las puertas correctas?” El papel de Vergara en “Modern Family” intensifica muchos estereotipos sobre latinos hoy.

Si las puertas que abrió son puertas que lleva más actores latinos a interpretar papeles dañinos y estereotípicos, entonces esas puertas deben cerrar de un golpe. Vergara y otros actores latinos merecen interpretar papeles fuertes e influyentes en la televisión y el cine , en vez de interpretar a personajes que ejemplifiquen estereotipos preexistentes sobre los latinos.

En “Modern Family”, Vergara interpreta a una mujer de Colombia muy chillona y sexy quien a menudo habla sobre los peligros que ella sufría en Colombia. Su papel sostiene los estereotipos sobre los latinos que Hollywood siempre ha ilustrado. Hollywood retrata a las mujeres latinas como criadas y niñeras y a los hombres latinos como traficantes de drogas y trabajadores manuales. Películas tal como “Maid in Manhattan” y “Spanglish” y programas de televisión como “George Lopez”, “Ugly Betty” y “Devious Maids” intensifican estos estereotipos. A los latinos, tantos hombres como mujeres, a menudo les hacen sensuales en los papeles que interpretan.

Las actrices latinas como Vergara no deberían tener que contar con la imagen sexy que Hollywood ha pintado por ellas. Ellas deben ser capaces de encontrar oportunidades de empleo que no promueven el estereotipo que las mujeres latinas son locas, chillonas y siempre sensuales.

Vergara dice que ella abrió puertas, pero la única puerta

que abrió es la que asegurará que las latinas continuarán interpretando papeles estereotípicos.

Hollywood pinta a los latinoamericanos como inmigrantes ilegales que vienen a Estados Unidos y trabajan como criadas y niñeras y son miembros de cárteles de narcotraficantes. Muchos de los papeles que Hollywood crea para los actores latinos son personajes superficiales que usualmente exponen características estereotípicas.

Muy a menudo las películas y los programas de televisión retratan a los latinos de una manera que fomenta esa imagen incorrecta que muchos americanos tiene sobre los latinos. .

Sin embargo, unos actores y actrices latinos están haciendo un impacto por tomar papeles que empiezan a destruir los estereotipos latinos. Gina Rodriguez es una de esas actrices. Rodríguez interpreta a Jane Villanueva en “Jane the Virgin”, una telenovela cómica-romántica que es muy satírica también. El programa cuenta con Jane como una latina protagonista fuerte, a diferencia del modo por el cual muchos otros programas y películas retratan a los latinos hoy. “Jane the Virgin” explora la raíz de los estereotipos y trata de luchar contra ideas ofensivas preconcebidas sobre los latinos. Jane es autosuficiente y fuerte: un personaje a quien las mujeres y las chicas latinas pueden admirar porque ella puede terminar la escuela al mismo tiempo que cría a un bebé y escribe una novela romántica. Los personajes como Jane remodelarán la manera como muchos americanos ven a los de latinos.

Los actores y las actrices latinoamericanos con papeles como el de Rodriguez tienen la oportunidad de representar fielmente a su gente y educar a sus compañeros de los Estados Unidos, quienes a menudo son ignorantes sobre el aspecto de la cultura atinoaméricana. Hollywood necesita hacer su parte para librar la sociedad de los Estados Unidos de sus opiniones falsas sobre los latinos y crear papeles para que los personajes latinoamericanos sean ciertos a

su cultura, en vez de perpetuar los estereotipos ridículos y ofensivos que actualmente existen. hfox@redwoodbark.org

bark

Page 10 • Feature

February 3, 2017

GOP policy increases demand for health services

By Maggie Smith

As controversy about Planned Parenthood has peaked in the last few weeks, many Redwood students have voiced their opinions about access to sexual health services. The options students have regarding these services may depend on the actions of the GOP in coming months.

On Jan. 5, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced that the Republican Party will attempt to defund Planned Parenthood as part of their efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Ryan stated that taxpayers shouldn’t have to give tax money to Planned Parenthood since they offer controversial services, and while the money can’t directly fund abortions, it still supports the organization.

Ryan’s proposed plan would direct the funds currently going to Planned Parenthood to alternative federal health centers that, according to him, are less controversial. “Federal health centers” are health services that offer care to Medicaid patients.

One of the biggest ways the government supports Planned Parenthood, and other federal health centers, is reimbursing these organizations for the services they perform on Medicaid users.

Ryan claimed that for every Planned Parenthood center, there are 20 federal health centers that can provide similar services.

However, Planned Parenthood and many other community organizations involved in sexual health, are not backing down without a fight.

“Paul Ryan is literally playing politics with women’s lives, and campaigning against the interest of his own constituents,” said Dawn Singiser, Planned Parenthood’s Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs, in a press release.

According to an October 2016 poll by the Harvard School of Public Health, 48 percent of Trump supporters favor continuing to fund Planned Parenthood, while 47 percent are in favor of defunding it.

Tam District Wellness Coordinator Anna Benitez, who previously worked at Planned Parenthood, said the issue involves not just sexual health services, but the issue of healthcare in general.

“It’s upsetting that healthcare can be used Newsom said another sexual health clinic as a political pawn, and so I do think that it’s teens commonly use is Huckleberry Youth a possibility [Planned Parenthood is] on the Program, whose center provides chopping block,” she said, before Trump’s healthcare, including inauguration. “I feel like with the current s e x u a l presidential administration that that might be services, to something they go after.”

According to Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, w h o appeared on a CNN program on Jan. 9, the demand for IUDs, a form of long-term contraception, from the organization has risen 900 percent since the election.

This may suggest that women fear their access to sexual health services will be threatened by the Trump presidency.

Ryan believes that since some people adolescents, don’t agree with some services Planned according to their Parenthood provides, they shouldn’t have to pay website taxes to an organization they morally oppose.

“Almost a majority Defunding Planned Parenthood would of my friends have been primarily affect Medicaid users who choose to Planned Parenthood the agency as their provider. In this situation, or used Huckleberry’s users would have to find another health center services, and we’ve had to receive sexual health and family planning discussions about how services. great it is that it’s available Senior Emma Newsom, who has used to us,” she said. subsidized sexual health services, said she Benitez said that disagrees with the GOP’s actions, and is if Planned Parenthood concerned about the effect they will have. were to be dissolved, it “[The government is] already struggling to would limit the access teens take care of so many people in the U.S. alone,” have to teen-specific sexual Newsom said. “I am an upper-middle class white health services and centers, girl who lives in a city, but that’s not the especially those who choose case for most people.” not to get those services from According to Benitez, her their pediatrician or general background in sexual health practitioner. and education helps her see “I do know that there are Planned Parenthood and teens who like to keep their sexual health services in a general health out of their clear and factual way, rather sexual health because of the than a more political way. stigma or lack of communication with family,” “If I wasn’t super involved she said. or engaged in reproductive health, I Access to sexual health services is not only may not necessarily know what’s true important for teenagers, but should be a right and what’s not for all people, according true,” Benitez to Newsom, who believes said. that Planned Parenthood is Senior Ben Gold integral to upholding that says he agrees with the right.

GOP’s plans to defund “To me what’s most Planned Parenthood important is that someone because he doesn’t should have that be available believe in governmentto them, to be able to do what subsidized healthcare. they want with their bodies “Women should be and plan their futures how able to get abortions they would like,” Newsom whenever they want,” said. he said, mentioning that Anna Benitez, Similarly, Gold believes his stance on the issue Tam District Wellness Coordinator that having access to wasn’t about his morals. sexual health services and “I just don’t believe the contraception is important for government should pay teens; however, he thinks that for it.” the government doesn’t need to be involved.

In California, nearly 60 percent of Medicaid Benitez echoed the need for sexual health patients are under age 26, according to a report services to be accessible to high school students. by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Additionally, “Where they choose to get it doesn’t matter.

70 percent of Planned Parenthood users are Having sexual health services for teens is under 30, meaning this issue overwhelmingly immensely important because we’re hoping affects young people. to establish healthy habits with all people and According to Newsom, Planned Parenthood healthy habits start young,” she said. appeals especially to teenagers, because while many people are scared to go to sexual health clinics out of fear or embarrassment, Planned msmith@redwoodbark.org Parenthood keeps their services confidential.

Where they choose to get it doesn’t matter. Having sexual health services for teens is immensely important.

Page 11 • Feature

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HI DDEN

bark

LEGALITIES OF THE POPULAR APP

BY GEMMA CALANDRA

In 2009, a small company was created by two friends frustrated by their inability to find a taxi in Paris. In less than eight years, this San Francisco-based startup grew to give people all over the world access to rides—and even food delivery service—at the touch of a button.

Among younger crowds especially, Uber seems to have become as popular as the local public transportation system.

Many Redwood students have embraced the ridesharing service, which is accessed by passengers and drivers through a smartphone app, hailing it as accommodating.

Junior Jackson Westbrook, who is a frequent user of Uber, said the service allows him to get around independently despite the fact that he doesn’t have a driver’s license. He said that he uses the service most weekends and occasionally during the week.

“It’s giving you more ability to be more spontaneous with your planning because you can just call up an Uber at any time,” Westbrook said.

Though the service is popular among teenagers, all riders under 18 must be accompanied by an adult, according to Uber’s community guidelines.

However, freshmen Skylar Strotz and Lauren Steele, who have taken Uber on occasion with their parents, said they have never even heard of this rule.

And according to Westbrook, he has never encountered problems due to his age.

Tiburon Police Officer Shane Ford also said that he was not aware of the rule. While it is company policy for Uber not to transport unaccompanied

minors, it is not a law, according to Ford.

“Uber is not regulated like the cab industry is,” Ford said. “[In regards to the law], it’s just like if you call your friend for a ride.”

Teenagers are easily able to lie about their age or create an account under a parent’s name in order to circumvent the age restriction, according to Westbrook. He said that the rule is rarely enforced by drivers, who likely don’t want to turn down the chance to make more money off of underage riders.

“They’re working for some third party organization; they don’t know who their boss is,” Westbrook said. “Why do they care if they’re making money off of this kid?”

Strotz also suspects that drivers might be unwilling to leave a child stranded without the transportation they need.

“It’s better to pick them up and take them somewhere than to leave them if they need to get somewhere,” Strotz said.

Ford said that though he has never dealt with any crimes involving ridesharing services in his years on the police force, it’s important that riders always be cautious, especially if they’re minors and/or traveling at night.

According to a 2016 Pew Research study, only 34 percent of ride-hailing users indicated that they thought the services are a good way for parents to make sure their children get around safely when they can’t drive them.

However, the study found that 70 percent of ride-hailing users said they felt safe riding with the drivers employed by the service.

Westbrook expressed a similar

sentiment to the majority of users, adding that he has yet to have a negative experience with Uber.

Junior Elia Chou, on the other hand, recalled an incident where an Uber driver became very angry after her group of friends turned out to be too large to fit in his car. According to Chou, the man called them rude names and flipped them off as he drove away.

Nonetheless, Chou said that drivers like these are in the minority, and that she has never actually felt unsafe while using Uber. The same Pew Research study found that 83 percent of users said they have never had a bad experience while using a ridesharing service.

Ford said that while he has never received any complaints, he would encourage kids using a ridesharing service alone to let a family member know they will be using the service, and to immediately report any incidents to the police if they occur.

Uber is also widely used as an alternative to driving after a night out, according to Westbrook.

Strotz believes that Uber is a good backup plan to have if a person is too impaired to drive themselves home.

According to Westbrook, having this as an option instead of driving under the influence makes drinking more safe.

“I would much rather some dude get absolutely hammered at a party and drive home safe with Uber. That’s so much preferable to having him on the road risking his life, wasted on the freeway,” Westbrook said.

“Drinking culture is going to persist no matter what—it has for ever and ever. [Uber] is just making it

safer for people who decide to participate.”

Ford warned that impaired teenagers may be putting themselves at risk by riding with strangers.

“If you’re by yourself, you’re a juvenile and you’re under the influence, you’re more susceptible to becoming the victim of a crime,” Ford said. “You’re better off with a relative or someone you trust who hasn’t been drinking or is not under the influence of drugs picking you up, but if you have to take Uber, that’s better than driving.”

Besides being widely regarded as safe and convenient, many more aspects of Uber appeal to the public. According to the Pew Research study, 86 percent of ridesharing users said that these services save them time and stress.

Strotz and Steele like the user interface and the speed at which an Uber can be hailed.

“Instead of a taxi, you don’t have to call it. You just do it on your phone so you know it’s coming and you know when,” Steele said.

Westbrook admitted that Uber’s rates are one of the service’s major drawbacks, but for many teenagers and their parents, Uber’s convenience outweighs its cost. While several types of Ubers exist, the most economicallyfriendly and widely used is UberX, with which a ride from Redwood to Tam would cost $10-13, according to Uber’s online estimator. gcalandra@redwoodbark.org

With its revolutionary one-size business model, trendy clothing and a strong social media presence of more than 3.5 million followers on Instagram, clothing company Brandy Melville has become an attractive apparel option for many high school students in the Bay Area. After launching in the United States in 2009, owners Jesse Longo and Stephan Marsan have expanded to 36 stores overseas in addition to the 26 stand-alone stores in the U.S. In July 2013, the Brandy craze in Marin grew when the fourth Bay Area location opened in the Village at Corte Madera. After reports from students of the store’s unusual business and hiring practices, the Bark interviewed both current and former local employees to investigate what goes on behind the trendy storefront at Brandy Melville.

a number of published court decisions where judges say, ‘We are not the morality police, we don’t ensure things are morally just in the workplace.’”

HIRING The hiring process at Brandy Melville differed from person to person, according to many of our sources.

Coco Sachs, a current employee at the San Francisco Chestnut Street location and a senior at LickWilmerding High School, had what she considered an experience getting hired.

“My [hiring] experience was kind of abnormal; I wasn’t really looking to work at Brandy,” Sachs said.

Sachs was shopping alone at Brandy Melville, a store she frequented, when an employee (whom she now knows as the manager) offered her a job.

Sachs was told that if she was interested she would be hired on the spot, and she ultimately gave the manager her number, Instagram handle and a picture of herself. She received a job offer the next morning.

“I haven’t seen my exact scenario happen before,” Sachs said. “Applying for a job is usually a more formal process.”

Unlike Sachs, Chloe Saraceni, a junior at Lick-Wilmerding High School, applied for the job online. She was a frequent shopper as well and wanted a summer job, but didn’t hear back from the Brandy San Francisco

I think, to be honest, the real reason why they hired me is because I was a skinny, blonde, white girl.

According to Douglas Kahn, a workplace discrimination lawyer based out of San Rafael, it is legal in most Ruby Seid, cases to hire Drake graduate people based off of looks.

“In the employment context, discrimination is a loaded word. Most people hear the word discrimination and they think any time an employer discriminates that’s against the law that’s not the case,” Kahn said. “They discriminate all the time to make decisions.”

Despite the legality of this hiring practice, many employees and customers feel that it is morally wrong.

“There are a lot of unfair things that go on in the workplace that aren’t against the law,” Kahn said. “There are

location until three months later at the end of summer.

In August, the manager called Saraceni into the store for an interview, questioning her about her availability and prior job experience.

Like Sachs, Ruby Seid, a Drake graduate and former Brandy Melville employee at the Corte Madera location, was also scouted.

Seid decided to apply for a job at Brandy Melville with her friend. A month earlier she had been scouted on the floor by an employee who told her she should apply because she would “fit in.”

Both Seid and her friend applied for the job at the same time with the same availability and work experience.

According to Seid, the only difference between the two was that Seid’s friend had minor acne. Her friend received an email the same time Seid got the job, saying they were no longer hiring.

Despite this, Seid was instructed to start “scouting” the floor as soon as she started working because they needed more employees.

This requirement of “scouting” the floor continued throughout the four months Seid worked in the store, and she continued to notice that the employees only had one look in mind.

“I think, to be honest, the real reason why they hired me is because I was a skinny, blonde, white girl,” Seid said.

Tam senior Ella Marlatt, a former Redwood student, originally applied for a job two years ago, but was not hired. She then applied a second time and decided to do her makeup the best that she could and wear Brandy Melville clothes for her interview. She also tried to mimic the attitude that she witnessed in other Brandy employees.

Once she began working there, Marlatt started to notice the unusual ways the employees treated girls who asked for a job.

“When I was working there, a girl came in and she was really pretty but she didn’t look exactly like everyone else who worked there—maybe she had acne or braces or glasses—but, [the employee], who wasn’t a manager, just took the application and threw it away,” Marlatt said. “I asked, ‘What are you doing?’ and she said, ‘Oh, she’s not going to get the job she’s not pretty enough.’”

Senior Olivia Fioretti, who previously attended Redwood and currently attends San Andreas, was hired at Brandy as a floor model.

Fioretti was first scouted when she was shopping in Brandy Melville and an employee asked her if she would consider working there.

Fioretti later emailed the employee, and the manager asked her to come in for a meeting.

“When we were talking she asked me if I had ever heard of an ‘in-store model,’” Fioretti said. “She asked if I could wear the clothes around the store when I was working and she would pay me $15 an hour.”

Because Fioretti was already signed to a modeling agency, she believes Brandy Melville saw it as a good fit for her to be a floor model, someone who stands near the front of the store and models the clothing. “[The managers] are picking girls on their image,” Fioretti said. “It wasn’t based on their work experience o r

anything.

It just felt weird.”

PAY Many sources thought pay was distributed in an irregular way.

While some girls were getting paid minimum wage, others in the same position were getting paid much more.

Although Marlatt was encouraged to keep her salary private, she still shared with her co-workers that she was getting paid $10.50 per hour in her position as a sales associate.

However, many of the other employees told her they were getting paid $13 or $14 per hour for the same title, even though they had only started working a little before her.

“After a while I became fed up with the way that they treated me,” Marlatt said. “I would work my ass off.”

On the other hand, when Fioretti

was hired, she was told she would be paid $15 per hour, a salary that is much higher than the minimum wage.

Fioretti knew this was high compared to many employees who were only getting paid around $10 per hour, but was told it was because she was a floor model.

Seid knew that she was getting the same pay as some of the other employees, but didn’t realize there was such a big gap with other girls.

Some of her co-workers said they were getting paid $14 per hour even though they were hired around the same time.

When Seid’s co-worker asked why some girls were getting paid so much higher, Seid reported that their manager said it was based on the time of year they were hired although many of the employees were hired around the same time.

On the other hand, Marin Academy senior Lauren Fish, who first worked as an employee at Brandy Melville in 2015, was told something different by one of her bosses.

“One of the bosses said the upper management people decide [pay] when we send in the pictures,” Fish said. “I think that kind of explains a part of it, but I don’t know if it’s like that now.”

Sachs realized she was getting a minimum wage salary, as she expected.

Above Sachs’ position is a key holder, who receives a salary of $15 per hour rather than the minimum wage salary of $13 per hour in San Francisco.

“Most of them in my position were getting paid the same, from what I know. I’m technically a sales associate, and we are making minimum wage unless you have been working there for a really long time and you ask for a raise,” Sachs said. “They’re usually open to that.”

were photographed randomly. Saraceni and Sachs were told that the photos were sent to corporate.

“Basically, it’s the key holder’s job to take the photo of you, they usually do them all at once, and pull you aside, outside to go and take it,” Saraceni said. “It’s everytime you work, and they send the photo to corporate.”

Sachs said she has always liked fashion, so she always wanted to wear the best outfit for work and experiment with different trends.

“I remember worrying about who was going to see [the photo], but as far as I know management doesn’t comment on the photos, it’s just to see what the girls are wearing,” Sachs said.

Both San Francisco employees felt an initial subconscious pressure to look good because they knew they would have their picture taken when they went to work.

“I am used to it. It’s not like I really care about it because I never see the photos they take,” Saraceni said. “But I felt, at first when I got the job, a pressure to always wear something different or make sure I had a specifically good outfit or not wear the same thing in the same month,” Saraceni said.

Fioretti remembers the key holders also took pictures of her at the Corte Madera location the first day she started working to send to corporate.

“They took me in back and they took pictures of my shoes, my jeans and my face,” Fioretti said. “I thought it was pretty random because they didn’t tell me what it was for.”

Likewise, Fish doesn’t know the exact reason for why the managers send pictures of the girls during work to corporate, but she believes it has to do with representing the company in a good way.

“Although they never told me, I think it was for the upper management and they just wanted to see how we were dressing and see if we were representing the brand in an appropriate way,” Fish said.

Sources also commented on varying treatment of employees from managers. Many of the Corte Madera employees noticed unfair treatment when they were working in the store.

Fioretti saw a strong correlation between being liked by the managers

According to a Bark survey, almost a third of Redwood students shop at Brandy Melville. Of those, nearly 40 percent feel unwelcome when shopping at the store.

LEADERSHIP Employees at the San Francisco location shared that they were photographed at work daily, while those at the Corte Madera location

and getting paid more.

“It was different treatment [by the managers] for each girl,” Fioretti said.

Fioretti also noticed that if the managers liked you, they would let you work in a better area or work a different job than the other employees.

“It’s not professional. It’s not a good business,” Fioretti said.

Sachs, however, feels that working for Brandy has been an influential experience in her life.

“It’s also inspiring to be able to come into a store that’s run entirely by young women. It might seem strange but for me to be looking up to people who are working part time in college but also managing a boutique is so cool,” Sachs said.

The owners, Marsan and Longo, are reported to be very involved in the company.

“I haven’t met them, but they have definitely come into the store,” Saraceni said. “All the keyholders text with them about making decisions for the store and have to send pictures into Longo [owner]. He’ll tell them what to do and when to change things up or if they want to close early on a certain day, they have to ask him.”

According to Saraceni, Longo always tells the keyholders when he’s coming to town, so they know when to expect him.

Many of the sources interviewed said that Brandy Melville strives to hire girls that possess a certain aesthetic, which many call the “Brandy look”— tall, skinny and pretty. The “@ Brandymelvilleusa” Instagram page supports these claims; the girls featured are overwhelmingly white and thin and have cascading, beachy hair.

Longo, Marsan, and Brandy Melville HR have not responded to requests for comment.

Upon speaking with the managers at the Corte Madera location, we were told they were not allowed to be interviewed unless our questions and their answers were reviewed by corporate management.

Additionally, the managers at the Corte Madera location were afraid of the repercussions of employees sharing their experiences of working for Brandy Melville, and told employees they were “not allowed to be interviewed.”

Because of this, current employees from the Corte Madera location declined to comment.

bark@redwoodbark.org

Photos from the official Brandy Melville Instagram

February 3, 2017 bark Page 14 • Feature Club and school sports prove closely intertwined

By Max Josef and Sarah Kimball

When players step onto the court, their minds no longer race about the stresses of everyday life; they simply focus on the game. For many, sports are an escape, a meditation and a shield.

Unfortunately, the line between high school and club sports has become blurred, enlisting a fear for some that without playing a sport during the club season, they will not be able to make the high school team due to previously established, unfair relationships.

The environment of high school sports is often very competitive. Players try to get one step ahead of their competition in order to ultimately make the team.

One of the main ways to gain this extra step is by playing “club” sports —off-season leagues that enable athletes to train and improve their skills in a specific sport. This can be seen as a way for athletes to improve for their high school season, play against better competition, stay in shape and be noticed by college coaches.

Some coaches use this as a way to gain extra money or scout incoming talent who play in their league.

Tahan Minakov, the boys’ varsity volleyball coach at Redwood and girls’ varsity volleyball coach at San Rafael, believes that club athletes are more experienced than non-club athletes but that doesn’t mean one is more qualified for the team than the other.

“Some of my best volleyball players

what the main differences she saw between non-club and club athletes, Pease declined to comment.

Pease also declined to comment on the advantages of coaching the same girls for the high school and club season as she said that she has not had the opportunity to coach the current varsity roster during the club season. However, she is the director of a club where 50 percent of the Redwood varsity team plays, according to the Absolute Volleyball rosters.

When questioning the players on whether Pease had coached them during the club season, most players declined to answer, though senior Claire Jackson confirmed that Pease has served as her coach while she played on 13s, 16s, and all throughout high school. Alumna and former Absolute player Adelaide Shunk also said that a majority of the Redwood players played at Absolute during club season, either on her 16’s team directly or another age group. Shunk expressed that because Pease runs the club, she was always either a direct coach or was still around the majority of the time.

Another former Redwood volleyball player who played at Absolute confirmed that Pease coached players in club who are or were on the Redwood roster at one point.

Junior Katie Reis said that she was aware of the environment and attitude of girls’ volleyball prior to her time playing at Redwood, due to her experience with Absolute Volleyball.

“Most of the girls know the coaches because they played club for them. It was a friendly experience for me because I was familiar with the girls I was trying out with,” Reis said.

According to Reis, most high school athletes

play club sports after the high school season and continue that sport throughout the rest of the year and during the summer.

“There is a definite advantage because you are practicing; you are playing the sport all year. The coach knows if you are good, knows if you are bad, knows your family,” Reis said. “There is always an advantage to having connections.”

According to Reis, volleyball coaches would most likely favor the person that they knew from club, especially if they liked them. If an athlete didn’t play club, the coaches wouldn’t have that insight and might not want to take a chance on that particular athlete.

In order to combat what Minakov considers unethical practices within high school sports and club leagues, he proposed that Marin enforce specific rules for coaches.

“I know that in other states, high school

personal freedom,” Christensen said.

Likewise, Minakov feels that the MCAL would have little success trying to enforce these rules.

“I think that what happens in those situations where those rules were put into place [is] coaches were abusing the system and doing it for profit and personal g a i n ,” Minakov said.

coaches are not allowed to coach club volleyball. In Southern California, you are not allowed to coach the same age group as the players that you are coaching in high school,” Minakov said. “I think that those systems should be implemented in some fashion across the board because I feel that a lot of people think that there are unfair advantages that come along with [coaching].”

Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) commissioner Susie Woodall has thought of adding a rule similar to Minakov’s idea. Unfortunately, Woodall believes that this would be implausible in Marin.

“If we impose the rule that if you are a club coach then you can’t coach high school, the majority of our coaches wouldn’t stay at the high school. They would go make more money while coaching club,” Woodall said.

Lars Christensen, the current Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and president of the North Coast Section, believes that although it is possible, this rule would impede on personal freedom.

“I work for the TUHSD, but if I chose to take a part-time job or start a parttime company on my non-work time, that is my right to do that. While I have really strong feelings about the potential conflict of interests between club coaches and high school coaches, I have strong feelings about

of recruiting, especially in club sports, pressures players into joining a club team in order to make a high school or college team.

“If you don’t sign up for a club team and pay them the associated fees, there is this assumption that you will not make it on [the club coach’s] high school team,” Christensen said.

According to Christensen, these potential conflicts of interest are overridden by personal freedom.

“If I am coaching basketball, but also run an off-season club program, I have got to make sure that it is a different logo, colors and name. The players should be made up of not just people you coach in high school, it should be anyone. If there is a club basketball program in one small area of the county, most of the kids are going to be from one school,” Christensen said.

Christensen went on to say that he is troubled by the potential conflicts of interests, but said that personal freedom will always win.

Reis offers a solution to reduce the unfair relationship between high school and club sports.

“I recognize that they try to separate the club teams from the high school teams. I would say that the coaching staffs need to be separate. That is the only way to completely separate it,” Reis said. “I personally stopped playing because the club coaches being the high school coaches bothered me.”

Woodall knows of at least one instance where a student’s mother took out a loan so her kid could play a club sport because she felt that her daughter wouldn’t make the team without it.

Christensen thinks that the presence

Infographic by Adam Kreitzman

have never played club.

And I have players who have played club who lose spots to people who don’t play club,” Minakov said. “However, playing year-round volleyball has its advantages. You get the repetition, you are playing against other people who are traveling and you are paying a lot of money to play year round so the competition tends to usually be higher.”

Katie Pease, the former head girls’ varsity volleyball coach and current director of the girls’ program at Absolute Volleyball Club, had a similar view of club athletics and the advantages of playing a sport year-round.

“If you are playing club, you are committing your time. Oftentimes, in every sport, the kids who played club are going to be more skilled and talented because they are playing year-round and they just have more experience,” Pease said.

However, when asked

bark@redwoodbark.org

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Page 15 • Sports

www.redwoodbark.org

Trio of sophomores play important role on varsity

By Adam Kreitzman With a significant amount of turnover from last season for the boys’ varsity basketball team after star guard Michael Sullivan graduated and now-senior and key starter Jordan Jackson transferred to Tam, Redwood knew it had to adapt this season or face an uphill battle to remain among MCAL’s best teams.

But as head coach Steve Compagno has done so much over his eight-year tenure with Redwood, he has managed to put together a defense-centric squad that frequently features double-digit rotation players. A large part of Redwood’s hot start in MCALs has been the emergence of three sophomores who see a significant amount of playing time. Chance Farrell-Martin, Miles Squiers and Dean Watson have each brought something to the table as Redwood finds themselves tied for second place in MCAL, six games into league play.

Farrell-Martin, a point guard, has worked his way into the starting rotation already, using his court vision and ballhawking ability to lead the team in assists (2.6) and steals (2.5). He uses his quick first step to drive into the paint and create offense for his teammates.

Squiers, a small forward, has a bigger frame and a good shooting ability which allows him to play both shooting guard and forward. His versatility lets him mesh well with any personnel on the floor and while his numbers aren’t

eye-popping, he is third on the team in points per game (5.1) and he hauls in 3.3 rebounds per game as well, which is very solid for a sophomore in his first year on varsity.

Watson, while perhaps a little more raw in his abilities, provides a ton of value to Redwood in the sense that he is a rare big body. Already 6’3” as a sophomore, Watson sees time as a back-end rotation player snagging a couple rebounds per game and scoring the occasional basket.

More importantly, he provides much-needed rest to the starting big men and should be a beast as he continues to grow and hone his game.

With three very diverse skillsets, it is apparent that Compagno has found his building blocks for the future.

“It is nice that we play three different positions, because it allows us to play together and have strong chemistry,” Squiers said.

According to Squiers, the three first met each other while playing CYO basketball, though Squiers was not teammates with the other two.

“There was kind of a rivalry between St. Patrick’s (The team Farrell-Martin and Watson played for) and St. Sebastian’s (Squiers’ team),” Squiers said.

Squiers added that it wasn’t until later that the three would play together at the local AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) team, NBBA (North Bay Basketball Ball Academy).

It was then that the three would develop the chemistry that will be a mainstay on varsity for the next three years.

“I guess we all kind of had the idea we would end up

at Redwood together, and the fact that we played together before definitely helped,” Squiers said.

Watson echoed this belief, saying that the three playing in AAU was central to their development as teammates.

According to both Watson and Squiers, the ultimate goal is to win an MCAL championship, but in the near term, they want to familiarize themselves with the game at the varsity level and learn from their older teammates.

“As long as we are winning, I think that everyone will be happy,” Watson said. akreitzman@redwoodbark.org

Photo by Josh Cohen

FIGHTING HIS WAY past defenders, sophomore Miles Squiers finds an opening to receive an inbounds pass.

Infographic by Adam Kreitzman

Freshman races past competition to bring on ‘The Heat’

By Jocelyn Overmyer Most people don’t get behind the wheel until they are 16. But for freshman Heather “The Heat” Hadley, that was not the case.

When Heather was nine years old, she raced in a go-kart for the first time, not knowing just how far it would take her.

It all started when a friend of Heather’s dad took her to a raceway in Sonoma, where she first experienced the thrill of karting. One year later, Heather had a kart to call her own. As time passed, trophies began to decorate her house, her smiling face appeared in Mazda magazine ads and sponsors began calling her name. As she excelled in go-karting, she looked to move to the next level. Last year, she bought her first racing car, classified as a legend car.

Heather plans to start competing with the car in the upcoming season.

“She fights and battles and she gets quite a lot of respect from parents and racers at the track,” Damon Hadley, Heather’s father, said.

Right from the start, Heather held an astonishing record, winning 104 out of her 107 races in 2011. In 2014, she collected an impressive 27 trophies, and a year of dedication paid off when she was recognized by Mazda.

In 2014, 13-year-old Heather was invited to Mazda raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas. She spoke in front of more than 250 people at a banquet and received prizes recognizing her effort. After that, Heather’s grinning face in full racing gear was featured in a Mazda ad in two magazine back covers, “Racer” and “Sports Car Magazine,” for more than six months.

Although Heather now has an astonishing record and achievements, getting there wasn’t always easy.

“The first race I finished last and had no idea how to control a go-kart. The gas and brake was a challenge to remember but I stayed back and watched everyone pass me. I didn’t like the feeling; I like winning.

My dad convinced me to go another time,

and I got first. From then on, I got first,” Heather said.

After that, despite minimal knowledge of the sport, Heather and her parents embarked on regular treks to the track to participate in competitions.

“We just started going slowly into races.

We did a lot more practices before we started racing. It was an overall challenge to start because my dad is not a mechanic and I had no idea of basics of karting. I didn’t even know it existed professionally,” Heather said.

Although Heather has made friends along the way, the harsh environment has been tough to adjust to.

“Everybody acts differently when they are racing and it’s hard to get to know them, because they all act as though I’m competetion and not a friend,” Heather said.

Besides a few classes at a karting school in Sonoma, Heather learned the techniques and how to approach every straight-away and turn on her own. With no official coach, Heather Hadley raced the Driven Raceway in Sonoma, holding No. 1 spot there until recently, and she now holds the

No. 2 rank. Heather uses online racing sites to find and choose races in which she wants to participate.

During the season— Feb. to Sept.— Heather travels to races and attends a practice day before the race day to become comfortable with the tracks. This year, Heather has her schedule full, racing with two different type of legend cards, a sedan and coupe. Heather races road courses with her sedan car and circle tracks with her coupe car. She hopes to hit the tracks every weekend when she isn’t competing, either with her car or kart.

Heather always had the drive in her to achieve even more. Not only does she race two different types of cars, she races in two different karts and categories, Comer Junior 1 and Clone Junior 1 respectively.

“In 2014, Heather was the only kid in California with two different karts with two different types of engines,” Damon said.

At the 2015 KPX Karting Championships, she placed first and second, one in each type kart. “[Racing] is very exhilaration and there’s a lot of adrenaline. For me, as soon as I enter the track, I go more into focus

Photo courtesy of Heather Hadley

CUTTING AROUND A corner, freshman Heather Hadley (54) darts past her opponents in a race.

mode instead of my heart racing. My parents are probably more excited then me on on a raceway,” Heather said. “My mom and dad are always screaming.”

Participating in a sport that attracts prominently boys, Heather remains a minority in the racing community.

According to Damon, boys will cut in front of Heather and push her kart off the course while she’s in the lead, resulting in her fair share of bruises.

“I am very proud of Heather,” Damon said. “She has been taken out quite a bit.”

In 2011, Heather flipped her go-kart and broke her arm. According to her dad, Heather handled it with maturity, calmly walking off the track and taking a knee.

Unfortunately, as soon as Heather got her cast off, she was T-boned by another cart.

Deciding that she needed to take a step back, she took an eight-month break from the sport.

“The boys are not mature enough to handle the speeds that they are going,” Damon said.

Along the way, her work began to be acknowledged by people beyond the raceway, receiving support from sponsors.

She currently has two sponsors, Phil Joy House Moving Company, which stores her vehicles, and In Motion, a screen printing company.

With the unconditional support of her parents, Heather was the first in her family to pursue karting.

The support of her parents hasn’t escaped Heather, and she is very grateful of how much they do for her. “[My parents] pretty much provided everything. My dad has made the commitment to racing since I’ve started because he really wants me to make a career out of racing. He pushes all of his money and stuff towards racing,” Heather said.

This year, Heather competed in her first legend car race, at Buttonwillow, on Jan 28. and 29. jocelyn.overmyer@redwoodbark.org

bark

Page 16 • Sports

February 3, 2017

Tahoe time: Skiers stoked about record-setting snowfall

By Andrew Hout Recent extreme weather has brought Redwood skiers out of their drought depression and back onto the slopes of Tahoe.

The ski hype has been difficult to sustain due to poor precipitation levels over the past two years, but some students never gave up their love for the mountain. This year’s incredible snowfall has rewarded them for their loyalty.

Lake Tahoe is covered in ski resorts, and every student skier is prideful about their mountain for a multitude of reasons.

However, there is one thing on which every skier agrees: 16-plus feet of snow in January is unprecedented.

Senior Rosie Jennings has been a Squaw Valley skier her whole life and this year’s abundance of snowfall has brought her to the mountains as often as possible.

“This has been an incredible year so far.

Last year and the year before I got maybe 12 days of skiing in each, compared to this year where I already have 20, and January is not even over. I’ve been trying to get [to Squaw] as much as possible since it has been storm after storm,” Jennings said.

Senior Robert McInnis is an experienced skier and a strong environmental activist, so this year’s precipitation levels have excited him in a variety of ways.

“This year’s snowfall has been epic,” McInnis said.. “With our drought, the area really needed it and Mother Nature really delivered.”

California’s drought has been hard on avid skiers and this past month has reminded students what Tahoe skiing once was.

Senior Chase Petri said that this year’s snowfall will not only be good for the skiing, but will also refill Lake Tahoe from its record-low water levels.

“The weird weather the past few years is definitely due to climate change, and I don’t know why it’s suddenly going hog wild this year, but it has for sure helped our drought,” Petri said. “I’d say the past few years were disgusting, so this year has been a real treat.”

Many Redwood skiers have been shredding since a very young age.

“I was two when I first started skiing.

I learned with the leash. I loved the leash.

I was on that leash for one or two seasons, and those were some great times,” Petri said.

Petri was on Kirkwood’s freeride team for six years, something that he says cultivated his love for the mountain.

“So far this year, I’d say I probably

have 16 days already. Last year I’d say I actually went up the most ever in a season weirdly. I got around 35 days in last year.

When the snow wasn’t great, I’d just do stuff in the terrain park,” Petri said.

“He was a park rat,” Jennings added.

Jennings learned skiing from her dad and has been skiing ever since.

“I’ve never been on any teams or have done any training, but my dad easily taught me everything I know so that’s the way I rolled,” Jennings said.

Unlike Jennings, McInnis has been skiing on Squaw teams since before he could remember. McInnis started out as a Mighty-Mite skier, then he was on the Far West ski race team for three years and Squaw’s Big Mountain team for one year.

Now he just free skis with his friends.

“My dad wanted us to ski at Squaw Valley because it is a really hard mountain, and he thought .if we could ski everything there, we could ski anything in the world,” McInnis said.

Nowadays McInnis just skis with his friends because of the freedom and the ability to chase the best snow. Last year he clocked 34 days, including some days skiing in Europe.

“I liked ski team because you got to ski with big groups of people who were all into skiing, but it limits the amount of runs you can do, and it was too regulated,” McInnis said. “Skiing with your friends is much more fun, especially if they love skiing too, because you can stay out as long as you want.”

Redwood’s skiing community usually does not have time to participate on ski teams because of the long drive and necessary commitment to weekly events.

Free skiing is a very different sport than what most Redwood students are used to.

“Skiing is unlike other sports that make you compete with others to always try and win,” Jennings said. “In skiing, there doesn’t have to be competition; you can just do whatever you want to do without anyone telling you what or how to ski. You get to go with your own flow and just, I don’t know, you just ski.”

Every Redwood skier has to love the sport to make the trek up north every weekend. On top of just skiing, Tahoe’s mountains are for exploring and everyone’s got a favorite spot.

Jennings’ favorite spot is Jonny Moseley’s Run off KT-22 at Squaw. Petri enjoys skiing anything off Chair 6 at Kirkwood. McInnis loves the Hogs Back on Headwall chair at Squaw. ahout@redwoodbark.org

TOP TO BOTTOM: Launching off a rocky outcropping, senior Gabe Stephens takes a jump at full speed while skiing at Squaw Valley.

Carving his way through deep snow, senior Robert McInnis makes his way down a mountain at Squaw Valley.

Finally reaching the bottom, senior Rosie Jennings rejoices after a run at Squaw Valley in deep powder.

Breaking through a mogul, senior Chase Petri comes down a run at Squaw Valley with tremendous speed.

Photos by Sam Slade and Andrew Hout

www.redwoodbark.org

Bark’s Super Bowl Predictions

Page 17 • Sports

By Michael Benz

Belichick and Brady have been here many times before

By Luke Dahlin Super Bowl LI will consist of Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback in the history of professional football, and mastermind coach Bill Belichick facing off against a team with almost no Super Bowl experience, a mediocre defensive secondary and little other than a potent offense to bring to the table.

In 2001, the Patriots battled the St. Louis Rams in their first Super Bowl appearance in the Brady-Belichick era.

That year, the Rams led the entire league in passing yards, total yards and scoring in the regular season, and were the dominating offensive force in the league that season. The Rams had an MVPwinning quarterback in Kurt Warner and the offensive player of the year in running back Marshall Faulk. The Patriots beat the Rams 20-17.

In 2004, the Patriots faced gunslinger Jake Delhomme, star wideout Steve Smith and a dominant backfield

from the Carolina Panthers. The Patriots outdueled that sharp Panther offense, winning 32-29.

In 2005, New England combated the resurging Philadelphia Eagles, another team whose success could largely be attributed the strength of the offense. The Eagles had all-time great receiver Terrell Owens and quarterback Donovan McNabb, who had almost 4,000 passing yards in the regular season. But the Patriots, once again, won the Super Bowl.

With their latest AFC championship, the Patriots have entered unprecedented territory. They now have six AFC Championships, 11 division championships and four Super Bowls under Brady and Belichick. Like a fine wine, they seem to get better with age.

The Patriots are historically

The Giants’ crowd was roaring the whole night.

In a rival game in the gym of the Marin Catholic Wildcats, the boys’ basketball team ended strong after a slow start, coming up just short in the final seconds. This game represents the season thus far.

Many fans were discouraged after what can only be called an embarrassing loss against the Branson Bulls. Prior to this loss, the much-hyped MCAL opener against Tam also fell short of expectations.

As fans left the gym after the Giants’ first two losses, I heard murmurs of how the team ‘sucked’ this year. They weren’t seeing the true Redwood basketball team. The Giants are 5-3 in MCAL, tied for third.

After the loss against Branson, there were two private meetings: a meeting with the team, players and coaches, and a players only meeting. These two meetings may have been the catalyst to tap into the deeply talented roster, which hadn’t yet shown a big home crowd their true prowess against a legitimate MCAL team.

Seniors Brendan Shepard and Charlie Reis have been playing lights out since the loss against Branson. Shepard has emerged as a wing shooter and defensive specialist, hitting many threes during the San Marin win. Reis is playing his same style of basketball. He’s no taller than 6 feet, 3 inches, but plays like he’s the biggest guy in the world, using his strength inside on both offense and defense.

There have been more pleasant surprises emerging on this team, in the forms of seniors Chris Kress, John Van Liere and junior Omar Elliot-Diab.

Last year, Kress didn’t see a lot of the floor. However, he has stepped into a leadership role and is proving to be a very viable scoring option. Kress leads the team with 12.1 points per game and a 48 percent three-point percentage.

Although he didn’t begin this year as a starter, Van Liere has the height to play inside, yet he is more comfortable from behind the arc, where he is shooting 43 percent.

Elliot-Diab joins Alex Wilson as potentially the two best big men in MCAL. Against Terra Linda, Elliot-Diab got two emphatic rejections, and with those two big men lurking in the paint, there won’t be a lot of inside scoring from opposing offenses.

This team has talent. It took those tough home losses and the loss at MC to piece together the missing links to make a potential MCAL championship run.

Don’t give up on Redwood basketball.

dominant, and that prowess seems to only grow as the team plays on a higher stage against top-tier offenses. That’s the opportunity New England will have this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, a team with an explosive offense, not unlike the 2001 Rams or the 2005 Eagles, but little defensively to combat Brady and the Patriots.

ldahlin@redwoodbark.org

vs

Two-headed rushing attack balances potent offense

By Brendan Winters

The Patriots will go into Sunday’s Super Bowl as the deserving favorites, continuing an era of unprecedented success with quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.

But if there was a year in sports to bet against history, this would be the year.

The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first NBA finals in franchise history, ending a 52-year

champi onsh ip drought for the city of Cleveland. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series, ending a 108year drought.

Clemson beat Designs by Michael Benz

Alabama in the College Football Playoff Championship, picking up their first national championship since 1981.

The Atlanta Falcons have never won a Super Bowl and the city of Atlanta averages 162 seasons per title, the worst out of all American cities that have a professional sports team.

However, the Falcons are no second fiddle. Quarterback Matt Ryan has put up an MVPcaliber season leading the league’s highest-scoring offense (33.8 points per game). Julio Jones is coming off a two-touchdown, 180-yard performance in the NFC championship game, and leads a potent receiving core.

The league’s most

but through the air as well. This balanced offensive attack, which averaged a leaguehigh 6.7 yards per play, keeps opposing defenses on their heels.

The Falcons’ defense hasn’t always been great this season, but it has definitely improved. They managed to shut out Aaron Rodgers in the first half of the NFC Championship, something that few teams were able to do this season. If they can shut down a quarterback like Rodgers, they may have a shot to do the same against Brady, too.

Experience in big games is often talked about as a pivotal factor. Although the Patriots undoubtedly have the Super Bowl experience on their side, don’t underestimate Matty Ice and the Falcons because they might surprise you on Sunday.

productive running back duo, Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, can not only pick up big chunks on the ground,

bwinters@redwoodbark.org

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mbenz@redwoodbark.org

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Middle School through College

February 3, 2017 bark Page 18 • Sports Family business: Junior follows brother’s footsteps toward greatness

By Carolyn French The name Dow has become a staple in the Redwood wrestling world over the past few years. Perhaps this is due to the success of junior Spencer Dow, or maybe it is because of the success of Spencer’s older brother, Riley, who placed second in NCS as a senior last year and continued on to compete in the state championships.

The younger Dow is working hard to exceed the achievements of his brother, and thus far succeeded in living up to his family name.

“At one point I started to question whether I was wrestling for my brother or for me,” Spencer said. “But I realized that I love the sport, and while there is pressure for him, I don’t want to let him down, I don’t want to let my coach down, and I don’t want to let myself down. I do feel like there are these expectations of me, but I’m trying to embrace it and let that motivate me.”

According to senior captain Simon Ermolov, Spencer has looked up to Riley since he began wrestling, and their similar personality traits shine through in both the practice room and at the meets.

“They have this ‘Dow’ personality where they challenge everything and have constant debates over everything, and the flip side to that is that they’re both some of the most amazing young men in the wrestling room, outside the wrestling room and in the community,” said wrestling coach Lochlan McHale, who has coached Spencer in the offseason at Brawlers Wrestling Club since the end of his freshman year.

However, both McHale and Ermolov were able to address that the two brothers have different presences on the team.

“I think Riley was much more calm, tame and sort of like a peaceful captain,

while Spencer is more chaotic, and there’s more excitement in him, and he’s always bouncy,” Ermolov said.

According to Spencer, he was first interested in wrestling after attending Riley’s tournaments and practices in middle school. “[Wrestling] is definitely something that I’m passionate about now, but there’s also some family c o m p e t i t i o n ,” Spencer said. “I want to be better than him. He went to state his senior year, so I’m looking to place top five at NCS this year, and the best possible outcome this year would be going to state.”

According to Spencer, Riley continues to motivate him even though his wrestling career is over. However, Spencer said that the pressure to be better than Riley continues to be overwhelming.

McHale also hopes to motivate Spencer through the family name’s expectations.

“His brother is very open about how he waited too long to take wrestling seriously.”

McHale said. “So one of the challenges I put out there for Spencer is to be greater than his brother, so that he has a good junior year and a good senior year.”

After Spencer’s success on JV last year with an impressive 20 wins and 2 losses, McHale began coaching at Redwood in hopes of utilizing a lineup that has what he described as a “sleeper.”

“I knew about him, we all knew about him, but the rest of NCS didn’t really know about him, and he had an amazing JV season, and then he worked in the offseason and I knew he was going to come in battling this year,” McHale said. “And it has shown, he has walked away with two golds, and a few other things. And his work ethic is surely where his brother was his senior year, while he is in his junior

Photo by Carolyn French

SPARRING WITH TEAMMATE Chris Keating, junior Spencer Dow prepares for the upcoming MCAL and NCS playoffs. year.” Throughout his three seasons at Redwood and the offseason practices he attends, Spencer has developed a plethora of skills and techniques that have led him to multiple tournament victories and a solid standing in NCS this season.

With a height of six feet, one inch, Spencer uses his size as an advantage.

Ermolov said that Dow uses similar techniques to those of his brother, utilizing his length and Spencer Dow, long fingers to get a junior good grip. According to Spencer, McHale’s offensive style has made a positive impact on his performance this year. “[McHale] has a totally different style than our last coach,” Spencer said. “I’ve

gotten a lot more confidence from his style of wrestling, and I’m taking more shots now.”

In the practice room, Spencer said that he acts as a leader to many of his fellow teammates, as he hopes to keep the team motivated.

“I think from the beginning he’s always been sort of like the cheerleader of the team. So when other teammates are wrestling he would be the guy at the corner yelling and screaming and cheering,” Ermolov said.

“He should be a leader. He supports everyone, he cheers everyone on, he has good energy, so I think when he does become captain, all of those will help him to be the best.”

I do feel like there are these expectations of me, but I’m trying to embrace it and let that motivate me.

cfrench@redwoodbark.org

Freshman standout bolsters varsity team in starting role

By Tilly Friedlander Ever since she has been old enough to kick a ball, freshman Grace Bouton has excelled as a soccer player.

All those years of practice have paid off, and she’s earned herself a spot on the girls’ varsity soccer team, where she has already scored five goals in only ten games for the Giants.

Fifteen-year-old Bouton has proven her skills as a starting center forward on the team, earning herself nearly full playing time by shooting critical game-winning goals.

Varsity soccer coach Mattias Kodzoman said that Bouton already has the potential to be awarded for her skills in her future as a Redwood player.

“I tell my players that if you can play, you can play, whether you are a freshman or a senior. Grace [Bouton] deserves to play on varsity and she’s one heck of a player.

She has all the attributes to be a [Marin County Athletic League] Player of the Year farther down the road,” Kodzoman said.

According to Bouton, although she may feel nervous at times, she enjoys playing at a high level. “[Being a freshman on varsity] is definitely intimidating, especially at first, and kind of scary being with all the older people, but it’s pretty fun to play against different h i g h schools,” Bouton said.

According to Kodzoman, Bouton is always looking to improve despite her already high level. “[Bouton] has pace, she has good skills with the ball, has a nose for the goal, a great attitude and she always works hard. Although a very good player, she has an attitude of a player that always wants to improve, so you never have to tell her to work harder,” Kodzoman said.

According to soccer player junior Lauren Bell, who has been on varsity since her freshman year, the goal Bouton scored during their game against Branson was the most

vital shot of the season, as that win gave the team its second place spot in MCAL. Bouton has been on a club soccer team that is one year above her own age group since she was nine.

Bell has played with Bouton since Bouton was in sixth grade and Bell was in eighth grade, and the two have developed a very close friendship. According to Bell, Bouton has made a remarkable transition onto varsity as a freshman.

“This is her first year on Redwood and she’s been so successful. It’s been really amazing to watch her transition from a shy little sixth grader to this amazing freshman on varsity who is a major asset to the team,” Bell said.

Bouton thrives on the competition of playing against her friends.

“I think high school games are more fun because I get to play against people I know and it’s more competitive,” Bouton said. “Our most recent game against Branson was probably one of my favorites because I know a lot of the girls on the team. The center back who guarded me is on my team for club, so it was more fun to play them.”

Bouton hopes to continue playing soccer in college, and aspires to play for a University of California soccer team. tfriedlander@redwoodbark.org

Photo by Tilly Friedlander

BONDING AT VARSITY soccer practice after school, freshman Grace Bouton kindly assists her teammate, junior Lauren Bell, by tieing her shoe.

review

Page 19

Local author explores complex lives of Marin teens

By Eric Ahern

For nearly all of us, Marin County is home. Marin is beautiful, Marin is affluent, Marin is educated and many would argue that there is no better place to grow up.

However, at the same time, Marin is complex, Marin is materialistic and Marin is sheltered from the rest of the world.

Author and Mill Valley native Lindsey Lee Johnson would most likely agree with all of these descriptors, but overall she views the county in a different light. Inspired by her perception of Marin, Johnson’s new novel “The Most Dangerous Place on Earth” (TMDPE) delves into the complicated lives of Marin teenagers.

Set in Mill Valley, the realistic plot follows a group of Marin teenagers and their English teacher as the students navigate their way through eighth, 11th and finally 12th grade at Valley High (a fictional Tam High).

The protagonists assume somewhat archetypal roles that include: the harsh and aggressive jock, the overachiever who can’t wait to get out of high school, the boy suffocating from academic pressure dealt by his parents, the hippie girl with a traumatic past and the freshfaced teacher struggling to form real connections with her students.

Although the characters can be easily labeled as such from a distance, a closer look reveals that they are anything but stereotypical.

By intensely focusing on the differences and imperfections in each character and showing the audience what the world looks like through their eyes, Johnson is able to communicate the feelings of uncertainty, fear, pressure and loneliness; but also hope, love and everything else that comes along with being a high schooler in Marin County.

Apart from the occasional, outdated use of teenage

slang (nobody says “bunk” anymore), Johnson was on the mark in regards to many of the confusing aspects of adolescence, especially here in this convoluted community.

The events of the story, such as a student-teacher affair, a life-altering car crash and an eighth-grader’s suicide, would be far from common in the real world, but unfortunately they are not unheard of in this county.

Although the book is fiction, the incidents and personalities of the characters narrated in TMDPE feel remarkably real.

There was more than one instance while reading the novel when, as a Marin teen, I felt a powerful connection to the students of Valley High—as if I knew them personally.

And I think that’s because I do know them personally, in a way. I know the characteristics, the attitudes and the emotions. Everyone in this community does.

TMDPE references the Mill Valley 7-Eleven, Bo Ridge, High-Tech Burrito and even Redwood. It’s strange, yet satisfying, to read a novel that’s written about your surroundings, a sort of abstract narrative of your own life and the lives of everyone around you. It’s like staring into an alternate universe where your community is inhabited by different people, but the people are actually the same people that you know, aside from changed names and faces.

By analyzing these not-so-foreign strangers, Johnson effectively teaches the audience that there there is always more than what can be seen on the surface and that everyone is fighting their own battles, even when it doesn’t look like it.

Johnson’s well-written and powerful novel is both geographically and emotionally relatable to teens in this community and would be a beneficial read to all residents of Marin— parents, students and teachers included.

Although TMDPE will scare the hell out of almost any parent who reads it, it will hopefully better their understanding in regards to what sort of emotions their teen may experience growing up in Marin. Additionally,

Courtesy of Penguin Random House

PORTRAYING ASPECTS OF life as a Marin teen, Johnson’s book describes social problems in high school. students can utilize the book for reflection of themselves, while teachers can learn some of the not-so-fictional things that happen to their students outside of the classroom. eahern@redwoodbark.org

Bringing up Barack: ‘Barry’ shows Obama’s presidential past

By Julia Jacoby Before making history as the first African American president of the United States, Barack Obama was just Barry.

A native Hawaiian, chain-smoking, biracial Columbia undergrad, Barry had not yet embraced his political potential.

“Barry,” a Netflix Original, examines Obama’s life as a Columbia student in 1981.

The movie opens with Barry (Devon Terrell) smoking on a plane about to land in New York. He takes the subway to his new apartment, quietly absorbing the boombox-blasting, graffiti-decorated chaos of Harlem.

There, he almost gets hit by a car, and we hear the first word of the man now known for his eloquence, “Shit!”

Before I watched this movie, I wondered how its plotline would be structured, given that almost anyone in the audience would know the end—Barry would later move on to a distinguished political career, marry Michelle and eventually become President Barack Obama.

I thought that watching this movie would be like starting a book by first reading the last page. I was dubious about this movie’s capacity to entertain me, considering that I already knew the climax in Obama’s life.

However, “Barry” focuses not on Obama’s political career, but on the emotional turmoil that led him to a lifetime of civil service. “Barry,” was a pleasant surprised in it’s human capacity, not the superhero plotline that so often consumes movies.

Emotionally conflicted, Barry struggles to answer the seemingly simple question “Where are you from?” It is a question he genuinely does not know the answer to—is he from Kenya? Kansas? Hawaii?

This is the conflict that “Barry” centers itself upon. Barry can’t decide whether he aligns himself with his father’s African

Courtesy of Netflix

PLAYING A YOUNG Obama, Devon Terrell acts as the Columbia undergrad, who is the only African American in many of his classes. origins or his mother’s midwestern roots. form of small interactions. “Barry” is not The movie reflects Barry’s difficulties in a movie about a young black man fighting navigating his racial identity—he’s the the world’s injustices, but instead a movie only black man in four out of his five that utilizes the pressures of the outside classes, he’s awkward socializing with his world to expose the real fight: his internal wealthy (and almost entirely white) peers one. This movie does not portray Barry as and he’s uncomfortable in the poor public a victim of oppression, but one of his own housing projects. mind.

The Barry who plays basketball at the Though the scenes are, if anything, Columbia gym is not the same Barry who slightly underwhelming, perhaps the most plays at the street courts. The five blocks stunning aspect of “Barry” is Terrell’s between the Columbia campus and the portrayal of Obama. poor New York City slums symbolize the His slow, controlled movements, chasm Barry feels within himself. and deep, velvet voice are a near perfect The scenes are cool and compact: sets imitation. Terrell is extremely convincing are muted and the colors are subtle. There as Barry, capturing his charm and intellect is no real climax to the movie, no startling without any breaks in character throughout realization or epic battle against an enemy. the movie.

The movie is confounded in nuances; it Terrell’s performance is backed by doesn’t celebrate the melodrama that is all equally impressive supporting actors: too common in coming-of-age movies.

Anna Taylor-Joy as Charlotte, Barry’s Rather than being explicit in its white classmate and girlfriend (a cute, expression of racial tensions, “Barry” geeky relationship which we know is presents itself as a series of tests in the ultimately doomed), who naively believes

that racial stereotypes won’t exist if you simply ignore them, and Jason Mitchell as PJ, Barry’s friend from the basketball courts in Harlem who we later find out is a business school student at Columbia.

These characters represent the spectrum upon which Barry cannot find his place, from the wealthy white to the poor black.

At times, “Barry,” becomes clichéd, such as the ending, where Barry finally signs his name as Barack, seemingly coming to terms with his identity.

For a movie characterized by Barry’s struggle, the end is too feel-good and conclusive—suddenly, Barry has become Barack, with no real explanation or selfrealization.

This subtracts from the realism of the movie, making it feel less honest and human. This ending is too easy, which, while not uncommon, is especially disappointing, considering the nature of Obama’s persona.

The President Obama we know is one crafted by a series of public appearances meticulously planned by White House aides, press associates, and speechwriters.

The movie’s ending takes away from the raw themes it cultivated, and reminded me of corny voice-overs at the end of superhero movies.

Though Obama’s presidency has concluded, “Barry,” while imperfect in its progression, is a phenomenal movie providing insight into the making of the man who has shaped America for the past eight years. This movie is significan because it shows an incredily human side to a man who is now renowned as an American figurehead.

“Barry” elucidates an important and too often forgotten message: to embrace life as a grayscale instead of only seeing it in black and white.

jjacoby@redwoodbark.org

Page 20 • Review

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New eatery options in Marin prove a mixed bag Ramen joint disappoints

Gia’s authentic pasta wows

Tam Tam Ramen opened its latest location in Mill Valley this past month, serving up an Americanized version of Japanese cuisine in the most recent iteration of the collaboration between Whole Foods and Genji, a company that operates sushi bars in some Whole Foods stores.

This is the first stand-alone version of the restaurant (there is another Tam Tam Ramen inside the Whole Foods in Santa Clara), though its Whole Foods ties are apparent from the minute one enters.

Alongside a well-balanced menu sit Whole Foods products, drinks and sushi, distracting from the other food Tam Tam serves.

Where Tam Tam diverges, however, from both Whole Foods and from traditional ramen, is in its menu. The broths of its ramen are much thicker and richer than any I’ve ever tasted before, and they can also be much spicier. The Spicy Miso Tonkotsu ($11.99) lived up to its name, and though unusual and not at all the type of broth I’d expect to find in my ramen, it was surprisingly good and gave the noodles a kick. Both the Tam Tam Ramen ($11.99) and the Original Tonkotsu ($11.99) had similarly flavorful broths; however, their use of seaweed was quite disappointing. Even if it is a ramen place associated with Whole Foods, the seaweed in its ramen shouldn’t look like it was taken directly from a snack pack.

The one true disappointment on the ramen menu, however, was the Yuzu Chicken ($11.99). It was, to put it simply, a boring dish. There wasn’t any standout flavor, and although there was no specifically terrible aspect of the ramen, it was lackluster overall. The

Upon entering Gia Ristorante Italiano, one cannot help but feel as if they are walking into their good friend’s house for a night of phenomenal pasta, good conversation and laughter.

The restaurant, located in downtown Larkspur, has been open for a little more than a month. With dim lighting and one room for inside seating (outside and patio seating are available as well), Gia Ristorante Italiano is the perfect place for a romantic dinner. The kitchen is not hidden away, and customers can watch as the chef and cooks delicately prepare meals behind the black granite counter.

Because the owner and head chef hail from Italy, the fresh artisan pasta has a truly authentic taste and is by far one of the best foods on the menu. The restaurant offers heavier pastas loaded with rich flavor, and lighter pasta options, typically with seafood. The Tagliatella Al Pescatora ($21.95) is a light pasta with mussels, clams, true cod and prawns soaked in san marzano sauce. This pasta is on the spicier side, but the spices complement the thick noodles and garlic while not distracting from the meal itself.

The seafood is the highlight of the dish, with the savory clams stealing the show and creating a fantastic combination of delicate and hearty.

The Pappardelle Al Ragu D’Agnello ($19) is a heavier pasta with New Zealand lamb ragu. The sauce is the best part of the dish and the slight red wine reduction accompanies the lamb nicely.

The noodles are huge with smooth surfaces, and show the positive attributes handmade pasta has in both taste and quality. However, the lamb has a strange, lingering aftertaste and can be difficult to chew and stringy at times.

By Rebecca Smalbach

Photo by Rebecca Smalbach

PROVIDING A FRESH alternative to typical ramen, the Spicy Miso Tonkotsu has a kick. broth, however, stood out from that of the other ramen dishes, as it was much thinner and more similar to American-style chicken broth, in line with the general blandness of the dish.

A higher point was the Pan-Fried Gyoza ($5.00), a dish that is similar to potstickers, off the small bites section of the menu. They were fried to perfection, and the vegetable filling balanced perfectly with the outer shell.

Service was extremely quick, and all food was at the table within just a few minutes, making it an ideal place for students to go grab food during lunch and make it back to fifth period on time.

Workers were attentive and offered free samples, making the service one of the best aspects of Tam Tam Ramen.

But Tam Tam’s prices put it on the high end of fast food, leaving it in the awkward position of charging high rates for food that isn’t worth the sticker price.

Ultimately, if you’re nearby, Tam Tam might be worth a quick stop, but there are other, much better ramen places to try in Marin—ones that aren’t an extension of Whole Foods. rsmalbach@redwoodbark.org

By Alicia Vargelis

Photo by Alicia Vargelis

PRESENTING A LIGHTER option on the menu, the Tagliatella Al Pescatore highlights fresh seafood.

For appetizers, the Porchetta Romana ($15.95) was served on a beautiful wooden platter with pork, focaccia and mixed greens. The focaccia, crispy on the outside and wonderfully fluffy on the inside, was topped with pork which was slightly dry, and needed a dressing to moisten it and add more flavor. Despite the dryness, the rosemary on the meat was an excellent choice, for it added a distinct taste that went well with the other items on the platter such as the arugula, which had a bitter taste that was slightly offset by the delectable dressing.

Gia Ristorante Italiano is definitely on the expensive side, with menu items ranging from $6 for sides to $33 for certain meat dishes. However, the portions are generous and service is great, with waiters being both friendly and efficient. The downside to having such a small location is that the tables are cramped together in some parts of the restaurant, and during peak dining times the restaurant can be crowded and noisy.

Overall, Gia Ristorante Italiano has praiseworthy, authentic Italian food along with a charming atmosphere that is great for a special occasion or date night. avargelis@redwoodbark.org

Netflix original revives childhood favorite book series

By Carolyn French “I would advise all of you watching to turn away immediately, and watch something more pleasant.”

That is what Netflix’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” narrator Lemony Snicket (Patrick Warburton), the pseudonym of the book’s author, Daniel Handler, tells the audience as he begins depicting the story of the Baudelaire siblings and their tragic lives.

However, the oddly-told saga of the children is anything but unfortunate for viewers, as the new Netflix premiere tells a dark tale in a lighthearted way, making it appropriate and enjoyable for all ages.

Based on the 13-book series, the saga follows the Baudelaire orphans, whose parents were killed in a fire.

The children are forced to repetitively escape the grasp of Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris), who aims to steal the Baudelaire fortune and terrorize the children as they venture to their new homes.

Handler’s dark humor and emphasis on the children’s intelligence is even more apparent than in the books, as the visual aids and characters’ personality traits create better characters and a clearly mocking dark tone.

One of the most impressive aspects of the show is its loyalty to the original plotline. Every two episodes in the eight-episode season are devoted to a specific book; the first four books aired in season one.

Die-hard fans of the tale will appreciate the show’s faithfulness to Handler’s original story, as the popular childhood books are recapped to the most precise detail on screen.

The general story being told strays little from Handler’s series, which was a pleasant surprise. As a diehard fan myself, the show rekindled my interest in my favorite childhood series. Netflix’s devotion to the books may have been influenced by Handler’s involvement in the script writing.

Neil Patrick Harris takes on the star role of Count Olaf, implementing the comedic tools he’s used in other performances into his new character. The sheer tragedy of the children’s story mixed with the blunt banter and modern references of Harris, along with the malice of his role, creates an satisfyingly cynical display of dark humor.

Dark humor poses as relief to the horrible situation that the Baudelaire orphans are subjected to throughout the

Courtesy of Netflix

STARING IN DISBELIEF, two Baudelaire children struggle to adjust to living with their new guardian, Count Olaf. show. For example, in the first episode, Count Olaf invites the children into his home, stating, “Please come in, and don’t forget your enormous fortune.” Ignoring the fact that the children had just lost their parents, Count Olaf bluntly depicts his malicious character through his obvious focus on the children’s money.

While Harris becomes the central figure of humor, others adults carry out the theme through their unrealistic stupidity. Mr. Poe (K. Todd Freeman), an oblivious banker in charge of the Baudelaire fortune, as well as placing the orphans into their new homes, takes on a larger role in the

Netflix series than he had in the books.

His obnoxious and repetitive coughing, as well as complete ignorance to the seriousness of the children’s situation as orphans, was incredibly irritating, but created a well-developed character. These traits carried on throughout the majority of the other adult characters, from Count Olaf’s band of henchmen to the hypnotized employees of the Lucky Smells Lumbermill.

However, the adults’ foolish characteristics highlight the children’s intelligence. Violet (Malina Weissman), Klaus (Louis Hynes), and Sunny Baudelaire (Presley Smith) each have unique talents that characterize them throughout the show. However the adults that they come to meet and live with are oblivious to their talents, and treat them as too young and naive to understand their current situation.

However the Baudelaire children’s admirable traits were easily overridden by their lack of character development. They lack the emotion seen in the movie and books, making their story less immersive.

What “A Series of Unfortunate Events” lacks in character development, it makes up for in set designs.

As the Baudelaire orphans travel from one home to the next, their new guardians are accurately represented by the home or environment they surround themselves with.

Justice Strauss (Joan Cusack), Count Olaf’s neighbor who provides the children with temporary compassion and generosity, lives in a brightly lit home surrounded by cherry blossoms and flowers.

Meanwhile, Count Olaf’s rundown towers were displayed in a dark and dirty manner to represent the pure malice of Harris’ character. As Lemony Snicket himself says in the series, “The phrase ‘in the dark,’ as I’m sure you know, can refer not only to one’s shadowy surroundings, but also to the shadowy secrets of which one might be unaware.”

So the series theme song may tell us to “Look away,” but maybe we should do just the opposite. All of the unfortunate events that occur in Netflix’s new series make for an odd yet captivating experience, so maybe it’s not so unfortunate after all.

cfrench@redwoodbark.org

bark New film ‘Split’ between intriguing and predictable Page 21 • Review

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By Sabrina Dong As the lights dimmed and the white block font of the beginning credits rolled, I felt a rushed anticipation in the theater.

There was an electric buzz in the air as people sat waiting to see M. Night Shyamalan’s newest project, “Split.”

I wanted to see if the film held up to the promise of the thrill-inducing trailers and of Shyamalan’s reputation of beautifullycrafted horror, usually including a mindblowing plot twist, perhaps most famous in films such as “Devil,” “The Sixth Sense” and most recently “The Visit”.

However, the movie didn't live up the the expectations set by its aggressive advertisement campaign or Shyamalan’s reputation. Though it involved well-crafted character development), the movie suffered from a predictable plot and seemed to take a slow decline as it wore on for two hours.

The main idea of “Split” is what drew me to the film in the first place. Shyamalan delves into the world of mental illness by constructing a story around Kevin, a man with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), giving him the ability to act as different people in the same body. Twentythree different personalities inhibit Kevin, who can change his body chemistry to fit each personality. For example, he develops diabetic traits when he inhibits a personality with diabetes.

Some of these identities include a controlling man named Dennis, a fashion designer named Barry, a control-freak named Patricia and a nine-year-old named

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

LOOKING INTO THE distance, James McAvoy portrays one of the twenty-three different personalities that his character Kevin exhibits in “Split.”

Hedwig. They each take turns inhibiting Kevin's body by grabbing “the light,” a figurative way of describing how each identity can take control of Kevin’s body at different times.

The story begins when Kevin kidnaps three girls from a birthday party while being in the persona of Dennis.

Here's where the predictability comes into play; the plot was on a cliché track from the beginning. One of the girls named Casey (Anya-Taylor Joy), who is presented as the protagonist, is seen as a social outcast who gets detention frequently

and was invited to the party out of pity.

The other two girls, played by Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula, are a pair of privileged best friends who exemplify the stereotypical, one-dimensional horror movie characters.

Though the plot was unsurprising, the way the main characters were written added some intriguing aspects to the movie.

Although the characters of the two best friends were shallow and underdeveloped, Casey and Kevin were refined and interesting. James McAvoy, who played Kevin, did a wonderful job captivating the

The xx creates new sound without losing identity

By Jocelyn Overmyer In the four years since their last album, The xx have tackled their previous limitations and emerged with a new album, “I See You.” The album plays to each band member's skills, creating a more coordinated and upbeat sound while maintaining their lyrical flair.

The trio’s third album, released on Jan. 13, is already climbing the charts, similar to their 2012 album, “Coexist,” which also reached the top of the charts.

Since their self-titled debut, the three have mastered the art of indie pop with vulnerable lyrics and crafted instrumentals, creating their distinctive sound.

“I See You” validated their transition away from minimal, non-ranging vocals that were safe and could easily be performed live. Continual beats throughout the songs keep parallel structure, and minimal elongated silences leave listeners awake and wanting more.

Member Jamie xx, who has released two solo albums, proves to be the key to their continued success. With a knack for intertwining distinctive beats and emotion, he helps construct an adventurous palette in “I See You” that still caters to the original two vocalists’ indie pop and R&B taste. The funky beats and ranging vocals pushed the trio past their reserved tendencies.

The combination of vocals from bassist Oliver Sims and guitarist Romy Crofts convey anguish, helplessness and hurt in a very minimalistic way which adds to their distinctive sounds. Sims and Croft work off each other in their customary shared lead roles, creating tension and harmonies throughout the tracklist.

Right from the get-go, listeners know that this is an album that screams change. Blaring horns and a tropical electronic beat open the album in the song “Dangerous,” which features an upbeat, club vibe that demonstrates just how far they have developed their style. Validating their new confidence, the song rings: “They say you are dangerous / But I don’t care / I’m going to pretend that I’m not scared.”

One of the more popular songs in the tracklist, “On Hold,” leans towards the pop style, and it is plain to see that this was one of the more experimental pieces that teases the listeners with new material.

“On Hold” is a raw look into a high school relationship.

Sims sings “When and where did we go cold? / I thought I had you on hold.”

However, The xx don’t just sing about other people’s love. In the song “Brave For You,” Croft’s vocals rise above the instrumentals as she confesses her sensitivity about the death of her parents. “So I will be brave for you / Stand on a stage for you / Do the things that I’m afraid to do.” Sims also reveals his inner struggles and his battle with alcoholism.

Photo courtesy of Young Turks Label Company

REFLECTING GROWTH, the cover of The xx’s new album “I See You” indicates the band’s change in style.

Even though the band introduced more range in “I See You,” The xx didn’t forget their original aesthetic, and they have tracks that don’t stray from their usual passionate, complex lyrics. In “Say Something Loving,” Croft sings “Here come my insecurities / I almost expect you to leave.”

In “Performance,” the stripping of instrumentals and minimal electronic sounds leave Croft’s voice to portray sorrowful lyrics without the usual vocal support of Sims.

“When you saw me leaving/ Did you think I had a place to go?/ Since you stopped believing I’ve had to put on my own show.”

With Jamie xx’s talents and the growth of Croft’s and Sims’s vocals, the trio has crafted an album that balances their original sound with new beats, allowing them to move confidently forward.

jocelyn.overmyer@redwoodbark.org

audience as he changed from one identity to the other as smoothly as possible.

I was fascinated every time he switched from one identity to another with no choppiness. His acting gave me a sense of anxiety, as I was unaware of who he would become next. Casey’s character, though simple at first, became layered as familial issues from her past surfaced, making the movie more interesting.

On the other hand, the plot was boringly predictable, and the movie just wasn't quite scary enough, at least by Shyamalan’s standards. Everything that was startling had already been revealed by the trailers.

As intensity rose, I felt no sense of urgency because I already knew when the surprises would occur. I did feel a slight rising sense of anxiety throughout the film, but no “jump out of my seat” kind of horror.

I also found that the film switched from the more realistic horror genre, which I find to be more frightening, to a supernatural-type horror. At the end of the movie, all sense of reality had dissipated as the villain turned from a mentally-ill man into a beast with animal-like abilities.

The switch from realistic to supernatural was abrupt, making it less possible for me to become immersed in the plot. Instead of being engrossed in the film, I became skeptical and hyper-aware of how fake the events felt.

Overall, the film was disappointing given Shyamalan’s reputation. Although it contained some interesting ideas, the plot could have been more engaging. sdong@redwoodbark.org

‘Crown’-ed a royal success

By Heidi Roenisch

More elegant and subtle than “Scandal” or “House of Cards,” yet with a quicker pace and broader appeal than “Downton Abbey,” Netflix’s “The Crown” expertly blends the best elements of a political thriller and period drama to create a slick yet sophisticated show.

Opening with an ominous cough and splatter of blood, the audience is soon swept up in the life of the 1950’s British Royal family as King George discovers he has lung cancer and must prepare his daughter Elizabeth for the throne. We then follow Elizabeth as she attempts to adjust from her happy-go-lucky life as a princess to fulfilling the responsibilities of the throne while mourning her father, all at the tender age of 25.

The plot is slow-burning but entirely absorbing.

There are no outlandish murders or power plays like similarly-themed dramas, but seemingly small events and the storylines of peripheral characters build upon one another to create a richly-layered storyline.

The slower pace also allows for more character development and for the audience to become more attached to characters. The show does an especially good job of keeping viewers engaged given that many key plot points are already well-known historical events.

Claire Foy stars as Elizabeth and does a superb job of subtly conveying emotion, balancing a girlish innocence and energy with a quiet resolve to present a strong figurehead to her country, creating an extremely likeable heroine. Elizabeth’s husband Prince Phillip, played by Matt Smith, is excellent in his portrayal of a man who is chivalrous and charming yet who chafes under his new royal duties and shows flashes of fierce insecurity at his comparatively inferior pedigree.

“The Crown” has been greeted with nearly universal critical acclaim, with Foy winning a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama and the series as a whole scoring an upset in the best television drama category.

The first season of the show was Netflix’s most expensive production ever, costing over $100 million, and it shows in the lavishly decorated sets and beautiful cinematography that ranges from the cool grays of London to the misty castles of the English countryside to the bright blues of Malta.

Overall, “The Crown,” with impeccable acting and production and plenty of rich source material, proves to be a smart and savvy drama that offers an intimate look at one of the most well known European figures of our time. hroenisch@redwoodbark.org

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Page 22 • Lifestyles

February 3, 2017

Lost and Found students Volunteer with Search and Rescue

Photo Courtesy of Lauren Knott

By Catherine Conrow When a college student got lost in Yosemite and the local Search and Rescue team was unable to find him, the Marin County Search and Rescue team was called.

“This dude had climbed up a cliff, fell 70 feet down the cliff onto a hard rock, where he then rolled an addition 100 feet down a slope,” said senior volunteer Lauren Knott.

“When we found him, he had been there for a couple of days and was barely awake. He had a bone sticking out of his leg and one of his eyes was swollen shut. We could barely tell who he was.”

Just as they had practiced extensively in trainings, members of the Search and Rescue teams expertly bandaged the man up and got him into an ambulance where he was transported to a hospital.

“If we had found him 20 minutes later, I don’t know if he would be alive,” Knott said. “I remember talking to his family afterwards and they were crying and really emotional and really happy that we had found him.”

A branch of the Marin County Sheriff’s Department, the Search and Rescue team attends searches across Marin and California looking for people who have gone missing.

Comprised of roughly 95 volunteers, a third of whom are youth members, the team’s volunteer work saves the county more than $3 million annually in funds that would otherwise have to be paid to law enforcement or medical professionals, according to senior volunteer Gracy Buckholtz.

In 2016 alone, the Marin Search and Rescue team attended 65 searches, 22 of which were in Marin. However, the team does much more than just searching for missing people, according to Knott.

“Sometimes we’re looking for bullet casings or blood spots after a murder. For example, I’ve gone to Marin City to look for that kind of stuff after homicides,” Knott said.

In addition, the team is an asset to the community during emergencies. During the heavy rains over the past few weeks, volunteers put sandbags around houses and helped evacuate people, according to Knott.

“If there was ever an earthquake or something, we would be helping rebuild things or evacuating people, just like the firefighters and police department,” Knott said.

During the Bridge Together Golden Gate movement on the Golden Gate Bridge on Jan. 20, members of the

Search and Rescue team were present to make sure that everyone was safe.

The Marin Search and Rescue team is one of few programs that allow youth volunteers to have the same responsibilities as adult members, according to senior volunteer Dosym Kunhardt.

The process of joining Search and Rescue reflects the demanding nature of the team, only accepting 15 of roughly 30 people who apply each year, according to Buckholtz, who joined the team her freshman year.

Buckholtz said that she knew she wanted to join Search and Rescue since she began attending Search and Rescue events at age 11 with her father, who is also on the team.

Prospective volunteers must fill out an application which includes writing an essay about themselves and sharing any outdoor, medical or previous volunteer work experiences. Applicants are then interviewed by four or five current Search and Rescue members and must then pass a thorough background check and a lie detector test.

“We ask [applicants] questions based around their character and how they would handle different situations,” said Buckholtz, who has served a youth representative on interview panels. “We will also give them some scenarios, like ‘If you were hiking with a friend and they sprain their ankle and you don’t have any cell service, what’s your next plan of action?’”

After being admitted to the team, new members undergo “Bootcamp,” an intensive one-month training program that tests new members’ physical abilities. According to Knott, new volunteers are taught skills including search procedures, ropes usage and basic medical training.

In addition, new members must complete an Emergency Medical Responder course, which is the highest level of medical training that a minor can receive. Members must also undergo two Incident Command System courses where they learn how emergency systems work and the hierarchy of emergency logistics, according to Knott.

Once on the team, volunteers can sign up to attend additional trainings throughout the year, including advanced rigging training, winter training and mapping classes. Volunteers can also undergo extra training to certification to attend Type One and Two searches, which usually occur in more rugged and demanding environments, according to Knott.

“For my Type One training test, I had to hike from Mill

Valley to the top of Mt. Tam in under three hours while carrying 25 pounds on my back,” Knott said.

As a result of how much training it takes to become a member of the team, Search and Rescue prefers to accept applicants who are freshmen or sophomores, since they will not be going away to college for a few years, according to Buckholtz.

Out of the team’s 31 youth members, 10 are Redwood students. According to Knott, the youth members are all very close to one another due to how much time they spend together and how they much they rely on each other for emotional support during searches. Though the majority of searches result in the person being found alive, it is still common for rescuers to find a victim deceased or to not find them at all, according to Buckholtz.

“We are all very close because we have to go through crazy stuff together,” Knott said. “Like we will go on a search for a missing two-week-old infant together and when the infant is found dead, you don’t really have a choice but to rely on your teammates for moral support.”

The team offers counseling services to members if additional support is requested, according to Buckholtz.

“A few years ago there was a search for a girl who had autism and she ended up drowning,” Buckholtz recalled.

“That search ended up really affecting people, but nobody has quit the team [as a result of the emotional stress] because there is a really strong support network in the team.”

Search and Rescue members must be prepared to be called out on searches at all times. Attending searches during school hours are excused absences, according to Kunhardt.

“The most difficult part of Search and Rescue for me is having to wake up in the middle of the night to attend searches,” Kunhardt said. “It’s also hard having to balance school work and the huge time commitment required by [Search and Rescue].”

In addition to the time spent on searches and training trips, the Search and Rescue team meets every other Monday at the Sheriff’s Department to review various skills for specific rescue scenarios. Prospective volunteers are encouraged to attend at least two of these meetings prior to applying to join the team. cconrow@redwoodbark.org

Photos courtesy of Lauren Knott

LEFT TO RIGHT: The team talks to a deputy after searching for a missing hunter in Mendocino; View from inside a Chinook Helicopter on the way up to Mt. Whitney to search for a missing climber; Various members participate in advanced rigging training at the Marin Headlands.

Page 23 • Lifestyles

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Graduates Take on the Professional World Miles Daly: The up-and-coming real estate agent

began working in real estate at 20 years old.

Rohde-Lynch said that Daly’s capabilities impressed “I don’t really act like a normal 18-year-old.” even her.

Miles Daly is putting it lightly. The 2016 Redwood “I was twenty and people would say you’re too young, graduate is leagues ahead of his peers as he has become well here’s a kid at eighteen who just closed a three million one of the youngest real estate agents in California. Daly dollar home,” she said. has been developing his interest in the real estate industry Age is one of the biggest obstacles Daly faces, he said, for much of his life, and, after learning the trade during because there is a great focus on experience in the industry. high school, is now pursuing the career head-on.

“Real estate is really all about trust; one of people’s “I wanted to do something where I was my biggest life investments is housing,” Daly said. own boss and I could set my own hours and make Daly said that he recognizes that everything he an impact on an industry,” Daly said. “I knew does with a potential client reflects on him, so being I was never going to be a nine-to-five kind of in the real estate industry has forced him to mature person and I have always had a salesman type in order to appear more experienced with clients and of personality.” other colleagues.

Daly started on his career path in Sept. of Gaining respect in the industry can be one of the 2015, his senior year of high school, when he biggest challenges stemming from age, according to began working as an intern at Pacific Union Real Rohde-Lynch.

Estate’s Southern Marin office.

“He has an ability to carry himself In December of that same year, he like somebody who is older and also started as a personal assistant to one wiser,” she said. “The fact that he can of Marin’s top producing agents, Shana carry himself can fool some people Rohde-Lynch, which Daly said provided into thinking he is not eighteen.” vital learning experience.

Daly is currently attending In August of 2016, he took the Sonoma State University and said California Real Estate License Test, that another significant challenge he passing on his first attempt and launching faces is managing his time between his professional career. Daly recently sold school and work. his first home in Tiburon for just over three “When I’m at school and have million dollars. class, it’s waking up for my 8 a.m.

“In 28 years I have never seen anyone 5:30 or 6 to answer and send out Photo courtesyclass of Milesat Daly like him,” said Rohde-Lynch, who herself emails. While I’m eating at the

By Jason Fieber

cafeteria, I’m checking my phone. When I’m walking to classes or during breaks, I’m always on my phone calling clients doing anything I need to get done,” Daly said.

Daly said he lives on campus, but doesn’t have classes on Mondays or Fridays so he travels back to Marin on weekends.

“In Marin, it’s looking at new listings that have come on the market and seeing if they would work for some of my clients, going to preview some of the houses, driving around looking at houses, taking pictures and just kind of getting a knowledge of what is on the market,” he said.

Real estate can be a make or break career, especially when done in a place like Marin, according to Daly, because there are great opportunities with the value of houses in the market, but the industry can also be very competitive making it difficult to get started.

At Sonoma State, Daly is currently working towards earning an Environmental Studies major with a concentration on Urban Planning, which he said he hopes will complement what he has already learned as a real estate agent.

“I didn’t want to focus too much on business because I already basically am doing business, so I wanted to do something that I didn’t really know about and that I could learn,” Daly said.

He said that he plans on pursuing real estate after college as a career that he hopes to continue and improve upon throughout his life.

“I have no doubt that he will succeed in a very big way,” Rohde-Lynch said. “He’s a rare find.” jfieber@redwoodbark.org

Cliff Weitzman: The app creator and entrepreneur

By Anne Pritikin

While on a flight from Rhode Island to Texas, 2012 Redwood alumnus and Brown University senior Cliff Weitzman built a photo-sharing application in seven hours that ultimately gained 70,000 users. This was one of approximately 32 products, ranging from a detachable brake for longboards to a biotech supplement, that he created during his undergraduate years. Recently, Cliff, who is majoring in Renewable Energy Engineering, was selected for Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for his text to speech application Speechify, which will soon be released to the public.

Cliff moved to the United States from Israel at the age of 13 with his family.

When he came to California, Cliff, who is dyslexic, struggled with reading and spelling; however, he got through these challenges in high school by listening to audiobooks instead of reading.

He first began developing the Speechify application for personal use during the summer before his freshman year of college; it enabled a computer to read anything to him at a quick pace, eliminating the difficulty of reading. “[Speechify] allowed me to read much faster and [it] was also useful because it allowed me to make audiobooks, so I could listen to my philosophy readings while longboarding to class instead of having to stay up the night before having to stare at the screen trying to read,” Cliff said.

English teacher John Blaber, who had Cliff as a student his freshman and junior years, said it is thrilling to see Cliff’s success.

“He’s taking his interest in entrepreneurship and software development and his own experiences as a learner and finding ways to synthesize all of those aspects of his experiences, talents and interests and produce a product that is innovative. Simultaneously, he’s going to potentially unlock literacy for who knows how many readers around the world,” Blaber said. “That is a tremendous gift that he has given.”

After Cliff read an academic paper that discussed neural networks, a field within artificial intelligence, he became very excited at the possibility of incorporating

neural network technology into Speechify and stopped working on his other projects to focus on the application.

The integration of neural networks into text to speech lends a human quality to an otherwise automated-sounding voice. The application’s voice is very important to Cliff, as he believes it is one of the factors that deter many people from using text to speech regularly.

After integrating neural networks into the software and creating a graphical user interface, Cliff presented Speechify at Brown University and Harvard University and began to receive interest from various funding sources. He reached out to the principal of a local school for dyslexic students and set up a meeting.

At the end of the meeting, Cliff learned of a conference for dyslexia educators that was being held the next day. He thought it was the perfect opportunity to learn if technology like Speechify would be useful to others and asked if he could come. The principal replied that he could, but that the conference was in Florida. They were in Providence, Rhode Island.

“I was like, ‘Great, see you there.’ So at 3 a.m. I booked a ticket to Florida [and] 10 a.m. I was on the plane,” he said. “[I] arrived, snuck into the conference, snuck into the heads of school meeting and gave an impromptu presentation on Speechify.”

At the end of the presentation, 15 schools offered to fly him out to their locations, some of which were outside of the United States, so he could teach their students how to use the application, marking the beginning of Speechify’s pilot program. Cliff would visit classes, install the application and return within a week.

When he came back to the schools, he found that every student used Speechify at home as well.

While talking to dyslexia educators, he learned that many people do not realize it is possible to listen quickly. Cliff utilizes this ability, listening at twice or three times the regular speed, which allows him to go through a lot of material at a rapid pace. Cliff also noticed that people are not conscious of their ability to train themselves to retain information while listening, especially while doing other activities.

Photo Courtesy of Cliff Weitzman

RECENTLY SELECTED for Forbes’ 30 Under 30 List, Cliff Weitzman, center, created the Speechify application, which will soon be released to the public.

“When I listen, I can drive, I can everything. He’s always smiling,” Erix cook, I can play basketball,” Cliff said. said. “He’s always trying to find new “I can do a lot of things and still listen in productive things to do and accomplish. the background, but completely absorb He’s not just in it to make money or become everything I’m getting, even though it’s successful—I know it sounds cheesy—but going fast. That’s just a matter of practice, [he’s more into] making the world a better but it’s easy practice.” place and improve everyone’s quality of Erix Weitzman, Cliff’s youngest life.” brother, who is a freshman at Redwood, To read the full story, emphasized Cliff’s optimistic demeanor visit redwoodbark.org and desire to improve the world.

“He’s always been positive with apritikin@redwoodbark.org

Cullen’s equestrian quest for glory

By Annie Fogarty and Pearl Zhong Long before the sun has risen, sophomore Lena Cullen is already preparing for a horse show. She arrives at the arena at 5 a.m., washes her horse, Fun, puts on the bridle and saddle and memorizes her jumping course before the competition starts.

Cullen spends five days a week at the barn, practicing with her trainer, Siri Larsen, who offers lessons and training under her business, Benchmark Farm.

Larsen teaches her students, including Cullen, at Dougherty Ranch, a riding facility in Nicasio.

Being an equestrian, in Cullen’s opinion, is more than simply enjoying a trail ride.

“So much work and training goes into it, and it might not be the most physically exerting sport, because it’s not a lot of cardio, but it requires a lot of tact,” Cullen said.

In addition, Cullen said that riding entails a combination of both grit and concentration.

“I work well under pressure.

My mind always has to be working; there’s never a relaxing moment. I have to be on it 24/7,” she said.

According to Cullen, confidence is also key while riding.

“It takes a lot of courage to ride, especially to jump, because working with animals that are 1200 pounds and have a mind of their own is scary at times,” she said.

Cullen and her partner-incrime, Fun, an “expressive” Irish sport horse, as Cullen puts it, have a very close relationship.

Though she has been riding for five years, Cullen purchased Fun last May. Although the two have had many successes and grown close quickly, they have also experienced inevitable challenges.

About six months ago, Cullen was bucked off when Fun was spooked by a deer. She landed on her head, broke her back, underwent surgery, and endured a concussion. Cullen is still recovering physically with bi-weekly physical therapy, and mentally in regaining her confidence

and trust in Fun. “It took a lot of strength to be able to continue and mentally get past that because it’s scary not knowing what’s going to happen,” she said.

However, she persisted due to her love of her horse and of riding in general. To Cullen, it was essential for them to get their communication back in alignment.

“What I’ve seen Lena have to do is to really dig deep emotionally a n d block that,” Larsen said. “If the emotion’s coming up, and things are getting a little ‘woo-hoo,’ you gotta say, ‘Hey, we don’t have time for that.’ You

can’t get scared.

Yo u can’t get worried. You’ve got to say, ‘hey what’s happening? What is my instinct to do so I can head that off?’”

Cullen stressed that communication between the horse and rider is essential.

If her leg is one centimeter too far forward or too far back, Fun will let her know by doing the wrong movement. She will not get her desired result until she corrects her foot placement.

“The horse drives a lot of the teaching.

If this horse needs something special, he’s going to teach her what that special

thing is, and she’ll have to master that or it won’t work with that horse, because every horse is not the same. They all have their idiosyncrasies, their little likes and dislikes,” Larsen said.

“It’s really cool that the animal lets you know what your mistake is or what you are doing wrong,” Cullen said. Along with rebuilding her communication with Fun, Cullen has other riding goals. On average, Cullen participates in six horse shows a year, each of which lasts between one and two weeks. This past show season, Cullen competed in the 0.90 meter jump division at Sonoma Horse Park. She hopes to move up to the 1.1 meter jumps this season, and travel to more shows nationally.

In the future, Cullen plans to pursue a career in horseback riding and become a professional rider and instructor.

“I really enjoy the process of working with

t h e horses, and it’s really fun to see the horses change in result of your training,” Cullen said.

Photo courtesy of Lena Cullen

eluxenberg@redwoodbark.org