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Page 2 • News
December 13, 2019
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Infographic by Loughlin Browne
Photos courtesy of CNN
Family House: Making a house a home for children battling cancer By Maya Holland “It’s not just families in Marin or the Bay Area that seek treatment from UCSF, it’s also people from all over California. Someone could live two to three hours away stay. That’s when Family House is there to help,” senior Josh Chan, Associated Student Body (ASB) President, said. Every semester, the service-based subcommittee of the Leadership class chooses an organization to hold a schoolwide fundraiser for. This semester’s organization provides temporary housing for families of children undergoing medical treatment at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center. Donations began “Cancer affects my family, and knowing the pain that these families go through really made me want to help… Starting this fundraiser at our school and doing as much as we could for this organization that has a really strong mission seemed like a no-brainer,” Chan said. According to Jessica Creager, Chief Financial Organizer and Human Resource Manager at Family House, the program has met the rising demand of families their building on Irving Street in San Francisco held only ten families. Over time, they opened a second house that held an additional 24 families and, they now have one four kitchens, a daily continental breakfast, toys and a counseling department, Family House aims to create a home away from home. day that I come to work and see the families’ gratitude
for being able to stay with us free of charge is the [most rewarding] thing,” Creager said. House provides is extremely meaningful for Chan, so he wanted to personally do something to motivate students to donate. He shaved his head to celebrate on the last day of the fundraiser and consistently posted videos on his social media to raise donation awareness. Additionally, he offered students to Venmo him if they did not have cash and then he would deposit it. As an incentive to raise money, the three homeroom classes who raise the most money will win a bagel breakfast. According to Leadership teacher David Plescia, after the funds are collected, a cashier’s check is written along with a letter from Leadership. The funds are then granted to Family House. “The money goes into a safe, and we get a chasiers check made. The Leadership class will write a letter to Family House to see if they have a representative who would want to come to one of our ASB meetings, pick it up, and we can present it to them in person. If they can’t, we will mail it to them,” Plescia said. Aside from monetary donations, students can donate new books and toys, non-perishable foods, Safeway gift cards and more. According to Creager, their robust volunteer program allows for people to get involved in many ways and contribute to the positive environment Family House aims to create. “At Family House, we’re always so used to people going through these struggles. People would think it would be sad, but it’s actually a really happy place,” Creager said. Photo by Maya Holland
mholland@redwoodbark.org
DONATION BOXES WERE available in SMART classrooms, the CEA and room 107.
Page 3 • News
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Photo Survey How do you feel about Josh Chan’s new haircut?
“I think it looks great, but the main thing is that he did it for a good cause.”
“It’s interesting because he went from long to short hair.”
“I think it’s fabulous. I “I feel empowered... it’s for haven’t actually completely seen it yet, however I heard didn’t expect this at the the screams from outside.” beginning of the year.”
Isabella Derango
Clayton Grace
Amelia Sharpe
freshman
sophomore
junior
Josh Chan senior
That’s a wrap! New addition of World Wrapps in the CEA ends quickly By Katie Parsons with excitement on Nov. 7 as the World Wrapps carts stretched across the kitchen. The aroma of students’ preOn Nov. 4, senior Josh Chan, current Associated Student Body (ASB) president, announced that Redwood would begin serving World Wrapps every Tuesday and Thursday in the CEA. World Wrapps, which is located at Town Center in Corte Madera, is a popular restaurant day in the CEA and double that the second day. However, the ordeal quickly came to an end after the California School Employees Association (CSEA) called off the project only one week after its implementation. According to Tim Mullery, Lead Custodian and CSEA President, the reason for discontinuing World Wrapps was due to the violation of California Education Code (EDC) 45103.1. Additionally, with the layoffs of multiple CEA staff due to the budget cuts last year, Mullery believed that the addition of World Wrapps could contribute to more “The EDC states that our school is not allowed to contract out food from an outside vender of the district best place, however someone in the district should have informed him of the law,” Mullery said. Matthew Blair, president and owner of World Wrapps, had been working with the CEA for around a year to meet CEA requirements. “We spent a bunch of time trying to make it work and it unfortunately didn’t work out. We had to cut the menu down for pricing reasons and even added a discount for the school…. It seemed like people were excited about it, kids were ordering it and the momentum was building,” Blair said. Chan had been working on improving the food at Redwood because of the requests by students during his election. For Chan, the discontinuation was a it was a good turning point for the future. “After thinking about it I realized [World Wrapps] wasn’t solving the original problem, which is improving Meg Abbott CallawayAllen The Alexander Family Seth & Kelli Anderson Steve & Chri Anderson Susan & Mark Anderson Anonymous The Argov Family The Atkeson Family Joe Bailitz The Barcy Family The Baylo Family Linda Behla Kathleen & John Belzer The Berger Family Joanna Berman Mandel Cynthia Blankenship Hannah, Lauren, Ella Blazei Fred & Mary Blum Brad & Heather Blundau Jeffrey Bosley The Bosley Family Teri Brad Garsten Kathleen & Bill Brady Elizabeth Brekus Pam & Jason Brown Jennifer Browne Kevin & Cheryl Butler Steve & Kristina Campodonico Mark Carlson TheCarlson Family Thomas Chad Williams Jennifer Chou Kevin Cifarelli
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Photo Courtesy of World Wrapps Instagram
AFTER MANY STUDENTS requested a change to the CEA menu, ASB President Josh Chan attempted to collaborate with World Wrapps, which is located in the Corte Madera Town Center. the food that was already in the CEA. My next goal is to look at the items that are currently being sold in the CEA, decide which food people like and improve it from there. That is something we do have control over,” Chan said. Although the CEA will no longer be serving World Wrapps, there are plenty of other options offered to students. To continue improving the quality of food in the CEA, Chan has implemented a taste test trial for the new
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foods introduced. Additionally, Chan plans to increase the advertisement of the CEA. “Ultimately, we easily could’ve looked at this situation and gotten mad about it. We can take this and learn what areas we have control over and change it for the better,” Chan said. kparsons@redwoodbark.org Resney Sandrich Family Quinn Robbins The Rocha Family Matt & Paige Rodgers Sue & John Rogers Frank Rollo Stacy & Jack Rose Allison & Andy Ross The Royal Family Lori Runnfeldt Shari Seibert Christie Seidel Jill & Scott Sellers The Silverman Family The Sinatra Family Veronica Skelton Estus Tom & Nina Smallhorn Ashley Snyder The Snyder Family Victoria & Michael Song Lida & Kaveh Soofer Heather Staples & Mike Carlson The Steele Family The Steinberg Family Brian Sternberger & Family Cris & Lorna Strotz The Strotz Family The Tantum Family The Taunton Family Alana Thalheimer Marylou Tierney The Tippo Family Dawn Valler & Peter Byck Carole Van Haaften
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opinion
Page 4
Chinese government’s oppression engulfing Uighurs in flames By Eislyn Snyder As we studied the Holocaust in European History my sophomore year, I remember asking my teacher, “Do you think that something so terrible could ever happen again, even after witnessing such an inhumane event?” I think I knew the answer already. Time and time again humans have proven that history repeats itself, but I wanted to believe that we’ve progressed past such cruelty. We’ve studied the ethnic cleansing of indigenous people that occurred within our own country’s borders. My generation in particular wasn’t alive during the Armenian, Cambodian, Rwandan or other genocides but we are bearing witness to another example of cultural erasure occurring today within China. The Uighur people are Chinese Muslims living in the Xinjiang region of Western China. They became independent for a short period of time during the early 20th century, but the region returned to communist Chinese rule in 1949. Since then, the Uighur people have progressively lost rights to express their cultural, religious and economic identity through an assortment of government policies—practices that follow a similar pattern to those enforced by the Third Reich during the Holocaust. What is especially haunting are the “reeducation” camps within Xinjiang, which are eerily similar to the concentration camps in Nazi Germany and gulags in the Soviet Union under Stalin’s rule. As I write this, these camps hold from one million to three million Uighurs, according to Randall Schriver, Security Affairs at the U.S. Defense Department. The “education” occurring within the camps’ borders, as stated by Bahram Sintash of the Washington Post and Uighur Human Rights Project, “is aimed at eliminating Uighur ethnocultural identity and assimilating them into an
undifferentiated ‘Chinese’ identity.” According to Emily Feng of National Public Radio (NPR), “Former detainees say that while in detention they were forced to memorize Chinese communist propaganda and learn Mandarin and were occasionally violently interrogated or beaten.” And yet, in the midst of China’s oppressive, abusive authoritarian system, our country concerns itself with tariffs and trade wars. Instead of hearing about steel and aluminum in the news everyday,
internment. The U.S. Commerce Department, too, has blacklisted 28 companies due to their use of forced labor via the detention camps. The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) even held a hearing called “Forced Labor, Mass Internment, and Social Control in Xinjiang” on Oct. 17, where four activists and experts Still, it’s not enough.
Chinese government should be held accountable for their and cultural pain on the Uighur people. Any form of dissent from traditional watching videos related to Islam or searching Islamic scriptures on the internet can bring
Chinese
The Chinese government’s intentions are abundantly clear, and the U.S. must make theirs apparent as well. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness does not just apply to those within our country’s borders. And with the distinct connection between Chinese leadership and the oppression of Uighurs in the Xinjiang region displayed by The New York Times’ leaked “Xinjiang Papers,” President Donald Trump himself and his administration must address this human rights issue further. The American people, too, must advocate for the Uighurs. For a country that
door within the Xinijang region. But this isn’t the worst of it. Home isn’t home anymore to these families, not with the government workers required
and prosperity, how can we stand by while millions of individuals are being watched, imprisoned without reason and living in a nightmare-inducing dystopia? Without proper attention from the press and acknowledgement from the U.S. Illustration by Layla Isherwood government, how can Americans be enforce Chinese customs. According to AP News, informed? We need constant coverage and 1.1 million of these government workers have been sent investigation. We need expansive campaigns displaying to Uighur households, acting as spies to maintain Han the circumstances within Xinjiang and further sanctions Chinese cultural authority. They attend family dinners, placed on the Chinese government. And while it may be weddings, funerals and other private gatherings to ensure controversial, pulling out of the 2022 Beijing Olympics that traditional Uighur practices are not acted upon. may be necessary as well as a form of protest. Only This is a prime example of cultural genocide, and through action and action alone can our country speak for while the U.S. government’s actions have been lacking, the Uighurs who have been silenced. it’s unfair to say that they haven’t attempted to address the issue at all. According to the U.S. Department of esnyder@redwoodbark.org
Instagram’s removal of ‘likes’ will help us begin to ‘like’ ourselves By Katie Parsons When the news struck, everyone went into a frenzy. “Are they really removing ‘likes’ on the app?” “What will happen to my account?” It was almost as if someone was stripping people of their identities. On Nov. 8, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced at Wired25, a summit talk hosted by the company Wired, that the popular app would begin testing the removal of “likes” in the United States. The company had been discussing the possibility since April 2019 and began to implement it in July 2019 in countries like New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, Japan and Brazil. According to Mosseri, by removing “likes,” he hopes to improve users’ experiences on the app. “[Removing ‘likes’] is about creating a less pressurized environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves,” Mosseri said, according to Wired. “Likes” have integrated themselves into our daily lives, and many have taken note that with each “like” they receive, it makes them feel better. This is because “likes” are proven to have physiological impacts on the human brain, according to Dr. Jennifer Dragonette, PsyD, the Executive Director for Northern California at Newport Academy, a teenage rehabilitation center. “Receiving a ‘like’ on social media feels good and produces a physiological
high by triggering our ‘reward cycle.’ This that the popular photo-sharing app was rush or good feeling is due to dopamine,” commonly associated with growing levels Dragonette said in a Bustle article. of anxiety, depression, bullying and a Instagram is one of the most popular “fear of missing out.” In a Bark survey apps in today’s society. According to conducted in December, 58 percent Instagram, there are over 1 billion of the students self-reported that monthly users, 4.2 billion “likes” Instagram removing “likes” will per day and 72 percent of teenagers use Instagram. As a user of social media Because teens have grown up using social media, they have become experience with the pressures brought on reliant on the number of by comparing myself to others “likes” they get, often on apps. The choice made relating to body image. by Instagram to remove According to a study “likes” is a step in the right conducted by the direction; I’m hopeful it University of Pittsburgh will remove the pressure in 2018, participants who spent more time on social minds of users. media had 2.6 times the Although one can risk of reporting eating still see the number disorders and/or of “likes” they body image concerns receive on personal compared to their publications, the peers who spent number is invisible less time on social to viewers of media. The study the post. This also found that will reduce those who the sense of spent more competition time on social among users media were to gain more more likely to “likes” than have sleeping others. issues and report H o w e v e r, Illustrations by Kalyn Dawes symptoms of depression. the change caused major backlash from social media in our culture is immeasurable and affects not only social status but also social Manaj and Cardi B. A common argument wellbeing. As reported by TIME, the is that by Instagram removing “likes” 2017 #StatusOfMind study determined from their media platform, the jobs of
for much of their support and popularity is demonstrated through the “likes” on their content. According to Statista, a provider of market and consumer data, in 2019 there were over 4.95 million brand-sponsored can make anywhere from $1,000 to $100,000 depending on their following and follower activity, according to Vox. Many fear that with the removal of “likes,” the booming industry of able to view activity on their account and use it to give to marketers. Although removing “likes” may have a negative impact on the effectiveness of psychological wellbeing of the users should triumph above all. It is indisputable that our society today has been impacted by the social habits that have sprung from the creation of social media. While removing “likes” may be a small step toward a better social life, Instagram is a leader in which many other social networks should strive to follow in its path. I begin to wonder, are the hearts on the screen more important than the ones in our body?
kparsons@redwoodbark.org
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The death penalty kills our justice system’s credibility for the murder weapon to be tested for DNA were denied by courts, according to the Statesman. Furthermore,
However, this argument is based on a perpetuated myth.
tests, according to the Innocence Project. In addition to the monetary costs, the methods such
as
how
it affects minorities the University of Washington found that juries in Washington state were
rate of innocence in cases, America
through your veins. accused of aggravated murder than whites, even when adjusting for the R o d n e y Reed, an African American man
victims. How can America continue
may have been conscious.
that are based on a process that was convicted of murder in 1997 and sentenced
persecutes minorities?
injection,
a
process continues to convict innocent
of the bias and injustice present in America’s justice system. Reed was convicted by an
may not seem high, when it’s your
is
wrong convictions continues to prove that America can’t
gbouton@redwoodbark.org
Past mishaps should not dictate nuclear power’s future
Rather than using enriched uranium, they source of energy. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration,
shown to be carcinogenic to humans in the rare Using
percent
of
new
the deaths
produce
these from
radiation
energy
wind turbines 127 days per year and modern power.
92 days per year.
which was the cause of incidents such as a prototype reactor in Xiapu, China. However, the project had to be abandoned
means provided
that despite warming
through
conditions such as wind, tides and sun, which are often a point of concern when Energy Information Administration, in the However,
despite
the
numerous understanding
of
new
kdawes@redwoodbark.org
advancements
bark
December 13, 2019
The best Christmas trees are topped with bagels By Sydney Steinberg It was a brisk November evening during my family parents for something I had wanted for years. “Mom and Dad,” I stuttered. “I was wondering if we could maybe get a Christmas tree this year. Please?” Immediately, my sister’s jaw dropped
IIllustration by Olivia Kharrazi
Global Warning: Carbon offsets don’t mean you’re off the hook By Maria Alexander “Global Warning” is a column discussing relevant enviromental concerns that our planet faces today. The column aims to provide thorough commentary on such issues and offer reasonable solutions that will propel our world to sustainability. “You guys, I know you’re probably thinking that carbon offsets through these words said in a YouTube video. I had been familiar with the idea of large, powerful bodies like the United Nations being able to force countries to ‘offset’ their carbon production, but I had never thought this premise could apply to individuals. According to The Telegraph, you can offset your example, by buying reduction credits that come from projects that reduce emissions. For instance, you may buy offsets from a project that plants trees, conducts restoration work or installs solar panels. According to The Conversation, around 34 percent of the global voluntary offset market was spent on renewable energy projects and 32 percent was spent on biosequestration projects, where living organisms capture carbon dioxide. This entire process is facilitated through private websites that claim to use your money for the project that you choose. In some cases, an airline may also provide offset options that are available for purchase. Now, is there anything wrong with buying carbon fact, if you are concerned about the climate crisis and your personal impact, offsetting done right is better than taking no action at all. Individual solutions and personal improvements to help the planet are often overwhelming; it seems that every mitigation method has an element of controversy, so if you are feeling confused but want to do your part, offsets are a logical step. However, there’s a dark side to offsets. There should Upon purchasing, many consumers may be under the impression that their consumption has no negative net side effects. Such thinking is foolish. Voluntary offsets themselves cannot combat the magnitude of global warming and you have no way of knowing whether your money is actually going to the projects promised. According to The Telegraph, the private offset market is unregulated and there are few standards in place. In order for your offsets to actually count, make sure you conduct research to ensure that your money is helping in the way you want it to. Do you really want to help the climate crisis? For that may seem unavoidable in many circumstances. Still can’t give up that European getaway? Since around 50 percent of a plane’s carbon dioxide emissions are generated from takeoff and landing, according to Go Although the little things like offsets do matter, reality, these so-called little things are the least we can do for our planet.
malexander@redwoodbark.org
her head and my dad looked like he might pass out. Even my dog’s ears perked up. “Sweetheart,” my mom said, grasping my hand. “You know we can’t.” “But why not?” I asked. “We’re Jewish,” my dad said. My parents are not the only ones who have used religion to justify not participating in holiday cheer. When I started blasting Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” promptly on the morning of Nov. 1, my friends seemed to come to a consensus that not only was it way too early to start celebrating the holidays, but that I was betraying my Jewish faith. For some, pre-Thanksgiving might be a tad early to blast Christmas tunes (don’t worry, I save the super festive version of “All I Want for Christmas is You” until December), but is celebrating a commercialized and arguably cultural holiday really going against Judaism? According to a 2017 study by the Pew Research Center, 43 percent of millennials consider Christmas a cultural, rather than religious, holiday. I completely agree. The cultural aspect of Christmas can be demonstrated by symbols we most commonly associate with the holiday season. The last time I checked, there was no mention of Santa, Rudolph or Frosty in the Bible, yet these while the holiday undeniably has religious roots, and the majority of Baby Boomers celebrate it as a religious holiday, the role of religion is decreasing. A Pew Research Center study from the same year showed a drop in the number of Americans who consider Christmas a religious holiday, with 51 percent in 2013 to 46 percent in 2017. Additionally, according to a December self-reported Bark survey, 90 percent of Redwood students celebrate Christmas while only 32 percent observe Christianity. This indicates that approximately 58 percent of students celebrate the holiday for non-religious reasons. Christmas can be observed in countless ways. For some, it is a celebration of Jesus’s birthday. To others, it’s a designated time to receive expensive gifts from grandparents. And for the traditional Jewish family, it’s a nice day to get Chinese food. While religion may dictate one’s participation in the holiday to some extent, it doesn’t have to restrict how far the joy can spread. When it’s impossible to go through December without seeing Christmas decorations, hearing Christmas music or eating a Christmas cookie, it is unfair and goes against the American value of inclusivity to shame someone for celebrating what has become a cultural holiday.
While I can’t speak for all Jews, it is hard to believe that the Jewish community has a problem with celebrating Christmas. Every year on Christmas Eve, my family and I set up a miniature plastic Christmas tree in my grandparents’ living room. We decorate it with relatively standard ornaments: glittering balls, the Nutcracker Prince and pictures of my cousins as babies. When the tree is near completion, my grandma extracts shiny tinfoil from a kitchen drawer, wraps it around a plain bagel and delicately places the creation on top of the tree. While this may seem unusual in comparison to the traditional star, angel or Jesus, my family feels a need to distinguish ourselves as Jewish from the people who “actually” celebrate Christmas. families use a bagel as a tree topper, however, 32 percent of Jews have Christmas trees in their homes, according to a 2013 Pew Research survey. This percentage may be higher today in accordance with the increase in the number of Americans who consider Christmas a cultural holiday. For me, celebrating Christmas is almost Americans. According to a 2018 Gallup survey, nearly one-third of Americans don’t consider religion an important aspect of their life, yet presumably celebrate Christmas anyways, so why can’t I? By rockin’ around the Christmas tree a little bit, it makes being greeted with “Merry Christmas,” participating in Secret Santas and receiving Christmas cards feel applicable to anyone. But why should Jews need to celebrate Christmas when they have Hanukkah? Don’t worry, I am not out to steal your holiday like the Grinch stole presents from Whoville. Yet, what most people don’t tell you is that Hanukkah doesn’t have a particularly significant religious component. In m y experience, the Maccabees, who are the religious subjects of the holiday, do not show up in Judaism outside of the designated eight nights. Hanukkah is also not easy to celebrate logistically, as it usually doesn’t have a break conveniently structured around it and can be spending
the occasion with relatives and friends because in my experience,
Illustrations by Kalyn Dawes
ssteinberg@redwoodbark.org
from your own home. Lastly, Hanukkah does not get enough largescale attention to make it seem like the most important event of the year, because honestly, it’s not. There are no Hanukkah-based Hallmark movies, blue and gold polka dots on Starbucks cups or 44 Spotifysponsored playlists (yes, I counted). But all those things apply to Christmas, so what’s the harm in indulging just for fun? As we mosey into this holiday season, I encourage you, no matter who you are or what you believe, to feel no shame when belting Mariah Carey, decorating a giant Christmas tree or giving your friends Christmas presents, if that is how you want to celebrate the holiday season. After all, doesn’t everyone deserve to be merry?
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bark Redwood High School 395 Doherty Drive Larkspur, CA 94939 www.redwoodbark.org EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Drake Goodman Bella Roesler Eislyn Snyder Ryo Weng
Historical simulations in classrooms should be left in the past editorial “Hiding behind a character doesn’t mask the consequences”
This past spring, an 11-year-old student was assigned to perform the Nazi salute while portraying Adolf Hitler for a “Living History” project at the McFadden School of Excellence in Tennessee, according to the HuffPost. For weeks following the incident, students witnessed their classmates exercising the salute outside of class. Uncomfortable with the appalling actions of her fellow classmates, a student spoke up in class but was told by her teacher to “not address it again.” This past November, a Redwood U.S. History class performed a simulated debate in which a 16-year-old white student assumed the role of a proslavery plantation owner involved in the historic Dred Scott v. Sandford case. Embodying his allocated role, the student defended African American subordination, saying, “they aren’t actual people.” At a time where students are separated from issues like the Holocaust or slavery by a generation or more, of these historical events while simultaneously being mindful of others’ related experiences. While intended to engage students in active conversations, the aforementioned simulations provided students with a platform to marginalize minorities without taking accountability for their harmful statements. With this in mind, when addressing these sensitive issues, it is vital that minority students don’t feel isolated in the discussion, especially because of Redwood’s predominantly white demographic. Although we encourage every student to voice their opinion, allowing them to hide behind a character doesn’t achieve that objective. Alongside freedom of expression, every student has the right to feel safe and supported in their classroom environment. For this reason, teachers should utilize seminars and discussion-based learning to initiate actual conversation. When engaging in classroom conversations, it is easy to confuse the different goals between open discussions and role-playing simulations. While discussions focus on helping students become aware of various viewpoints through personal opinions, roleplaying debates force participants to take on a persona whose ideas can alienate minority classmates. Even though both types of conversation allow students to analyze historically controversial topics, only seminars and discussions foster students’ ability to synthesize information while developing their own perspectives. Role-playing simulations can easily get out of hand, as demonstrated in the Stanford Prison Experiment in 1971. In the experiment, college students from across the nation volunteered to impersonate prisoners and guards in a simulated prison setting. After six days, the Stanford “prison guards” became so immersed in their roles that they eventually lost self-awareness and the ability to hold themselves accountable for their abusive actions.
A BARK to Kesha’s appearance at the AMAs, throwing us back to the original “Tik Tok.” A BITE to the Australian bush
Though the circumstances portrayed in this example are more extreme than what occurs during classroom simulations, the experiment’s results reveal how role-play can enable participants to abuse their allocated roles. This behavior is mirrored at Redwood when role-play is presented as an acting exercise that seemingly doesn’t need to be taken seriously. Last year, a U.S. History class was assigned to simulate a lunch counter sit-in, where one group of students portrayed African American protestors while the other group played white employees harassing them. After a student in the class brought up their concerns with administration, the exercise was canceled. The cancellation was then met with backlash from several students who had volunteered to be the racist white employees, making the other students uncomfortable, according to a participant. This structure can easily be seen as an excuse for inappropriate, insensitive behavior as students may believe that their character acts as a protective mask for their actions. With this in mind, we encourage teachers to hold open discussions or Socratic seminars rather than assigning roles in debates and simulations. Eliminating role-play regarding sensitive topics and replacing it with open discussions about those issues allows students to project their opinions in a collective learning environment while being held responsible for their actions and statements. Instead of debating historical issues that have long been resolved, teachers could be using debates to discuss current local and national events or international headline stories. That way, students have an environment to express themselves while staying informed on important current news. Issues such as segregation have long been determined to be immoral, so bringing discussions of their morality back only sows seeds for bigotry. We aren’t denying that role-playing can be an interesting way to break up the monotony of lectures. Embodying people from the past can bring the classroom to life, allowing students to become more engaged in the information. But more often than not, that objective isn’t met. If the real aim is to generate conversation on uncomfortable topics, presenting it in a Socratic seminar or discussion-based manner would maintain the seriousness of issues discussed while also encouraging meaningful conversation. 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 in the Bark mailbox in the facility. They may also be emailed to bark@redwoodbark.org.
A BARK to nine-year-old Brecken Simmons for putting on a holiday toy drive for sick kids. We Brecken he will be on Santa’s nice list!
population. Koalatative data suggests that they could be functionally extinct soon.
A BITE to Trump’s proposed tariffs on French wine, cheese and handbags. Oui did not ask for this.
A BARK to Spotify Wrapped, here to expose everyone who claims their music taste is “qUirkY.”
A BARK to Ford for recycling 1.2 billion plastic water bottles a year to create auto parts. Way to steer away from climate change!
A BITE to the Tesla truck design. If this is the future of cars, looks like we will be walking to school.
A BITE to the man who paid $68,000 for the most expensive beer in history. Kavanaugh, is that you?
A BARK to Sustainable Agriculture’s new harvest. Lettuce feast. A BITE to Juice Wrld dying suddenly in the Midway airport. The juice may be gone but the drip will never be forgotten.
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.
HEAD COPY EDITORS Maria Alexander Lauren Steele COPY EDITORS Francesca Fox Olivia Kharrazi Aaron Kim Jacob Mandel Sophia Rocha Alix Salzer Sydney Steinberg Shannon Watridge NEWS EDITORS Loughlin Browne Morgan Salzer OPINION EDITORS Jackson Epps FEATURE EDITORS Audrey Hettleman Anna Silverman SPORTS EDITORS Jenna Dahlin Jack Watson REVIEW EDITORS Sol Ladetzky Sarah Young LIFESTYLES EDITORS Devin Bosley Maddie Loebbaka SPANISH EDITOR Nicole Fuches PODCAST EDITOR Mikaela Beberman VIDEO EDITOR Garrett Cook BUSINESS MANAGER Skylar Strotz SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Jack Benbow SURVEY MANAGER Bennett Vasquez ART CONSULTANTS Taylor Charles Kalyn Dawes REPORTERS Isabel Ames Maxanne Anderson Grace Bouton Olivia Brekhus Emma Carpenter Greta Cifarelli Hugo Cisneros Alexa Erickson Mara Farese Martha Fishburne Charlie Ginsburg Ella Green Maya Holland Kylie Horstmeyer Emma Ingledew Alex Johnson Nicole Johnson Mia Kessinger Audrey Lightfoot Emma Lightfoot Katherine Parsons PJ Pfeiffer Camille Ray Alexandra Runnfeldt Matthew Smalbach ADVISER Erin Schneider POLICY: All editorials are unsigned and have been approved by the majority of the Bark staff.
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Nuestra generación exige cambios: ¿vale la pena? Foto y cuento de Sophia Rocha
Personas gritando en las calles, pósteres soplando en el viento, pies marchando por el cambio. Protestas son comunes en nuestra generación. Ya sea sobre corrupción en el gobierno, el cambio climático, la seguridad del arma o cualquier cosa––salimos a las calles. ¿Pero para qué? Tenemos nuestro impulso y nuestras motivaciones, ¿pero puede una protesta realmente crear sí. Me gustaría esperar eso, por lo menos. Las protestas son una parte importante para lograr el cambio, pero solo funcionan si una gran parte de la población está involucrada y
salió a la televisión para decir que todo eso en consideración, aproximadamente estaba bajo control. No quería la ayuda de siete millones de brasileños necesitaban protestar para que fuera exitosa. En habló de su “amor por el Amazonas.” Si realidad, solo unos pocos miles protestaron realmente amara a la Amazonía, habría en ciudades grandes como São Paulo y hecho todo lo que está en su poder para Rio de Janeiro; mostraron el sentido de la evitar que los fuegos ardan, incluso si eso gente pero no obligaron al gobierno a hacer cambios. ¿Por qué no funcionaron Más reciente que estas protestas? El cambio climático es una los ciudadanos causa digna. No de clase media fueron empezaron a violentas, protestar en el simplemente comienzo de noviembre pararon y bloquearon unas contra un impuesto en la calles en ciudades grandes. transportación pública. Lo único que les Después de dos días
probablemente has escuchado en las noticias, ha habido una gran cantidad de protestas en Latinoamérica y alrededor de Venezuela a España, estas protestas han tenido diferentes niveles de éxito por muchas razones. En Brasil, por tres meses, los brasileños salieron a las calles, marchando contra el presidente Jair Bolsonaro y los incendios aconteciendo en el Amazonas. Muchos de los manifestantes culparon a Bolsonaro por los incendios porque quería desarrollar el Amazonas y explotarlo. Si eso es verdad o no, la selva más grande del mundo estaba quemando y algo necesitaba a cambiar. ¿Pero qué hicieron estas protestas? Nada. En cuanto estaban protestando, Bolsonaro
faltaba: el poder de la gente. Según las
de protestas violentas, el gobierno canceló el investigaciones
de
continuaron contra las desigualdades la Universidad de Harvard, “ningún economicas. gobierno puede soportar un desafío del Aunque el problema inicial fuera resuelta con la violencia, dudo que el
Celebrando la Navidad un país a la vez
desafío más grande con la economía total va a ser concluido en esta forma. Según protestas violentas solo funcionan 26 por ciento de las veces y protestas por ciento de las veces. Midieron el éxito según si el gobierno reconoció o no las protestas e hizo cambios. No Violentos, “los levantamientos no violentos son casi tres veces menos propensos que las rebeliones violentas a enfrentarse a asesinatos en masa,” y las protestas violentas enfrentan una represión tan brutal casi el 68 por ciento de las veces. Si estos patrones de violencia dar lugar a más consecuencias para los manifestantes y, obviamente, ese no es el objetivo. El objetivo es generar cambios y promover reformas sociales y políticas. Nuestra generación tiene un impulso tan fuerte y necesitamos usarlo para nuestra ventaja en lugar de desperdiciarlo en emprendimientos desesperados. Al maximizar los efectos de nuestras protestas, podemos obligar a nuestros gobiernos a hacer los cambios necesarios para el futuro. srocha@redwoodbark.org
De Nicole Fuches
Para la temporada de los días festivos, muchos países hispanohablantes celebran la Navidad. Sin embargo, sus comidas y costumbres varian entres los regiones. Basado en el clima, la religión y la tradición, no hay dos Navidades que sean iguales en estos países hispanohablantes. Uruguay
España
A diferencia de lo que muchos norteamericanos Para España, hay más variedad entre las comidas experimentan, los países de América Sur, usualmente tradicionales, según Anna Alsina, una profe de español experimentan una Navidad calurosa. Según Maria que nació y creció en Cataluña. Fernanda Civano, una profesora de español de Uruguay, el Al igual que experimentan muchos americanos, una Navidad en España hace mucho frío, y según Alsina, los de los días festivos. españoles compensan con comidas calóricas. “Primero que nada es verano, entonces las comidas “En Cataluña, la gente suele comer un pollo grande, son mucho menos ricas en calorías. Comemos lentejas un relleno con ciruelas pasas o manzanas. Después se porque es un tema de superstición. Y después comemos suele comer una sopa de verduras con carne, también con jamón con piña en el medio. También salsa que es una albóndigas grandes que se llaman pelotas y después se mezcla de salsa de ketchup y mayonesa. Después de la comen muchos canelones,” Alsina dijo. comida tenemos un postre cualquiera,” Civano dijo. Sin embargo, a diferencia de Uruguay, Alsina recordó muchos postres tradicionales de sus raíces que muchos en las tradiciones celebratorias en Uruguay. Según Civano, Cataluña comen durante esta temporada. las uvas tienen un rol importante en una tradición popular “Una cosa típica también son los turrones. Parecen a la medianoche. A la medianoche, hay que comer una como una tableta de chocolate, pero es de almendras o de uva por cada vez una campana local toca. Usualmente, otros ingredientes. La gente [los] corta como pedazos,” esta tradición pasa la noche antes del nuevo año en los Alsina dijo. países latinoamericanos, pero para los uruguayos, este No obstante, el plato favorito de Alsina es polvorones. sucede durante la Nochebuena. Son galletitas que son espolvoreadas con azúcar, semejante Aunque hayan muchas comidas y tradiciones a las galletas de boda en México. dedicadas al día de la Navidad, lo que importa más a la mayoría de los uruguayos es el día anterior, donde hay fuerte en la Navidad que tiene más participación que los mucha celebración y anticipación para el día siguiente. dos otros países hispanohablantes. Sin embargo, semejante “Para nosotros es más importante el día previo a la a la niñez de Civano, los españoles enfatizan la noche de la Navidad que la Navidad misma. Además, nos quedamos Nochebuena más que el día mismo. despiertos y si viene Papá Noel, los niños van afuera, y “Muchas personas van a la iglesia para la Misa del en ese entonces el Papá Noel va a poner los regalos en el Gallo, que es el día 24. A las doce de la noche, van a la árbol. Esas son las épocas muy lindas, cuando uno niño Misa del Gallo [porque] es la hora que nació el Niño Jesús. [puede] vivirlas,” Civano dijo. Mucha gente va a la Iglesia en el 24 por la noche más que el 25,” Alsina dijo. ATENCIÓN: La biblioteca de Redwood ha creado una sección de Español para los estudiantes. La sección tiene una variedad de libros Ingleses exitosos traducidos al Español, al igual que originales. La biblioteca busca expandir esta sección en el futuro.
México
Sin embargo, para México, las comidas típicas de la Navidad son lo que muchos en los EEUU ya conocen. Según Leilani Morales, una estudiante en el undécimo grado, muchos alimentos básicos como el arroz y los frijoles son implementados en las comidas, y los tamales son comunes también. Para Morales, también hay estadounidense. “Cuando yo vaya a la casa de mi abuela [para la Navidad], suele haber una cena del pavo, y mi abuela hará unos tamales,” Morales dijo. Sin embargo, los postres que comen muchos mexicanos para la Navidad tienen menos superposición que los de los EEUU. “Comíamos muchos postres mexicanos como el pan dulce, las conchas, y mi favorito, las empanadas de las natillas. Los conches tienen un glaseado encima del pan horneado, pero el glaseado es solido, asi casi se ve como una galleta,” Morales dijo. Cuando se trata de los postres, Morales no tiene miedo de mezclar los platos salados con los platos dulces. Sus tamales son un tomo en un plato común que también es un postre muy popular para las celebraciones de la Navidad para su familia. Semejante a otros países, Morales notó que es común quedarse despiertos hasta la medianoche en la Nochebuena. Diferente, sin embargo, está acostumbrada abrir los regalos en ese momento en vez de esperar la mañana. Además, ya que muchos mexicanos son católicos
nacimiento del Niño Jesús, y pasaron [una estatua de] Niño Jesus alrededor,” Morales dijo. nfuches@redwoodbark.org
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The line between free speech and hate speech Story and Infographics by Jackson Epps and Sol Ladetzky
“[The restriction of free speech] is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us,” retired Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas said in 1953. protection to speech by the First Amendment. Hate hate toward a particular group of people. Although a gray area exists between the two terms, their meanings can be differentiated. These distinctions are important to make, especially in an educational setting that has its own rules involving the constitutional rights of students on school property. freedom of speech no matter how controversial the subject is, according to Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) Board Policy 5145.2. The only time is a matter of maintaining an orderly school environment and protecting the safety of all members of the school community. Nationally recognized groups at Redwood such as Students Organized for Anti-Racism (SOAR) work to help combat and prevent hate speech on campus. SOAR started as a club in 2017 as a collaborative effort between advisors, administration, students and teachers within Redwood. Drama teacher, SOAR founder and advisor Erik Berkowitz understands that although students have freedom of speech and hate speech. “Everything from students of color [feeling] is important. But you also have a responsibility to the students who have different opinions on your campus to make sure that they, too, are safe on campus, even if that Standing up for yourself in these situations is challenging, according to SOAR representative Israa However, on campus, students are able to share any
opinions they might have, as long as their freedom of speech does not elevate to violent, hateful actions. Musra for herself and others. decision to stand up for myself or someone else. I get speechless in moments of racism, but later on I think to myself that I should have said [something],” Musra said. Many Redwood students have experienced similar mental roadblocks when encountering hate speech. While a December self-reported Bark survey found that while 49 percent of Redwood students have witnessed or been a victim of hate speech and of that 49 percent only 39 percent have taken action. As seen through this data, reporting hate speech is a this, the United Nations (UN) has stepped up by using their authority to combat hate speech. On July 16, 2019, UN Secretary General Antonio With the growth of international racism and intolerance, violent misogyny, anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred, the UN aims to identify and prevent hate speech “by bringing together people with opposing viewpoints, working with traditional and social media platforms and developing communications guidance.” Although hate speech may be an international issue, it is just as prevalent at Redwood. Current SOAR advisor and social studies teacher David Minhondo has recently helped develop and teaches the Ethnic Studies course. Ethnic Studies collaborates with SOAR in the development of its curriculum. Minhondo believes it is important to teach racial bias at Redwood because it is just as prevalent in Marin as it is in other places. “Even though no one is running around in hoods and Minhondo said. While racism at Redwood and in Marin may not always be visible, minorities are constantly confronted by hateful jokes, whether intentional or not. Science and Leadership teacher Melissa Boles believes that she and conversations in their classrooms. “Part of our job as teachers is to police for what is funny and what is offensive. One of the hardest things to learn is where that line is with humor between being understand the meaning of their language.” While teachers want their classrooms to be safe places for all marginalized groups, they do have to respect with this by ensuring that all of his students feel supported when inappropriate comments are made. “Recently, my approach is to try and just say ‘Hey, totally shut that person down, but to send a message to of all of my students,” Berkowitz said. Combating hate speech, however, does not just fall on individuals. SOAR is constantly taking steps to build a more positive community at our school. They recently began presenting to different classes around Redwood in an attempt to educate students about racism,
microaggressions and the different effects those actions have on minority students on campus. Despite this, in recent years, Redwood has faced controversy regarding where they draw the line between free speech and hate speech. Former Redwood student and controversial YouTuber Sophia Totterman, also known as LtCorbis, posted videos on her channel that prompted action on the part of the administration regarding the safety of Redwood minorities. In light of this incident, Boles and the Leadership class focused on spreading positivity in the wake of the “We tried to put out positive messages on social media to counter any kind of hateful narrative that was going around,” Boles said. “We tried really hard to put out some positive vibes.” In addition to Leadership taking action, the administration contacted the Redwood community directly in an email, which read, “Over the past few days, our school community has been confronted by some online messages that have raised questions and concerns among students, staff and our families. We hear your concerns, and assure you of our continued commitment to create and nurture a school climate that is safe, welcoming and inclusive of all.” Although Principal David Sondheim could not give videos, he acknowledged that there is always room for safety. “There have been and there will be situations that environment at school that values everybody and that is we need to or feel like we should do. It is challenging and a lot of times the actions we take themselves create additional challenges,” Sondheim said. There is not a cookie-cutter way to deal with problems that arise from hate speech, according to Sondheim. Each and every situation that arises has its own nuances and affects different minorities on campus. [situations] helps us all to become more aware of what responsibility,” Sondheim said. While the administration and teachers do play a crucial job in preventing and combating hate speech at Redwood, it cannot only be up to them, according to Musra, as there is only so much they can legally do. Musra believes that one way to prevent hate speech is through education. racism in our community that takes many years to combat. Right now what [SOAR is] trying to do is raise awareness and educate students,” Musra said. According to Musra, is it important for everyone to be involved in combating hate speech on campus and in everyday life. SOAR meets in room 2020 on Tuesdays at lunch and they are always welcoming new members. You can also sign up for the Ethnic Studies class during
bark@redwoodbark.org
bark The real impacts of celebrated sustainable trends and Sophia Rocha Our Habits The behemoth nature of global warming can often intimidate regular Americans and has sparked the debate over whether individuals can actually make an impact. According to NASA, climate change is already irreversible. Additionally they report that the most important steps to take next are towards the mitigation of emissions and adaptation to the changes already occurring in our natural world. Environmentallyconscious habits like the push to become vegan, the emphasis on recycling and the incentive to purchase electric vehicles may be endorsed by society. But what are the actual impacts that these celebrated trends have on our environment? Veganism The vegan diet calls for the complete elimination of meat and dairy products in both eating habits and lifestyle. The diet has been marketed nationwide as a way for people to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by the meat industry, which generates 14 to 22 percent of the 36 billion tons of carbon produced globally each year according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In a recent Bark survey, 70 percent of students self-reported that they believe practicing veganism ranges from environment. But how environmentally friendly actually is veganism? Veganism relies on the abundance of plant products for a purely plant-based diet. At the Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM), CEO Andy Naja-Riese focuses on promoting the purchase of locally grown produce to reduce carbon emissions, something that often goes unmentioned in the promotion of the trend. “One of the most important things that you can do t o
protect the environment is to buy food that was produced locally,” Riese said. “As much as you can shorten that path between where food is grown to where food is consumed helps to reduce your overall carbon footprint, the amount of greenhouse gases you contribute to the atmosphere.” Through AIM, Riese works to promote farmer’s market shopping to encourage purchasing locally grown foods while still making it enjoyable for customers. However, he leaves it up to the customers for choosing to adopt veganism because he believes that diets are a personal matter. “We really focus on diversity in terms of the types of foods that are offered. Some people will choose to adopt the plant based lifestyle, and that’s wonderful if that’s what they’re choosing to do. But we really focus on a variety of different food sources as well as a variety of different protein sources that will include animal products that are responsibly produced,” Riese said. Current industrial systems of meat production have boosted their already negative effects, as there is a lack of resource rotation and a sole emphasis on manufacturing. Monica Dwight is
the Environmental Education Associate at the San Francisco Department of the Environment (SFDE) and emphasizes the drastic environmental contrasts between beef and plant production. “With a cow, you need water in order to grow the food that the cow is going to eat... and the cow is going to live for a fairly long time relative to a grain that’s not living that long and is not drinking…. Based on research that has been conducted at a university, [the SFDE] ended up saying that a standard beef burrito uses about 625 gallons of water versus a bean burrito, which uses 60 gallons of water.” The cost of production for a half pound of hamburger meat is much more than money and water—it is the equivalent of driving a 3,000 pound vehicle ten miles according to FAO, almost the distance from Redwood to Richmond in the East Bay. Dietary sustainability can encompass a variety of choices, much more than how it is marketed. Paying attention to what food is bought and where it comes from can help to reduce emissions. Dwight believes in adopting “meatless Mondays” or a
quality goods that last longer. The NRDC also states that rather than recycling singleuse plastics, a better alternative is to invest in reusable products that can be recycled after multiple uses. Elizabeth Bagley, the Director of
process of separating different recyclable materials in order to keep them organized. By having different bins for a greater variety of recyclable materials, Germany streamlines the entire recycling process and keeps the operation “clean.” This is an example of how recycling, when done properly, can have a
encompasses vegetarianism with the By just limiting meat consumption, individuals have the power to make a major impact through their diets. “There’s a lot of stigma around being really harsh about ‘yes, I eat meat’ or ‘no, I don’t eat meat.’ But even just like eating less meat is like a really big way that you can make a difference,” said Dwight. “It wastes 565 gallons less water just by choosing to eat like one bean burrito instead of one beach burrito is pretty big… you can make a pretty large difference in just one meal.” Recycling The Three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle. It is a mantra taught to minimize the effects
o f climate change and, according to the Guardian, the emphasis that the country puts on recycling will never stop plastics from getting into oceans. Instead the other two R’s, reducing and reusing, should be to the same standard of importance as recycling. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one can minimize their carbon footprint by simply reducing the amount of products we buy, or by purchasing higher
no one that wants to buy it. In order for the recycling market to really work, we need to make sure that there’s somebody who’s going to buy the raw materials, the recycled stuff, and turn it into something else,” Bagley said. According to the Huffpost,
Infographics by Sophia Rocha
Sustainability at the California Academy of Sciences, attributes the extreme and almost exclusive focus on recycling to a lack of educational resources as well as attitudes towards the overarching issue of climate change. “Sometimes, especially with environmental behaviors, people will say, ‘Oh, you know what? I recycle, so that’s good. I don’t have to do anything else,’” Bagley said. “That’s called the ‘oneand-done’ or the
‘checkbox m e n t a l i t y, ’ where people say, ‘Oh, I checked the box. I’m an environmentalist. I did my part.’ But at the end of the day, that’s just not true. There’s so much more we can do.” A l t h o u g h recycling is still an essential aspect in reducing o u r carbon footprint, it is only effective when executed properly. Bagley believes that it is important to look at recycling from an economic standpoint. “We need to make sure that [the recycled materials] are super clean, and they really aren’t in many cases. There’s
environment and therefore deserves attention. “Is recycling a useful thing to do? Yes, if there is a system–– the core of all of sustainability is about systems. If there’s a system where the inputs can be turned into outputs that are actually making the earth better and using fewer natural and raw resources,” Bagley said. The Marin Sanitary Service (MSS) is an organization that aims to tackle the issue of carbon emissions via the handling of waste in Marin. The Recycling Center is a subsection of MSS that focuses their efforts on maintaining the effectiveness of recycled material in Marin County. According to Recycling Center employee Casey Fritz, who is the Schools and Community Recycling Coordinator, properly-executed recycling can offset carbon emissions. They hold one of the best records nationwide organization and are 21 times carbon negative, meaning they have a net effect of reducing carbon from the atmosphere rather than adding it. The Recycling Center maintains a dual-stream system of separated paper and plastic products. Through careful sorting process at their facility, the Recycling Center keeps their recycled material relatively “clean” and sell their raw materials to countries like China, who will then take it and use it to manufacture other items. Jen Selvig is the Commercial Recycling Coordinator at the Recycling Center, and understands that there are both pros and cons to recycling. At the same time, however, she maintains that anything can make a difference to limit our current climate crisis. “Some folks feel like our recycling goes on a long trip to be carried off and recycled in another country sometimes. I see, as a con, that there’s a carbon footprint there for sure. But, all in all, there have been life cycle analyses done on it, and there’s still a positive,” Selvig said. bark@redwoodbark.org
To read about other methods of sustainability, scan the QR code or go to redwoodbark.org to read the rest of the story.
www.redwoodbark.org
Heroes with headsets: the voices behind 911 Maybe you just witnessed a car accident. Maybe your loved one is unresponsive, or maybe you called simply to report baby ducks trapped in a storm drain. Whatever the circumstance may be, the voice coming through the phone can quite literally be a lifeline to someone experiencing a crisis. But who exactly are these voices? Who are the people tasked with providing emergency response? The majority of emergency calls in Marin are directed toward the Marin County Public Safety Communications Center. Located in San Rafael, the center provides all emergency dispatch services in Marin. Dispatchers gather essential information from callers and send
departments and six paramedic service areas. According to the Marin County center employs 37 dispatchers. Dispatcher and 2011 Redwood alumna Sara Burke grew up knowing she wanted to have a positive impact on her community. Burke pursued a career in law enforcement with the Central Marin Police Department and graduated from the police academy. However, she discovered her true passion was not in dispatching. She is now and medical dispatcher, which requires more training than the law radio services. Similar to Burke, fellow dispatcher Jackie Roper initially had a different career path in mind, but ultimately found “I didn’t feel like I was contributing to society [in the travel industry]. I wasn’t getting much out of it. I’m really happy here,” Roper said. Like Burke and Roper, Sara VanGuilder, a dispatcher of six years, wasn’t set on a career
mother who worked as a 911 operator. She is trained in medical dispatching, so she specializes in answering incoming calls regarding medical emergencies, provides necessary instructions and directs emergency medical services with the given information. According to VanGuilder, as a call dispatcher she encounters stressful situations. Certain calls can be triggering to dispatchers, notably ones they can personally relate to. “You get a call and it’s a mom who is 45 years old and has three kids. You’re like, ‘wait a minute, that sounds just like my family.’ Even if you know it’s not your family, it hits home,” VanGuilder said. For Burke, her personal connections in the area often make the calls more “I grew up here. When I see those familiar names and addresses, my heart stops. ” Burke said. Even with the periodically stressful nature of the job, Ryan Talbot, a Marin gratifying. But just like VanGuilder, he too wasn’t initially drawn to the career. “There’s not a lot of people in high school that say dispatcher.’ It’s not one rewarding feeling when you’re actually helping others. It’s not an easy job. It’s challenging exciting.” These dispatchers, which provide 911 services 24 hours a day, receive a wide range of According to Talbot, during the graveyard shift, which lasts approximately from midnight to early morning, hours can pass with only a few calls coming into the center. On the other extreme, Burke says, the phone lines light up like a Christmas where 600 to 700 calls can reach the center in a day. Dispatchers are trained to provide assistance in all scenarios, to guiding women in labor unable to
bark
“There are those times where you’re the lifeline for this person on the other end of the phone. We’re not able to help in every single situation, so we do the best we can.” Ryan Talbot,
911 Dispatcher make it to a hospital. As a result, training is extensive in preparation for any scenario that may come through the phones. The job requires weeks of job experience with techniques and procedures of radio and telephone dispatching. During medical emergencies, for example, the dispatchers a series of protocol cards to get as much information as possible before paramedics arrive. Dispatchers sometimes face situations that aren’t written into protocol. In these scenarios, VanGuilder believes that utilizing the knowledge of her fellow dispatchers is the best way to handle it. “I think our best resource is each other. There’s no book that’s going to teach you everything,” VanGuilder said. “Everybody in the room knows something different than you do. It doesn’t matter if they’ve been here for a year or 20 years.” The center deals with a wide range of emergency situations on a daily basis, but complaints. According to VanGuilder, many citizens are unclear that the 911 line is reserved for emergencies. “A lot of times people won’t know what’s proper to call 911 for. If we’re taking a parking complaint and someone’s having a heart attack, and we can’t get to it, that’s a problem,” VanGuilder said. It’s a general rule that one should dial 911 in case of an emergency, which is
Illustrations by Kalyn Dawes
which there is a threat to life or property. According to VanGuilder, other concerns, including noise and parking complaints, lines, as to not obstruct a serious pending emergency. stress situations, and their effects on the dispatchers can linger long after the phone hangs up. In a study conducted by the American Psychiatric Association, 44.5 percent of the 6,000 emergency dispatchers that participated screened positive for consistent with one or more mental disorders. According to Talbot, there has been a recent push towards improved mental with emergency situations. “They’re trying to change the culture emergency responders to where we actually talk about incidents that affect us,” Talbot said. “If you have a response to something that’s dramatic or bad, it doesn’t mean that you’re weak. It just means that you’re a human being and you can be affected by things.” According to Burke, the nature of the the call center. “We’re in this room for six to 12 hours at a time together. You become friends with people in here and you know who to talk to. If somebody takes a really stressful call the supervisors are really great about checking in with them. Even your peers are good about taking care of each other,” Burke said. Resources like Peer Support with the to cope with, dispatchers can receive free therapy or counseling. With an estimated 240 million calls made to 911 every year, dispatching is imperative in keeping Americans safe. “There are those times where you’re the lifeline for this person on the other end of the phone. We’re not able to help in every single situation, so we do the best we can. Life happens. But overall, I think it’s rewarding to be able to help other people,” Talbot said. jdahlin@redwoodbark.org
Treating yourself as you would treat others Finding room for self care in an ever-changing world Story and Illustrations by Nicole Johnson
really
njohnson@redwoodbark.org
Illustration by Kalyn Dawes
sports
Page 14
By Nicole Johnson
njohnson@redwoodbark.org
Underclassman Mia Hamant outworks competition in Northwest region By Kylie Horstmeyer
Playing sports of all kinds at the park
both with and against the best talents on
for all different sports at a young age in
between playing soccer or basketball in
Photo by Kylie Horstmeyer
NAMED ONE OF the top players in the Northwest, Mia plans to compete in Florida and Costa Rica.
to her craft and has worked constantly on out of the best goalkeepers in Northern
Photo courtesy of Susan Anderson
PLAYING FOR THE Marin FC 2004 Blue team, Mia traveled to Arizona last month to compete against teams from across the country.
khorstmeyer@redwoodbark.org
bark Sixteen seniors lead pursuit for a 3rd straight MCAL title www.redwoodbark.org
After winning their second consecutive Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) championship last year, the boys’ varsity soccer team is on winning streak and is looking to defend their title. With 16 seniors leading the Following an impressive last season led by 10 seniors, key players Cole Hardister, Justin Nuestaetter and Nathaniel Kuffner have graduated. All three were selected top players in the league. During Johnson’s junior year, he scored three goals and averaged 0.4 assists, however, his season was cut short due to an injury. Another standout for the Giants is three-year varsity defender and senior captain, Stanley Gaither. Gaither is looking forward to the upcoming season, as it is his last season to play alongside his teammates of three years. “A lot of us were on varsity since sophomore year. We’ve been playing together on the club and high school Gaither’s teammate of three years, senior forward Billy Gramajo, explained that because of this year’s large senior class, their starting 11 is already acclimated to the style and intensity of high school soccer. “Compared to last year, we have a lot of depth on our have [another player] who can come in and keep the level As the season begins, head coach David Siracusa acknowledges that his team is focused and already invested in the season. “Everybody’s trying their hardest. The attendance and
Photo by Kylie Horstmeyer
CHASING DOWN THE opponent, senior Stanley Gaither hustles back on defense in a game versus the Branson Bulls. “[We want] everybody pulling for each other and trying their hardest all the time [and] having a mature attitude on Looking toward the season, Siracusa is eager to play one of Redwood’s toughest competitors, Terra Linda High School.
Redwood’s consecutive MCAL title puts a target on their backs coming into the season. He looks forward to the challenge and can’t wait to get after it. “Everybody kind of hates us in [MCALs] because we’ve won twice in a row. We are known to win MCALs, so everybody wants to take that from us. We [have to]
Gaither, Gramajo, and Siracusa agree that their three on my toes to make sure my team is prepared to play. They the MCAL Championship, Norcal Championship and State Championship. However, Siracusa has goals for his Jumping into the new season, Gaither explains that
The Giants will take on Drake High School on Dec. 14 at Red Hill Field. khorstmeyer@redwoodbark.org
Boys’ varsity basketball team shoots to improve under new head coach Welcoming a new head coach and a fresh roster with a broad range of grade levels, the boys’ varsity basketball team is preparing for their upcoming season both on and off the court. After a devastating one-point loss in the Marin last year to Branson, the team is training with Redwood’s strength and conditioning coach, Danielle Sartori, in addition to daily practices. juniors, one sophomore and one freshman. Compared to last year’s team, which was solely comprised of upperclassmen, more playing opportunities have been given to younger athletes such as freshman Ains Fish and sophomore Charlie Treene. However, according to head coach Jay the leadership roles left vacant by nine graduating seniors last season.
lot of the responsibility both on offense and on defense in leading seniors to make sure they know everybody’s game, like where they like the ball to help guide them towards According to senior Pasquale Ancona, a lack of maintained support for each other was a team fault that led to their defeat in the past. “When adversity hit us in crunch times in
trying to say is that just because you make a mistake in game or in practice, it shouldn’t matter, because once you make that mistake, you have to live with
It’s trust. When you go into a game, you have to be able to trust the other guys... I have faith in everyone on the team. Pasquale Ancona, senior
on each other. What our coaching staff and the returners have been
down to how you are going to handle it from that time During his sophomore and junior years, Ancona accumulated 188 points and 24 assists, making him a valuable
season. Although this year’s team is dominated by upperclassmen such as Ancona, they are all a tight-knit community. Because of the compatible dynamic, each player counts on one another when they step onto the court.
Photo by Mia Kessinger
SOPHOMORE CHARLIE TREENE contests a shot from Branson’s Miles Keefe. in positions that they can be successful in.
you have to be able to trust the other guys you are going in with. Whether it’s the you have to be able to make the next play and faith in every single one of the guys As a returning varsity player, senior Callaway Allen believes that a win or loss is based on the team’s unity. all working together is really important. Allen said. Building off past head coach Steve Compagno’s legacy, DeMaestri is adding his own coaching expertise in order Photo by Mia Kessinger
SURROUNDED BY BRANSON opponents, Pasquale Ancona searches for a teammate to pass to.
DeMaestri believes each player should feel comfortable in their position.
According to Ancona, if the team carries a persistent attitude throughout each game, the team will have a higher chance of achieving their goals. of [strong players] on the team who just want to win. But at the same time it comes back to adversity, like when [things don’t go your way], you have to step up and knowing that when we do make a mistake, it doesn’t determine the end result. We just
mkessinger@redwoodbark.org
bark Girls’ basketball hopes to bounce back with fresh roster It’s a very hard working crew. I know the returners are really hungry, especially after the way last season ended. Diane Peterson, head coach
Photo by PJ Pfeiffer
DRIBBLING THE BALL, sophomore Cassidy Allen makes a move in a game versus the Novato Hornets.
ppfeiffer@redwoodbark.org
Hudson Grace leaves opponents in the dust on the course and in the classroom
Infographic by Katie Parsons
kparsons@redwoodbark.org
review
Page 17
Debriefing the past decade: Looking back at the teenage years Story and Illustrations by Olivia Kharrazi As 2019 comes to a close, so does the 20-“teens” decade that we students at Redwood did in fact experience as teens. These years brought an exhilarating string of ever-quickly into view, the bittersweet ending brings both sorrow for what is to be left behind and anticipation for what is to come. Here are some of the highlights from the “teens” decade, categorized based on the best fads, songs, movies, dance trends, television shows, social media challenges, major news events, technology releases, albums and food trends. In 2010, Silly Bandz could be found on the wrists of every elementary school student. Made of silicone and shaped like objects from animals to princesses, these colorful rubber bands were created by Rob Croak, who predicted their marketability based off of people’s collecting the bracelets skyrocketed their popularity, and the variety of colors and shapes made them perfect to trade with friends. Following their sudden popularity, some schools banned Silly Bandz, claiming they were a distraction to students. In 2011, Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year, captivating listeners internationally with its soulful vocals and memorable melody. Photo courtesy of XL Recordings Her powerful message of recovering after a heartbreak deeply resonated with a broad audience. Once “Rolling in the Deep” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, it stayed there for seven weeks and became the best-selling digital song by a woman in the United States at the time. The heavy lyrics accentuated by the strong instrumentals developed a national craving for the song’s irresistibly catchy chorus. In 2012, “Gangnam Style” became an internet sensation. Created by the South Korean artist Psy, the song was written as a satirical critique of South Korea’s class and wealth. In the music video, Psy repeatedly does the “Gangnam Style” dance, a combination of stepping to the music with his feet while alternating between the motion of riding a horse and lassoing. The entertaining dance was easy to learn and fun to perform,
and it quickly blew up globally with people frequently mimicking the humorous motions both in public and on social media. In 2013, “Parks and Recreation” won the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy following four consecutive nominations in the category. The beloved show stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Photo courtesy of NBC Knope, a bureaucrat in the Parks Department of Pawnee, Indiana. The diverse personalities of the characters, as well as the earnest endeavors undertaken by Knope, made for a lighthearted comedy perfect for lifting spirits, and the show continues to be a household favorite to this day. In 2014, the Ice Bucket Challenge, a campaign to raise awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), quite literally poured into social media platforms. In this challenge, a video is taken while a bucket of ice or ice-cold water is dumped onto an individual’s head, after which the individual nominates a minimum of three people to do the challenge in the next 24 hours and donate to the ALS Association. Part of the appeal and immense popularity of this social media challenge was the sheer entertainment garnered from watching the videos. Besides being an amusing activity for friends to participate in, the challenge motivated an estimated 2.5 million people in the U.S. to participate, raising over $115 million for the cause. In 2015, on June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states as a result of Obergefell v. Hodges. Celebrations nationwide ensued as a result, and the hashtag #LoveWins was the numberone trending hashtag on Twitter, reaching 6.2 million Tweets in six hours. In 2016, Apple released AirPods, which received considerable mockery at the start, as well as complaints of the AirPods constantly falling out. However,
opinions were mixed due to the lack of wires’ convenience factor. Despite the differing reviews, their humorous status symbol and appearance in countless memes led them to soar in popularity. In 2017, Bruno Mars won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for his album “24K Magic.” From the upbeat rhythms to the catchy melodies to the clever lyrics, Mars managed to establish a sense of modern timelessness while appealing to a broad audience. Photo courtesy of Atlantic Records In 2018, “Green Book” won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Through dry humor and shocking reality, two men on a concert tour in the Deep South develop an unlikely friendship while facing the perils of racism in the 1960s. “Black Panther,” part of the Marvel Cinematic Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios Universe, was another favorite, winning the Academy Awards for Best Costume exhibits gorgeous settings, elaborate costumes and intense action scenes while addressing issues surrounding race. In 2019, plant-based burgers such as the Impossible Burger and the Beyond Meat burger increasingly food restaurant chains, including Burger King and Carl’s Jr., have embraced this new food trend. Though veggie burgers are decades-old, these burgers are unique due to their meaty being completely vegetarian. These meat alternatives not only taste c o n v i n c i n g environment, as livestock cultivation uses land and water while releasing greenhouse gases, which is an important detail to consider in light of our planet’s current situation.
okharrazi@redwoodbark.org
A playlist to guide you through finals week By Mara Farese
mfarese@redwoodbark.org
bark ‘Let it Snow’ creates an avalanche of bad reviews
December 13, 2019
was horribly executed. Although the movie had a notable cast, including Jacob Batalon, Shameik Moore and The storyline follows a group of friends who get together for the Christmas break as a snowstorm hits their town. Though the movie isn’t great, if you really want to get in the holiday mood with friends over break, you can use peppermint bark, hot cocoa and fuzzy blankets to try to The opening scene begins with a truck driving into Laurel, Ill., on a snowy day while an unpleasantly autotuned Christmas song plays in the background. The main cast’s daily lives are shown through them doing schoolwork, singing, drawing and so on. Right off the bat, it was clear the movie was going to be a cliché teenage to have one big party, I knew it was going to be a knockoff “Love Actually.” Besides the generic storyline, there were many wrong elements throughout the movie. scene from the movie, Keon, a main character who is the person that is trying to host the huge party, is talking
Photo courtesy of Netflix
ADDIE (ODEYA RUSH) and Stuart (Shameik Moore) sled down a snowy slope.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
TREKKING THROUGH THE snow, Addie and Stuart try to find a waffle restaurant. to Tobin, another boy main character who is invited to the party, and says, “Just tell her you want the same relationship, plus boning.” This was supposed to be funny, but it was easy to keep a straight face the entire time. Not only were the jokes poor and undeveloped, but the acting was far from “Oscar-worthy.” At one point, Dorrie, one of the main characters, said, “Then he’s stupider than people who blow on ice cream.” The lack of emotion made it a badly executed joke, and it should have been cut from the movie altogether. The actors were consistently overreacting as well, which was cringe-worthy, as the facial expressions seemed overexaggerated. Throughout the movie, they tried to hide their lack of acting talent behind the script’s heavily clichéd dialogues and actions. One instance is when Dorrie and Addie, another one of the main characters, were talking, and Addie says, “He’s going to break up with me!” and Dorrie responds, saying, “He has to be the dumbest person alive to break up with you.” I mean, come on, now it’s obvious that something is going to happen with that relationship. The view also switches between all the different main characters for only a few minutes at a time. Each character’s life is shown for a few minutes, then quickly onto the next, which makes it hard to follow the storyline for all eight characters.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
“LET IT SNOW” failed in its portrayal of new and exciting plot lines. The lack of grand surprises or plot-twists also made for a boring watch. For the vast majority of the movie, I knew exactly what was going to happen next. It was overly simplistic and incredibly basic. Another aspect of the movie that completely failed was the attempt at raising awareness for the LGBTQ+ community. About a quarter of the way in the movie, Dorrie opens up about her past relationship with a girl and how she was in love with her. However, they only showed her relationship and love interest for a small portion of the movie. The writers could have shown her story of how she came out more in depth, written about other relationships she had been in or even elaborated on how being in the LGBTQ+ community had affected her life. However, the writers completely skipped over these aspects of her life, though these additions could have made the story and plot line richer. Altogether, the movie was a complete bust. If you want to watch a movie that has a well-written, non-cliché script, I do not recommend “Let it Snow.” ppfeiffer@redwoodbark.org
‘Last Christmas’ redefines the spirit of ‘Frozen 2’ melts hearts Christmas by leaving audiences in shock Grab a cup of hot chocolate and snuggle up for the perfect romantic comedy this holiday season. Although some may think that “Last Christmas” is an unexpected twist that is sure to leave the audience in utter shock. To say this movie was a roller coaster of emotions would be an understatement, as it guarantees both laughter and tears from the audience. The movie, set in London, follows an aspiring young singer named Katarina “Kate” (Emilia Clark). Kate grew up in Yugoslavia, but moved to London at the young age of nine in order to escape the war. Now 26, she is working in a Christmas decor shop because of her failed attempts of becoming a professional interest, Tom (Henry Golding), a Londoner whose lack of background information and odd quirks make him mysterious. There
housing or family situation, but his vague personal life is shoved aside by his intense fascination with Kate. Their relationship is almost awkward to watch on screen. He appears to want her more than she wants him, but as time progresses, his recurring disappearances leave her wanting him more. This unbalanced relationship kept me guessing whether their relationship was going to be successful in the end. often interrupted by the humorous side of which is refreshing to view, keeping the movie entertaining. In addition to her sass in the movie, Kate is also somewhat clumsy, which added yet another level of humor. However, a shocking plot twist turned the movie from being humorous to very serious and my laughter was replaced with tears. This sudden switch in emotions made the movie really interesting. It made me stop and rethink the whole plot of the movie. I questioned myself and wondered how I did not see that twist coming. was incredible, helping tremendously to build strong emotions in various scenes. The movie was complete with a playlist comprised solely of original George Michael songs, hence the name “Last of his hits ranging from “Heal the pain” to “Freedom! ‘90.” “Last Christmas” is an essential this winter. It evokes a variety of emotions that you wouldn’t necessarily get with other have a strong comedic component, but it also has a serious drama side, creating a perfect balance of emotions and ultimately leaving you on the edge of your seat.
main characters, Queen Elsa and Princess young versions of Elsa and Anna pretending to play in the snow. Soon the two sisters are accompanied by their late parents who tell them a story from their father’s childhood in an enchanted forest. The story explains the family’s past, which had been a secret to viewers in the prior movie, and introduces the melodic voice that haunts Elsa in present day. As Elsa hears this voice, she believes that it is calling her and trying to tell her something. This sends Elsa, her sister and her friends on a journey to learn more about her powers, just like in
alightfoot@redwoodbark.org
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney
ANNA AND ELSA stand united and ready to take on their next journey together. topics, including family issues, acceptance and separation, which of course have been younger viewers. Because of this, it was amount of comedy that would balance out
history was very enjoyable to watch, as it brought an entirely new storyline into the
characters possess comedic traits, Olaf the snowman is the main comedic relief in the
the journey. and expresses their true feelings. In the beginning of the movie, a song performed by all of the characters called “Some Things Never Change” presents the different emotional states of each character and gives the audience context. Other songs provide a deeper look into the inner battles that each character faces. One song, “When I Am Older,” focuses on Olaf, who wants to make sense of his life, which he believes can only be done when he is older. the best aspects of the sequel, another aspect that did not decline was the role of
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
KATE AND TOM sit together in the garden on a snowy day.
“Frozen 2” hit theaters on Nov. 22, just in time for families celebrating Thanksgiving to come together and watch the second production of the highly anticipated Disney phenomenon. “Frozen 2” unfortunately could not recapture the same essence as the original movie did but the sequel provides a new journey full of mystery and magic.
funny voices, Olaf gives the humor needed in the sad and serious scenes. Though it was hard for “Frozen 2” approach to somewhat heavy material, while keeping audience interest with a new journey. In addition to the movie continuing it’s fun approach to the story, the soundtrack and new plot lines delivered a surprise to fans. The love and magic from Elsa, Anna, Kristof, Sven and Olaf was enough to warm the hearts of both children and adults. elightfoot@redwoodbark.org
bark ‘The Knight Before Christmas’: A lighthearted yet unrealistic love story www.redwoodbark.org
By Emma Carpenter
goal of the movie was to give viewers hope that fairytale
overwhelming its viewers with one after another of their original Christmas movies and shows, many of them people Christmas is nearing and aims to convince viewers
old lady in the woods told him he needed to achieve a goal
science teacher that is convinced living happily ever after
Photo courtesy of Netflix
AT THE END of the movie, Sir Cole and Brooke reunite romantically and commit to each other.
Cole, a stranger to her at the time, and let him live in her
Photo courtesy of Netflix
ACTRESS VANESSA HUDGENS plays Brooke, a heartbroken science teacher.
ecarpenter@redwoodbark.org
Hallmark’s ‘Merry and Bright’ shines through the holiday season
‘Merry Happy Whatever’ lived up to its name as a so-so Christmas special caroling, meeting the parents, playing miss a single one of these holiday traditions
negativity contrasted with the Christmas spirit that the rest of the family was trying
Photo by the National Parks Service
THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT is clear in Hallmark’s “Merry and Bright.”
more creative or the acting was less cheesy,
does, it ends happily with a romantic initial meeting was my favorite part
from the classics, this is the perfect holiday
Photo courtesy of Netflix
arunnfeldt@redwoodbark.org
IT IS AN everlasting Quinn tradition to gather and decorate the tree together.
eingledew@redwoodbark.org
December 13, 2019 bark Hunting for the ugliest Christmas sweaters to spark holiday spirit By Maya Holland Although I am a dedicated fan of the winter season, I often get bored of wearing a hoodie and jeans to school every day as the weather turns colder. Sure, I can change the style of my sweatshirt or maybe wear a long sleeve and a zip-up, but this year, I wanted to try wearing something more outside of the box. For those who have the same found the best places to buy ugly holiday sweaters to celebrate the holiday spirit and spice up your wardrobe. Be prepared to make everyone jealous with these colorclashing, obnoxiously Santa-covered and cozy holiday sweaters.
had thrown up everywhere without holding back. Although the racks were fairly unorganized, the multiple rows lined with gingerbread men, Olaf, Snoopy, Llamas, the Grinch and monkeys displayed the variety of styles that the store grouped together, making it easy to buy matching sets for the entire family. Target obviously thought of the sweaterhaters too because they had pajamas, skirts, dresses and overalls. Ranging from sizes extra small to extra extra large, the soft, fuzzy fabrics were selling for an average of plastered on every sweater, embodying both traditional and non-traditional features. The only drawback was that
San Rafael Target: 5/5 stars there were hardly any sweaters promoting Hanukkah. you. Target was the only store that had the classic, ‘Dunder with quotes such as “Dream Big” on them, I was not looking to throw it back to sixth grade with clothes that screamed “inspiration.” Rather, I was looking to scream behind the athleticwear section near the back exit, the attire
though the selection was somewhat small, I was pleased with the variety of pajamas, sweaters, dresses and skirts the store had to offer, all with extremely soft and cuddly
Photo by Maya Holland
BE CONSTANTLY REMINDED that you can “Dream Big” thanks to the reindeer on your Kohl’s sweater. know. However, I was utterly disappointed in their small
$16 per sweater. If you like reindeer, the Grinch or Buddy will most likely wear the sweater only once (I sure hope so
decided to stick to solid red, white, grey and black, all with few decorations. However, there was a Santa with a pom pom on a reindeer sweater that I thoroughly enjoyed and a
purchase. the most elaborate designs I saw. I disliked how the store
waxed but try to avoid it otherwise. I can almost never Photo by Maya Holland
NOT A SWEATER lover? Branch out with overalls, dresses or ponchos from Target.
navigate. So when I walked into the San Rafael location in search of holiday sweaters, it felt like I had just walked into mholland@redwoodbark.org
Forget about gingerbread and try these latkes for a tasty holiday experience By Jacob Mandel in full throttle—rain begins to fall, the temperature begins to drop and students binds. The smell of pine lingers in the air while students begin to ponder what scrumptious foods they might eat during the holidays: gingerbread, eggnog and of course, latkes. Most people have heard of latkes, and they are known for being utterly delicious. Often pan fried in a layer of olive oil, latkes are either composed of shredded potatoes or a batter made from potatoes and other ingredients. They are almost always accompanied by sour cream or applesauce, though I prefer the latter. As latkes are a Jewish staple during the Hanukkah season, I have eaten dozens of different latkes over the years, yet the dilemma still persists— where does one go to get the best latkes? Look no further, as your questions are about to be answered by one of the locations in the North Bay. 5/5 stars
latkes impeccable in texture, taste and color. Being the best (and, depending on who you ask, the only) authentic Jewish deli in the North Bay, I had high expectations when I arrived at the restaurant and was not disappointed in the slightest. Made of shredded potatoes and cooked to an immaculate golden brown, the latkes were balanced to perfection; delicate notes of salt and pepper harmonized with the richness of the crispy potatoes. The lakte
crunched as I bit through the fried potato shreds on the outside, yet the inside had the consistency of a dense pancake, making it the end of the meal, there was no doubt in my mind that the two latkes I ate were Nagila” ring throughout my ears while I was eating.
Mart may be the closest to an authentic Jewish deli that Marin has (unless you count Jewish staples such as babka, rugelach and matzo ball soup—all of which I highly recommend you try—the restaurant is known primarily for its deli and bagel sandwiches. But, situated atop the display case, a rectangular sign promoting their four dollar latkes is impossible to miss. Although the latkes came with sour cream and applesauce, there was only enough for a couple bites. I nearly muttered oy vey under my breath. Thankfully, they were generous enough to give me more for no extra charge, and I schmeared the not-sogenerous amount of applesauce and sour cream on the two latkes. The latkes had an acceptable coloring to them; somewhat golden brown and crispy around the edges. the textural contrast was lacking and the inside of the latkes were thick yet velvety, making the potato pancakes hearty and satisfying take on a Jewish specialty.
Yes, my grandmas would kvetch if they heard I was eating store-bought frozen
Photo by Jacob Mandel
SERVED WITH A side of applesauce and sour cream, Saul’s Restaurant and Delicatessen had the best latke. latkes. Shirley and Trude, I apologize, but So good in fact, that I would urge anyone looking to skip the schlep to a restaurant to instead head on over to their local Trader box is skinny and has a sky blue outline, displaying a group of latkes in the middle of the panel, and comes with eight small all of them. After heating up the potato pancakes at four hundred degrees, top with your favorite sour cream or applesauce,
Although the latkes were not composed of shredded potato but rather of potato batter, there was a satisfying textural contrast. Impressively, the latkes turned out almost identical to the golden brown image shown on the box. The sound of the crunch when biting into the petite latkes was comforting and nostalgic, reminding me of Hanukkah dinner with my family. jmandel@redwoodbark.org
lifestyles
Page 21
English teacher Fiona Allan brings culture to the classroom By Greta Cifarelli Living in multiple European countries as well as spending time in Mexico and Australia, Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition teacher Dr. Fiona Allan is no stranger to contrasting cultures. Despite her extensive c u l t u r a l experieneces, Allan was born and raised here in Marin County, and even attended Redwood’s neighboring high school, Ta m p a l p a i s (Tam) High.
“I went to Mexico after Australia, and that’s when I started teaching more in an earnest and more serious way,” Allan said. “It really married all the things that I liked together: literature, being around people [and] writing. So in Mexico City, I actually taught English to the Mexican senate secretaries.” Upon acceptance to Glasgow’s creative writing program, Allan was uprooted for yet another adventure overseas. Although she had already resided in multiple parts of the world, she found herself wondering what this experience would entail due to the varied portrayals of Scotland in readings and movies. “Everything I read about Glasgow was pretty dark and
I think if you have the opportunity to see a different part of the world that you should embrace it.
immersed herself in the world of teaching while attending Tam. Fiona Allan, She enrolled in English Teacher a service trip to Ecuador through the Amigos de las Américas program and was given the opportunity to interact with the local community. “We taught English to the children in the village where I lived, and I loved it so much. Amigos actually propelled my life in a variety of different directions that all wove together in a really lovely way. So from that, I decided I wanted to travel, teach and write,” Allan said. career in education starting in high school, Allan adds personal anecdotes to her instruction to create more engagement among her students. Current student of hers, junior her anecdotes very effective. According to Wood, many of her teachers have not been able to share intimate experiences like Allan’s while giving lessons. “Most teachers give us the information that they know, but they don’t have the first-hand information,” Wood said. Prior to teaching at Redwood, A l l a n applied to various graduate programs in hopes of studying creative writing— including the University of Glasgow in Scotland. While waiting to be granted a spot in the program, she taught in Mexico.
that I had seen… it was heavy stuff. These things did not paint the brightest picture of the culture for somebody coming from Marin. So I thought, well it’s only a year. What happened was one year turned into 10 years,” Allan said. Years in Scotland allowed Allan to expand both her personal and professional life. Not only did she meet her husband and have two children, she also spearheaded a creative writing program at the same university in which she received her graduate degree. In addition to earning her PhD, Allan was offered a teaching position. She educated her students on a variety of different courses, f r o m writing to literaturebased classes. Her
Photo Courtesy of Fiona Allan
REDWOOD TEACHER DR. Allan visits Loch Lomond, a lake in Southern Scotland, during her years abroad from 1997 to 2007. her students. Wood found that hearing locations. “[Dr. Allan] really wants us to know their education unit. what’s going on around the world and not “She tells just in the little a lot of stories Marin bubble. about how [her I think doing husband] thinks current events America’s really helps us [education] because we get to system is so hear stories that different and how happen in China, we can improve. in the U.K., with She [teaches] us Donald Trump or [the] very big with technology, differences in and so we get the systems, and a little bit of it’s kind of eyeeverything,” opening,” Wood Cohen said. said. Through Benjamin Cohen, After years junior Allan’s extensive of living in travels, she has Scotland, Allan been able to and her husband experience the decided to settle ways people live down in her all across the hometown. She was able to bring a hobby world, something that she wishes everyone of writing travel guides for Fodor’s Travel could have the chance to see. Guide back to the States with her. “I think if you have the opportunity to “I checked in with [Fodor’s] and they see a different part of the world that you
[Dr. Allan] really wants us to know what’s going on around the world and not just in the little Marin bubble.
experience was not limited to her alma mater, as she instructed at some other colleges in the city as well, including a course at the University o f
Photo Courtesy of Fiona Allan
Strathclyde, G l a s g o w ’s s i s t e r school. She also tutored students and helped with the University of Glasgow’s theater program. Seeing the differences in education between the countries fueled Allan to pass her information onto
Photo Courtesy of Fiona Allan
DR. ALLAN EXPLORES her current home of Marin County on a hike to Cascade Falls. said, ‘Yeah, if you move to San Francisco, you can write about San Francisco.’ So when we moved over here I knew that I had something in my pocket,” Allan said. Beyond comparing countries solely during the education unit, junior Benjamin Cohen has learned more about worldly issues through Allan’s weekly discussions of current events. These conversations allow students to be in touch with the world around them, much like the experience Allan gathered from inhabiting numerous
should embrace it,” Allan said. “To be able to understand the way other people live, to see and experience that, to taste the food and to hear the music and to make friends from different places enriches your life in ways that I don’t know if you can get by staying in the same spot.”
gcifarelli@redwoodbark.org
bark
December 13, 2019
Student pilot Sander Leszczynsky is taking off When the skies are clear and there is minimal wind on Saturday mornings, you might be able to catch a glimpse of senior Sander Leszczynsky soaring above the Golden Gate Bridge in a glossy, white Cessna 172. “There was I [was] inspired. I remember how traveling on airlines was the best part of the trip. [My family] would go to the East Coast every summer. Sure, the East Coast is fun, but traveling on the plane, meeting the pilots
out loud. ‘Okay, airspeed’s good.’ But by myself, I was still talking out loud,” Leszczynsky said.
was one step closer to getting his license, which felt like a huge success. As a little boy envious of pilots on his trips to the East Coast, Leszczynsky has come a long way. In the fall of next year, Leszczynsky will be attending Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, in hopes of receiving a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Aeronautical Science. Currently, Sander Leszczynsky, Leszczynsky has a senior private pilot license which means he
When I am up there, I am focused on the task at hand. In a weird way, it clears my mind. It never ceases to amaze me.
sky was always the coolest part,” Leszczynsky said. When Leszczynsky was very young, there wasn’t much he could do to explore his interest in planes. Alternatively, he computer to practice with until he was older. At age 14, Leszczynsky began studying
process of becoming a pilot—a 50 question multiple choice test. He explained the process is somewhat similar to getting a driver’s license—which he happened to get one year after his pilot’s license. A car passing the multiple choice test, students must complete a series of lessons in a plane with an instructor until they are capable of
I would always talk myself through it
in a small plane whenever he wants, weather permitting. However, if he ends up pass a long series of tests. Senior and close friend of Leszczynsky’s Isaak Kreft, says over the past couple of years, their friendship has undergone changes to accommodate Leszczynsky’s hectic schedule. “For example, Friday is my 18th birthday, and I wanted to see if he could hang out, but his response was ‘Of course I want to hang but I can’t stay out too late said. Instructor John Ward, who has worked closely with Leszczynsky, shares similar sentiment with Kreft on his dedication. “This has been his goal for the past couple of years and when Sander puts his mind to something, he gets it done,” Ward said.
Photo courtesy of Sander Leszczynsky
SOARING MILES HIGH in the sky, Leszczynsky, piloting a Cessna 172, is at ease in his natural element. He also explained that Leszczynsky was able to conceptualize aviation immediately. In other words, he feels at one with the aircraft. “Sander is quite mature for his age. I was able to treat him as an adult when he started at the age of 14. He is outgoing— an easy conversationalist. He is highly motivated about aviation and focused on traits that allow him to be a superior pilot,” Ward said. When Leszczynsky was training to Administration (FAA) regulation tasks and Ward said the FAA examiner was extremely impressed. “My expectations far exceed the FAA minimums. We trained to the thought that ‘What could go wrong will go wrong.’ He
was ready for any of it,” Ward said. not a chore or an inconvenience. He thinks of it as a way to take his mind off things whether that be a rough day at school or an argument with a friend. In other words, it is a healing tactic. It truly is therapy. When I am up there, I am focused on the task at hand. In a weird way, it clears my mind. It never ceases to amaze that is heavier than air, and with extreme technological advances, I defy gravity. I do something only birds can do. It challenges me every time and I love that.”
obrekhus@redwoodbark.org
Never met a famous person? Meet the famous TikTokers of Redwood Miles Crook His most popular video has 2.2 million views and nearly half a million likes. The video is of a comedic interaction between a student and their teacher. Pagan has also gained Miles Crook is another student who has garnered Tik Though some of us may spend hours a day making and recognition at school for his success on TikTok. However, Tok popularity. Since August, Crook has gained 3,609 Pagan perceived the attention differently than Moon did. followers. His most popular video has 1.4 million views, the most we usually get are a few “likes.” However, a few 157,300 likes and 12,600 shares. Crook believes this Redwood students have gotten lucky. video went viral because of the positive message the video it’s funny,” Pagan said. promotes. Connor Moon “I think [the video] is talking about respecting women “[My video] started going Junior Connor Moon has gained 40,000 followers on viral overnight when and people in general. I’ve heard so many nightmare stories about people who got taken advantage of. It was a videos. Moon’s most popular video, which shows the happy because statement for guys not to be total dickheads. Do it the right process of him creating his Halloween costume, has it had way,” Crook said. 1.4 million views, 323,000 likes and 5,380 shares. Crook says he has received some harassment for his 100,000 Moon believes he has gained his large audience by v i e w s , viral video at school, but it doesn’t keep him from creating appealing to TikTok’s LGBTQ+ community. b u t content. “There’s a really big LGBTQ+ community on “It’s my creative ideas. It’s not discouraging. TikTok. That’s mostly my target audience. A lot of [my Sometimes I reconsider ideas because I don’t know how videos] that hit it big are usually the LGBTQ+ related I’ll portray myself. If I believe something then I’m going ones,” Moon said. to put it out because why the hell not?” Crook said. When Moon’s content on TikTok started receiving iames@redwoodbark.org his peers at school would react. “I think [TikTok] is becoming more accepted, but it’s still the app that you want to be famous on the least out of all the social media platforms,” Moon said. “There is a stigma against [TikTok] at school. There are also all these people that I kind of knew but I hadn’t talked to in a while. I saw them and they started talking to me about [my Photo by Isabel Ames TikTok], and I was uncomfortable with it.” Despite his popularity on the app, Moon appreciates that his status online is separate, for the most part, from his life in the physical world. then “The follower count is nice in that it doesn’t add any o v e r time TikTok and then have the rest of my life,” Moon said. it blew Alex Pagan
got [happier]. Then, eventually large following on TikTok. Pagan started making videos in everyone found out; it’s a fun experience.” October, and in that time has gained over 31,000 followers.
bark Face-to-Face: What economic system should the United States use? December 13, 2019
By Drake Goodman Face-to-Face is a feature that allows two members of the Redwood community to debate with each other, argue or simply converse about a relevant issue or event. We provide the topic, and they do the rest. This month’s participants are seniors Will Lester and Andres Martinez, the current capitalist system in the United States.
insurance can keep it. But if you want to We have to restructure corporate taxes so they actually pay taxes to help pay for public healthcare, and I’m mostly talking about big tech right now. Then, you can raise taxes on the rich. WL: Healthcare is not a right. Rights are things we get that come before government: the right to own property, the right to life and the right to pursue happiness. The government is not there
on the streets because they can’t afford healthcare, so the government should intervene in extreme cases. Are the different welfare systems and social programs in our country enough or too much? because the incentives are completely off. It’s necessary though because, as a comparison, if you’re a teenager, and you mess up, then the policy at school is if it’s
What are your general thoughts about capitalism in the United States of America? Andres Martinez: I think it’s the best system, but in America, it has to be changed because of how we’re trending toward in the future with automation and the disparity between the rich and poor. Will Lester: I think capitalism is what allowed America to get to where it is now. Obviously things are changing as the government becomes more involved; capitalism becomes less of a pure system. So honestly, the best option would be for the government to become less involved, allow the free market to handle it and adapt to the changing conditions that this world is having. What do you think should be done about the healthcare system in our country? AM: Healthcare is a right for every citizen in the United States, so it should be universal for anyone that wants it. It should be a private and public company. The way markets work, if there’s only one single force handling the Medicare system, it’s not going to improve, so anyone that wants to keep their private
even more than we are now, imagine what happens when the recession hits and how much we need to spend with that. Should we increase the current federal minimum wage of $7.25? AM: It should increase but then also let states mainly dictate if it goes up to $15 an hour, because while California can afford that, states like Wyoming can’t. One of the things that people say against the minimum wage is that you’re going to be paid based off what you produce, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true. If there’s no minimum wage, Americans are just not going to have these low entry jobs. If there is a Mexican that’s coming across the border looking for work, desperate for at least seven bucks an hour, he’ll gladly take a low paying job. No American is going to take a Let’s face it, no American is that desperate for money. WL: Every logical economist thinks that minimum wage hurts the economy because it’s similar to rent control. You just can’t
to give us new rights. We don’t need comprehensive healthcare for people who aren’t working jobs if they are able. If you work a job, you get healthcare. People don’t have the right to force me to give you service for a certain price, and it’s not the government’s job to do that. Already, there are systems like Medicare for people [who are] low income, they can get very affordable healthcare. Honestly, public healthcare never works. Everyone with any bit of money in Canada will come to the United States for any healthcare. I’m not a fan of the government interfering in anything, but I don’t want people dying
slate. That’s what the purpose of what welfare should be. It’s a fallback net so you can bounce back. WL: It needs to be completely reformed because the incentives in the system are awful right now. People are still in the spot where if they need a job, they can really think we need to expand our social system, our Social Security system or any of our transfer payments, because it works right now. We’re technically in an economic growth period right now, so we
not see people at a gas station to pump your gas anymore in most states? It’s because they don’t want to pay for that with a minimum wage. If you didn’t have minimum wage, we’d have more entry level jobs, meaning if we do fall into a recession, we’re going to have open jobs for people. The whole point is you’re not supposed to be working for years on minimum wage. Let the market decide wages. If you do good work, you’re going to get paid more. dgoodman@redwoodbark.org
Your NBA GURUS pass the ball of knowledge to your court By Olivia Brekhus
“Inspiring, motivating, providing.” These are words that the NBA GURU team lives by. Back in July of 2018, three basketball lovers, senior Matt Shippey and former Redwood students Zach Agenbroad and Evan Solter, came together in hopes of creating a platform to discuss, debate and inform other basketball fans about the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the past year, the founders have recruited more members to the team, a few of which include senior Callaway Allen (Analyst and Head of Sponsorships), senior David Carruthers (Analyst and Head of Social Media) and former Redwood student Max Gilberg (Editor-in-Chief). Along with their academic and social lives, the boys make an effort to post videos on their YouTube channel. Their videos are all about the NBA, posting content such
Photo Courtesy of Zach Agenbroad
PROMOTING AN ORGANIC sports drink, Zach Agenbroad works out after a long day of NBA GURU work.
as score updates and polls about game predictions. “We want to inspire other kids to succeed in their sports. We comment on a lot of our fan’s posts and some even make videos with us. We don’t want to just be a sports fan page that aims for likes and money. We want to motivate people,” Shippey said. To further expand their online presence, NBA GURU has created their own website where fans can seek more inside information about the group in addition to their Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat accounts. As young adults, the NBA GURUs know their audience, which has helped them engage an increasingly large fan base consisting primarily of young adults. Their Instagram account, currently has over 42,000 followers. Most of these people are actively commenting and liking posts, as well as participating in daily polls. “It feels really good to know that people support what we are doing and that we are having a positive impact on the community. It feels great to be able to entertain and inspire so many people,” Shippey said. In addition to providing NBA updates, the website also promotes products. Currently, they are advertising for Powerhandz, affordable athletic gloves, and GURU Light Organic Energy Drink, a vegan low-sugar energy drink. According to their website, they are planning to release NBA GURU merchandise, which will be for sale online. In October, NBA GURU held a costume competition where the group encouraged fans to send in pictures of their Halloween costumes. The team picked three winners who won a signed NBA GURU ball and NBA GURU wristbands. “Having a very active fan base means a lot to me. I run into kids all the time and they ask me if I’m the guy from NBA GURU and if they can have my autograph. It’s cool to be recognized in my community,” Allen said. Senior Graham Tewksbury is an ardent fan of NBA GURU, following them on Instagram and putting time aside to watch their frequent videos. “Being a senior and a varsity soccer player, I don’t have the time I used to have to watch basketball even though it is one of my favorite sports. It is a really convenient site for people who are extremely busy and may not have the time to watch daily games. Plus, you can tell the GURUs have a passion for the sport,”
Photo Courtesy of Matt Shippey
CREATING A NEW video, Matt Shippey and Callaway Allen look over their scripts. Tewksbury said. Allen is not only an avid basketball fan, but he is also a four-year member of the Redwood boys’ basketball program. On top of the full-time job of managing NBA GURU and playing basketball seven days a week, his love for the sport has driven him to coach young aspiring basketball players. During the summer he is a camp counselor, encouraging his campers to follow and keep up with NBA GURU in order to remain up-to-date and engaged in the sport. Shippey and Agenbroad plan to continue the NBA GURU legacy by expanding it in college and making it become a mainstream sports news outlet by June 2020. They intend on covering all sports and changing their name from NBA GURU to something more appropriate.
obrekhus@redwoodbark.org
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Volume LXII, No. 3 • December 13, 2019 • Larkspur, CA
911 Call Center
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Drugs, death and discussion: time to talk about overdose in Marin Increasing awareness B On overdoses
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Overdose related deaths per 100,000 people:
Drug overdose is currently the
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Marin County, California, is known as a safe location with a police force that works all hours of the day, with streets that tend to empty out before 8:30 p.m. However, despite our peaceful facade, events such as the recent passing of former Redwood student Trevor Leopold reveal a more tragic side to our home. Illegal fentanyl consumption had decreased in Marin County after 2014, when over-prescription became a local public health priority, according to a County of Marin news release from August of 2019. However, pill usage is once again on the rise, according to the Healthy Marin Partnership (HMP). There have been multiple instances where an individual accidentally ingests fentanyl by taking laced drugs, and Michelle Leopold, Trevor’s mother, wants to raise awareness of these cases. “Trevor’s dead because he took the street pill and there was fentanyl in it, which is highly addictive and deadly, and the number [of users] is rising,” Michelle said. Parker Leopold, Trevor’s brother, learned of his brother’s death through social media. Though coroner reports have not been completed, Parker understands that his brother had consumed pills–– most likely Percocet––laced with three different kinds of fentanyl, which killed him in his sleep. “[Trevor’s friend] comes and shows me a Snapchat that was sent to someone. It was saying ‘I’m so sorry, I woke up and he was dead,’” Parker said. Currently, Marin County has a higher rate of drug overdose than California as a whole, with a rate of 12.3 deaths per 100,000 people compared to the state’s rate of 12.0 deaths per 100,000. HMP predicts that
victims of overdose are most likely to be Caucasian males between the ages of 45 and 49, though drug poisoning can affect anybody involved with drugs. Michelle believes that combating substance abuse should start with confronting negative connotations regarding mental illness that are present in our society. “Mental illness has a bad social stigma and we need to overcome that in America. It shouldn’t be embarrassing to say, ‘I have anxiety.’ [Someone shouldn’t have to say,] ‘Oh, I’m going to refuse treatment because I don’t want anybody to know that I have anxiety or any other socialmental illnesses.’ Between mental illness and addiction, it was a lethal combination for Trevor,” Michelle said. Parker also believes state of mind is a strong contributor to drug use, especially when it comes to quitting. “I want to believe that [Trevor] was changing and wanted to change, but it goes to show that no one’s going to change unless they actually want to. Addiction is a disease,” Parker said. “You really never know what’s in [a pill] unless you literally test it in front of you, but it only takes once to overdose and die. It doesn’t just happen in the movies.” If somebody you know is struggling with addiction, reach out to the variety of Marin-based organizations that can help, including Huckleberry Marin, Muir Woods Adolescent and Family Services, Bayside Marin Treatment Center and the Redwood Wellness Center. “A street pill could be sold by a friend right here in Marin County. I think that’s important informations to get out there,” Michelle said.
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According to the County Health Rankings, Marin County continuously exhibits a disproportionately large amount of alcohol and drug use in minors compared to other California counties.
Overdose related deaths in Marin
msalzer@redwoodbark.org
Sources: healthymarin.org; marincounty.org
TUHSD plans to install vape detectors on school campuses By Shannon Watridge The Department of Justice recently awarded the Marin County Police Authority a grant to purchase vape detectors, prompting the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) to request Wes Cedros, TUHSD’s Senior Director of Student Services, announced in a board meeting on Nov. 19 that the district is waiting for the “second generation” of vape detectors before they order the detectors, each costing $1000, since defects had been detected in previous vape detectors, such as false positive indications. Students were also able to tamper with the devices using products such as aerosol, which prevent them from detecting chemicals. At the board meeting, Mill Valley resident and veterinarian Larisa Tempero proposed that the district use trained scent dogs to detect vape chemicals on school campuses. Tempero earned 500 signatures in support of this proposal. Cedros
responded to this proposition by stating that there are legal issues regarding individual rights. He also commented on the impact scent dogs on campus could have on the districtwide therapy dog programs as people would be more wary of the animals, which would undermine the entire program. Jon Hirsch, teacher and Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) administrator, commented on the controversial nature of the devices, especially because they transgress what students perceive as their freedom to make their own choices. “The vape detectors that our district administration has decided to implement are meant to look out for students’ safety in the best way they can by creating this policy,” Hirsch said. “If I were a student, I probably wouldn’t like it just because of the infringement on my freedom, even if I weren’t vaping, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.” The devices detect chemicals unique to vapes and alert designated administration
Photo by Shannon Watridge
ADMINISTRATION PLANS TO install vape detectors in bathrooms once the district orders the up-to-date devices. and staff via their smartphone with may be unhappy with the new policy, the location of the incident. Instead of the administration knows student health suspension, a student will be required “My hope is that it will reduce vaping on to attend Redwood’s “alternative to prevention” program. This includes campus in certain locations that are hard to prevent and that that will hopefully lead to education on the impacts of vaping. reduced use overall,” Sondheim said. “I am Lauren Halsey, a senior and deeply concerned about vaping use among member of TUPE, questioned the vape high school students and anything we can detectors, as she is a proponent of peer do to reduce that would be fantastic.” Hirsch is also aware of the district’s education regarding substance use. “I honestly think people are just going to commitment to using all means possible to vape elsewhere,” Halsey said. “Our whole prevent further damage to students’ health. “[TUPE] supports the administration’s organization is built on giving people the facts before making their own decisions. attempts to make our student body safe While these vape detectors are a good and healthy. The more we learn about thing, I feel like our main goal should be to secondhand smoke and secondhand enrich people’s knowledge about vaping.” aerosol from vapes, the more we Marin County has demonstrated understand that it has problems too. So slightly higher rates of teen vaping than the it’s not just doing it in the bathroom but state average. According to a 2017/2018 being in the bathroom with someone doing TUHSD and California Healthy Kids it that can be harmful,” Hirsch said. The district will announce when Survey, 13 percent of eleventh graders around the state used vaping devices at the devices will be installed as soon as school while 15 percent of TUHSD eleventh they order the new vape detectors. graders used vaping devices at school. Principal David Sondheim understands that, while many students swatridge@redwoodbark.org