February Sex Issue

redwood

bark.

Consent

9

Sports Spotlight

17

Couples

redwood 2019 ●● www.redwoodbark.org www.redwoodbark.org redwoodhigh highschool school ●● 395 395doherty dohertydr., dr.,larkspur, larkspur,ca ca94939 94939 ●● volume volumeLXI, LXI,no. no.45 ●● February March 15,8,2019

23

District requests funding for athletics, Foundation backs trainers

By Neva Legallet With ongoing budget adjustments being made in the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) due to the deficit, the athletic department has also undergone changes and cuts, though most won’t be visible to student athletes or have been alleviated by outside sources of funding. Community support for certain aspects, particularly the athletic trainers, was resounding at numerous open forums and board meetings. When the district announced another 10 percent budget reduction to the athletic department, the trainers’ positions were included as part of the cuts. The Redwood Foundation, a community-based fundraising organization, has stepped in to continue funding a full-time, on-campus athletic trainer after a request from TUHSD, as have the Foundations for the other district campuses of Tamalpais and Drake High Schools.

According to the Redwood Foundation’s treasurer, Katheryn Baldwin, the Foundation seeks to support the largest amount of students possible with their funding, and the athletic trainers fulfill this goal as they are imperative to overall student safety.

“To have the athletic trainers full-time on all three campuses is a phenomenal thing. There are a lot of districts in California and across the country that could not do the same thing, so I think we’re very fortunate to be able to support a program like that. Certainly it’s something our community really wants,” Baldwin said. “One way or another it would have been funded, but it would have taken a lot longer to figure out if the Foundation had said no.”

Although the athletic trainers are required by league standards to be present at boys’ football and lacrosse games in case of injury, access to them during regular practices and games for all sports is an important aspect of maintaining student safety, according to the athletic department head Jessica Peisch. At Redwood, athletic trainer Americ Alvarado provides various kinds of support for student athletes.

“From ice to severe injuries, he’s there every day to make sure the kids are safe. He’s the first line of defense,” Peisch said.

The absence of a trainer can result in student athletes missing entire seasons, according to Alvarado.

“If a parent takes a kid to a doctor and the doctor sits them out three, four weeks, that’s the whole season right there,” Alvarado said. “So having an athletic trainer makes sure these injuries aren’t lost and are taken care of so they can participate, and this affects them socially,

Photo by Neva Legallet

STRETCHING A STUDENT out, Alvarado arrives after school each day to attend to kids before their practices.

Photo by Neva Legallet

MEETING ON THE first Wednesday of every month in room 109 at 2:30 p.m, the Benchwarmers, a subcommittee of the Redwood Foundation, help allocate funds raised by donations. emotionally, physically and mentally.”

Alvarado’s position, as well as the trainers for the other TUHSD campuses, were the heftiest portion of the district’s request, which also covered graduation expenses and teacher development programs. The request is for an interim, or temporary transitional period while budget adjustments are made. The Foundation will conduct a yearly vote for continuing the funding during that period, which could be up to three years. The trainers cost $185,000 yearly, making the cost for the trainer at each school $62,000, according to Baldwin.

The Foundation’s funding for athletics is handled by the Benchwarmers, a subcommittee of the Foundation, which allocates yearly funds raised by community donations. Courtney Finnegan, a member of the Benchwarmers, doesn’t predict noticeable reductions to other athletic funding as a cause of this expense.

“We’ve been really fiscally responsible the last two years so it should not be a problem,” Finnegan said. “The trainers are so important and so critical to the athletes and their wellbeing and safety that it wasn’t even a question for us; we’re happy to do it.”

Although in the past the Benchwarmer allocations were considered supplementary, according to Peisch, they have become instrumental in supporting athletics at Redwood and across the district.

“The athletic department is going to do our best to pay for all the officials, state dues and section dues.

That’s all I know for sure. [The Benchwarmers] fund things from uniforms to balls to facility needs to transportation for playoffs. They do a lot; we’re very

Sex survey enters 10th issue

By Matt Smalbach In 1974, the Redwood Bark gave its first sex survey. The reporters at the time wanted to push the newspaper into a new era, one where students would be given a voice that they previously had not been able to exercise. The survey was a such a revolutionary idea that the San Francisco Chronicle picked up the story with the headline “School Sex Poll Praised.” Ann Gigounas, the journalism advisor at the time, was worried about the backlash that the paper would receive. Sure enough, the morning of its publication, Gigounas received phone calls from district administrators unhappy with the paper’s content. The survey was one of the first

of its kind in the U.S. and was a pioneer for sexual openness in high schools everywhere.

Ultimately the Bark staff felt the sex survey was important enough to renew it approximately every five years.

Throughout the history of the survey, the Bark has faced both opposition and support.

Some believe the main reason for the positive reception at the time of its inception was progressive principal Donald Kreps. He allowed the Bark to continue giving the survey and publishing the results.

However, after Kreps retired as principal, subsequent administrators and principals fought against the sex survey.

lucky to have them,” Peisch said.

Preempted by the budget crisis, the district’s request was not unexpected, according to Baldwin, though she does hope that they will regain the financial stability needed to pay for this program in the future.

“Is it common for the district to ask the Foundations to pay for something that is usually paid for by the district? Not really. It’s definitely a step that they take to ensure that critical programs can be maintained,” Baldwin said. “But it is a district responsibility so that’s why it’s only for two to three years. It does belong as a district expense, and hopefully the district becomes solvent again and can resume paying for something like the athletic trainers, which is a safety program.”

The ability to support such a program is a privilege, according to Baldwin, and various reductions to public school funding make the Foundation’s support all the more critical. Alvarado is glad for this support as it benefits the student-athlete community, but is aware that his position in the district is precarious.

“It’s in the back of my mind. Tam and Drake are also involved, so if they don’t have the [same] funding Redwood does then no one can have an athletic trainer,” Alvarado said. “That’s not fair for all the student athletes.

I am happy that the Foundation and Benchwarmers are doing their part, and I’m hoping and praying that Tam and Drake can do their part, too.”

nlegallet@redwoodbark.org

Principal Greg Duffy forced the survey to be taken outside of school hours, making it more challenging for reporters to find students to survey. From 1994 to 2003, the survey was completely discontinued due to opposition from district administrators.

The survey has evolved along with the politics of recent decades. The first survey was published a year after the Roe v. Wade case. This is the first issue since gay marriage was legalized by President Obama in 2015. While the questions have changed slightly through the years to match modern times, they remain largely similar to the questions first asked in 1974. Despite near constant opposition, the sex survey enters its 10th issue and remains an avenue to sexual expression for high schoolers both at Redwood and across the country.

Photo by Jack Benbow

DISPLAYING ITS LOGO on an assortment of condoms, the Bark released the ninth Sex Issue in 2014. msmalbach@redwoodbark.org

March, 15 2019 bark Page 2 • News Rising Stars Exhibition shines on Redwood students

By Sarah Young Every year, 150 Marin County high school artists submit their work to judges

Photo courtesy of Lauren Smart

SENIOR LAUREN SMART honored her grandfather with her winning piece.

in the Rising Stars Exhibition, a blindlyjudged competition that aims to showcase works from Marin County high schoolers.

The event is open to works such as drawings, paintings, sculptures, photography, mixed media and digital art. Students, family members and the general public can go see the exhibition until March 29 in San Rafael at the YIA Gallery on C Street. This is the 28th year the contest has taken place, and according to Advanced Placement (AP) Art teacher, Lauren Bartone, Redwood art students have participated in this contest for over a decade. It features students from 17 high schools in Marin, and this year, senior Lauren Smart won the award for Best Drawing and senior Nick Cook won the Best Mixed Media award.

Smart has pursued drawing since the sixth grade. Her enthusiasm for art has been influenced by her mother, who loves art as well. High school reinforced Smart’s dedication for making art and she enjoys doing something creative every day in her AP Art class.

“Sophomore year is when I started

enjoying [art] a lot and doing it as a break from homework; [art is] something I look forward to doing… Without counting this year [and AP art], I would spend two or three hours a week on [drawing] in my car waiting for school to start,” Smart said.

For the exhibition, Smart based her drawing off of inspiration from her grandfather, as her work is titled “The Evolution of Life.”

“I enjoy doing old people because everyone has always told me that pretty girls are too easy to draw and there’s not much meaning. I like doing people with life and stories and wrinkles and dots and differences,” Smart said.

Her piece includes a large portrait of her grandfather surrounded by sketches of his old driver’s licenses from as old as the 1960s. The piece was drawn in charcoal and graphite, which are Smart’s primary media, as she prefers to work in black and white. After high school, Smart plans on minoring in art in college and continuing to create art in her spare time.

Cook, another AP Art student, won the

Best Mixed Media in the exhibition for his piece titled, “The Human Circus.” Cook has loved art since the beginning of high school, but it became his primary focus junior year.

“I like really anything that mixes colors or has color and is utilizing it,” Cook said.

Cook’s piece incorporates bright reds and yellows and has a symbolic meaning that translates to his own life.

“The inspiration for the piece was selfexpression and being comfortable with myself. I feel like a lot of people aren’t comfortable with themselves. The piece was called ‘Human Circus’ because I felt like an elephant in the room when I come to school just based off the way I dress or the way I carry myself,” Cook said. “I feel like everybody has it within themselves to do the thing that’s different, but there’s a social barrier that people have… and they just feel comfortable looking the same and acting the same as everybody else.”

Continued on page 3

Sexual harassment workshop conducted for second year

By Neva Legallet Over the past few weeks, teachers of the English department instructed classes about sexual harassment in a continuance of a program established last year and required by the state. The presentations, provided by the Wellness Center, consisted of 36 Google Slides that opened with a discussion of the #MeToo movement. From there, the training focused on defining and explaining sexual harassment, also exploring sexting, sexual assault and sexual misconduct. The presentation included definitions and explanations of legal repercussions, as well as “extension” activities such as case studies and discussions.

Jessica Colvin, the Wellness Director, created the workshop last year. Much of the content is mandated, but she says the inclusion of the extension activities was an effort to engage students beyond the requirements.

“We want to make sure that everyone on our campuses has the same education about sexual harassment and what it is, how it impacts others and how it will be handled on a school campus,” Colvin said.

The district’s reaction to sexual assault allegations last year has been noted for thoroughly implementing a comprehensive training by sources such as NBC Bay Area.

However, minimal updates from last year’s presentation left some students questioning the value of repeating a lesson. Junior Lindsay Dubin, who participated in the workshop last year in Advanced Placement (AP) European History and this year in AP Language and Composition, was frustrated by its redundant nature.

“It was the exact same presentation I had last year, which I think is [a] big issue; it needs to adapt each year,” Dubin said.

Despite criticism of its repetitiveness, the established requirements impose limitations on the amount of content that can be changed, according to Colvin. However, she does updates it by including new activities or discussions based on news events or politics, but is constrained by the already-comprehensive nature of the workshop, not wanting to add onto a workshop expected to take 90 minutes.

“Sexual harassment continues to change and evolve, but the definitions stay the same. This is a changeable document, it is not stagnant and it has to change as times change,” Colvin said. “It has to stay relevant and up to date.”

Dubin’s teacher, Fiona Allan, wasn’t aware that she was giving the same presentation as last year, but she said the message is still important.

“Even though some of the material may be dated, the message is not,” Allan said.

According to Dubin, the topics themselves, besides being a repeat of last year, were not as relevant to upperclassmen. She would have liked more student input in developing the workshop, as subjects such as intoxication and sexual assault were minimally covered. However, the district collects feedback from students and teachers after they conduct the workshops according to Colvin.

“I think it was out of focus, and they said they did a lot of research into what needs to be focused on, but I think they should really talk to students about what they believe needs to be taught,” Dubin said. “The bigger issue is the use of drugs and alcohol … and what the consequences of that are.”

Similar frustrations stemmed from perceived inconsistencies between teachers both last year and this year in terms of engagement and thoroughness, according to Dubin.

“It really varies from teacher to teacher. Last year it was a complete joke; the teachers didn’t really care about it and just recited off the script they were given,” Dubin said.

Although Colvin administers a teacher training in order to instruct the staff on how to present the workshop, she is aware that some teachers may choose to not explore the material beyond basic requirements.

“It could either be a lecture-type presentation, or if the teacher does the discussions and extension activities, it could be a more engaging workshop,” Colvin said.

Additionally, some students didn’t experience the workshops last year, raising questions of whether the workshop is being implemented equally.

Infographic by Julia Merron

“Some people in the class had it the year before, and it was exactly the same. The other half said they didn’t have it at all, that it was all new,” Allan said.

The prevalence of incidents relating to sexual harassment among young people demonstrates the need for the most effective training possible, according to Dubin.

“Students obviously aren’t getting the message that sexual assault and harassment aren’t okay under any circumstances,” Dubin said. nlegallet@redwoodbark.org

Photo Survey Who or what do you love the most?

“My family.”

“John Mattern.”

Sophia Pero

Levi Huizenga

freshman

sophomore

“Having the freedom to explore who you are and the people who allow you to do it.”

Lyle Belger junior

“Anyone who’s made a positive impact on my life.”

Brian O’Donnell senior

bark Board passes budget reductions after much anticipation and a prudent process Page 3 • News

www.redwoodbark.org

By Drake Goodman and Ryo Weng

After receiving the final budget reductions proposal from the Tamalpais Union High School District’s (TUHSD) Fiscal Advisory Committee on Feb. 12, the Board of Trustees unanimously passed the budget reductions on Tuesday, Feb. 26 that will take effect for the 2019-2020 school year. The final budget reductions were solidified after the district received months of feedback through a Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) survey they sent out last September, as well as through community forums at Redwood, Drake and Tamalpais High Schools.

The budget cuts include, but are not limited to, reducing certificated librarians, eliminating community education evening classes and reducing Bay Area Community Resources (BACR) services by 22 percent.

The budget that was passed by the Board will save a projected $2.84 million. According to the budget reduction recommendation, reducing certified staffing to contractual ratios will save an estimated $823,000, making up the biggest portion of the total cuts. This was an increase from the $500,000 projection made in the previous plan. Additionally, in the new suggestion, the reduction of certificated librarians was cut by $27,000 less than the original plan proposed.

Corbett Elsen, the Chief Financial Officer for the TUHSD, believes that while the cuts are not ideal, the district and Board took the necessary measures to ensure a positive educational experience for students.

“These are the community’s schools, so the community needs to drive the process,” Elsen said. “It wasn’t easy, but I think we had a lot of positive feedback that this was a community-driven process. I feel that I can sleep at night knowing that this was the [community’s] recommendation, knowing that it’s not easy. Not everyone is going to agree with it, but the process was very thorough.”

Even after saving $1.8 million in reductions this school year and receiving funds through Measure J, which is projected to grant the district $2.9 million this year and $5.1 million annually in the next three years, the district needed to save an additional $3 million to discontinue deficit spending. If the district continued to spend below their reserves, then they would have lost the authority to control the budget in the near future. “[The reductions are] going to place the stability to get as much course correction done this year so we don’t need to do the same thing next year and again next year and the next year. Let’s get on course this year so we get back focused on stability, teaching, learning and supporting students, because that’s why we all got into this,” Elsen said.

The district published an initial proposal on Jan. 15, which included limiting class schedules to seven periods, cutting UCSF athletic trainers and librarians and reducing BACR services by 50 percent. While the initial proposal was not finalized, it had taken into account the data from a LCAP survey with 1,300 participants, including staff members, students and parents.

According to the survey, academic programming,

Photo by Ryo Weng

SPEAKING AT A board meeting, Board President Leslie Harlander discusses the issues associated with the final budget plan. a middle ground. Cutting only 22 percent of BACR is or having a broad course of class options, was the top significantly better than the previous proposal,” Trauner priority for the TUHSD community. Elective course said. offerings were the second-most important, followed by At the Board meeting, Tam sophomore Saranyu Nel wellness programs and technology in classrooms. also spoke to the Board on why he believes that BACR Board President Leslie Harlander believes that the information received through the survey helped influence counselors are vital to the district. Nel has experienced bullying, which resulted in isolation, depression and what areas the budget reduction proposal targeted. suicidal thoughts, but support from the BACR counselors “We wanted to make sure that any sort of budget significantly supported him through this difficult period. reduction was consistent with the very things that the “I just really love talking to the [BACR counselors]. community valued the most,” Harlander said.

It was a safe space to talk with someone I can trust. At However, after the initial budget reduction proposal that time, there was nobody that I trusted fully to speak was announced based on the data in the LCAP survey, with, not even my dad or family members. I didn’t even there was pushback from the community regarding some have any friends back at the time that I could talk to. I of the cuts. At the Redwood community forum, many didn’t really realize it, but over time, I started getting students and community members spoke out against the better,” Nel said. potential cuts.

While the district made changes to the budget “We were able to keep all of our course offerings and proposal based on community feedback, such as Nel’s all of our electives as well as not reduce as many things. and Trauner’s input on the importance of BACR, many Something needs to give in during a budget reduction staff members and students will still be affected by the situation, and by taking the action we did we are able to changes. The custodial staff, librarians and teachers will keep all these electives, all these offerings, zero periods be reduced, and every athletic team will receive a 10 like leadership and eighth-period drama, which we heard percent reduction to their budget from the district. from the community was important to keep,” Elsen said.

Although the budget recommendation will limit areas One of the groups of students that pushed for the of spending, Board member Cynthia Roenisch believes district to not cut any BACR counselors was the Mental that the final budget decisions are in alignment with Health Awareness Club. The club was formed this year student interests. and advocates for awareness and destigmatization of “The cuts are consistent with the LCAP survey, the connotations regarding mental health. One of the consistent with LCAP standards and consistent with co-founders, junior Collin Trauner, was at the Jan. 16 the community meetings and askings,” Roenisch said. community forum to speak out against eliminating 50 “This has really been a community-driven process, so percent of BACR services.

I commend the community. We’re going in the right “The club members went to the community forum; we spoke and the district heard us. I was very excited that direction.” they listened to us because they were trying to make most of the people as happy as possible. They have a really bark@redwoodbark.org hard job, but I’m just happy that they were able to find

• Rising Stars

Gatorade names Liam Anderson National Cross Country Athlete of the Year

Continued from page 2

Cook has applied to art schools for college and plans to create art for the rest of his life. Bartone has taught both Cook and Smart in their AP Art classes and admires the way they present themselves as people and artists.

“They’re both very understated and reserved; they don’t have loud personalities, but their work is really strong and their voice comes through really clearly in their images and the way they create and interact with the world,” Bartone said.

The hardest part about the exhibition, according to Bartone, was picking the students who could be in the show, as she was only allowed to submit the work of eight students.

“I hated having to choose because honestly my AP Art class is filled with students who all deserve opportunities and have incredible work in their own ways,” Bartone said. “I chose kids that I knew it would really matter to them that they were in the show and I chose kids that I felt had been working hard for long enough that they deserved that kind of recognition.”

Bartone’s favorite part about the annual exhibition, other than giving her students the opportunity to get recognition for their work, is the exposure to other art students in Marin.

“It’s exciting for a kid who’s been

By Neva Legallet

Photo courtesy of Nick Cook

A PORTION OF Cook’s “Human Circus” is pictured above, the whole piece is displayed at the Exhibition. working on art their whole high school career, maybe longer… to go see a room filled with works by other kids like them that maybe they forget exist,” Bartone said. “The kids who go to the show are wandering around and looking at all this other work with their eyes wide open.

That’s the most important part.”

syoung@redwoodbark.org

On Feb. 27, senior Liam Anderson was announced as Gatorade’s National Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

His cross country season culminated with a record-breaking win at Nike Cross Nationals in November, where he broke the course record of 15 minutes with a time of 14:57.60. Leading up to that, Anderson took first place at the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) championship, the North Coast Section (NCS) Championship and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Championship.

The award, however, honors him for more than his stellar athletic performances; it is also based on other qualities, namely academics and character.

“It represents a lot more than just running: it’s a testament to a lot of stuff I do outside of running, and I appreciate the recognition,” Anderson said.

Anderson has volunteered with the Marin County Search and Rescue program for four years and also participates in peer tutoring, where he works with freshmen.

With a weighted GPA of 4.26, his academic achievements also factored into this recognition.

“It’s been a hectic week,” Anderson said. “Definitely a new experience; I’ve been on running media plenty of times but not so much on general mainstream stuff.”

With a National Letter of Intent to compete in cross country and track and field at Stanford University in the fall, Anderson will continue to make his mark in the running world through his college years.

Photo by Charlie Werner

HUGGING HIS COACH, Anderson celebrates winning the award.

nlegallet@redwoodbark.org

March, 15 2019 bark Page 4 • News Work on Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to stabilize structure

By Nate Charles On the morning of Feb. 7, a car crossing the lower portion of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge was struck by a falling piece of concrete. Although no one was injured, the car suffered significant damage. Later throughout the day, commuters reported football-sized chunks of concrete falling from the bridge, leading the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to close all lanes in both directions.

The problem was identified as a failed expansion joint, a device designed to relieve stress on buildings and bridges caused by structural movement. In this case, it connects portions of the bridge and ensures stability. Although the bridge underwent a seismic retrofitting that was completed in 2005, 61 joints were left unrepaired. The day of the incident on the bridge, The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) sent workers to the site and has since decided to replace all the remaining joints.

According to Andrew Fremier, the Deputy Executive Director of Operations at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), 31 joints will be repaired and replaced on the upper deck for now, and the remaining 30 joints on the lower deck will be repaired next year.

“There really isn’t [any] concern, the bridge is pretty well-maintained,” Fremier said. “I think it’s important to recognize that the bridge was built in the early to mid 1950s and as bridges age … [they] need rehabilitation and maintenance.”

While there will be ongoing construction for months, Fremier said that commuters should not be affected too heavily, as the work will take place between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., and the only noticeable difference will be additional metal plates in the road for stability.

One impact of this construction, however, will be the delayed opening of the bicycle and pedestrian path on the upper deck. Originally scheduled to be completed this spring, Fremier said the updated timeline of the project now finishes sometime this summer. This is due to the addition of a moveable barrier, like the one on the Golden Gate Bridge, which will allow the third lane on the upper deck to be opened and closed as necessary.

Marin County Supervisor Damon Connolly, who is also Marin’s commissioner for MTC, said that while the county has been told the bridge is stable, they still want to go ahead with the repairs.

“Our priority is ensuring safety, so we’re working to ensure that the needed repairs are done,” Connolly said.

Photo by Nate Charles

SPANNING THE SAN Pablo Bay, Caltrans construction workers have come out to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to begin repairs on 31 expansion joints.

“We’re being told by Caltrans that the bridge is structurally sound but the decision was made to ensure safety going forward.”

Junior Genevieve Bowes, whose father owns a house in Oakland, is familiar with the bridge and uses it at least once a week to get to school. Bowes believes that this construction is necessary to repair the bridge due to its deteriorating condition.

“I think they should do repairs because it seems dangerous. I wouldn’t want concrete falling on my car, that doesn’t seem very safe, but I also think they need to keep it open,” Bowes said.

Connolly said communication between the county and its residents is crucial, as there have been copious amounts of traffic on the bridge recently and many people are growing both impatient and worried.

“Our residents were concerned because many use the bridge and many were stuck in the situation. There was some massive traffic that was going on … [and] we’re hearing loud and clear from employers and employees that [it’s] very difficult to be stuck in that kind of traffic,” Connolly said. “There’s an interest to keep our community abreast of what’s happening so I think it’s been important

to stay out there providing information.”

Although safety measures are being taken, Bowes said that she still does not fully trust the bridge after hearing about the falling concrete, and even admitted that she would have a tough time not thinking about it when crossing the bridge.

“If I was driving from Oakland to Marin, I wouldn’t think about it at all but if I was driving from Marin to Oakland I would think about it a little because it was the second level that [had] the things that were falling. I would definitely be cautious of it,” Bowes said.

Although Caltrans planned to take immediate action to address the bridge, construction was delayed until Feb. 19 due to rainy weather, almost two weeks after the incident.

More recently, construction was again halted on Mar. 6 as another storm hit the North Bay. However, according to Fremier these delays are both acceptable and necessary, as he said that the joint failure is not a widespread problem throughout the bridge and working in the rain would have presented a number of challenges.

“Even though the work is done at night, you need to put in a lane closure in order to do the construction and the general practice is not to do lane closures in rainy weather because of the traffic hazards,” Fremier said. “Secondarily … it’s hard to pour concrete in rainy weather because it interferes with it setting. And the third component is I would say it’s not that critical to get the joint work done in any particular order because there’s no evidence that the problem that happened is systemic to the other joints.”

Though both the county and Caltrans will work to ensure the structural stability of the 60-year-old bridge, there is a growing awareness that due to its age, it may soon have to be replaced. According to Connolly, officials have already started a dialogue and a change could occur in as little as 20 years.

“There’s a recognition that this is an old bridge, and at the time, it was built up to standards that actually would not be the standards that we have today,” Connolly said.

“At some point in the future this bridge will need to be replaced and there are already discussions along those lines.” ncharles@redwoodbark.org

Kristen and Tane Abbott Margaret Abbott Aaron and Randi Agenbroad The Alexander Family Charles and Kimberly Allen The Alylwin Family Sarah Ames and Peter Bouton Seth and Kelli Anderson Ann Aylwin Lisa Bacino Katheryn Baldwin Ingrid Becker Cammi Bell Helga Beyer The Blazei Family The Block Family The Blum Family Mari Bowler Donal and Brenda Brown Jason Brown Amy Brugger Liz Brusseau Rose and Chuck Bucklar Taissa Cherry and Jay Labourene Amy Cifarelli Compass Education Group William and Laura Conrow Bill and Laura Conrow Deborah Cook

The Corn Family Hali Croner and Eugene Palmer Joanne Desin Cyndi Deveraux Lisa Diener Shannon Donelan Laurie Dubin Douglas Epps Gus and Dee Ann Ezcurra Family Cuts Shelley and Kendall Fargo Sarah and Mike Fargo Courtney Finnegan The Fishbourne Family Thomas Fishburne Suzanne Fogarty Pamela Fong The Gilman Family Jennifer and Michael Ginsburg Judith and Bud Glickman The Glickman Family Emily Glidden Cynthia Goodman Jay H O’Conner and Heather Corcoran The Haggard Family Mark and Jacqueline Harris Joyce Hoelzle The Holbrook Family

Bark Patrons Maura Hughes Tamara Hull The James Family Lawrence and Teresa Jeffry The Johnson Family Sylvia Jones Van and Merill Kasper Nina Katz Jon Kawamura and Elizabeth Foley Stacey and Noah Kempler The Kimball Family The Kitzel Family David and Lisa Klein Ari and Nicole Klionsky Tammy Kornfeld Jodi and Guy Ladetzky Eugene Lewis IV Cynthia Lightfoot Jeffrey and Karen Loebbaka Bill Lowis Alice and Bob Marks Kerianne and Christopher McBride

John McCullouch Tom and Michelle McHugh Wendy McKinley Jon and Laura Mellberg Chris Michaels Denise Miller Jacqui Miranda The Newhard Family Annette Nielson Donna Norstad Denise Olson James Parker The Parsons Family Ed Pfeiffer Roxane Polidora Lesley and Tim Reidy Wendy Robinow The Rocha Family Walter and Ellen Sanford Eric Schmitt Lucia Sinatra Christina Smallhorn Robin Steele

The Steele Family Geordie Stephens Lorna Strotz The Strotz Family Jackie Swoiskin The Tatum Family Cristiano Torresi Karol Towns The Tribolet Family The Tribuzious Family Greg Tully Kimberly Tully-Sutton Vickie Vann Helene Walters Holly Welch Jim Whelpley Patty and Dave Young The Zlot Family

If you would like to support the Redwood Bark, donations can be made by check and mailed to Redwood High School. Checks should be made payable to the Redwood Bark. See www.redwoodbark.org for an online payment option.

opinion

Page 5

Lights! Camera! Acknowledge woman-on-woman action!

By Sydney Steinberg For the majority of my adolescence, my favorite TV show has been “Friends.” I’ve spent hours watching and rewatching the series, and at this point, I feel like I know the characters by heart. However, I soon realized this assumption was incorrect. A recent conversation in one of my classes prompted me to consider the number of female homosexual characters I could identify on TV. After pondering this for several minutes, I could still not think of any; it seemed that all homosexual TV characters were male. Yet, after glancing at a list of LGBTQ+ TV characters, I realized that Carol, the lesbian divorcée of one of the main “Friends” characters, Ross, was an early example of female homosexuality. How could I have forgotten about a character I’d watched on screen for years? As I continued to examine this phenomenon, I realized this “Carol Effect” is not uncommon.

Dozens of other shows include lesbian characters that have seemingly gone unacknowledged, yet the few shows including male homosexual characters are increasingly championed as a new generation of progressive television. Female homosexuality on TV continues to be overshadowed by dominant gay characters, which, although fewer in number in the realm of entertainment, have become the face of LGBTQ+ representation. And yes, every ounce of homosexual representation is a step in the right direction, however, the subversion of female homosexual characters has the potential to lead to a new form of sexism, an occurrence we must fight to avoid.

Although popular shows such as “Friends,” “Jane the Virgin” and “This is Us” include a homosexual character, they are largely unrecognizable due to their status as secondary characters, irrelevant to the plot. On the other hand, shows featuring male homosexuality such as “Will and Grace” are more likely to have a gay main character and plot line that revolves around their sexuality.

Consequently, shows featuring gay main characters receive more publicity than shows encompassing lesbianism to a lesser degree. Because of this, society has disregarded the decades-long appearance of female homosexuality on TV, when in reality, it is lesbian secondary characters that have paved the way for more prevalent gay ones. Although every ounce of LGBTQ+ representation is a step in the right direction, we need to pay more attention to the sex of homosexual characters rather than grouping all under the general terms of LGBTQ+.

This occurs because the umbrella term of “LGBTQ+” discourages the recognition of specific demographic niches within the group. In a society constantly pushing for the acknowledgement of diversity, it is easy to forget that individuals categorized as LGBTQ+ are also part of other, equally important demographics such as gender.

It is difficult to find data that separately compares the number of male and female homosexual characters on television, as both groups are more commonly characterized in their broader group of sexuality.

This suggests that the difference between male and female homosexual portrayal are due to society not paying as much attention to the sex of an LGBTQ+ character. Instead, viewers solely focus on the fact that more diverse representation is occurring in the first place.

This can result in drastic consequences. Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled that TV is slowly, yet surely starting to see an increase of LGBTQ+ characters. However, I am also concerned that society’s inability to recognize the concentration of lesbianism on TV will lead to a completely separate issue, one that has to do with feminism.

Representation of homosexuals is one of the few areas in which women have paved t h e way for men, a phenomenon so rare it has gone unnoticed.

While women continue to rise to new, more equal, heights, I would hate to see LGBTQ+ representation be another, more subtle platform for enforcing male dominance with a lack of recognition of women’s achievements. As Shawn Donnelly, a gay writer for HIV Equal wrote, “we still live in a society where men have power over women …

While gay men are a marginalized group, we still reap the benefits of being male in relation to women.” The decades-long ignorance of lesbian portrayal on TV is just one example of male privilege going unrecognized.

As described by Donnelly, just because gay men are a minority does not allow for them to assert dominance over women, consciously or not.

Currently, gay advocates, feminists and other activist groups are pushing towards increased representation of LGBTQ+ in the media and basking in the progress that has already been made. However, what is not acknowledged

is that a significant amount of progress already has been made, yet met with ignorance. Shows dating back to the early 90’s include lesbian characters, however, it was not until only a few years ago that male homosexuality began to appear on TV. Regardless of the reasoning behind this, the fact remains that it was not until gay characters began to pop up that we began to acknowledge

Illustration by Morgan Salzer

TV was making progress in allowing more diverse representation.

We only need to take off our paternalistic goggles to see that tangible progress has been staring at us in the form of lesbian portrayal on television for years.

Without being able to recognize a lesbian character when she is right in front of us, we run the risk of creating a new platform for female subordination. I have a hard time believing that this is the intention of either gay or women’s rights activists, and luckily, there is still time to recognize this problem before it creates more permanent effects. While we continue to fight for more representation of LGBTQ+ on television, we must step outside the gender-specific box and recognize the path that dozens of lesbian characters have already paved. ssteinberg@redwoodbark.org

It’s time to break the taboo: let’s talk about sex baby Story and Illustration by Saamya Mungamuru When I was in fifth grade, attending school in India, my friends and I discovered a book in the school library that contained mildly sexual content. Like any 10-year-olds, we found it utterly hysterical and began snickering in class. When our teacher discovered what we were reading, she was apoplectic with rage. To our sheer terror, she spent the rest of the class period screaming at us for our inappropriate behavior, sent a condemnatory letter home to our parents and established a rule that going forward, every library book that we wanted to check out needed her approval first.

This wildly disproportionate reaction to our natural curiosity and amusement about sex sent a message loud and clear: sex was bad—something so dirty and unacceptable that there would be zero tolerance for any discussion surrounding it.

The general norm in most of India, and in several U.S. states, is to teach kids to abstain from sex until marriage; this keeps important information about sexual health shrouded in taboo. Not only is this lamentable, but also unethical. According to the Guttmacher Institute, abstinence-only programs threaten basic human rights, stigmatizing human sexuality and providing medically inaccurate information. There is also

no evidence suggesting that teaching only abstinence stops or delays sex, but instead increases the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as teens engage in sexual activity without the necessary safety information. Yet, abstinence still continues to be taught in place of more sex-positive programs, as only 20 states in the U.S. require sex and HIV education to be taught in schools, according to stayteen. org.

The federal government has also spent over $2 billion on abstinenceonly-untilmarriage programs since 1982, according to Planned Parenthood.

Two years after the book incident, I brought this mindset with me to my seventh-grade science classroom, having just moved to the U.S. I was shocked when our teacher told us that we would be dedicating the next few weeks to sex education—to talk about the very thing that I was taught to never talk

about, especially around adults.

On day one, we each received a blue book titled “Love and Sex in Plain Language,” by Eric W. Johnson. While just two years ago, in India, I had been chastised for looking at a book containing a mere hint of sexuality, here was a 224page book dedicated entirely to it that I was actually required to read for homework.

It discussed everything from human anatomy, puberty and the physiology of intercourse to even more taboo topics such as abortion and masturbation. I’ll admit, in my entire career as a student, this book is still the only reading assignment I didn’t procrastinate on.

Throughout the unit, in addition to the reading material and in-class lessons, my teacher let us submit questions anonymously and spent the last ten minutes of each class answering them. In a mixture of delight and embarrassment, we giggled as she opened our slips of paper and answered questions about 69, masturbation and as per someone’s anonymous request, even told us what semen tasted like.

Sex education was transformative in two ways: for the first time in my life, I got answers to questions I had always been too afraid to ask, and secondly, it made me realize that sex wasn’t inherently wrong.

It was liberating to be in an environment that acknowledged how curiosity about sex was natural, and worked hard to provide us with the facts. Most importantly, the conversation was led by a teacher in a safe, educational setting, ensuring that we got our information from a reliable source and not from other obscure mediums.

Unfortunately, most teens do not experience such a wholesome sex education. According to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), only 34 percent of young people worldwide know about HIV transmission and prevention.

Also, two out of three girls in certain countries do not even know what causes menstruation, an issue that was recently highlighted in the Oscar-winning short documentary, “Period. End of Sentence,” which showcased the stigma and lack of education surrounding menstruation in rural India.

UNESCO states that comprehensive sexual health education fosters healthier attitudes toward sex, empowers people to make informed decisions about relationships and helps them “navigate a world where gender-based violence, gender inequality, early and unintended pregnancies, HIV and other STIs still pose serious risks to their health and wellbeing.”

It is only through implementing sex education programs in schools around the world that we can eliminate the unnecessary cultural taboo surrounding sex. It is a reliable way of giving young people the information they deserve on how to stay safe and be empowered by their sexuality.

It’s time to start a global conversation; in the eloquent words of Salt-N-Pepa, let’s talk about sex, baby.

smungamuru@redwoodbark.org

Page 6 • Opinion

March 15, 2019

bark

Destigmatizing society’s touchiest subject: female masturbation Story and Illustration by Emily Sweet

Illustration by Spencer Ferguson

Global Warning: Congress on cruise control

By Sydney Hilbush “Global Warning” is a column discussing climate policy under the Trump administration, focusing on the environmental repercussions of proposed legislation in the face of climate change. For more “Global Warning,” visit redwoodbark.org/globalwarning.

Governments are meant to lead by example. The states that comprise our nation are supposed to replicate and learn from the moral values exemplified by our federal administration. To form a successful nation, states and the national government must join forces to fight for the common prosperity and security of their citizens.

Sadly, in the United States today, this system is completely flip-flopped. The lack of initiative by our current administration has required states to propose their own legislation to address issues imperative to our nation’s progression—issues that are otherwise neglected by governmental powers.

When our cities are flooded by rising sea levels and set aflame by wildfires ripping through communities at record-breaking speeds all as a result of climate change, it would be reasonable to assume that our government— the organization responsible for upholding the safety of citizens—would intervene. Instead, the current administration is doing the exact opposite. Since his first day in office, President Trump has taken aggressive steps to roll back Obama-era regulations regarding carbon emissions; to date, 78 environmental rules and regulations have been abandoned, according to joint research from Harvard and Columbia Law Schools.

As a consequence, our administration is accelerating climate change at an unprecedented rate. At current levels of environmental degradation, half of all plant and animal species face extinction in the next century, and 143 million people will be displaced from their homes by 2050, according to Time Magazine.

Out of fear of the drowned cities, destructive natural disasters and rising death tolls that encompass our future, states have taken it upon themselves to impose regulations on carbon emissions in order to slow the pace of global warming. In an effort to promote the Green New Deal, 21 states have joined together to create the U.S. Climate Alliance, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. The alliance includes nearly half of the U.S. population and would decrease America’s greenhouse gas emissions by one-third, according to The New York Times.

Although the proactiveness of these states is praiseworthy, climate change will not be slowed to a reasonable degree unless every state is on board and the country is collectively held responsible for lowering emission rates. However, this type of nation-wide movement is only possible when backed by the federal government, the same administration that has yet to respond to our planet’s crisis. Beyond uniting the nation in reducing America’s carbon footprint, federal action offers a platform for engaging with other nations in creating international emissions reduction agreements, something that is nearly impossible to accomplish at the state level.

More importantly, the federal government is the sole power that holds the ability to impose nationwide taxes on greenhouse gas emissions, which has been proven to be the most effective way of slowing the pace of climate change. According to a study conducted by professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), implementing a $50 per ton carbon tax and increasing it by five percent per year would lead to a 63 percent

So … masturbation.

That’s the text I’m sure a few of my friends were shocked to receive over the last week. I felt like a giddy kid sending those texts, eyes darting back and forth nervously hoping no one would glance at my phone. And, honestly, I expected them to have more extreme reactions.

For me, there’s always been a huge stigma around masturbation, especially as a young woman. However, that wasn’t the reflection I got from the people I talked to, male or female. Though there were a few awkward “hahas” at the start, I ended up having some very enlightening and interesting conversations I had never expected.

Some of my friends mentioned health benefits, others focused on the fact it’s a natural stage of development at our age, but all were honest discussions of a taboo topic.

Once I broke down the barrier and got the initial “we’re going to talk about something uncomfortable now” out of the way, it felt great to be able to discuss our own views on the way society has stigmatized the different genders and their relationship with masturbation, a normal human activity that has existed for centuries. Yet, these conversations are rare. Even when I was typing out the word “masturbation” in my texts, I misspelled one letter and autocorrect had no suggestions for me, as if the word didn’t even exist.

When it comes to female masturbation, there are two things society needs to understand.

Let’s start with the first: masturbation is a totally natural part of life. Yeah, it’s good that we don’t discuss it all the time super openly because it is a sensitive topic, and there’s definitely a time and a place to have the discussion. But, it’s a necessary discussion.

I’ve had a very healthy and thorough sex education experience, being taught thoroughly about love and sexual relationships throughout middle school and again in Social Issues. In that sense, I’m extremely lucky.

Yet the only mention of female masturbation that wasn’t completely taboo was when one of my female teachers in eighth grade confided in a small group of 10 or so girls that masturbation was a great trick to alleviate the pain of period cramps (in addition to that, masturbation can also reduce stress, improve sleep and improve your self-esteem, according to Planned Parenthood)—and even then, the advice was still awkwardly accepted with uncomfortable chuckles.

Through the end of middle school and into high school, I have watched guys talking about jacking off plenty of times in TV and movies, and overheard tons of raunchy masturbation banter in person. And here I am, only weeks away from turning 18, and the number of conversations about female masturbation I’ve had (not counting the many I have instigated in the last two weeks) can be counted on one hand.

According to a recent self-reported Bark survey, 61 percent of girls have never masturbated. While this number already seems shockingly high, it is even more so compared to the 7 percent of boys that have never masturbated. Essentially, for every boy that has never masturbated, there are at least eight girls that haven’t.

Furthermore, 5 percent of females reported masturbating reduction in total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. A government-issued carbon tax, such as the one proposed by MIT, would substantially reduce U.S carbon emissions and even surpass the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement—all without requiring copious restrictions or production limits that could hurt businesses and individuals.

Although state action is meaningful and progressive, it is the joint duty of our states and the federal government to protect our citizens and our planet, even though the federal government should be spearheading this effort.

As the rapid pace of global warming only continues to accelerate, the federal government must be held responsible for creating and upholding effective climate policy to achieve impactful, long-term reductions in U.S greenhouse gas emissions before an inhabitable future becomes our reality. shilbush@redwoodbark.org

on a daily basis, compared to 36 percent of males. While it’s hard to draw rigid conclusions from this alone, I believe the stigma around masturbation for females has heavily contributed to these numbers.

Part of this stigma stems from the fact that masturbation is so oversexualized for women. The way I usually see female masturbation in the media is as the object of a man’s pleasure or fantasy. You’re entitled to have whatever fantasies you want to have, but moving forward, our portrayal of women must be respectful rather than objectifying.

Secondly, it is important that society understands that masturbation is not an all-or-nothing issue. We need to find a balance between preaching a more modern view of women when it comes to masturbation while still being able to enjoy the humor that is frequently associated with sex-related topics.

No one likes to feel like a hypocrite, and I sometimes feel that people believe having a progressive view on masturbation means you can never laugh at an offensive sex joke or humor that oversexualizes women because it seems hypocritical.

This shouldn’t be the case—there’s a way to find a balance of finding the humor in more dated media, but also acknowledging that moving forward, masturbation needs to be viewed differently.

Only in the last decade or so has the more female-sexpositive message started spreading through mainstream media. Shows like “Broad City” empower strong female leads who not only have sex frequently but discuss and engage in masturbation throughout the course of the show. Personally, I am inspired to see shows like “Broad City” and even “Big Mouth,” a Netflix animated comedy about puberty, spread the message about the normality of masturbation regardless of gender. More recently, one of Netflix’s n e w releases, “Sex Education,” also stresses how natural

masturbation is in a comedic way.

These shows are breaking barriers in a tangible way that makes me want to embrace my own sexuality and womanhood. They are shifting us towards progressive television and movies geared towards empowering all genders and all types of personalities. And, according to our data, males and females are masturbating more frequently at Redwood in comparison to previous years.

Sex positive shows send inspiring and reformist views, but I enjoy the raunchy classics too—whether it’s “Wet Hot American Summer,” “American Pie” or “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” just to name a few. These films are built on crude sexual humor that by no standards are politically correct. I would never try to claim that jokes about sex and masturbation aren’t funny, because I think they are. It’s unrealistic to ask people to denounce movies that—while they don’t have the most progressive views of women and sex—are fan favorites.

Undeniably, this risqué humor has contributed to the way society talks about masturbation and how sexualized the idea of women touching themselves has become.

It has even contributed to my own feeling that talking about masturbation with guys can be really awkward, just because it seems overtly sexual. As I reflected upon the stigma surrounding masturbation, what I realized is that it is okay to make light of this stigma, as long as I can be mature enough to distinguish that this is not how society can or should view women in the future.

It’s a balancing act, and as a society I believe we can do it. The first step toward that is understanding that masturbation is normal, whatever the gender or age.

Especially for young women and men moving through high school and beginning to dip into the sexual world, self-exploration is a natural step in that direction, and should not be treated as anything different.

It really is as simple as this: before we get turned on, it’s time to turn off the stigma surrounding masturbation. esweet@redwoodbark.org

Page 7 • Opinion

www.redwoodbark.org

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Redwood High School 395 Doherty Drive Larkspur, CA 94939 www.redwoodbark.org Editors-In-Chief Lily Baldwin Neva Legallet Saamya Mungamuru Emily Sweet Illustration by Audrey Hettleman

Wearing the mask of an ally

editorial Professed tolerance vs. practiced acceptance

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

Since 1974, approximately every five years the Bark has administered a schoolwide “sex survey” that touches on issues of sexuality, ideology, sexual activity, sex under the influence and pretty much any other topic that includes sex and teenagers. This year, the results are in, and while much of the data seems to fall along similar lines with previous years, there’s one statistic that stands out, and not for a good reason.

When asked if they considered homosexuality morally wrong, 10 percent of Redwood students surveyed this year answered yes. In the 2014 sex survey, when the same question was asked, the number only stood at 5 percent of the student population. The math here is pretty simple, but just for good measure, that’s double the amount of students at Redwood who consider being LGBTQ+ to be morally wrong.

To be fair, we recognize that there are many factors that could contribute to the discrepancy in percentages, such as assuming that the sample of students that were surveyed represent the entire student body. As it’s unrealistic to survey the whole school, we conduct a sample survey of 10 percent of the entire student body from different parts of campus.

We are in no way insinuating that homophobia is running rampant through the halls of Redwood. But regardless of what has accounted for the increase in intolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community, it seems as appropriate a time as any to offer an important reminder to the community that we need to be aware that these attitudes exist on campus, and take proactive actions to limit the influence they have on students who identify as homosexual.

Similar to the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign, which is focused on removing the word “retarded” from everyday slang, we as a community need to do a better job at following through on similar initiatives that prevent using the LGBTQ+ population as the punchline of jokes.

Hallway conversations during passing periods can be easy to ignore for those who aren’t personally targeted by that rhetoric. It seems insignificant that the kid next to you is describing the rally they attended last period as “so gay,” but the indifference that we often exhibit towards comments like these is what ends up allowing a culture of intolerance to manifest among students. How can a community feel respected when their identity is tossed around in casual conversation with a blatantly negative connotation? Casual conversation can be one of the strongest indicators of general attitude, and when “gay” is given the worst of connotations in such conversation, the general attitude can be boiled down to homophobia.

That’s not to say that students who float around the term “gay” are all raging homophobes, but they are contributing to a culture that reduces an entire community to a slang term equated with

A BARK to the FDAapproved nasal spray for depression. Now one NOSE what to do if they’re sNOT okay.

A BITE to Louis Tomlinson’s new song. You’re only going one direction, and it’s down.

A BARK to YNW Melly’s murder report going public.

Releasing “Murder On My Mind” was so worth the life sentence.

A BITE to Claire’s for having asbestos in their makeup.

That’s definitely something to mas-care-about.

annoyance, grievance and even outright hatred. It’s our responsibility as a self-proclaimed supportive community to actively work on countering that type of rhetoric.

Legislative success and a relatively tolerant community don’t engender total equality, nor does it make a rhetorically-harmful environment more acceptable. A true blue state such as California, and a left-leaning community such as Marin, may create the assumption that progressivism is widespread.

This is a fairly progressive area, albeit, but that supposedly equal and accepting attitude doesn’t always extend to day-to-day actions. When “faggot” echoes through the locker room, it isn’t mitigated by the success of legalizing gay marriage or by majority support for the LGBTQ+ community; it still stings as demeaning, dehumanizing and bigoted.

The bottom line is that we can’t rely on politicians in Washington to bring about the tolerance and progress we want to see. As students, we need to start locally and take a deeper look at how homophobia manifests in our own community. This is a societal issue that has deep-seated roots throughout the country. But here in Marin, we have the opportunity to be an example for other high schools in the nation with regards to how we actively combat homophobia and intolerance in our community.

We can begin by improving the access students have to proper education on the LGBTQ+ community. Our school curriculum does not do enough to incorporate the LGBTQ+ perspective into lesson plans and assignments. Social Issues grazes over the topic for one or two days, offering a watereddown version of what life can be like for a high school student who identifies as queer. The majority of students at Redwood will never read a book for school that features a gay main character, despite the literature we read being a powerful tool for exposure and education. Through the implementation of more comprehensive curriculum, and also by making a conscious effort to speak out when we encounter that negative rhetoric, we can lead a movement in which we practice what we preach and work towards an environment of tolerance and acceptance for all students.

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 Mick, officially the world’s oldest rabbit, for turning 16. We used to be close friends, but now he’s just some bunny that we used to know.

A BITE to Taylor Swift’s stalker who was arrested for the third time. Looks like she just can’t shake him off.

A BARK to the new live action Pokemon movie coming out starring Ryan Reynolds. We wanna Pik-AT-chu.

A BITE to Forbes annoucing Kylie Jenner as the youngest self-made billionaire. She’s about as self-made as her lips.

A BARK to the teen who got vaccinated against his parents’ wishes. He’s calling the shots now.

A BITE to R. Kelly for losing it during a CBS interview. He had a pretty major reaction for someone who likes minors.

Head Copy Editor Sydney Hilbush Copy Editors Mika Beberman Jack Benbow Melissa Block Sabine Lloyd Audrey Hettleman Katherine Muller Morgan Salzer Sydney Steinberg News Editors Maria Alexander Nate Charles Opinion Editors Maddie Loebbaka Ryo Weng Feature Editors Drake Goodman Eislyn Snyder Sports Editors Bennett Vasquez Sam Warren Review Editors Anna Compagno Aaron Kim Lifestyles Editors Skylar Strotz Josephine Yee Video Editors Harrison Segal Karl Somerville Spanish Editor Lauren Steele Podcast Editor Matt Smalbach Business Manager Justin Newhard Social media Manager Jenna Dahlin Survey Manager Jacob Klionsky Art Consultants Taylor Charles Max Gilberg Reporters Evelyn Bailey Olivia Brekhus Grace Bouton Emma Carpenter Garrett Cook Alexa Erickson Shane Fricke Dean Griffin Emma Ingledew Lucie James Alex Johnson Devon McClain Julia Merron Amanda Morse Sachi Nahas Jack Parsons Alexandra Polidora Bella Roesler Alix Salzer Julia Scharf Meera Srinivasan Charlie Werner Sarah Young Senior Staff Writer Natalie Cerf

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.

Adviser Erin Schneider

español

Para hispanohablantes interesados en contribuir a la sección de Español del Bark con sugerencias de historias o si quieres escribir, por favor contactar eic@redwoodbark.org.

Página 8

Opinión: la lucha entre Maduro y Guaidó está destruyendo Venezuela Por Julissa Campos En los pasados meses, Venezuela ha estado en boca de todos. Presidente Venezolano, Nicolás Maduro, exige posición gubernamental y no quiere ceder el poder a presidente interino, Juan Guaidó.

Maduro comenzó su presidencia en el año 2013 y las últimas elecciones pasaron hace poco en el 2018. Muchas países no reconocen esta elección como legítima. Maduro puso en las hojas de las elecciones solamente la opción de escogerlo a él. También tiene comprados a los ministros dentro del propio gobierno. Además tiene el apoyo de otros países de su lado como por ejemplo: Rusia, China, Turquía, Bolivia y Cuba.

Por otro lado está Guaidó quién se declaró presidente interino con el apoyo de casi todas las personas de Venezuela pero Maduro no le ha querido dar el poder a Guaidó aunque la gente el pueblo ya no quiera a Maduro. Adicionalmente, Guaidó cuenta con el apoyo y reconocimiento de países como por ejemplo: Canadá, Estados Unidos , Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Panamá, Perú, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina y Reino Unido. ¿Pero cuál es la razón por la que las personas de Venezuela ya no quieren que Maduro sea su presidente?

Venezuela en este momento está pasando por una crisis económica, política y social muy grave. Las personas no tienen alimento ni medicamentos con un salario equivalente a 6 dólares mensuales, lo cual no es suficiente para cubrir las necesidades para sobrevivir.

Tampoco hay medicinas en los hospitales, no se puede atender partos en los hospitales porque ni siquiera hay agua, y así muchas personas mueren cada día porque no Ilustración por Lauren Steele

tienen los medicamentos que necesitan para curarse.

Muchas personas han hecho huelgas y marchas para demostrarle al Presidente que ya no lo quieren en el gobierno y que ellos proclaman a Guaidó como su presidente.

Pero Maduro no le hace caso y lo que hace es enviar al ejército o a la policía a acabar con las huelgas. La policía ataca a los civiles con bombas de gas, balas de hule entre muchas cosas.

Además de esto Maduro controla los medios de comunicación como por ejemplo la televisión del estado.

El no quiere que el mundo se entere de las cosas que él está haciendo, también está mandando a matar a todos los periodistas que publiquen noticias acerca de su mal trabajo en el gobierno.

Por otro lado Guaidó está ayudando a las personas para que puedan publicar noticias acerca de lo que verdaderamente está pasando en Venezuela para que otros países puedan ayudarles a derrocar a Maduro y para que les envíen ayuda humanitaria. El pasado domingo 24 de febrero varios países se unieron con Guaidó y llenaron camiones enteros de ayuda humanitaria para Venezuela.

Se reunieron en la frontera con Colombia pero la policía estaba interviniendo y no dejaron pasar los camiones con ayuda humanitaria. El presidente Maduro envió bombas para destruir la ayuda humanitaria y muchas personas resultaron lesionadas durante el ataque y casi la mayoria de ayuda humanitaria se quemó pero el resto se quedó resguardada en la frontera.

Maduro está haciendo demasiado daño a su propio pueblo y hay que pararlo en nombre de muchos venezolanos que piden intervención extranjera para derrocar a Maduro. En mi opinión alguien tiene que parar a Maduro porque demasiada gente inocente está muriendo.

Venezuela es un país rico en petróleo y diamantes pero su propio presidente está acabando con ellos y los está dejando sin comida y medicamentos yo estoy en contra de que Maduro esté en la presidencia y espero que pronto haya intervención de otros países y que pueden a sacar a Maduro del poder y el pueblo venezolano pueda recuperarse de esta gran crisis. bark@redwoodbark.org

Celebrando el día nacional de la pupusa en El Salvador Por Mirna Estrada Medina Apenas tenía 10 años de edad cuando fui por primera vez con mi abuela a visitar a mi tia en el departamento de Sonsonate en El Salvador. Ella nos invitó a la celebración del día nacional de la pupusa.

Nos pareció buena idea. Para mi fue una fantástica experiencia porque me sentí muy a gusto al saber que es parte de la cultura y tradiciones de tu país.

Todo es muy agradable ya que la comida es deliciosa y es muy divertido ver a los competidores comiendo demasiadas pupusas, y entonces yo me pregunto, ¿donde les caben tantas pupusas? Es muy lindo ir a un festival por primera vez y que al final te quedes muy sorprendida sobre cuánto te divertiste y la pasaste súper bien junto a tus seres queridos.

El día nacional de la pupusa se celebra cada segundo domingo de Noviembre. La pupusa es un platillo Salvadoreño hecho a mano, elaborado a base de muchos

tipos de masa por ejemplo masa de maiz y harina de arroz. Lleva una variedad de ingredientes adentro, pero los clásicos principales son el queso, el chicharrón y los frijoles. Este día nacional empezó recientemente en el año 2005 por decreto legislativo. Esta celebración toma lugar en El Salvador en el municipio de San Miguel, el cual es uno de los municipios que más celebra días festivos como el festival de la pupusa y otros más.

La pupusa es una comida típica y muy popular en El Salvador. Estas son hechas a base de mano, no requieren tanto tiempo cocinarlas, simplemente cuando tienes la masa formada en la figura adecuada la ponen en un comal caliente. Las pupusas usualmente son pequeñas, son como el tamaño de la palma de tu mano.

En el Día Nacional de la Pupusa a los del decreto legislativo dan la orden a los cocineros para que hagan una enorme pupusa de dos metros de largo y dos metros de ancho. Esa pupusa está divida en tres diferentes partes. La primera parte

Fóto cortesía de Wikimedia Commons

UNA MUJER SIRVE unas pupusas durante el festival en San Salvador, El Salvador, a personas celebrando el día nacional. está rellena de queso, la segunda parte está rellena de chicharrón, y la tercera porción está rellena de frijol. Esta gigante pupusa es repartida a todos los del decreto legislativo y espectadores ya que gracias a ellos este festival existe.

En el festival se hacen numerosas actividades tales como rifas, competencias de comida y bailes con trajes típicos

salvadoreños. Con referencia a las rifas, es muy emocionante porque se dan premios al azar como teléfonos móviles, dinero o en ocasiones, viajes a lugares turísticos. La competencia de pupusas se trata sobre cuántas pupusas una persona puede comer en cinco minutos y si tu ganas te llevas un premio de dinero en efectivo y muchos aplausos.

Fóto cortesía del Guberio Nacional de El Salvador

LAS PUPUSAS SON una comida deliciosa de El Salvador.

Fóto cortesía de Wikimedia Commons

LA PUPUSA MÁS grande del mundo, hecho en 2014.

bark@redwoodbark.org

feature

Page 9

Hooked on hookups: casual encounters of teens today

By Melissa Block and Meera Srinivasan In the dimly-lit living room of a Marin house party, music blasts through the crowded space, competing with energized chatter. As the night progresses, it’s not uncommon for people to flirt and hook up with one another. While this is only one circumstance of hooking up, the culture of casual encounters is prevalent and a large part of Redwood’s social climate.

In the past 20 years, as the percentage of high school seniors nationwide who have had relationships has decreased from 86 to 55 percent, according to Child Trends, hookups seem to replace formal relationships with something that requires less commitment.

While nearly a quarter of Redwood students have never had a sexual experience, for t h e 76 percent of students who have,

“hooking up” is a common topic of conversation. Notorious for its ambiguity, the term “hooking up” often creates a complicated, blurry picture of what “relationships” mean, and can impact how peers view each other.

Senior Harri Hetrick has experience with both a serious relationship and casual hookups and believes that casual hookups tend to be subjective, as the girls and guys often differ in their intentions.

“I think that guys often under analyze situations and think in the moment more, and don’t think about the repercussions,” Hetrick said.

Although the intentions of hookups can be confusing for some, the inclusion of technology and social media in teenage relationships can make them even more unclear, according to junior Chloe Swoiskin. Swoiskin believes that technology plays a large role in mitigating the barrier between individuals when they are interested in one another, especially with the prevalence of social media apps such as Instagram and Snapchat.

“Snapchat is kind of like the main way for people to start talking. You’ll say things on Snapchat that you wouldn’t say in real life and you’re asked to send nudes and things like that,” Swoiskin said. “It gives people a mask, which allows people to be more courageous in asking for what they want on social media, but in real life, it’s even scarier.”

In addition to using Snapchat, social events such as scavenger hunts are a less common means for teenagers

to initiate this type of loosely defined connection. Some students participate in scavenger hunts, a weekend activity that includes hooking up while intoxicated as one of the various challenges to win points, attaching a numerical value to sexual experiences.

“It’s not a natural thing. I feel like some people love [scavenger hunts], for those who aren’t as forward or don’t put themselves out as much to get with people the normal way, then they are like ‘This is my chance to have a bunch of those same experiences,’” Hetrick said.

According to a recent self-reported Bark survey, 22 percent of students say they sometimes are under the influence when they engage in sexual activity, kissing or beyond. Swoiskin has noticed the influence alcohol can have on casual encounters. “[Alcohol] impairs your ability to say no. I mean, it’s hard to say no when you’re sober, but when you’re drunk it’s even harder. It allows people to take advantage,” Swoiskin said.

For those students who are under the influence while engaging in sexual activity, they can inherit a bad reputation according to senior Emma Fuller, who believes that the number of people one hooks up with can affect the way they are perceived.

“When you’re a girl, if you hook up with too many people, you have a bad reputation. If you don’t hook up, it also works against you,” Fuller said.

In contrast, some teenagers add value to the number of people they hook up with, even writing down or recording the names, according to Hetrick.

“I think it’s weird when people talk about how many guys or girls they’ve

Illustration by Julia Merron

hooked up with and have a list. I think that’s very odd. If you aren’t going to remember, then it wasn’t worth remembering,” Hetrick said.

Hetrick believes that social attitudes towards casual relationships have changed since his parents’ generation when it was more uncommon.

“My older male relatives … ask, ‘Are people having sex and not dating?’

Especially my dad, he was saying when he was younger, if two people hook up and have sex, then socially, the guy would be expected to ask the girl out,” Hetrick said.

Some people find the prevalence of hookup culture to be liberating, as it allows them to explore the more physical aspects of a relationship without long term attachments, according to Damian Marlow, a Stanford student who wrote an opinion piece in the Stanford Daily on hookup culture. “... Enjoy yourself. Have fun. Participate in the hookup scene; don’t participate in the hookup scene … Whatever floats your boat, do it safely. And ‘safely’ doesn’t just mean ‘use protection;’ ‘safely’ also means to be careful with your mind and your heart,” Marlow said.

Marlow offers a different perspective on hookups between young adults and the benefits they can have. He emphasized the importance of being present and not emotionally overwhelmed in a culture of casual relationships.

Although perspectives on hookup culture can differ with age and experience, ultimately, hookups will continue to be a part of student life in high school. bark@redwoodbark.org

Drunken love and the blurred lines between intoxication and consent Story and Photo Illustration by Alexandra Polidora and Evelyn Bailey “It was not planned at all; I sort of started out the night having fun with friends and it was just kind of blurry. Then, I ended up alone with some guy that I ended up having sex with,” “Olivia,” a junior who wished to remain anonymous, said.

The idea of consent seems straightforward: two people agreeing to engage in sexual activity, giving consent by saying “yes” when asked. This one word is particularly important for anything, including, but not limited to, any kind of sex, hugging or kissing. So, no matter what, an enthusiastic yes means yes, and anything else means no, according to the Washington Post.

In high school, students may experiment with drinking, with individuals aged 12 through 20 consuming 11 percent of all alcohol in the United States, according to Centers for Disease Control and Protection. On top of drinking, students also begin to experiment with relationships during their teenage years; according to a report by Planned Parenthood, more than half of U.S. teens have had sex by the time they turn 18. The correlation between intoxication and sexual activity is relatively high, according to a selfreported Bark survey. Fifty percent of Redwood students that are engaging in sexual activity have done so while being intoxicated at some point in their high school careers.

Additionally, 16 percent of Redwood students were under the influence when they lost their v i r g i n i t y.

Alcohol can play a big part in one’s decision-making, according to Olivia.

“When you’re intoxicated you don’t really think of [sex] as being a big deal, so it’s a lot more common to have drunk hookups,” Olivia said.

Although these actions may not seem like a “big deal” at the time, according to Olivia, charges pressed for sexual assault accusations could result in the allegation of a sex crime, which could add a perpetrator to the sex offender list for life. Additionally, victims could suffer from severe emotional trauma and possible outcomes of sex under the influence are becoming pregnant or catching a sexuallytransmitted disease (STD), according to Fremstad Law. According to the director of the Y M C A Marin Youth Court, Don C a r n e y, w h e n

both parties are equally intoxicated w h i l e engaging in sexual activities, consent cannot be given.

“If either party is under the influence,

there can be no consent. You have to be completely sober to give consent,” Carney said.

Regardless, the likelihood of both parties being charged with counts of sexual assault is slim, according to Carney. The chance of one party being charged, however, is more dependent on the situation. If either party is intoxicated to the point where they are unable to resist and/or to express resistance with a reasonable mindset, it would be considered rape.

Students’ usage of alcohol during any form of sexual activity can be attributed to several factors, ranging from confidence boosters to the social pressures of high school, according to Wayne University.

“That’s what a lot of people do: drink to gain a little bit of confidence and almost as an excuse too. If you’re flirting with somebody and they are clearly not into you, well then you can blame it on the fact that you were drunk and didn’t know what you were doing,” Olivia said.

Because of this, people can trade in proper decision making for their reliance on alcohol to handle social and sexual situations, according to Olivia. The correlation between intoxication and rape cases is evident, as at least 50 percent of all rape incidents are alcohol-related, according to Kansas State University.

Additionally, 67 percent of women are intoxicated at the time of an unplanned pregnancy and 72 percent of sex offenders in assault cases are under the influence of alcohol.

This information is important to know whether you are presented with a situation like Olivia’s or not. These lines between consent and intoxication can seem blurred in certain situations, but it is valuable to remember that consent is a crucial part of any relationship and it will continue to be through adult life.

If you or a friend want to talk or have questions about being sexually assaulted call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673). bark@redwoodbark.org

March 15, 2019 bark Page 10 • Feature 1974, 2014, 2019: teens’ sex lives then and now

By Natalie Cerf This year the Redwood Bark surveyed students about their sexual experiences, teens under the influence, teens in love and issues all in between. Some of the findings from this year’s survey as compared to that of 2014 include 6 percent in bisexuality and the national average of high school students having sex is 10 percent higher than the number of Redwood students having sex. The last time the Bark conducted the sex survey was in 2014 and the first time was in 1974. To learn about how students then and now are living their teenage years, continue reading.

According to data from Bark surveys over the past five years, not much has changed when it comes to Redwood students’ sexualities in that time. Nationwide, 98 percent of males and females identify as straight. In a survey done by the National Health Interview in 2015, 97.6 percent of people reported they are heterosexual, 1.6 percent reported they are gay/lesbian and 0.8 percent reported they are bisexual.

Proportionally this aligns very closely with the data collected through the Bark survey. Heterosexuality is far more widespread campus and country wide than homosexuality and bisexuality combined. In the Bark’s data, the most noticeable difference between the survey done five years ago and this year is the self-reporting of bisexuality, with an increase of 6 percent between 2014 and 2019. These two comparisons could potentially represent either the climate at Redwood and students’ willingness to share their sexuality, or the attitude in Marin and the demographic of its population.

The level of sexual experience hasn’t changed much in the last five years.

However, in the first-ever Bark sex survey from 1974, the question, “Have you had sexual intercourse since entering high school?” was asked and 60 percent of students self-reported they never had sexual intercourse since entering high school and 10 percent reported they were having sex regularly. Similarly, in the 2014 survey the question, “About how regularly do you have intercourse?” was asked, resulting in 69 percent saying never and nine percent saying more than once a week. According to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collected in 2017, 40 percent of U.S. high school students have had sexual intercourse. This is about 10 percent lower than the data the Bark collected of students whose extent of sexual experience was intercourse 32 and 29 percent in 2019 and 2014 percent, respectively.

1 bottle = 1 person surveyed

.

According to the CDC, 19 percent of students who are sexually active drank alcohol or did drugs before they last had sex. The Bark survey found that in 2014 more people were “always” under the influence of alcohol or other drugs than in this year’s survey. Whether the answer “rarely,” “sometimes,” “usually,” or “always” was selected, 37 percent of students have at least once engaged in sexual intercourse while not sober. Similarly, according to The National Convention on Addiction and Substance Abuse, of sexually active 15 to 24 year olds, 29 percent said they have done more sexually than they would have had they not been under the influence.

There is a substantial difference between the number of people who self-reported they believe homosexualty is morally wrong or an illness. In 1974, over a quarter of the school thought that homosexuality was an illness––forty five years later, that number has significantly decreased by over 30 percent. One year before, in 2013, California legalized gay marriage. Six years later, the percentage of students who believe homosexuality is morally wrong increased by five percent from 2014. Even fewer students in 2014 reported that they thought it was an illness, at three percent.

According to a survey conducted by General Social Survey in 1988 and 2010, 62 percent and 88 percent of people approved of same-sex marriage respectively.

Five years ago, over 20 percent more students self-reported that they had said “I love you” to a romantic partner. In 2019, when students were asked if they had ever been in love, only 31 percent said yes compared to the 52 percent in 2014.

According to a survey done by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 28 percent of 15- and 16-year-old students report that they are having sexual intercourse while 63 percent of those same students report that they are in love with their significant other. At Redwood, as the number of people having intercourse increases, the number of people saying “I love you” to a romantic partner decreased significantly.

Disclaimer: Not all survey question answer options are listed in summaries so not all responses equal 100 percent. ncerf@redwoodbark.org

redwoodbark.org bark Page 11 • Feature The persistence of segregation through the decades Story and Graphics by Maddie Loebbaka Some of the most dramatic examples of stark racial segregation stem from our educational system. There’s Ruby Bridges entering the steps to her new all-white elementary school or the Little Rock Nine, the black students who were physically barricaded from entering their new high school by the Arkansas National Guard. Whatever imagery is derived from segregation, it is usually a concept of the past. However, segregation is more prevalent and common in the modern day than it might seem on the surface, and it even occurs quite close to home.

David Minhondo, a history teacher at Redwood and administrator of the Students Organized Against Racism (SOAR) club on campus, is adamant that segregation in schools should not be overlooked in the modern age.

“We are actually, as schools in America, more segregated now than we were before Brown v. Board of Education,” Minhondo said.

A study done by the University of California Los Angeles’s Civil Rights Project supports Minhondo’s claim; researchers have found that students are just as segregated today as they were in the 1960s.

Racial division in education, geography and society has persisted despite legislative efforts to integrate. Most major cities remain greatly segregated––areas such as Southside Chicago, Brooklyn and Oakland have long maintained their status as majority African American neighborhoods.

Although the Fair Housing Act of 1968 bans discrimination of all kinds regarding property sale and neighborhoods, the segregation in these communities goes much deeper: the school systems. In fact, the geographic segregation can be a direct result of school district zoning, according to University of Southern California Associate Sociology professor Ann Owens.

To test her theory, Owens overlaid school district boundaries across maps of the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. Her study found that in 2010, 56 percent of residential segregation between white and minority families directly correlated with the perimeter of school districts in the area. Minhondo says that a history of racial inequality is to blame for these stark lines being drawn geographically.

“Schools become very insular; counties put up barriers that make it hard for people of color to move into them, and there are historic inequities that have caught up many people of color in the cycle of poverty,” Minhondo said.

In urban residential areas, many neighborhoods tend to be racially divided and less diverse. In cities like Detroit, the line can be drawn as dramatically as the city border, where black residents were practically barricaded from entering the suburbs as white families blocked the roadways with Christmas trees. Racial divides can also be only visible to locals, such as the Canal District in San Rafael.

Adam Gamoran, Sociology professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, believes social tendencies are to blame.

“The segregation of American cities and suburbs is largely due to policies that enable segregation,” Gamoran said. “It occurs through a climate of hostility that makes it uncomfortable for people of different racial and ethnic groups to move into predominantly white neighborhoods.

It’s done through white families departing residential areas if they become largely minority areas.”

T h e history of segregation and its

r e l at i o n to school districts h a s long been investigated by the courts of law with m i x e d responses. The Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in 1954 was the first time that racial segregation in schools was addressed in a judicial setting.

The justices agreed unanimously that the segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. However, in 1991, the Oklahoma City v. Dowell case was brought to the Supreme Court, with the Oklahoma City Board of Education arguing that it should not be required by the federal government to desegregate their schools. The case effectively ended required desegregation efforts, which have since been discontinued across the country, leading to a resulting atavism, a tendency to return to old customs of the past.

Despite holding seemingly progressive views, Marin is not exempt from the segregation that exists across the nation. In November of 2018, the Sausalito Marin City

School District (SMCSD) was charged by the Attorney General’s office of violating anti-discrimination laws, specifically concerning the Bayside Martin Luther King Jr. Academy (BMLK), one of the two kindergarten through eighth-grade schools in the district.

Currently, an investigation headed by the Attorney General’s office is taking place to examine the extent of the charges. The ongoing case means that the board of trustees and superintendent of the district, along with other administrators, are unable to speak publicly on the litigation matters. According to Terena Mares, the superintendent of the SMCSD, the board’s silence is unavoidable although not ideal.

“I am very s y mp at h e t i c and committed to sharing publicly what we can and when we can,” Mares said. “It’s in large part out of our hands, so the district at this point can only say that we are working diligently towards the time that the information can be shared.”

On an academic level, BMLK has also had lower test scores and comprehension levels than Willow Creek, their neighboring charter school with a white majority. According to Principal David Finnane of BMLK, the average eighth-grade student at BMLK is three and a half grade levels behind in math state standards, and two levels behind in English. Laura Cox, executive director of local community tutoring center Bridge the Gap College Prep, adds that there is also a discrepancy in available programs at BMLK compared to Willow Creek (WC) Charter.

“Funding controversy between the WC Charter School and the district school, BMLK, resulted in severe budget cuts at BMLK, resulting in the loss of a credentialed science, math and social studies teacher for three years in the middle school,” Cox said in an advisory council meeting.

Disagreement over sensitive racial topics is not new to Marin in light of the recent conflict regarding the name of the Dixie School District. Though the name has been in place since the district’s creation in 1864, many individuals and families are beginning to believe that it represents racist ideals reminiscent of the Civil War, while others argue it is meaningful to history.

Gamoran offers a brighter point of view for all schools struggling with racial segregation, saying that both residential and educational segregation, doesn’t have to be a permanent issue that we face.

“There are still things today that schools can do to advance diversity, starting with providing a welcoming environment to students of all racial and ethnic groups, continuing with abandoning practices of racial exclusion.

School districts can also draw boundaries that are intentionally bringing students from different racial and ethnic groups together,” Gamoran said.

As it stands, however, most of Marin is almost entirely racially secular. According to KQED, white students make up 60 percent of all students in Marin, and 88 percent of those students attend a school that has a white majority.

Minhondo believes that spreading awareness and having meaningful, understanding discussions will lead to better to integration and get the conversation flowing to instigate change.

“I think that there is a level of avoidance but it more has to do with unconsciousness, this idea that we don’t need to talk about it because it’s not a problem in our area or we don’t need to talk about it because race isn’t something we interact with on a daily basis,” Minhondo said. “Being white is the default. [Race] isn’t something that students don’t care about, it’s something that they don’t know to care about.”

mloebbaka@redwoodbark.org

The Bay Area’s hidden identity

By Eislyn Snyder and Maria Alexander Illustrations by Audrey Hettleman

When thinking of the word “traffic” in terms of the Bay Area, the backups along the Golden Gate Bridge during rush hour may come to mind, or perhaps the congestion along Highway 101 driving towards Silicon Valley. It can be easy to forget or not even be aware of the other form of traffic that is concentrated in the Bay Area: sex trafficking.

The Bay Area’s Role

According to Shared Hope International, sex trafficking occurs when someone uses fraud, force or coercion to create a commercial sex act. The National Human Trafficking Hotline has received 34,700 reports of sex trafficking since 2007, and most cases take place in and around major cities, according to the Polaris Project. A report from the city of San Francisco stated that they had received 270 cases of sex trafficking in 2016 and that the Bay Area is an epicenter for sex trafficking.

Sex trafficking thrives in the Bay Area for multiple reasons. The diverse transportation options, including San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and other local airports such as Oakland International Airport (OAK), allow victims to be easily moved, especially those who are arriving from other countries. Brian Wo, cofounder and Chief Program Officer of the Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition, believes transportation plays a large role in this issue and that the area’s varied demographic contributes to the problem once victims arrive.

“There’s just a lot of ethnic enclaves around the Bay Area. If you’re trafficking someone from another country, it’s really easy to bring them in through the transportation centers, but then also just to hide them in your ethnic area,” Wo said. “Often traffickers from other countries will traffic people from their own countries. If you’re a Filipino trafficker, you’ll bring in Filipino ladies to work at your nursing home or your nail salon.”

According to a Community Affairs Manager at victim care provider Freedom House, Ambria, who wishes for her last name to remain anonymous, there are other reasons for why the Bay Area is a sex trafficking hub. She said that San Francisco’s booming economy has resulted in gentrification that raises the cost of living, causing many people to be displaced from their homes and forced to search for ways to survive.

“It just causes a lot of vulnerability. If somebody is homeless, they’re more likely to engage in what’s called survival sex, which is a sex act in order to obtain some necessity for life such as food or shelter,” Ambria said.

The sex trafficking business is conducted in a variety of ways, but since it is often discreet, it can easily be overlooked by an outsider, according to Ambria.

Trafficking can occur behind the facade of seemingly legitimate businesses, or in establishments like hotels— without the business knowing it’s happening.

According to Wo, Bay Area sex trafficking is frequently conducted out of illicit massage parlors, where the victims are usually from China or Korea.

Wo also says that technology has allowed traffickers to arrange meetings at residential brothels, hotels or apartments through online advertisements. Sex trafficking can even occur on the street when there’s a pimp who benefits from a prostitute, which, according to Wo, is especially prevalent on Oakland’s International Boulevard. No matter the case, victims are being continually exploited––often in a concealed manner.

“The biggest thing is that it’s happening. It’s happening right where we live. It’s happening in big towns and small towns. It’s happening in houses and in the back of legitimate businesses. They’ll have a salon in the front, but then a brothel in the back. A lot of it’s just hidden in plain sight,” Ambria said.

The Perpetrators and the Survivors

The term “pimp” is one often heard in rap music, and in that cultural context it can actually be used as a somewhat respected title, according to San Francisco’s Assistant District Attorney (DA) Rani Singh. In regards to sex trafficking, however, it is the title of those who are abusing women of any age, forcing them to have sex with whoever pays the amount listed. Oftentimes, largescale pimps will “brand” those who they control by tattooing barcodes, crowns or other symbols onto the women’s bodies, as stated by activist and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.

However, not everyone partakes in this act, including a more discreet yet very prevalent form of pimp called “Romeo pimps,” Ambria, according to Wo. Community Affairs Manager “[A Romeo at Freedom House pimp is] one way that victims get recruited.

For example, if there’s a vulnerable girl who looks like nobody in her life has really loved her, the trafficker comes in all lovey-dovey and pretends to be interested. [The pimp] starts buying her nice things and taking her to nice places, pretending to be the guy that cares about her,” Wo said. “But really all along he plans to turn the relationship around and start abusing her, convincing her that she needs to make money by selling herself for sex. What may seem like a good deal to her is, in reality, a trafficking situation.”

However, the pimp is not the sole perpetrator; the industry would cease to exist without the demand for it. The clients or customers, in many cases, can seem perfectly harmless, according to anonymous source and past victim of sex trafficking, “Jennifer.”

“We have this idea that people who do terrible things look like monsters, and then we think about serial killers like Ted Bundy, who remind us that not everyone looks like a monster.

You can look perfectly normal,” Jennifer said.

She believes that a common misconception is that to be sex trafficked, girls have to be kidnapped. Since the victims of trafficking are often females, it can be easy to assume that women would not organize the trafficking themselves, according to Singh.

Throughout her career as Assistant DA, Singh has been involved in countless cases. She has not encountered a female pimp as of yet, however in one memorable experience she recalls prosecuting a male pimp who had trafficked numerous underage females.

“They are not humans to [the pimp]; they’re property.

They might as well be dogs, cats, pets or anything else that you would need to train or break,” Singh said. “Think about a horse, right? You break them so that they can be gentle and you can ride them. It’s the same concept, except we’re talking about a human being, as horrible as that sounds. This is the mentality of people who traffic.”

According to Singh, pimps, as master manipulators, hold a deep understanding of the psychology behind who they’re trafficking. They must be able to pick up on minor signs that indicate that, for example, a girl is from a broken family or is struggling with a mental illness such as depression.

“If I’m a pimp and I see 10 girls in a room, I’m probably going to be able to spot the two that I can turn out––that I can make prostitutes––pretty quickly if I’m a good pimp,” Singh said. “I will know because its become an art form for me. It’s become a craft.”

The psychology behind the process doesn’t only apply to the pimp’s choice of who they are going to try to traffic, but also the emotional holds that pimps use to manipulate the victim and force them to stay.

“Traffickers are experts in psychological manipulation. For example, once [a pimp] starts exploiting a victim, it may be as simple as telling the victim, ‘I’m gonna tell your friends and family that you’re a prostitute.’ Or, ‘This is what you’re worth. This is

The biggest thing is that it’s happening... right where we live... A lot of it’s just hidden in plain sight.

as a sex trafficking capital your luck in life. You know if you talk to the police they’re just going to arrest you.’ They make the victim completely dependent on the trafficker,” Wo said. “The trafficker and the victim form what is called a ‘trauma bond.’ Even if you take the victim out of a situation, often they want to go back because that becomes what they’re comfortable with, as abusive as it is. Traffickers don’t have to lock up their victims. They can control them from a distance.”

Fighting Sex Trafficking

There are numerous organizations and public services available to aid victims of sex trafficking and to raise awareness. The Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition (BAATC) serves as a leader for other smaller anti-trafficking organizations while also

They are not humans to [the pimp]; they’re property. They might as well be dogs, cats or anything else...”

Rani Singh, San Francisco Assistant DA

working to educate the c om mu n it y.

According to Wo, the BAATC began in 2011 when he and the other founders realized that the local organizations were not working cohesively to combat trafficking. Instead of providing services f o r

survivors, they take on broader work to educate individuals and organizations on the issue.

“Essentially, we wanted to really build a unified regional response to trafficking and part of that on our end includes a lot of education and training. We’re really focused on building awareness, helping people understand what trafficking is, what the red flags are and what they can do about it,” Wo said.

A significant portion of the education initiatives that the BAATC provide is targeted towards certain demographics by training people who are more likely to come across trafficking so that they can recognize it. For example, they have worked with SFO to train airport employees to spot traffickers who may be transporting victims and h a v e also trained property managers to look out for traffickers who might rent out their apartments.

Other organizations, such as Freedom House, take on direct work with survivors, providing c a r e and services for up to 18 months at their care house, the Monarch.

The Monarch can house up to eight women at a time, providing basics needs such as shelter, food and clothing. Once these have been established, Freedom House addresses the survivors’ other needs by providing them with therapy options, legal counseling and spiritual services if necessary.

No matter how long residents stay, Ambria said that Freedom House does not break ties with the survivors.

“Once they graduate, we don’t just sever the relationship. Our survivors are always welcome to call us. We very

frequently get phone calls from them even past graduation to just check in. We still want to make sure that they’re on a safe path postFreedom House life,” Ambria said.

For those looking to join the fight against trafficking, Wo suggests the 10/10/10 action plan, which calls for actions that can be taken in 10 minutes, 10 days and 10 months. For example, in 10 minutes, punch the National Human Tr a f f i c k i n g Hotline into a cell phone, in 10 days, conduct additional research on human trafficking and in 10 months, get involved with an organization.

“I think everybody can have some type of awareness and then if you have specific skills, like if you’re an attorney, you can do some pro bono work. I think there’s also the real general things that anybody can do because everyone has a unique sphere of influence where they can spread awareness. Learn the red flags and know how to call the hotline or the local law enforcement when you see something suspicious,” Wo said.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline is 1-888-373-7888.

bark@redwoodbark.org

sports

Page 14

SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS

BOYS’ LACROSSE

By Anna Compagno

Coming off a heartbreaking 6-5 loss against rival Marin Catholic (MC) in the playoffs last year, the boys’ varsity lacrosse team is determined not to make the same mistakes as they head into their upcoming season. With 16 returning seniors and 17 juniors, along with a few new freshmen and sophomores, the players believe this year’s team is loaded with skill.

According to senior co-captain Harri Hetrick, who has been on varsity since freshman year, the team is pushing their athletic capabilities to the maximum in order to make a strong comeback after last year’s devastating loss.

“Seeing MC and their fans storm the field after they won really stung. A lot of us were on the team when we won MCALs in 2017, so we know what it’s like to both win and lose. It’s definitely something that is motivating

us to push ourselves and work even harder this year,” Hetrick said.

Alongside Hetrick, senior co-captain Luke Elders has also been playing on varsity since he was a freshman.

According to Elders, the team also has a powerful dynamic as a majority of them have played together before.

“Our chemistry is definitely going to be a huge aspect of our strengths this year. I’m really excited to see us develop and grow as a team this season,” Elders said.

Along with the MCAL championship, the Giants are also looking to advance further this year in the Northern Coast Section (NCS). In their preseason they have already defeated De La Salle 8-2, who was runner-up in NCS Division II last year.

“Our goal this season is to play every game at our fullest potential and consistently play at our level. We’re going to do everything we can to make sure we compete in Photo by Anna Compagno every single game and leave it all out on the field,” Hetrick said.

LOOKING FOR A feed, senior Luke Elders (foreground) acompagno@redwoodbark.org attempts to get a shot on goal.

SOFTBALL

By Shane Fricke

Following a devastating 5-2 loss in the North Coast Section (NCS) championship to Livermore to end last season, the girls’ varsity softball team looks to bounce back this spring. Although they lost a strong group of seniors last season that led the team to both the NCS championship and Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) championship, the team remains confident in their athletic abilities to continue their success this year.

This year will be a lot different than past years because Redwood is without former seniors Catherine Jensen, Annie Connors and Cammie Klemme. To many opponents, the loss of a dominant senior class might make Redwood seem vulnerable but varsity coach Emily Atkinson thinks they will catch a lot of opponents by surprise.

“The energy from the younger athletes is our biggest Photo by Shane Fricke strength this season. We have a lot of younger kids this HOPING TO SPARK a rally, senior Kama Kaleikini hits season so the energy from the new kids and the young kids will help us go far,” Atkinson said. a leadoff single to start an inning.

BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL

By Alex Johnson

After their first losing season in four years, the boys’ varsity volleyball team has brought back all seven starters and are primed for a bounce-back year. With their only two seniors quitting the team early on last season, the Giants struggled with a lack of experience and injuries. This year, the team will call upon their improved athleticism, ball control and court awareness to make a significant run in the North Coast Section (NCS).

This is coach Tahan Minakov’s 11th year as the head of the program and despite last year’s disappointment, he believes this year’s team checks all the boxes. With two four-year players, Mitchell Zucker and Matthew Tede as captains, there is a significant increase in leadership compared to last season. Additionally, the Giants will still be able to rely on their biggest offensive weapon, junior outside Tanner Rich.

“Last year, our go-to player was Tanner. He got the majority of the sets, he was our kill leader and when we were in trouble, we looked to Tanner to carry the load,”

Photo by Julia Merron

sfricke@redwoodbark.org

Minakov said.

The Giants will also rely on two strong sophomores, Rich’s partner on the outside, Collin McDermott, and setter Asher Heller, who Rich says will make significant contributions in the kill department. Minakov believes that McDermott’s work ethic and dedication earned him a starting spot as a freshman, and he will continue with that roll alongside Heller.

According to Minakov, the potential for this team is extremely high because of their willingness to compete and hunger to win. However, Minakov, Rich and Zucker all agree that there are still improvements that need to be made if they want to fulfill their goals.

“We are a really close-knit group, but in terms of the game we don’t have much experience in close games and we lack a little bit of that killer mentality,” Zucker said.

Minakov also says that this team has not really been tested yet. After sustaining an early 3-0 defeat to Marin Catholic on Feb. 26, the team plans on adjusting their faults for future matchups to prevent Marin Catholic from winning two titles straight.

Photo by Alex Johnson The Giants look to bounce back their second league LEAPING INTO THE air, senior Mitchell Zucker spikes game on March 19 at Terra Linda at 5 p.m. the ball over the net during a practice. ajohnson@redwoodbark.org

TRACK

By Julia Merron

SPRINTING DOWN THE track, West Thompson and Nico O’Neill hone their skills during a practice.

This year, the team only has four seniors as opposed to the seven they had last year. Since the team is unusually young this season, Atkinson is relying on senior captains Kama Kaleikini and Alexis Gero, along with other upperclassmen to help lead the younger players.

“We have a lot of seniors and juniors that have played on the team last year with mostly seniors, so they will have to step up and show [the underclassmen] what it’s about,” Atkinson said.

Kaleikini has been on varsity since her freshman year and has experienced the strong senior captains she has had in the past. This experience has taught her that just working hard in team practice doesn’t guarantee results and she hopes to relay that message to them.

“I think that working hard outside of practice, and putting in that work is really going to help [the underclassmen] going into a game,” Kaleikini said.

With a new burst of energy from the underclassmen along with the leadership of the veteran seniors, Atkinson and the whole team is confident they can make some noise this season and get back to the MCAL championship.

Eight runners jog in place at the starting line, getting into the perfect position for a swift start. At the signal, they bolt off on a 300 meter sprint, alternately trailing each other and pushing past their teammates in a dash to the white finish line. After placing several top 10 finalists in three events at the 2018 California State Championships, this year’s varsity track team is working hard to keep up its fast times despite setbacks from weather and smaller team sizes.

The team has significantly decreased in number since last year which will limit some of the options for events to enter in, including the four-by-one sprint team, a group that has historically achieved high scores. According to junior sprinter Ella Blazei, last year there were 10 senior girl sprinters on the team, and this year there are only two senior girl sprinters, Nicole Strub and Isabel Talke. While the smaller team size is partially due to some seniors

graduating, including key sprinter Jacqueline MasseyBlake, who currently runs at Chico State, Blazei believes it may also be caused by an increase in difficulty of workout routines.

“The workouts have been harder this year and I think it’s because my coach is pushing people so that everyone will be more in shape for later in the season when it matters.

There have been people that are dropping out because it’s so hard right off the bat,” Blazei said.

According to junior Charlie Tantum, who has been on the team for three years, leading seniors on the team and talented long distance runners have diminished the threat of competition.

“One team that’s probably our biggest competitor this year is Marin Catholic because they have a lot of guys that are fast, but of course, our long distance is better than any other school,” Tantum said.

The team went to a preliminary meet for sprinting and field events on March 2 and is competing against Terra Linda and Branson next, at Terra Linda on March 28. jmerron@redwoodbark.org

March 15, 2019 bark Page 15 • Sports The impact of heckling: who calls the shots at a basketball game?

By Bella Roesler The electric pulse of excitement rippled through the crowd for Redwood’s Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) championship basketball game on Feb. 8 against a league powerhouse, Branson. Redwood’s Phil Roark gymnasium can fit a maximum capacity of 2,152 people in the bleachers, yet the gym surpassed this amount that evening with people overflowing onto the court. At other times, such as boys’ varsity basketball NCS (North Coast Section) and state playoff games, the audience consists of approximately 100 people, with occasional cheers from parents or siblings.

An audience plays a large role during a basketball game, determining the energy of the gym and players, according to senior Jenny Walker. Some players use the audience as fuel, however, Walker occasionally gets fed up with the invasive crowd. Being on varsity basketball for all four years of high school and committed to New York University, Walker has been the subject of jeers and many other disturbances.

“I have been attacked. [Audience members] have said, ‘No. 30, you look like a man,’ ‘You’re overrated,’ ‘NYU doesn’t want you.’ They’ll actually look up your name on MaxPreps and get your stats,” Walker said. “They’ve said some of the things on Instagram that you hear at games. I saw on someone’s post, No. 30 is a man.’ That was really mean. And you can’t say anything back or they win.”

Students are not the only participators in an aggressive audience. According to Walker, parents can be just as disrespectful as well. They not only yell at the players, but they yell at referees until they get a warning. “[Parents] will yell at you and it does not matter if you are a high school girl. Big picture, why are you yelling at a teenager? This is a high school basketball game. They don’t really understand the basketball game, so they’ll say things that are just uninformed,” Walker said.

According to Walker, it’s much worse for boys’ teams.

She explained how the crowd has “no mercy” and will go after a player’s personal life, which is especially hard when their parents are in the stands.

“One kid on MC had his sex life brought up by the crowd. They were yelling it. That’s so wrong. It’s just frustrating for me when I’m trying to play a game and the audience is saying hurtful things,” Walker said.

Senior Jack Gerson, who has been on the boys’ varsity basketball team for two years, has endured many personal attacks during games.

“When I’m at the freethrow line, fans will chant, ‘25 smells like s**t.’ That happened this year at Tam. Novato kids are ruthless. They’ll say things like ‘twig,’ ‘lanky boy.’ MC kids heckle for sure, but I’m friends with them, so they aren’t personal insults,” Gerson said.

Although verbal abuse from the opposing audience is common, Redwood does not tolerate its own crowd to do so.

“The [opposing] audience doesn’t have to participate in sportsmanship, but at Redwood they do. The admin at Redwood who guard the student section, they don’t let our

Photo by Max Gilberg

RISING UP FOR a free throw, senior Jack Gerson attempts to help his team out in a close game against Novato High School. fans heckle, and there are no signs allowed. Redwood has stricter rules than most, if not all other schools,” Gerson said. “For example, the things you hear at Drake or Novato or Tam, if a Redwood kid were to say something rude like them, they’d get kicked out of the gym.”

Many Redwood students feel that the verbal restriction of our audience is unfair. According to Gerson, Redwood seems to be the only public high school in Marin County’s athletic league that has banned its crowd’s expression.

About a month ago, during a boys’ varsity basketball matchup against Drake, senior Evan Solter, who is friendly with many of the Redwood players, was kicked out of the gym.

“The whole entire team is basically made up of all my best friends, so I feel like [the game] is personal sometimes. A kid on the other team threw an elbow at one of my friends and then threw down another one at my other friend. I got up and yelled and dropped an f-bomb.

Ms. White wasn’t really having that, and kicked me out [of the gym], which I thought was unfair because it was my first warning. I think it’s interesting that one little word can do that,” Solter said.

Solter believes that sports come with the typical rude comments from the crowd, which toughen players and

continue the legacy of traditional sport culture.

“I understand where [Redwood administration] is coming from, but I also think that the whole point about sports is that players should be resilient in their mind, and know that you can’t let things affect you,” Solter said.

“In sports, the whole point is that you’re competing and that you have to face adversity, and that’s a good learning lesson. They shouldn’t teach kids to not be able to put up with people being mean to them.”

Although Solter believes that heckling can be a good thing, the audience can ultimately make the decision to respect each player. Walker wishes that the audience would simply encourage their preferred team without attacking individual players.

“I would include the audience in sportsmanship.

People need to recognize that you’re at a basketball game.

Have fun, cheer for your team, stop yelling at people who are there to entertain you. It’s just wrong. If you’re going to a basketball game, just try to stay positive for your team and let the players play,” Walker said.

iroesler@redwoodbark.org

Redwood varsity boys’ tennis swings into nationals after strong start to season

By Sarah Young The Redwood boys’ varsity tennis team is serving it up into another season and has been invited to the National High School Tennis All Americans this year. The Redwood team was invited to participate after winning North Coast Section (NCS) Championships in their 2018 season. There is no guarantee of being invited based off of results, as invitations are only sent out to top-level programs, according to head

coach Craig Flax. 16 top teams from all over the country receive an invite to the tournament, which is from March 22 to March 23, at Palisades Tennis in Newport Beach, Calif. The Redwood boys’ varsity tennis team is looking forward to the matches, according to Junior Gabe Lewis.

Lewis has been playing tennis since seventh grade and enjoys the positive atmosphere and motivation he found at Redwood after moving to Marin, and believes this has helped contribute to their

Photo by Jack Benbow

SERVING OUT WIDE, senior Sam Seifer wins a point on an ace against Palo Alto High School in the Fresno Tournament.

strong team spirit.

“I moved from Jackson, Wyoming which isn’t much of a tennis-playing community in the amount of people who are really into tennis. In California, there’s a lot more people I play with and on the team who are trying to get better and care a lot about the sport, which makes a big difference,” Lewis said.

Having the opportunity to go to Nationals this year has encouraged Lewis to work even harder in practices and matches to help the team at the event. Another player on the team, sophomore and second year player Polo Cowan, who has been playing tennis since he was three years old, enjoys the personal responsibility of being on the team and believes the Redwood team uses it to their advantage.

“All the responsibility [is] on you so if you lose it’s not your teammate’s fault.

With team sports, if you lose you can blame it on them, but [in tennis] you basically control the whole thing,” Cowan said.

The Redwood team plays games and practices five times per week, and has two hour-long practices after school for their entire season. At practice, the team usually warms up, then plays matches or rallies with each other, according to Cowan.

All the boys on the team play both doubles and singles, but finding the right pair of players for doubles teams is a huge responsibility that is ultimately decided by

Flax. Flax has no problem handling the weight of this responsibility as he has been the head coach for three years at Redwood, and was the assistant coach for a year before that, making him familiar with the team. Flax makes sure to pick players who work play together and can volley well for the National Tournament.

“There’s definitely a strategy in how we create a line-up this year; it’s about matching the right players with each other for doubles. It’s about who meshes together the best in doubles,” Flax said.

According to Flax, one of the team’s top goals for this season is defeating the Tamalpais (Tam) High School boys’ varsity tennis team, as they are consistently regarded as one of the best tennis teams in the league. Although beating Tam will prove to be a difficult feat for the Giants, another exciting aspect of the tournament for Flax is varying the competition from the usual Marin County teams, as Tam was also invited to the national tournament.

“I’m most excited to see how we compare to the teams outside of California and to see teams from Hawaii and Illinois.

I’m really curious to see how we will do against them,” Flax said. “I hope we win the tournament, but our toughest competition this year at the national tournament might just be our MCAL rival, Tam.” syoung@redwoodbark.org

CORRECTION: In the February issue of the Bark, we incorrectly stated the Marin Highlander Rugby team’s standing. The correct ranking is No. 42 in the nation and No. 7 in the North Coast.

bark Page 16 • Sports Coachless lacrosse team dominates Saint Ignatius

March 15, 2019

By Julia Scharf When the girls’ varsity lacrosse team took the field on Saturday, March 2 to battle it out against Saint Ignatius, there was something different about their lineup. All the girls were there, sporting their high ponytails and eye goggles, and yet their head coach, Rory Daly, was missing from the sideline.

Earlier that week, Daly had sent a vague text to a few of the senior girls on the team stating that he would not be returning to coach them this season.

In their 11 a.m. game, the varsity team had to figure out a way to be successful on the field while coping with the drama off the field. They proved to be up to the challenge: when the final buzzer sounded 40 minutes later, the Giants came out on top with a score of 17-10.

According to senior Sabina Bacino, who racked up five of her team’s 17 goals, the unforeseen loss of their coach has left the girls scrambling to find a replacement.

“We’ve been having some team dads step in, which has been super helpful. It’s been hard to adjust to it, but we talked as a team and we realized that we’re the same players we were when Rory was our coach, and so now that he’s gone that doesn’t have to change; we just have to keep pushing ourselves,” Bacino said.

According to Dave McCarthy, a team dad who has stepped up to assist with coaching in Daly’s absence, the outcome of Saturday’s game was beyond what anyone was expecting.

“We were expecting a close game, not a 17-10 victory.

That’s a decisive win,” McCarthy said.

According to senior captain Erin McCarthy, she and her co-captain Amanda Morse have been filling the coaching role in Daly’s absence. They have adult supervision at their practices, but they organize and run the drills, keeping everyone on task in order to ensure the players remain motivated and focused.

According to Bacino, the distress and frustration felt by the players after the abandonment by their coach, who until this year had previously been the varsity coach at Novato High, actually contributed to their victory against St. Ignatius.

“A lot of it was emotional and mental preparation. We just had to believe in ourselves,” Bacino said. “The seniors definitely have to step up, but everyone is a leader in their own way, so if we just work together and listen to each other, we will be okay.”

While the team has demonstrated that they are more

Photo by Julia Scharf

LEAVING THE HUDDLE, the girls take the field after a pump-up speech during their big win against Saint Ignatius at Redwood. than capable of delivering on the field without an official “Everyone was really angry about it at first. But now coach, Daly’s departure has taken an emotional toll on the we just feel like it’s a good drive because we feel like we players, according to junior Tatum Shaver. have more to prove because we got put in a bad situation, “I was really bummed because I had just begun forming but if we overcome it that would be a huge deal,” Shaver a bond [with Daly] and we had become friends in a way,” said.

Shaver said. “We all really worked hard to impress him at The search for a new coach has not ceased, and first and then all of a sudden he just left and it made us feel in the meantime the varsity girls hope to uphold their like we weren’t worth his time.” determination and commitment to guide them through the Despite the bleak situation, the team is determined to rest of their season. make the best of it through the unfortunate circumstances.

The players are still finding a way to see a silver lining and jscharf@redwoodbark.org a possible opportunity to grow and develop as a team.

Freshman Gwen Kallmeyer makes a splash in first meet of the season

By Lucie James Her feet leave the starting block as parents, coaches and teammates cheer around the perimeter of the pool. Water splashes the crowd and soon after, freshman Gwen Kallmeyer finishes the first meet of her high school career. With nine years of swim team experience, she is familiar with practices and long meets.

On Feb. 15, Gwen participated in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle races against Tam High school, representing Redwood.

Despite her 100 free race not being the best, according to Gwen, she won her heat, with a time of 1:00.46, and ended in the top three in the 50 free with a 27.18, which she considers about average.

Joining the team as a freshman, Gwen wasn’t nervous as she was familiar with some of her teammates already from water

polo. However, she is still figuring out with whom she works well with during practices.

“I don’t have a lot of people I used to swim with, so I’m bouncing around and training with whoever I can find. There aren’t that many challenges, but I am just finding my place and swimming,” Gwen said.

Senior Olivia Kallmeyer, Gwen’s older sister who played water polo with her this year, is impressed by her sister’s success and sees her as a strong and determined swimmer.

“She has been swimming for a really long time, and she’s never intimidated by anyone or anything. She is very selfmotivated. She has a very competitive mindset, and she has always been really competitive with both boys and girls, which has made her stand out,” Olivia said.

Photo courtesy of Olivia Kallmeyer

SWIMMING BUTTERFLY IN a meet for her old club team, freshman Gwen Kallmeyer races her way to the wall.

Previously, Gwen swam for the Sleepy Hollow swim team, which is a club team in Marin. Gwen understood that swimming for a high school team would be a little different, but so far she hasn’t faced any significant challenges.

“I knew [the team] was a lot bigger, and everyone was practicing at the same time, so I wasn’t going to get more personal attention from the coaches. I went in there and swam [anyways], and it’s been okay,” Gwen said.

Prior to this swim season, Gwen was a key water polo player for the Giants this year, as she always started according to teammate and junior Cassidy Fragakis.

Due to Gwen’s outstanding performance during water polo and experience with being a competitive swimmer, she hoped to be as strong coming into the season, as water polo helped to prepare her mentally and physically.

“I expected to be separated from the people of my own age because I saw them during water polo, and I grew up swimming and playing water polo. I was raised near the pool, so I knew it wasn’t going to be too hard for me, but I wasn’t expecting to be some hot shot,” Gwen said.

According to Fragakis, who also played water polo this year, Gwen’s talent is undeniable as she is always ahead of other teammates during practice.

“She is really strong on both [swim and water polo]; she is always the front swimmer and ahead of everyone. It’s really good to have her on both teams; in water polo, it was really fun, because even though she’s a freshman, she already took a leadership role as being one of the best players on the team. She is definitely someone you can always rely on,” Fragakis said.

While the swim season is just beginning, Fragakis sees the potential in Gwen to be one of the better swimmers

on the team, and hopes to see her improve throughout the season.

“She has really good energy all the time; she can always switch from swimming really hard to blowing bubbles in the pool, and in my last season next year for water polo I’m really looking forward to working with her as a teammate and just watching her progress,” Fragakis said.

While Fragakis spends another season being a teammate with Gwen, Olivia is also curious to see how her sister will adapt to high school life while keeping up with a competitive sport. She believes her sister will continue her sports and hopes Gwen will remain focused throughout high school.

“I think she will continue to swim competitively and play water polo. My hope for her is that she doesn’t burn out, and that her first couple years at Redwood don’t boost her ego too much because I think that’s how a lot of athletes burn out,” Olivia said.

Due to Gwen’s talent and past results in water polo and swim meets, Olivia believes Gwen has an opportunity to continue both water polo and swimming at a collegiate level.

“I am thinking that she has the chance to get recruited if she wants to continue swimming and play water polo in college because she is really good at it and there are a lot of people supporting her. We have really good teams around Marin, so she has been coached by really incredible coaches,” Olivia said.

As Gwen is only a freshman, she has many opportunities to improve at a high school level in both water polo and swimming before going to college. Gwen will compete in her next race on March 15 away against San Marin. ljames@redwoodbark.org

bark Sports Spotlight: Chloe Holder sails her way to Tufts Page 17 • Sports

www.redwoodbark.org

By Ryo Weng

The spray of salt water may remind many people of a relaxing tropical getaway. However, the mist blowing against senior Chloe Holder’s face is a common experience for this successful sailor.

Inspired by her father, who is also a sailor, Holder and her younger sister became involved in sailing when Holder was just nine. After her father introduced her to sailing, Holder fell in love with it.

Now she is ranked 10th in the nation for female skipper in Club 420’s and 50th for International 420’s (the types of boats she sails) and there is no doubt that Holder excels at sailing. As a committed athlete, Holder will be attending Tufts University next fall for sailing. Coaches from other universities such as Cornell, Georgetown and Tulane showed demonstrated interest in Holder as well, but she decided on Tufts as they have the nation’s biggest sailing program. Additionally, Holder was honored with becoming the St. Francis Yacht Club’s Junior Yachtswoman of the Year 2018 and recognized as the Top Womens Youth Sailor in the Star World Championship, where she finished in first place. She has also competed in other major regattas such as the C420 National Championship and the US Sailing Double Handed Championship to name a few. Her sailing career has been very decorated, but Holder still has some unfinished business before heading off to college.

“This summer, we’re [Holder and her crew] hoping to go to Portugal for the International 420 World Championships, but we still need to make sure we’ve qualified,” Holder said.

With four hour-long practices four days a week, Holder has been able to hone her sailing skills with the help of her coach, Adam Corpuz-Lahne.

“Sailing, unlike almost every other sport you can think of, is played on a moving playing field. The waves are affected by the wind and the current so when the wind blows against the current, you end up with a really big chop and that can make it really difficult and challenging to sail,” Corpuz-Lahne said.

Corpuz-Lahne has seen incredible improvement in Holder from his three years of coaching her. According to Corpuz-Lahne, Holder could not really pull in the mainsheet or hike hard when she first started, but through training and physical development, carrying out these actions has become second nature. Additionally, her mental abilities and tactical awareness on the race course have become increasingly refined.

“The hardest thing that I’ve found is it’s hard to work with another person on the boat. You’re on this really small piece of fiberglass in the ocean for extended periods of time and it’s really easy to get frustrated. So being on

Photo courtesy of Chloe Holder

SCANNING THE HORIZON, senior skipper Chloe Holder steers her crew through the course in the San Francisco Bay. Holder is committed to sail at Tufts University during her college career. the same page and having the same goals as that person In addition to sailing at a collegiate level, Holder wants can be challenging at times,” Holder said. to major in Environmental Science studies in college and While it can get frustrating at times, in the end, Holder has built up a passion for this through her vice presidency said that she and her crew are best friends. role in the Environmental Action Club and enrollment in Mackenzie Berwick, who is currently AP Environmental Science and Sustainable Agriculture. on the University of California Berkeley Through her motivation in academics as well as sailing, Sailing Team, was Holder’s crew for two Holder has become an exceptional student-athlete. Her seasons. Through their grueling practices commitment on both sides illustrate her well-roundedness, and countless regattas together, Berwick grit and determination. One instance of Holder’s character has been able to see another side of stuck with Corpuz-Lahne as she endured a difficult tough Holder. practice.

“She’s really humble and coachable.

“I was in the coaching boat following along. It was A lot of sailors, when they [reach] higher probably a 25 mile per hour wind and a huge three foot levels, they start to develop a ‘I know chop on the bay and she capsized over, and over, and over best’ mentality, but Chloe is always open to again,” Corpuz-Lahne said. “Despite being cold, tired listen to the way other people may rig their and numb, she kept wanting to work on the skill we were boats or if a coach tells her to try something new working on, when most sailors would have quit and been [to improve],” Berwick said. happy to go home and sit in the sauna.”

Her drive to become a better sailor each day is also Holder is unclear about her future path in life, but reminiscent of her attitude towards academics. knows that sailing will indefinitely be part of it.

“My two focuses throughout my high school career “I’m still trying to figure out the bigger goals with have been my academics and my sailing,” Holder said. [sailing]. I’d like to continue sailing for the rest of my life, “It’s hard to balance it, but after talking to all my teachers but there’s a lot of directions that it can take me, so I’m and they understand what I’m trying to do with sailing still figuring what I exactly want,” Holder said. and how seriously I take it, they’ve [become] very understanding.” rweng@redwoodbark.org

PAASS strives to offer level playing field for special needs

By Bennett Vasquez

As the Redwood boys’ baseball team begins to rake the fields in anticipation of their upcoming season, another group of members will be joining them on the field: the special needs athletes of PAASS (Project Awareness and Special Sports).

The PAASS organization helps individuals with disabilities participate in the sports they love. The organization is centered around the idea of teamwork and letting each individual have an equal chance to participate. The volunteers, also called “buddies,” help assist the athletes

Photo courtesy of Sander Leszczynski

SWINGING THE BAT, a PAASS participant receives a hitting lesson from Redwood baseball players.

and make sure the experience is enjoyable for them, according to their website.

PAASS is a nonprofit organization that was started in 2008 by Tyler Barbee, who had an autistic brother with the love of baseball but the inability to play it. Barbee started the organization to create a more encouraging environment for individuals with special needs, offering a wide range of events from sports games to cooking classes and dances. Last year, the boys’ baseball team assisted with the PAASS organization through teaching the athletes a few skills and exposing them to a new social environment. Sander Leszczynski, a junior at Redwood and a former player for the Redwood baseball team, has worked with PAASS for several years. His brother Alex, a junior at Tamalpais, has special needs and started playing in the PAASS program during sixth grade. For Alex, it was the feeling of inclusion that made him love the games PAASS held, according to Sander.

“A lot of times they are left out, so for them, I think it is a big thing of feeling included and they feel like they could be a part of something bigger than themselves [through the PASS games],” Sander said.

Similarly to Sander, Erica Kelly, the secretary for PAASS, began helping out at the organization when she noticed that her two sons, both of which have special needs, were unable to play at competitive levels for the sports that they loved and wanted to offer them the opportunities to do so. Her youngest son, Ben, graduated from Redwood last year and shared a passion for sports with his brother, but they were unable to play on the teams for their

high schools and instead played the game they first show up to the games and by the that they loved through PAASS. end of the game they are chatting with all Through the games, the brothers of the volunteers and playing the game with learned teamwork so much spirit. It’s really and other life skills great to see,” Schoenhoeft that will help them said.

According to exponentially outside of sports, [They gain] self-esteem, Schoenhoeft, the games according to Kelly. confidence, pride and feel like also give the special needs students confidence and “[They gain] s e l f - e s t e e m , they are just like everybody exemplify the value of confidence, pride else instead of the one that is determination.

“The sports give and feel like excluded. kids a different kind of they are just like Erica Kelly confidence because there everybody else PAASS secretary is no competition to be the instead of the one best; [the goal] is just to that is excluded,” do your best. So applying Kelly said. that to the outside world One of Kelly’s most fond memories was when the it’s really just about understanding that Redwood boys’ varsity and JV baseball whatever you do and you believe is your teams came out and played with the special best, that is enough. And I think I have even needs athletes. According to Kelly, this seen that in my brother and his friends that was their highlight of the year as they felt if they try their best they are satisfied and included by their peers and were able to a big part of that does come from PAASS sports,” Schoenhoeft said. play alongside them.

The organization offers a wide range PAASS offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities for individuals of events from basketball and baseball who are looking to become involved to cooking and dance. PASS receives with the organization. For example, Skye community donations and has various Schoenhoeft is a current junior at Tamalpais sponsors including the San Rafael Pacifics High School and a volunteer coordinator Baseball Club and 2k, which allows it to who has been a part of PAASS since 2nd have all the necessary equipment to organize grade. She joined when her brother entered the events. In order to volunteer for PAASS the program in kindergarten and she has and help out at an event, one can sign up at been able to see an immense amount of www.projectawarenessandspecialsports. athletes grow their social skills, some even org. in a single day.

“I’ve seen other kids who are completely shy and don’t even talk when bvasquez@redwoodbark.org

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Page 18

Tune in and turn on to the best sex-positive shows on Netflix

By Lily Baldwin

BIG MOUTH

It’s uncomfortable, a little disturbing, radically hilarious and frighteningly accurate. “Big Mouth,” the animated Netflix original series, stars four middle school kids on the edge of puberty, voiced by comedy veterans Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Jenny Slate, Fred Armisen and more. Through the two seasons that have been produced thus far (including one Valentine’s Day special), viewers watch as best friends Andrew Goldberg (Mulaney), Nick Birch (Kroll) and Jessi Glaser (Jessi Klein) navigate their way through the hell that is puberty. The friends are not alone in their awkward stages: each is accompanied by a ‘hormone monster,’ a typically crass, furry creature who whispers in the ears of the pre-teens like devils on their shoulders.

These whispers aren’t always appreciated, and often the hormone-driven actions the

characters take backfire in a big way.

This cartoon is not for the faint of heart, and probably not for watching with your parents or younger siblings. The dialogue is vulgar, and the content can often be graphic. However, if you’re comfortable with dirty humor and flashbacks to seventh grade, “Big Mouth” is the perfect show to make you and your friends laugh uncontrollably. While watching, you can’t help but cringe a little bit at how much this show reminds you of your angsty tween years.

If you prefer more subtle humor with a message, this show may not be for you. If talking pubic hairs and musical numbers about periods are funny to you, you’ve hit the jackpot.

SEX EDUCATION

High school for the British teens in “Sex Education” means more than just stress over academia; these formative years

Photo courtesy of Netflix

NETFLIX’S HIT SHOW “Big Mouth” follows a group of middle schoolers through the ups and downs of puberty.

are the incubator for awkward students to fumble their way around sexual activity and tricky relationships. The series, which premiered on Netflix in January, follows Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield), a sexually inexperienced 16-year-old boy who is incredibly wise about sexuality despite his lack of personal romantic encounters due to the fact that his mother is a sex therapist. His classmates are preoccupied with sex almost all the time, and while unusual and raunchy for viewers, this is nothing shocking for Otis.

Teaming up with the edgy and callous Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey), Otis turns his sexual knowledge into cash by starting his own sex therapy business at Mooredale High School.

Topics that are often considered taboo and uncomfortable to talk about, especially for adolescents, are addressed unapologetically in every episode of “Sex Education.” Emotional problems, abortion, issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, sexting and slut-shaming are all components of the series. The show goes in-depth on the issues; Otis’ therapy sessions with his classmates serve a dual purpose, not only perpetuating the plot, but also enlightening the viewer. The creators brilliantly utilize the main storyline of the show to entertain and inform watchers. The performances in the show are less than Oscar-worthy and the stereotypical depiction of high school life is, at some points, difficult to watch without laughing at the utter inaccuracy. Viewers can spot the group of snobby popular kids dressed in designer clothing, the outcast girl who wears leather jackets and the star athlete under extreme parental pressure. While these character archetypes are nothing new for teenoriented shows, it’s fairly easy to look past the clichés and appreciate the many truths about teen sexuality that this show depicts.

GRACE AND FRANKIE

If you’re browsing through the vast expanse of shows that Netflix offers, you may come across a thumbnail image of purple vibrators labeled with the title “Grace and Frankie.” This series, which aired in 2015 on Netflix and has since produced five seasons, revolves around two women, Grace Hansen and Frankie Bergstein. Both are in their late seventies and are hit with a bombshell when their husbands reveal that they have been embroiled in a long-term affair with each other. This serves as the basis of the storyline as the women attempt to cope with the reality of their husbands’ sexualities and the drastic changes they face at such a late point in life.

The series grazes over themes of the struggles faced by the gay community when it comes to being true to oneself, especially later on in life. Additionally, the ex-wives, who become close friends through shared turmoil, prove that it’s never too late in life to find your best friend. Despite their fundamental differences (Grace being a conservative businesswoman while Frankie is a potsmoking dreamer), there’s one thing they can agree on: older women are underserved when it comes to sex. The show dives deep into stigmas and stereotypes surrounding older women and sexual activity and takes a comical turn when the two women decide to start a vibrator production business targeted towards an older demographic.

With the help of on-screen pros like Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Martin Sheen, and with light laughs throughout the storyline, this series successfully shines a spotlight on groups rarely represented in television. Don’t let the giant image of a purple vibrator turn you off from this binge-worthy sex-positive show. lbaldwin@redwoodbark.org

Going completely green: a mixed [recyclable] bag

By Alix Salzer

Since early elementary school, I have been told to “go green.” Tips and tricks on how to save heat and recycle properly seemed to take up a major part of my education, with whole days dedicated to the cause. My best elementary school memories consist of blending my own smoothie by biking and getting prizes for each day I walked to school. However, I realized that my eco-friendly education would be put to waste if I did not apply the tips and tricks I learned to my everyday life. So, I decided to go completely environmentally friendly for one week to give living green the green light. For the week, I focused on three categories: food, transportation and recycling.

F O OD Eating cleaner for the week was both extremely important and a difficult transition. Still, it is a vital part of going green because it helps cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. The agricultural sector accounts for a large part of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, standing at nine percent of total emissions which mostly stems from raising animal products, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. To do my part, I stopped eating all meat, as well as milk and eggs. While it seemed reasonable in theory, actually following through with this commitment was a completely different story. Changing my diet made me realize just how much of my meals are composed of animal products. In the mornings, I would have to double back, putting away the usual eggs to opt for toast or fruit. I also faced increased difficulty when eating out.

After the first two days, adjusting to the meat-free diet became easier. Substitutes were easier to find and, after a quick trip to Trader Joe’s and Safeway, were readily available. Nuts, fruit, popcorn and chips became some go-to snacks, and for dinner, pasta and salads reigned supreme. Not only did I gain a sense of pride from eating eco-friendly meals, but the cleaner lifestyle also prompted me to try new recipes and find different takes on common dishes.

TRANSPORTATION Throughout the week, I carpooled or walked to all of my destinations, most of which were within a five-mile radius. his was made easier by having a sister who was going to and from most of the same places I was, so I was able to catch a lot of rides. However, when I couldn’t carpool, I would walk. What would have been a 10-minute car ride turned into a 40-minute walk, giving me a new appreciation for how much effort it takes to travel such seemingly short distances. Besides this, the rain and cold weather acted as a deterrent to going out. Even when equipped with an umbrella and rain gear, I would still get wet after a few minutes. By the end of the week, I missed being able to drive myself and found transportation to be the hardest part of being environmentally friendly to achieve.

Still, I would not say that this experience dissuaded me from taking a green route. I did find a few tricks to make transportation more enjoyable. Listening to music while walking allowed me to enjoy the journey more, and, I also found that using other modes of transportation, such as biking or skateboarding, let me reach my destination with less physical effort on my part.

RE CYCL ING The last major category I focused my environmentally friendly efforts on was recycling. In contrast to transportation, this was the easiest part of going ecofriendly as all it took was an extra second of thinking before deciding where to throw objects away. Despite this, only 34 percent of wastes are recycled in America, compared to the 75 percent that is possible to recycle, according to Planet Aid. Many plastics and glass containers can be recycled, and just taking the additional step to find out what goes where was a simple task that has a large impact in saving energy and resources, saving up to 95 percent of the energy it would take to create a new product, according to Stanford University. More beneficial than just recycling, many products can also be re-used. Reusing containers, like soup cups, can be an effective way to reduce the use

Photo illustration by Alix Salzer

of disposable plastics. These methods both work together to make living sustainably a little more impactful.

While these are not the only actions one can take to become eco-friendly, they can make our earth a bit cleaner.

Overall, going green felt difficult when I first started, but became easier as I adjusted to the new lifestyle. By the end of the week, being environmentally friendly seemed normal, and even with the noticeable differences, the knowledge that I was doing a bit of good for the world outweighed what I was missing. The experience made me more aware of my impact on the earth and although I am not continuing on such an extreme level, I am planning to incorporate aspects of this lifestyle (such as eating less meat and continuing to recycle properly) into my life. asalzer@redwoodbark.org

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www.redwoodbark.org

I’m not a ‘Sucker’ for the Jonas Brothers’ comeback music video

By Sydney Steinberg

When I first saw an Instagram post announcing the return of my all-time favorite boy band, the Jonas Brothers, I was beyond ecstatic. Memories of dragging my mom to a whopping three concerts and meeting the band in person came flooding back. Understandably, I had very high expectations for the “Sucker” music video, which was released on Feb. 28. The video met these expectations and continued to speed by, maybe even going a little bit too far. The castle, the bathtubs, the

interpretive dancing at a dinner table and most notably, the tight pants were simply too much, and not in a good way. Although the video’s originality ensures the Jonas Brothers a place back in the spotlight, the overall extravagance was distracting and evoked nostalgia for the band I loved throughout my childhood.

A main component of the music video is its evident influence from British culture. I think it is accurate to assume that nobody could have guessed the extent to which the video would spoof and witlessly

Photo Courtesy of JONAS BROTHERS

AFTER BREAKING UP in 2013, the Jonas Brothers reunited and released their EP “Sucker” and subsequent music video to the delight of long-time fans.

mimic British culture. The video included several perceived symbols of England such as Corgi dogs, a breed commonly owned by the royal family, tea parties and fencing. The use of showy costumes and dramatic acting escalated these symbols to the extent of inaccurate cultural appropriation. Although the originality of this concept made the video stand out from those of other pop artists, it felt like the Jonas Brothers went a little too far in their attempt to do so.

I also quickly noticed colorful, poofy and ruffle-filled costumes that my mom most accurately described as “Hunger Games-esque.” Both the female costumes worn by Sophie Turner, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Danielle Jonas, spouses of the band members, and the brothers themselves were influenced by traditional, classic styles, such as tuxedos and ballroom gowns. Yet they took this concept to the next level through the use of ruffles, sequins, and bright colors. The overall extravagance of the outfits was so extreme, it was difficult to take in an entire ensemble in a single, quick shot. Because of this, the costumes often distracted from other, arguably more important aspects of the video, such as the brothers themselves.

The most confusing looks were Nick’s sleeveless red tux, Turner’s high-low style heart shaped dress, Kevin’s sparkly suit, and seriously Joe, leave those pink skinny jeans at Camp Rock where they belong.

Lastly, it was extremely disappointing

to observe the Jonas Brothers, who once proudly wore purity rings, rely on one of the most overused music video topics of all time: sexual attraction. This was mostly portrayed through intimate interactions between the band members and their respective spouses, however, shots of Joe hanging in ropes in his underwear and Chopra Jonas taking off clothing (on multiple occasions) made this theme especially apparent. Although the concept does tie in with suggestive song lyrics such as “I’m feeling heat in December when you’re ‘round me,” the song could also be interpreted in more of a soulfully romantic way, and I would have preferred the brothers to use that as an opportunity to set their video apart from others by depicting the more emotionally-intimate side of a relationship.

Altogether, the “Sucker” music video effectively projected the message that the Jonas Brothers are no longer the guitarstrumming, curly-haired, Disney channel stars I once loved. Extremities in all aspects of the video made the final product unnecessarily over the top, flashy and simply too much to take in during the three minutes and 19 seconds of run time. While the song and video likely put the band back on the pop culture radar, I am sad to admit that based off of this video, I am not a Sucker for the Jonas Brothers 2.0. ssteinberg@redwoodbark.org

Marin’s best quali-TEA boba drinks to satisfy your sweetest cravings

By Sachi Nahas

Bubble tea, tapioca tea, pearl milk tea, the drink with the balls in it, whatever you call it: boba has become an increasingly popular drink in the Redwood community.

Whether the tea is milky, frosted, creamed, fruity or malted, the factor that makes the drink so special is the round tapioca balls at the bottom of the cup: boba. As a boba connoisseur, I have found some of the best boba in San Francisco, but wanted to explore Marin to find quality boba closer to home.

SHARETEA: Located on Grand Ave. in San Rafael, Sharetea provides customers with traditional boba and an abundance of fruit and milk teas. With hundreds of stores located around 18 countries, Sharetea is internationally famous for its original classic pearl milk tea. When I initially entered the small store, I was immediately greeted by an aroma similar to that of warm sugar. Taking a glance at the menu, I noticed its clean structure laid out in sections with different types of milk tea: fruit tea, brewed tea, milk tea, fresh milk, crema and ice blended. The customer is also able to customize their drink ice level: regular ice, less ice or no ice while also being able to choose their tea’s sweetness level: normal, less sweet, half sweet, slightly sweet and sugar free—something unique to Sharetea. I found this to be very helpful as I prefer a less sweet milk tea over the extra sweet. Taking into consideration the one size cups, the prices were appropriate, ranging from $4 to $5.25, depending on the type of blend. Toppings, like lychee or tapioca, are 50 cents extra which is a common trend among all boba places I’ve been to. Craving a boba low in sugar, I ordered the simple black milk tea with “less sweet” sweetness and the iconic tapioca pearls. Although the black milk tea was quite original, it was very tasteful and fresh. As I drank the rich milk, I was immediately greeted with a burst of boba balls which were round and gushy, yet smooth on the inside. My tea was a little on the watery side, which may have had to do with the altered sweetness level, but I wasn’t expecting a lack of flavor and was slightly disappointed. However, I was shocked at how delicious and sweet the boba balls were. But, without the pearls, the drink would have been lackluster.

QUICKLY: Nestled in the heart of San Rafael on Fourth street, Quickly is a popular boba cafe located close to many of Marin’s favorite restaurants, such as Sol Food and Cafe Del Sol. The store as a whole is the biggest of all the boba places I’ve been to, yet they only provide up to four table seatings. Right in the entryway, there is a wall which is completely loaded with a variety of menu options, including Asian snacks such as crispy popcorn chicken, fried tofu, potstickers and more. Along with the food options, there are a total of 239 different types of boba

Photo by Sachi Nahas

LOCATED ON GRAND Avenue in San Rafael, Sharetea offers a wide variety of boba milk tea flavors like Thai pearl milk tea (left), classic black milk tea (middle) and white melon with fresh milk (right). drinks to choose from which was quite overwhelming, a combo)! Since World Wrapps isn’t a boba cafe, the but impressive as it enticed me to try a new flavor each restaurant only provides jasmine milk tea as a bubble tea visit. In this case, I decided to get the classic milk tea option, which is a letdown but isn’t unexpected. Aside with pearls and blended lychee tea with pearls. Aside from the jasmine milk tea, there are a variety of juice from numerous options to choose from, the drinks were options that the boba can be paired with. Some of the priced at a reasonable rate of around $2.75 for a small and other drinks include matcha, mango juice tea, strawberry just 50 cents more for a large. Unlike Sharetea, Quickly’s lemonade and dragon fruit. Although it is recommended milk teas were pre-prepared which made them seem less to match the boba with jasmine milk tea, you are also fresh but they tasted satisfying being pleasantly sugary. As given the option of adding boba into any other drink or for the blended drink, the lychee flavor was very strong adding another topping such as diced strawberries, mint and blended perfectly as it wasn’t too icy nor too liquidy. and pineapple and lemon slices. I wanted to get the best Just as the teas were flavorful at Quickly; the boba balls of both worlds, so I decided to order the jasmine milk tea deemed the same. The balls were more firmly rounded and strawberry lemonade and added boba to both. Because but soft on the inside. Taste-wise, the boba was similar to the drinks were already premade, the employee just had to honey which added a different kind of flavor to the tea and pour the drink into a cup and serve it, which made it a very made the drink too sweet for my full satisfaction. quick process. The jasmine milk tea had a lot more florallike flavor to it than the other boba joints. I could instantly WORLD WRAPPS: taste the floral flavors and the milk was a nice balance to the sweet jasmine. However, I wasn’t very pleased with Conveniently located within a five-minute drive and the boba itself. The texture was very grainy and the balls 15-minute walk from Redwood, World Wrapps at Town were unpleasant to chew. From now on, they should stick Center Mall impresses customers with its unique boba to their organic juices and wraps and lay off the boba balls. selection. As World Wrapps is a popular lunch joint for many Redwood students, the restaurant not only provides tasty bowls and wraps but homemade boba as well (what snahas@redwoodbark.org

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March 15, 2019

Gunna cashes out on highly anticipated debut album ‘Drip or Drown 2’

By Max Gilberg Gunna, otherwise known as Sergio Kitchens, has become infamous for his “drip.” From rap songs portraying his expensive lifestyle ranging from million dollar Audemar Piguet watches and foreign cars to renting out an aquarium and hosting a live listening party alongside

Photo courtesy of iTunes

fish and sharks, Gunna has proven to have a lavish style like no other.

Gunna sprung on to the mainstream hip-hop scene in 2018 after emerging as a popular Soundcloud artist, releasing “Drip Season 3” (the third entry in his Drip Season mixtape series), “Drip Harder” (Lil Baby and Gunna’s debut collaborative album), as well as being featured on Travis Scott’s “Astroworld,” Young Thug’s “Slime Language.”

On Feb. 22, Gunna released his long-awaited debut solo studio album “Drip or Drown 2,” a sequel to his November 2017 EP “Drip or Drown.” Instead of the abrasive, violent and hard-hitting style that many other rappers utilize today, Gunna takes advantage of the smooth, elaborate and 808 bass filled beats produced by Wheezy and Turbo to deliver melodic and catchy verses about heavy medication, exotic vehicles and, of course, designer clothes.

The album begins with “Wit It,” a track that highlights Gunna’s deep vocal ability to speak upon the importance of loyalty. While I have found that most albums are traditionally formatted with the best songs coming first, in my opinion, Gunna did the exact opposite, as my favorite songs came last on the tracklist with songs such as “Who You Foolin” and “Same Yung N****.”

Gunna varies his pitches through the track and speaks about the loneliness that comes with fame. However, this is not what causes this track to stick out. In today’s hip-hop era, many of the hit tracks sound exactly the same, using the same drum kicks, the same guitar melodies and the same 808s. However, this track is widely different, much

in part due to Wheezy’s Chinese sampled beat, to what is being produced by many mainstream rappers and Gunna is able to capitalize to produce a hit song.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the album, Gunna still has room for improvement for his future tracks. To begin, due to Gunna’s conventional flow, voice and, in some tracks, a lack of variation of beats, many tracks sound exactly the same. Another complaint of mine is that I truly don’t believe Gunna challenged and stretched himself enough on this album. On tracks such as “Who You Foolin” and “Same Yung N****,” Gunna uses unconventional flows and beats to offer a new sound to the hip-hop scene, but tracks such as “Derrick F i s h e r ” and “On A Mountain,” that although are quality songs sound like reformed copies of “Sold Out Dates” and “Oh Okay.”

While there were chances for Gunna to improve the album, overall, it lived up to the expectation and hype that many had for it and provided a number of hits that will continue to climb the top charts.

mgilberg@redwoodbark.org

‘Thank u’ Ariana for the ‘next’ hit album I’ll be adding to my playlist

By Sachi Nahas On Feb. 9, Ariana Grande preached an everlasting message on the importance of self-love in the heart of her fans, the Arianators, after she released her fifth album, “thank u, next.” Unlike her previous albums, “thank u, next” has no other featured artists, showcasing Grande’s undeniable vocal talent, sure to capture any listener’s attention throughout the 12 tracks on the album.

Instead of moping over past relationships, “thank u next” showcases Grande’s emotional growth and blasé mood towards her life. She uses lyrics such as “break up with your girlfriend, yeah, yeah, cause i’m bored,” and “so, look what I got, look what you taught me and for that, I say, thank you, next (next),” depicting her carefree attitude.

She makes singing appear easy as she shows off her incredible four-octave range effortlessly throughout. Grande further shows off her unique vocals as in almost every song she sings her lyrics with such high pitch tones. Effortlessly, Grande adds texture to her voice and effectively

captures the emotion of her audience.

Grande kicks her album off with the song “imagine” which has a light-hearted tone and steady beat. As the song continues, Grande explores lustful emotions, such as when she sings “knew you were perfect after the first kiss.” Grande carries on with feelings of anxiety and a roller coaster of feelings in “needy,” recognizes that she may need some extra space to enjoy her life in “NASA” and knows she made a mistake by dating this mystery boy in the first place, in “bad idea.”

While maintaining her chic, Grande still shows off her vocals with pride. Through the track’s lyrics, “in my head:” “It was all in my head (Skrrt, skrrt) yeah, look at you, boy, I invented you, your Gucci tennis shoes runnin’ from your issues,” taking credit for the man her ex tried to be while still not hesitant to pick at his flaws.

Furthermore, Grande speaks on behalf of herself and only herself, “You don’t wanna leave me, but I’m tryna self-discover, keep me in your orbit and you know you’ll drag me under,” showing that this album means as much to her as her care for self-love. I have always been a fan of Grande’s work,

and “thank u, next” is an album which not only showcases her growth as an artist but as a woman. Its simplicity suits its attitude, an attitude that’s familiar to just about

anticipated solo album, Father of Four, on Feb. 22. In his first album attempt to display himself as a solo artist, the 27-yearold member of the Migos trio steers away

from rap that lacks lyrical substance and, instead, delves into his personal life and upbringing in Atlanta’s Northside.

Although the interconnection between trap beats, ad-libs and meaningful rap lyrics seem far-fetched, Offset found a way to create a 16-song album that seamlessly meshes all three elements.

The album begins with the song “Father of Four” featuring Big Rube, which serves as Offset’s heartfelt apology to his four kids, all with different mothers, for not always being around as they have grown up. “Had a baby as a kid, mama kicked me out. Had to go and hit a lick, tryna put food in your mouth. Then I got caught for the s***, in the pen when she pushed you out.”

This initial song sets the reflective tone for the album and continues with upbeat yet contemplative songs “How Did I Get Here” featuring J. Cole and “Lick,” both of which have entered Billboard’s “Hot 100 Entries” at 65 and 86, respectively.

Beyond this point, the album starts to lack consistency but still brings in a list of head-bobbing tracks with songs “Wild Wild West” ft. Gunna, “LEGACY” ft.

Travis Scott and 21 Savage and “Clout”

anyone who’s gone through a break-up: at this point, she just doesn’t care. snahas@redwoodbark.org

Photo courtesy of iTunes

Offset’s new album ‘Father of Four’ births innovative lyrical trap style

By Jacob Klionsky One cheating scandal, car crash and a newborn baby later, Kiari Cephus, better known as Offset, released his highly

Photo courtesy of iTunes

ft. Cardi B. Although these songs lack lyrical content, they are destined to satisfy any pre-existing Migos or Offset fan with their catchy choruses and creative beats.

Inevitably, the 16 track-album has multiple shortcomings such as songs “Underrated” and “After Dark,” both of which feel monotonous.

In a constant battle with his demons of the past, Offset consistently uses his solo album as a platform to gain redemption for his sins. On the final track, “Came a Long Way,” Offset reflects on the improbability of his success and the adversity he has faced on his path to rap stardom.

“We selled the dope, never thought rapping would go far. I done exploded, turned rapping to an art,” he raps.

Overall, “Father of Four” manages to balance bass-heavy production from industry leading producers Metro Boomin and Southside and shockingly impactful lyrics. In a time when it seems like people only want to hear ‘mumble rap’ that lacks any sort of sincerity, “Father of Four” shines a glimmer of hope for the future of trap music. jklionsky@redwoodbark.org

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Page 21

Face to face: What are your beliefs on abortion in the U.S.?

By Morgan Salzer Face-to-Face is a feature that allows two members of the Redwood Community to grill each other, argue or simply converse about a relevant issue or event. We provide the topic, and they do the rest. This month’s participants are juniors Elle Perozzi and Grace Moser. They discuss their beliefs surrounding abortion.

What are your general opinions on abortion?

Elle Perozzi: I am pro-life… It’s so crazy to me that people would actually want to kill something that is a child. Why is it on Mars that you can have a life that is a singlecelled organism, the most basic life, yet when you have an organism inside a mother that has the potential to become one of the most intelligent animal species that has ever existed... it’s okay to kill it even though it’s considered a miracle on Mars and here it’s considered a burden?

Grace Moser: I think that abortion is one of the only options for a lot of women out there especially in cases where they can’t adequately take care of a child. And if all of that is going on in the woman’s life, they shouldn’t be forced to undergo the tumultuous ride that is pregnancy.

Should abortion be an option when a pregnancy is the result of rape?

EP: If you are raped and you are assaulted I think that’s the most evil crime that has ever existed and that anyone who does that should be punished by death, however I don’t think that two wrongs make a right by killing the child that was then created by that event. When you have a child and

you bond with that child, it [becomes] your little person, it’s your little beacon of love and hope and all that is right in the world.

GM: Women who have suffered sexual assault and rape, then ended up pregnant, in no way deserve to be forced to be pregnant for nine months and then bring a child into this world - a child that already might have an attachment of hatred to it because of the incidents of rape and sexual assault that happened to that mom. That woman deserves the best possible way for her to live in this world, and if that would be to abort, that’s her choice.

child can’t have the same right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

GM: Taking care of a child, they say, [costs] somewhere up in the millions. Raising that kid, taking time out of your schedule to help that kid, teaching them how to function— all those are things that go with raising a child and are something that you have to commit to. If you start below the poverty line in a situation where you are not able to take care of that child, you’re already putting that child in a dangerous situation. So the better alternative is to not put the child in that situation in the first place.

What is the best way to prevent abortions from being needed in the first place?

Grace Moser ~ VS ~ Elle Perozzi Do you think it is better to have a child born into a difficult life, or to not have them at all?

EP: Of course [harmful and abusive families are] terrible and that is a crime that we should deal with as a society.

But I don’t think that we can kill a child. I think that in those cases what we should do is encourage birth control so those people can’t get pregnant. But I don’t think that because the parents may or may not be fit parents, that the

EP: I support [abstinence]...How do you prevent so many people from getting abortions?

Well maybe we should push an agenda that is perhaps more pro-abstinence. Not waiting until you get married like ‘Oh my God, I’m such a child of God,’ but perhaps to wait until you are in a committed relationship or you are financially stable enough so then you can really support a child and give it the best life that you possibly can. I think that’s probably the best way to lower the amount of abortions.

GM: Proper sex education is the number one way to reduce the amount of abortions in pretty much every place in the world. Abstinence-only education is not necessarily the best option because it teaches students just to not have sex. That’s not going to stop the number of pregnancies because students are going to do what they want. [Sex education] should be taught in schools as mandatory curriculum. msalzer@redwoodbark.org

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Page 22 • Lifestyles

March 15, 2019

Former student finds success on Youtube, in L.A.

By Dean Griffin Hundreds of thousands of people know Gabriella Whited as a popular YouTuber. She is only 17 yet has already gained over 949,000 subscribers on the platform over the course of three years by frequently posting videos, mostly about her workouts, dayto-day life and her music. However, what people may not know is that Gabriella was a Redwood student, attending the school for her freshman year before moving to Los Angeles. During her freshman year, she posted her first video to YouTube.

“I really didn’t want to [post my first video] because I knew a lot of people would find it and I just did not want people to find it. People did find it and they made fun of me but I was iffy about continuing it because it was embarrassing but obviously it was worth it,” Gabriella said.

Since posting that first video, “How To Get Your Needle in One Day,” which was a tutorial on how to hold your leg 180 degrees in the air, Gabriella has experienced a signficant change. She moved to Los Angeles with her family during the summer before her sophomore year, not only to continue to grow her YouTube channel, but also to pursue acting and music. However as Whited started to audition for various roles, she found it to be emotionally draining because of how difficult it was to be casted for roles when casting agencies already have distinct types of actors in mind for each role.

“I went on audition after audition, got so close to getting stuff and I just didn’t get it. It was like me against the other girl. ‘You’re a year younger than that age, or you have brown eyes, or some dumb sh*t,” Gabriella said. “I didn’t want anyone to know that I moved here because of [acting] because I was embarrassed.

So that’s when I started focusing on my YouTube because I was like, ‘let’s focus on what I have instead of what I don’t have, what I can do, how I can grow.’”

Once Gabriella fully dedicated her time to her YouTube channel, she was able to become more successful on the platform and began creating a variety of content. She decided to post more videos dealing with topics involving body-related issues because she realized that the a large portion of her audience could relate to those themes, as many of them are teenage girls.

“A lot of girls struggle with body dysmorphia, body image, and I just wanted to do something to help people, so that’s how I found a passion to build a platform and posted videos that actually help people,” Gabriella said. She explained how it was the most views that she had gotten in a short period of time, as she surpassed 400,000 views in the first two weeks. “I kept consistently posting my workouts and I got really good feedback.

People said it helped change their life [and] how they felt about themselves...they’re not just stupid videos, it’s actually helping someone [and] making a difference.”

However, her shift in content isn’t the only reason behind the growth of her channel. Gabriella’s best friend, Redwood senior Daisy Dalzell-Piper, credits her outgoing personality as part of the reason why viewers are drawn to her.

“I think she’s very out there and she’s not shy at all so maybe [that’s why she’s found success] and also she persevered with it for a while. She didn’t give up so that kind of helped as well,” Dalzell-Piper said.

Gabriella and Dalzell-Piper have been friends since they met in their fifth grade class, and have kept in touch despite Gabriella’s move to Los Angeles.

By leaving her friends and the familiarity of Marin behind, she made an extremely difficult and significant leap to move to Los Angeles in pursuit of her career aspirations. Through all of this, though, Gabriella’s parents were always there to support her. Rob Whited, Gabriella’s father, saw a lot of potential in his daughter’s future and realized that in order for her to achieve her dreams, he would do whatever was needed in order to help her succeed.

“We knew she was talented, we knew she was driven. We were willing to make a lot of sacrifices and we did,” Rob said.

Photo courtesy of Gabriella Whited

GABRIELLA WHITED IN Los Angeles posing in a photo shoot for her followers on her Instagram account.

While Gabriella has been able to find success on YouTube, she wants others to know that they can accomplish their dreams as well.

“If you have a passion to do something and you know that you love something but you’re scared other people are gonna judge you or put you down because you expressed yourself, don’t listen to those people. Don’t listen to anyone,” Gabriella said. dgriffin@redwoodbark.org

Natalie Lubinski leaps toward her future with acceptance to San Francisco Ballet School School opens up many opportunities for young dancers, namely dancing A single spotlight, pristine point shoes, professionally according to Lubinski. and an opportunity to perform on stage in “It is a huge commitment, and it’s front of a full audience. hard to balance it with This is what dancer schoolwork because I and freshman Natalie don’t get home until Lubinski has been 8:30 p.m. or 9 p.m. seeking since her ballet most nights. It’s a really career began at the age good opportunity and of three. Lubinski has a great experience dreamed of becoming because I’m surrounded a professional ballet by people who love dancer ever since she dancing just as much was eight years old, as I do,” Lubinski said. and it was this year Katie Connors Lubinski danced that her hard work freshman with Stapleton paid off when she School of the was accepted into the Performing Arts in San San Francisco Ballet School. Anselmo prior to her acceptance in The San Francisco Ballet School the San Francisco Ballet School. is a dance company in San Francisco Lubinski’s former dance teacher, that allows young dancers to pursue Virginia Stapleton, is the founder of their passions at a more advanced level. Stapleton ballet, and knew that Lubinski had Being a part of the San Francisco Ballet talent ever since Lubinski began dancing.

By Lucie James

I knew [Natalie] was on the path, I just wasn’t sure she was going to make it in.

“When I’m watching as a teacher, with the San Francisco Ballet ahead of her. her diligence, her commitment and the Although Lubinski has expressed maturity of how she approached taking excitement over being admitted to the her classes stood out to me. Every detail school, she is aware of the increased she would take and absorb like a sponge. rigor and pressure involved. Stapleton At that young of an age it’s unusual, herself experienced the pressure of the because she made her body work, and San Francisco Ballet as she danced for she could achieve what she was asked the company prior to becoming a teacher, to do. She was very conscious about so she is glad, that the San Francisco everything she was doing,” Stapleton said. Ballet has recognized Lubinski for her Stapleton was part of Lubinski’s ballet talent and unique style of dance, which experience since she was little, and beyond has always stood out to Stapleton. that Lubinski also attended the San Francisco “She has a very lovely style and it’s Ballet summer intensive program, which is wonderful to watch her to perform. I love a required prerequisite before applying and her style of dance; it’s very personal to her. auditioning to get into the actual program. A lot of kids can be really technical, and According to Lubinski, pursuing she is very technical, but the technician dance at a more intense level allows her isn’t going to make it. You have to have to push herself and grow as a dancer. something more beyond that that talks The thrill of performing on stage is to the audience, and I think Natalie what drives Lubinski to work hard has that capability,” Stapleton said. and perfect each detail of her dances.

Stapleton recently saw Lubinski “As students, perform for the San we don’t get many Francisco Ballet opportunities on School, and is looking stage. Performances forward to seeing her are a way to show develop her technique people the hard work in the coming years.

I put in, and I just For now, Lubinski is love the feeling of focusing on enjoying being on stage with her time dancing with the lights and the San Francisco Ballet. audience. It’s really “I love how fun,” Lubinski said. challenging ballet is Lubinski’s cousin Natalie Lubinski, and love that I can Katie Connors, who freshman decide how hard I is also a dancer work, and the amount and a freshman at of improvement I see.

Redwood, used to dance and perform with I don’t know what my future has in store for Lubinski at Stapleton Ballet. According to me because there is still so much to learn Connors, she was proud to hear that Lubinski and I still have a few more years of high made it into the San Francisco Ballet. school. My goal is to dance professionally “I knew she was good enough because with a company,” Lubinski said. she has always been so good and so into it. I Lubinski will be playing a Garland knew she was on the path, I just wasn’t sure Girl in San Francisco Ballet’s next show, she was going to make it in. I was really Sleeping Beauty, which opens on March 9. happy for her when she did,” Connors said.

Connors is looking forward to see where Lubinski’s ballet career will take her, as she has at least a couple years of dancing ljames@redwoodbark.org

I don’t know what my future has in store for me because there is still so much to learn.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Lubinski

GRACEFULLY REFINING HER technique, Lubinski practices her back attitude at the barre at San Francisco Ballet school, where she takes classes.

Page 23 • Lifestyles

www.redwoodbark.org

Senior couple treasures their two-year romance

By Drake Goodman and Ryo Weng After conducting the historical Bark sex survey this month, we have decided to delve into the fading trend of student relationships. In fact, the number of seniors that date has declined by 18 percent since 1976, according to Child Trends, shedding light on a shifting high school culture regarding high school relationships. However, this change has not stopped seniors Jayson Fabre and Grace Scott from staying in a committed relationship with one another.

Fabre and Scott have been dating for over two years, as their relationship began shortly before winter break of their sophomore year. According to both Fabre and Scott, they started talking and spending more time with each other because they were in the same PE class.

“The reason why [we started liking each other] is because he had torn his ACL and so he couldn’t do the swim unit and I had a medical excuse as well, so we were both sitting out of the swim unit, and we started talking,” Scott said.

Despite an eventual attraction, Fabre’s impression of Scott contained mixed feelings at first. “[Grace] and her friends were crazy sophomores, which was weird, but it was also fun and I liked that. My friends were more laid back and serious, so it was nice to have that weirdness of Grace and her friends with the maturity of my friends,” Fabre said.

Now, after dating for two years, Fabre and Scott have created many meaningful memories together. However, their favorite activity together is simply spending time with one another.

“After a long day of school or work, we meet up and talk about our day and just rant to each other,” Fabre said. “It’s a good way to release the stress and to have that person that you can talk to, just to get everything out so you’re not holding it up inside. Just being able to have someone to do that with really helps make me more calm and happier.”

Scott added that talking to her boyfriend at the end of the day is also one of the moments she looks forward to.

“That is my favorite part of the week too because we both have really stressful weeks, and I see him at school and after work, and after work is at 8 p.m. and I have to be home at 9 p.m., so we run around to see each other,” Scott said.

Their scramble to spend as much

quality time with each other throughout the week has amounted to an deep friendship between the couple.

According to Fabre, their relationship is much more than just romantic, which, they believe, is one of the reasons why it has been successful for so long.

“A really good friendship is important in a relationship.

It’s also really fun to have someone [where] you [can] really enjoy their presence,” Fabre said.

In addition to forming a tightly-knit friendship within a romantic relationship, they believe having a good relationship with each other’s parents is important as well.

“My stepmom loves him and really adores him, and so does her entire side of the family. My dad, on the other hand, [is] very strict. Jayson and my dad had a little bit of a bumpy relationship, but they’re good. He likes Jayson,” Scott said.

As for Fabre’s parents, they are equally as supportive of their relationship.

“My mom really likes her. My mom is always open to inviting Grace over and to trips. Same with my dad, he’s just a little bit more quiet,” Fabre said.

L i k e many people in long-term relationships, t h e

couple has run into some problems. Being able to work through those issues, however, has allowed them to strengthen their bond with each other.

“After any problems, we sort it out through a lot of talking because sometimes I go into this ‘quiet mode,’ where I don’t really want to talk, but he’s really good at talking to me,” Scott said.

Fabre agreed that past disagreements have not affected their relationship as a whole.

The couple is always able to talk through arguments and quickly move on.

“A lot of it is not trying to fix the immediate problem. If you just try to relax and not try to fix it, it’s not going to affect your relationship in such a negative way and you want to give the other person some space and time,” Fabre said. “I’ve learned not to worry so much about every fight that we might have, especially because we’ve been together for so long that it’s not going to break us apart.”

From hikes on Angel Island to cuddling with Netflix shows, there is no doubt that Fabre and Scott continue to appreciate one another as time goes on. On a smaller scale, the couple has developed some routines with each other that they continually enjoy.

“If it’s a nice morning, then meeting at Philz and going to get coffee and enjoying each other’s presence is one of the nicest things for me,” Scott said.

Fabre also added that the couple appreciates spending time in nature together because it allows them to truly connect.

For both Fabre and Scott, looking back at their high school journey will surely bring up many colorful memories and experiences. However, this could not have been possible without their compatibility with one another.

“I love that I can just be myself when I’m with her and be able to be totally weird. It’s not like the way that I have to ‘fall in’ with certain friends by matching the way they act to just fit in. But with her I can act no matter what way I’m feeling, it will never matter,” Fabre said. bark@redwoodbark.org

A playlist to spring you back to life!

By Eislyn Snyder

how was your day? –– mellow fellow & clairo sweet to me –– summer salt you know what i mean –– cults nancy from now on –– father john misty dreams –– fleetwood mac prune, you talk funny –– gus dapperton 4EVER –– clairo my better self –– tennis sunny feeling –– the kinks ground –– wallows

american spirits –– innerwave nice boys –– temporex PPP –– beach house don’t dream it’s over –– crowded house malibu 1992 –– COIN this year –– beach fossils someday –– the strokes freaking out the neighborhood –– mac demarco april come she will –– simon & garfunkel saturday –– real estate

esnyder@redwoodbark.org

Illustration by Olivia Brekhus

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