Highlander Magazine Vol. 12 Issue 3

Black History Month: amplifying Black Voices

Highlander Staff Highlander Editor-in-Chief

Faculty Adviser

Emma O’Connor

Justin Raisner

Scot Scoop Editor-in-Chief

Editors

Natalie Doud

Chelsea Chang Amber Chia Erin Kee Raina Lahiri Anika Marino Isabelle Nunes Allison Raisner Claire Tseng Pavel Turovski

ScotCenter Editor-in-Chief Bella Reeves

Social Media Editor-in-Chief Maddy Ting

Managing Editors Rachel McCrea Auva Soheili

Elise Hsu Zachary Khouri Cambell Kirk Khalid Kishawi Maya Kornyeyeva Hanna Kryhina Preston Kwok Kaylene Lin Kasey Liu Sean Liuli Sabrina Lo Ethan Man Niamh Marren Ayal Meyers

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Your next listen...

6

What’s poppin’?

9

Editorial: Caught in the crossfire

Feature 10

Questioning in quarantine

12

The history of Belmont

14

The magic (and madness) of Marine World

16 Miles Ozorio Erwan Pal Mari Ramirez Ava Richards Julia Roseborough Leela Shailan Cali Shohet David Su Kat Tsvirkunova Anna Wilkinson Ruya Yaman Edward Yeretnov Kai Yoshida Payton Zolck

Highlander is a newsmagazine dedicated to providing Carlmont students, staff, and community with high-quality news, features, and opinion articles. We want to keep our readers informed on important issues ranging from events at Carlmont to international news, and want to engage them with unique stories and designs. Highlander is a publication completely run by the students of the journalism classes at Carlmont High School. Story ideas are generated by the students and the published content is up to the direction of the editorial staff. This issue’s editorial was a collaboration between Emma O’Connor and Rachel McCrea. The back cover was created by Rachel McCrea. Graphics on the front cover were created by Emma O’Connor.

Carlmont High School 1400 Alameda de las Pulgas

Opinion

Scotlight

Staff Writers Adila Azizali Josh Barde Joshua Baxter Anita Beroza Mira Bhatt Audrey Boyce Brianna Cheng Jessica Conley Eoin Cunningham Kiana George Leanna Gower Phoebe Gulsen Jack Hansen Elle Horst

In this issue . . .

Fun

Learning and Sharing Black Stories

24

What’s not to love

27

The complex history of Valentine’s Day

28

Netflix watchlist

Sports 29

Calling the shots

30

The twists and turns of COVID-19

32

A cash catastrophe

Campus 34

Expectations vs. reality

36

Taking Charge

37

Distance learning: what worked, what didn’t

38

Teaching and Tik Tok

39

Screaming Scots, push on!

Cover image sourcing: Stacey Abrams — Event with Stacey Abrams - Atlanta, GA - October 12, 2020/Kevin Lowery/flickr/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 / modified Ayanna Pressley — protestors / Public Citizen / flickr / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 / modified Cori Bush — Cori Bush, July 2020 / Craig Currie / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 / modified Kamala Harris — Kamala Harris (40773647993).jpg / Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0 / modified Ibram X. Kendi — Ibram X. Kendi How to Be an Antiracist (48625086298).jpg / Montclair Film / Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0 / modified

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Dear Readers, We are excited to bring you issue three of the Highlander. February is known for many different things: Valentine’s Day, the Super Bowl, Midwinter Break, and Presidents’ Day. More important than any of these, however, is the observance of Black History Month. In recognition of this, we decided that this month’s Scotlight would consist of articles promoting Black voices.

One of our goals as a publication is to be as transparent as possible, and we believe that this transparency is more important than ever when discussing how we created February’s issue. For many of our staff, the past several months have shown us the true extent of both racism in this country and of our own privilege. We believe that, as journalists, it is essential for us to cover this topic to inform and spread awareness.

Our Scotlight is not intended to speak for Black people and their experiences, but rather to shed light on some of the racism in this country and to use our platform to promote Black voices. As a majority-white staff, we recognize that these are not our stories to tell. While brainstorming and writing, we focused on telling these stories through Black voices, from artists to restaurant owners. During the writing process, we stressed to our Scotlight writers to let their interviews and research take the forefront of the articles, instead of their own commentary. It was important to us that none of our non-Black writers spoke on behalf of their sources or the communities they belong to.

Before releasing this issue, we wanted to get a perspective from a person of color on our work. We contacted journalist and Carlmont alum Jenna Chambers, who works as an Audience Engagement Editor at Zora, a publication focusing on women of color. We are beyond grateful for her guidance through the revision process, helping us to ensure that we are covering these stories with accuracy, respect, and sensitivity.

We also reached out to local Black leaders in Belmont and San Carlos, and though they were unable to contribute to the issue, we value and respect the work they do in enriching our communities and promoting knowledge and justice.

If you would like to contribute your own voice to this topic, you can email our staff at highlanderscotscoop@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Highlander newsmagazine.

On the Cover In addition to being Missouri’s first Black, female representative in Congress, Representative Cori Bush is a nurse, activist, and pastor. She is a progressive Democrat, and seeks reform in the criminal justice system and policing. She also supports policies such as Medicare for All, raising the minimum wage, and cancelling student debt. Before her election to the House of Representatives in 2020, Bush worked as a nurse, community organizer, and activist in St. Louis. You can visit her website at bush.house.gov and follow her on Twitter at @RepCori or @CoriBush When he was elected in 2008, Barack Obama became America’s first Black president. During his time in office, he pushed for healthcare reform, job creation, economic recovery policies, gun control, and social justice. Before his presidency, Obama worked as a community organizer and represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate. He is a recipient of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, and cofounded the Obama Foundation with former First Lady Michelle Obama. Obama recently published A Promised Land, the first of his presidential memoirs. You can follow him on Twitter at @BarackObama or on Instagram at @barackobama.

Representative Ayanna Pressley, representing Massachusetts’s 7th Congressional District, was the first woman of color elected by the state to Congress. She was also the first woman of color elected to the Boston City Council. An activist and a Democrat, she advocates for racial justice, Medicare for All, immigration reform, criminal justice reform, and the decriminalization of sex work. You can visit her website at pressley.house.gov or follow her on Twitter at @AyannaPressley or at @RepPressley.

In January 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris made history when she was sworn in as the first Black vice president of the United States, as well as the first Asian-American or female vice president. Before holding the office of vice president, Harris was a California state senator and California’s Attorney General. Born in Oakland, she supports healthcare reform, gun control legislation, progressive tax reform, climate change action, and social justice. You can follow her on Twitter at @KamalaHarris or @VP Stacey Abrams is an activist and politician from the state of Georgia. She is the founder and chair of Fair Fight, an organization that confronts voter suppression. Her activism includes healthcare and education reform, criminal justice reform, voting rights, and racial justice. She is also the author of several books. Abrams was the first Black woman to deliver the response to the State of the Union, and led the push to flip Georgia blue in the 2020 election. You can follow her on Twitter at @staceyabrams.

Ibram X Kendi is an author, professor, and antiracist scholar. He is a National Book Award winner and the author of three New York Times bestsellers, including How to Be an Antiracist. Kendi has a doctorate in African American Studies and currently holds an endowed professorship at Boston University, where he is the founding director of the school’s Center for Antiracist Research. His latest book, Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 (co-edited with Keisha Blain), was released in early February. You can visit his website at ibramxkendi.com or follow him on Twitter at @DrIbram.

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Jack Hansen Your dad has just taken control of the radio. Already groaning, you prepare to suffer through several minutes of agony, waiting for the song to end.

Yet, when the music does start to play, you find yourself... enjoying it? You can’t possibly be enjoying “old people” music, can you?

Despite the music being decades old, it can still appeal to people of any age.

On the surface, comparing music from completely different times seems nearly impossible. Modern instrumentation, lyrics, and other factors such as features are very different from several decades ago. Features, which became popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, are when another artist appears on a song.

However, even with these differences, many people will still be able to con-

nect with older music. Already, things like the “Guardians of the Galaxy” soundtrack have introduced old music into a modern film, including songs like “Hooked on a Feeling” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

One of the things that could appeal to listeners is the prevalence of concept albums, which had a central theme or narration. While they still exist today, with albums such as Kendrick Lamar’s “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” they’re much less frequent.

Pink Floyd is an artist who exemplified the concept album, releasing rock albums such as “Dark Side of the Moon,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “The Wall.” Although “The Wall” is one of their most well-known albums, it stretches to an hour and twenty minutes, making it hard to listen to in one sitting. Given the narrative in the album, the songs lend themselves to be

listened to all at once.

Another such concept album sits at the top of Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Album list: Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” The album is sung from the perspective of a returning Vietnam veteran. The last song of the album, “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler),” contains lyrics that echo the opening song, “What’s Going On.” Both songs discuss racial discrimination and anti-war feelings, making the end of the album loop right back to the beginning.

Although concept albums are less popular in modern music, they’re still a great choice. Artists like Pink Floyd and Marvin Gaye fuse great instrumentals with storytelling throughout the album, leading to incredible results. The distinct nature of concept albums make them worth listening to and broaden one’s music tastes.

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Your Next Next Listen...

Listen...

Your Start Here

Do you like the idea of a concept album?

YES

Do you have a lot of time to listen to music?

NO Do you like instrumental -heavy music?

YES NO NO

Pink Floyd “The Wall”

Electric Light Orchestra - “Out of the Blue” All Images: Fair Use

YES

Pink Floyd - “Wish You Were Here”

Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On”

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 5

What’s Poppin’?

The Rise of Boba Culture in The Bay Area

Art By Maya

Kornyeyeva

Maya Kornyeyeva With the appearance of dozens of bubble tea, or “boba,” stores around San Mateo County within the last 10 years, the drink’s popularity has increased dramatically. Due to a variety of factors, each shop manages to cleverly hook their customers and keep them coming back time and time again.

Whether it be the exotic flavors and tea quality or the appealing nature of their products, many students discover themselves going to various bubble tea locations after school and on the weekends.

According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the global market for bubble tea was valued at nearly $2 billion in 2016, and is projected to grow by at least another billion by 2023.

But how did bubble tea become popular so fast, and more importantly, why?

Boba culture originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, and rapidly gained popularity after being featured in a Japanese game show a decade after its invention.

It steadily captured more attention and sparked a social phenomenon, with people all over the world featuring their drinks on social media.

Joselyn Lazo, an employee at Teaspoon -a popular boba tea location- believes that bubble tea has gained popularity because of its fashionable identity and sophisticatication.

“Boba has a very aesthetic aspect, meaning that visually it is just so appealing to our eye. Beautiful food is something that always draws you in, if not to eat it just to get a good photo to show your friends,” Lazo said.

As different boba tea shops began emerging in the Bay Area during the 2000s, the toppings, drinks, and Taiwanese culture greatly appealed to two age demographics: millennials and generation Z.

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“I think younger people are more likely to be culturally aware right now, and because of this they are more open to trying new things. Boba is really about sharing Asian culture, and it started off as a way of bridging cultural differences, especially in America,” said senior Millie Ku, a worker at Boba Guys.

In addition to featuring a new and foreign culture, bubble tea chains often target their advertisements towards high school and college students. In this way, they reach a wide range of people that are drawn to socialize with friends over a drink or study with the help of some caffeine.

“Because technology is so widespread today, a lot of shops use Instagram and other social media platforms to promote their brands. I’ve seen posts where if someone comments on their favorite tea or tags a friend, they can receive a free drink or discount,” Ku said.

According to Ku, apparel and branding can also draw people to buy bubble tea. “Apparel is an important part of advertising, and often bubble tea locations will sponsor a celebrity to take a picture of themselves wearing the apparel or drinking tea and post it online.”

However, there is a drawback to buying this iconic beverage. Boba tea can be rather pricey, with drinks ranging on average from $3.50 - $6.50 based on the boba tea location, size, and ingredients.

Oftentimes changes to the drink like additional toppings or a different variety of milk can also affect the price tag.

Spending hundreds of dollars on drinks over time is not uncommon to those who buy it often, which is why many people have switched to making their own boba pearls and tea at home.

“Homemade boba is really different from chain boba since you don’t always have the same materials and ingredients at hand. It’s worth a try, though, as there are many good recipes out there, and it’s harder to go to boba shops now due to the pandemic,” Britney Fong, a junior,

said. According to Fong, you can often find premade pearls at Asian supermarkets and there are varieties that only take 5-10 minutes to cook. Based upon personal experience, however, it does take a while to find a consistent method of cooking the pearls and preparing different types of tea.

Now more than ever, bubble tea remains a popular trend due to its intriguing nature and the unique cultural aspects it provides its customers. Served fresh and authentic, drinking boba is an experience that everyone should encounter.

Reviews Boba Guys: This shop provides very authentic flavors, with everything served fresh. They supply several good alternatives to milk, and the matcha teas have an excellent taste and aroma. However, the boba texture varies in quality from day to day, and there isn’t a wide variety.

Teaspoon: They have very chewy and high quality boba each time, along with a great variety of teas and flavors that have a rich yet not overwhelming taste.

There is a perfect balance between milk

and tea, and they have a big selection of hot teas as well. However, drinks are a bit pricey.

ShareTea: Their teas and boba are about average, but the pearls are often hard to chew. They provide a big selection of fruit teas, milk teas, and slushies, as well as a wide range of toppings (including mini boba!). However, the drinks are overall very expensive and oftentimes not worth the money.

Yaua: The teas are all usually average.

Their fruit teas and hot teas have excellent flavor and are very refreshing, but the boba does vary in texture and quality. The drinks are pretty affordable for students, and there is also a wide range of toppings including popping boba and jelly.

TPumps: Their honey boba is by far the squishiest and sweetest boba, and never wavers in quality. The selection of tea flavors is enormous, giving customers a lot of creative freedom when crafting their drinks. In addition, the teas are very inexpensive. However, the teas do not have a very authentic flavor and are excessively sweet, so I always get half or no sweetness.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 7

Boba Reviews 4

Yaua

ShareTea

Location: San Mateo Price: $$$$

Location: Belmont Price: $$

5

Boba Guys Location: San Carlos Price: $$$

2

TPumps

Location: Foster City Price: $$

3

Teaspoon

Location: Redwood City Price: $$$

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Editorial: Caught in the crossfire munity. When police arrest and injure professionals doing their jobs, there is something very wrong with our nation’s conception of free press and democracy.

Journalists used to be respected. Now, they are targeted. These attacks on journalists signifies the damaged concept of free press and democracy in this nation.

Months after the first attacks on journalists at protests, nothing has been done to fix this problem. Journalists were attacked once again at the Capitol building, this time by rioters who destroyed camera equipment and chased away reporters. A camera cord was fashioned into a noose, a chilling parallel to the message left by a Trump supporter on a Capitol door: “Murder the media.”

At the time of writing this editorial,

the nation is anticipating more threats of violence. Journalists, just like the National Guard troops that have flooded the Capitol in anticipation of violence, are preparing as if for battle. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has expressed that they are “gravely concerned for media safety,” while the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has issued a safety advisory, warning journalists to “be prepared for the risk of hostility and violence from [...] militia groups, protesters, and the police.”

The country may be under a new presidency, but that does not mean the problem is solved. The Trump administration and its allies must be held accountable for spreading their anti-media rhetoric and threatening the lives and safety of journalists everywhere.

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You’re at a Black Lives Matter protest, camera in hand, a press pass hung around your neck, and a mask on, trying to social distance from others. As you walk you see protesters holding up signs.

When you turn the corner you see the police. They’re all lined up with shields and in head to toe riot gear. You think, “I’ll be fine, I’m just here to report on the protest.” Next thing you know, there’s a tear gas cylinder flying right at your face.

This was the reality for journalists across the country this summer as they covered protests sparked by the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police brutality. Reporters were shot with foam and rubber bullets, tear gassed, physically assaulted, and zip tied. A CNN crew was arrested while reporting on live TV, sending shockwaves through the journalism com-

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 9

Questioning in quarantine Zachary Khouri Since the COVID-19 pandemic first began, millions of Americans have been forced to stay inside to protect themselves and their families from contracting the virus.

LGBTQ teens are building especially unique experiences during this crisis: while many teenagers see quarantine as a chance to sleep in and eat comfort food in front of the TV, it has offered LGBTQ teens time for self-reflection.

Chris Smith, who describes their family as “warm and accepting,” has had the opportunity to explore their identity further while in quarantine. Smith’s name has been changed to protect privacy in accordance with Carlmont’s anony-

mous sources policy.

“I experimented with labels and was able to find what is comfortable for me. Having an online community is one of the best ways to get to know yourself because there are other people just like you, and there isn’t the threat of having to talk to someone face-to-face,” Smith said.

Smith uses neo-pronouns, which replace “she,” “he,” and “they” with labels that more accurately describe people who do not fall under the gender binary of “male” or “female.”

Examples of neo-pronouns include xe/xem/xyr and ey/em/ eir.

“While I love my pronouns, since they’re such a new phenomenon, I don’t know how comfortable I would feel in an environment full of people who don’t know anything about them,” Smith said. “Being online allows us to spread information and acceptance much easier.”

While Smith has primarily had a positive experience, those from unaccepting families are at severe risk of physical or emotional harm.

According to The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization focusing on suicide prevention tactics for LGBTQ youth, lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens from unaccepting families are 8.4 times more likely to commit suicide than those who experience little to no levels of familial rejection.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advocates for parents to have “honest and open conversations” with their LGBTQ children to provide them with a safe space if they encounter anti-LGBTQ rhetoric in school or online.

Since LGBTQ students comprise only 8% of American high schoolers, those with detrimental home lives face the brunt of the pandemic blues as they struggle with loneliness and alienation from their friends and family.

Taylor Johnson, who does not align with any specific gender identity, described quarantine as a challenging experience. Johnson’s name has also been changed to protect their privacy.

“Quarantine has made me develop much self-hate, but I’ve also realized the importance of asking for help and support,” Johnson said.

The uneasiness that Johnson emphasized is known as gender dysphoria, described by the Mayo Clinic as “the feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics.” They recommend that those suffering from gender dysphoria discuss the issue with a healthcare

10 HIGHLANDER FEATURE

Zachary Khouri

professional for a diagnosis to pursue hormone treatment or surgery.

Despite their battle with gender dysphoria, Johnson stated that they feel safer at home than they do on campus due to bullying and what they cite as a general “lack of compassion.”

“For those in quarantine who are LGBTQ, please reach out and talk if you’re struggling,” Johnson said. “The most important thing is that you trust [the person].”

Although maintaining a healthy support system is essential, senior Sophia Campbell expressed that quarantine can still be limiting for LGBTQ teens.

“I think one thing that many non-LGBTQ students don’t understand is (that) the little things such as socializing with other queer people at school is very important for the development of gender identity and sexuality. It can be a lot harder than non-LGBTQ students realize,” Campbell said.

However, Campbell recognized that there are both positive and negative sides to the high school experience as an LGBTQ teenager.

“I would describe Carlmont as a moderately safe space because I am comfortable being myself,” Campbell said.

“However, there are students who use gay slurs or make re-

marks containing subtle homophobia or transphobia, which is often overlooked. LGBTQ students accept this as a norm when it should not be that way.”

While in quarantine, Campbell has taken advantage of the ample free time to consider how she labels her identity.

“At the beginning of quarantine, I labeled myself as cisgender and bisexual, but now I would say I am comfortable with bisexual, pansexual, queer, or gay. I don’t feel the need to limit myself to one specific label,” Campbell said.

Smith affirmed that the journey towards being an openly LGBTQ person looks different for everyone.

“Keep your safety as your top priority. If you’re afraid of getting hurt, then staying closeted might be the right path for you,” Smith said.

If one struggles to build friendships, The Human Rights Campaign promotes joining the bullying-free online Q Chat Space, where one can communicate with other LGBTQ teens and trained staff from LGBTQ centers around the country.

One of the battles that many LGBTQ teens face, whether at school or in quarantine, is loneliness. Finding a support system can be infinitely more challenging for those who are still closeted. However, they can call the Trevor Project’s LGBTQ crisis intervention hotline at 1-866-488-7396.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 11

The history of Belmont Joshua Baxter

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In October of 1926, the city of Belmont was incorporated into San Mateo County as a residential suburb of San Francisco.

Nearing the century mark of its incorporation, Belmont has come a long way to become the thriving community it is today: a community where many residents enjoy the people and places around them.

“My favorite part about living in Belmont is the people that I am surrounded by. The community is filled with friendly individuals who I have known for a while. I am privileged to be in a place where there are so many affable families,” Thaddeus Duffy, a senior, said.

But before Belmont was even considered as a suburb, it started out as a part of a 35,240-acre Spanish land grant known as Rancho de las Pulgas in 1795. It was on this land where many local Ohlone tribes lived, who the Spanish converted to Christianity.

In 1850, Belmont was settled with the purpose of serving as a stagecoach station. That year, Charles Aubrey Angelo, an Englishman, established Angelo’s Road House on the intersection of current day Old County Road and Ralston Avenue.

The location was originally known as Angelo’s Corners, before officially becoming known as Belmont in 1853, which is thought to have been derived from “bel monte,” the Italian phrase for beautiful mountain. A year later, a U.S. Post Office was established and became the third post office in what was then known as San Francisco County.

According to a document from the Historical Resources Inventory of Belmont prepared by the San Mateo County Historical Association, in 1856, former governor John McDougald was instrumental in

Belmont becoming the first seat in the newly formed San Mateo County. Ten years later, a financer in San Francisco named William Ralston, who Ralston Avenue is named after, purchased property once belonging to Italian consul Leonetto Cipriani. Ralston turned this land into a mansion, which today is a part of Notre Dame de Namur University.

The first train station opened in Belmont in 1867, which not only increased business but brought in many tourists to the newly opened of Belmont Park (now Twin Pines Park), created by Carl Augustus Janke The Janke family is also credited with opening the first Belmont industry when they established a soft drink bottling and brewing service in 1876, known as the Belmont Soda Works.

Another major aspect of Belmont in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was its Japanese presence.

The Belmont School for Boys was known to be the first school in America where Japanese elites sent their children to be introduced to Western culture. The effect of the Japanese in Belmont was seen up until World War II, as their skills in growing and trading chrysanthemums helped Belmont blossom into the chrysanthemum center of the U.S. until the relocation of Japanese-Americans following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Belmont was also well known for its many sanitariums. In 1901, Dr. Alden M. Gardner founded the Gardner Nerve Sanitarium after expanding a wing of Ralston’s Mansion. Gardner’s sanitarium was the first of many that would be established in upcoming years.

The next major sanitarium, the California Sanitarium, was founded in 1910 for lung related issues, and in 1915 Annette S. Alexander purchased land which later was turned into the Alexander Sanitarium. Aside from the Nerve Rest Sanitarium founded by Maude Reed in 1918, the last

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Anika Marino and Joshua Baxter significant sanitarium in Belmont was the Twin Pines Sanitarium, which operated until 1972.

Twin Pines Park also had many houses which served as patient homes with doctors in residence.

“Because of its really unique climate and geography, Belmont was the perfect place to build sanitariums, so a lot of the major businesses in Belmont in the late 19th century and early 20th century were sanitariums,” Sam Hosmer, a former Carlmont student and volunteer at the Belmont Historical Society, said. “A lot of the buildings now are still from that era.”

In 1926, Belmont was finally incorporated as a suburb of San Francisco. Around the time of its incorporation, Belmont was experiencing a small amount of growth. Just before 1926, a San Francisco company began a port project designed to create a docking area on the shore of Belmont.

Projects like the port project as well as the extension of the SF Municipal Railway through Belmont contributed to Belmont’s rise as the chrysanthemum center of the United States.

As WWII took the United States by storm, Belmont was no exception in getting involved. Not only did it help house stationed military personnel, but Belmont also was the location of an army anti-aircraft camp.

To complement the camp, a former clubhouse at 751 Alameda de las Pulgas was used as an officers’ club for the

duration of the war, after previously closing due to the Great Depression. This clubhouse was formerly the Belle Monti Country Club, which was built in 1925 along with a 9-hole golf course as a part of the Country Club Estates.

In fact, the strange French-style kiosk building on Alameda de las Pulgas was a place where brochures for the estates were distributed, and later might’ve served as a caddy shack for the course. Currently, the Belle Monti Country Club building is home to the Congregational Church of Belmont.

After the war, Belmont continued to grow and prosper. In the 1960s and 1970s, the population of Belmont significantly increased, going from roughly 5,000 to nearly 25,000 people.

In recent years, new families have started to move into Belmont, prompting new developments and advancements to be made to the community. This has been noted by Sharon Bologna, secretary to Carlmont Principal Ralph Crame, who moved to Belmont in 1987.

“I’ve noticed more building happening, more cars, more young families moving in (...), at least the neighborhood that I live in. When we first moved to Belmont there were a lot of the original homeowners. As they got towards retirement and beyond, they started to move out of the area. That is when more families with young children started to move in,” Bologna said.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 13

The magic (and madness) of Marine World Audrey Boyce Only a few decades ago, lions and tigers roamed the area that would become headquarters to some of the biggest tech companies in the world at what was called Marine World/Africa USA. Marine World had two elements: African and aquatic. The African element contained elephant and camel rides as well as a lion and tiger show. The aquatic attraction had dolphins, seals, whales, and water ski shows.

Bradford S. Baruh was the visionary for Marine World, and targeted the Redwood Shores area as the perfect location with its access to water and good climate. Baruh partnered with the American Broadcasting Corporation to create the park.

The first animals purchased for Marine World were from an animal park in St. Petersburg, Florida that was closing: two whales, four dolphins, and seven Humboldt penguins.

“My biggest memories were getting to the front seats so you could get

splashed by the giant wave from the jumping killer whale. All the kids went to the front, and the parents would sit higher up to avoid getting soaked to the skin,” Susan Linares, a resident at the time, said.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Marine World hosted rock concerts with performers such as Big Brother & The Holding Company, Elvis Bishop, and Tower of Power.

“It was attended by people from all over. It was definitely the place to go when you had visitors from out of town,” Linares said.

Part of what made Marine World such a popular attraction was its bayfront location. The natural lagoon located in Redwood Shores was utilized to support the activities. This provided unique exhibits for the aquatic aspect of Marine World.

“There was a show with people doing water skiing jumps and pyramids. I remember a yearly milk carton boat contest where people built their own boats and would paddle in a race in the lagoon,” Linares said.

Jefferey Young, who attended Marine World as a child, described a specific attraction that stuck in his memory.

“I remember a ride, it was a scenic zipline where I was attached by a swing, and on the swing, I could see all of the African animals set-ups below me— there were zebras, elephants, and more,” Young said.

Jefferey Young is likely referring to the zipline in “Whale of a Time World”, which according to the San Francisco Chronicle, was where San Francisco 49ers star guard Randy Cross severely injured his ankle.

Julie Taha, who also visited Marine World as a child, voiced the reality of the rapidly changing infrastructure that is now less focused around entertainment for youth and nature.

Redwood Shores, now the home to Oracle, Nintendo, Zuora, Qualys, Shutterfly, and many more major technology companies, is arguably not a place one would expect to have been home to such an exciting place.

“Nowadays, more and more places where kids could go are being replaced

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The aquatic theme park that used to call Redwood Shores home

San Francisco Chronicle/CC BY-NC An elephant skis at Marine World in 1969 at what is now the Belmont Slough.

Public Domain A 1960s tour group on one of Marine World’s rides at modern day Oracle Bay Trail.

Ed Bierman/Jeffat/CC BY-NC A crowd watching a demonstration in 1970 at what is now Oracle Parkway.

by condo complexes and business offices. That was probably my first experience of concrete replacing nature,” Taha said.

Despite the fascination and fun that came with Marine World, there were, of course, ethical downsides.

As animal cruelty is a topic brought more to light in our current era, some of the practices at Marine World can be viewed as immoral. Taha presumes that the reason for the park’s closure was due to these ethical problems and the growing tech industry.

“I think two things happened:

people realized that putting whales in captivity was not a very good thing, and (the park) probably started to lose money. In addition, the Silicon Valley high tech market was moving into the area, so they were probably offered a lot of money for the land. They [Marine World] ended up moving to Vallejo,” Taha said.

Taha was correct. In the early 80s, the developers at Campeau Corporation had plans to build a $300 million project which would force Marine World to a new location in Vallejo, according to Redwood City History.

However, Marine World did provide educational information about the animals and the attractions, as many of the workers were animal experts.

Small presentations about each of the animals would be presented to the visitors.

“As a kid, and having loved animals so much, I really appreciate that there was a place like Marine World. No, it wasn’t perfect, but it was somewhere you could go to learn about things.

The people who worked there seemed to have an interest and expertise in animals also,” Taha said.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 3 FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 15

Learning and sharing black stories

Design by Allison Raisner 16 HIGHLANDER SCOTLIGHT

Seasoned success: Black-owned restaurants in the bay area Brianna Cheng Though the Bay Area is often considered liberal and diverse, 75.8 percent of residents are white or Asian, according to the 2010 census. The Black population declined nearly one percent from 2000 to 2010.

Though the Black population of the Bay Area is declining, Black-owned businesses add some much-needed diversity to the Bay. Many of these businesses are locally-owned, and supporting them not only benefits the wide variety of Bay Area business owners, but also strengthens local economies and causes.

Considering the pandemic, it’s hard to shop locally, due to the in-person nature of many of these businesses. However, there are a few Black-owned restaurants around the Peninsula that offer a wide variety of take-out cuisines. Here are four of the closest restaurants to the Belmont area:

Keith’s Chicken-NWaffles

have family out there, I went to a lot of different restaurants around the area, acquiring a taste for the food. It took a couple of years, but then I came back and tried to duplicate it here.

The recipes were formed by my family members and my own Keith’s is a small shop serving, as suggested, fried chicken trial and error,” Richardson said. and waffles, located just off of 280 in Daly City. Not only do As a restaurant owner, Richardson often has to occupy multhey serve the standard combos of chicken and waffles, but tiple roles, especially if the staff is short-handed one day. they also have speciality waffles, such as the Antonio Special “As [an] owner-operator, you spend at least 12 hours a day (drizzled with cream cheese and chocolate), the Sweet Potato there: in the morning, we start cooking and opening up; then Waffle (topped with candied yam), and the Red Velvet Waffle I manage operations until we close the shop. I’m a hands-on (featuring cream cheese and a chocolate drizzle). They also type of person, so if we’re shorthanded, I can do just about serve a variety of Southern-inspired side dishes, including mac everything, from taking orders, to cooking food, to washing and cheese, collard greens, beans and rice, dishes; whatever the need is, I fill it in,” he said. and cornbread.

In recent months, Richardson has noticed an outpouring of Although he was support from the community for Black-owned businesses like inspired by the West his own.

Coast, Richardson “During the tragedy of George Floyd’s death, we gained the returned to the most support from the community. Because of community South to develop support and promotion of Black businesses, we’ve seen some the recipes for his growth,” Richardson said. signature dishes.

As his business continues to grow, he is looking to expand “As far as recipes into other locations, offering his delicious chicken and waffles are concerned, I to a new community. spent a lot of time “We’re excited to open up another location pretty soon. in the South, in With the new year, we announced our new restaurant in South Georgia, Alabama, San Francisco! We have much more to come in the plans, so since that’s where the we’re just excited to start growing the business,” Richardson cuisine is from. Since I said.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 17

Claire’s CruNch Cake Owned by former San Mateo mayor Claire Mack, Claire’s was born out of love for the desserts from the now-closed Blum’s Bakery chain.

Along with the signature Mocha Crunch, Mack has expanded her menu to include Chocolate, Lemon (her personal favorite), and the wildly popular Strawberry Crunch. Mack also pulled from family recipes to offer the pineapple upside-down and coconut cakes.

“The pineapple upside-down cake recipe I got from one of my aunts, who had three restaurants in San Mateo. She was an outstanding cook; she rarely used measuring spoons, did everything by feel, an exquisite cook. I used her recipe with a bit of embellishment,” Mack said. “I learned how to make the coconut cake through several of my friends from the South. I tried to make it the way their mothers made it.”

Mack used to run her business out of a San Mateo bakery known as Kathy’s Kreative Kakes, owned by Kathy McDonald.

Mack and McDonald formed an easy dynamic; McDonald was known for her highly-decorated cakes, while Mack was known for her nostalgic offerings.

However, that bakery was not the end of Mack’s story. In 1991, Mack was elected to the San Mateo City Council, serving the city for 12 years. During those 12 years, she was also elected the first Black mayor of San Mateo, servimg three terms in office. Her main priority was as an activist, protecting her community of San Mateo citizens who felt overlooked by the government.

“I wanted to make sure my neighborhood was not turned into a ghetto. I ran for politics and became elected,” Mack said.

After serving her community through politics, Mack continued to make her ever-popular cakes, this time from the comfort of her home. However, because of the pandemic, customers don’t stay long; Mack misses the atmosphere of visitors making conversation.

“It hasn’t been a struggle to adapt the business to the pandemic, but I no longer let people into the house. People used to come in and sit in my living room, waiting for their cake,” Mack said. “In the past, I used to have kids come over and bring their aprons and fill up pans or something, just to help out a bit.”

Mack deeply empathizes with local restaurant owners, many of whom are having to shut their doors for good.

“I’m very sorry for all the fine restaurants in San Mateo that are closing, and in many cases aren’t going to be able to reopen after this. We know it’s a disaster; it’s just something that no one’s ever lived through. So, I’m just sorry that we’re suddenly like this,” Mack said.

The pandemic has compounded her worries about being one of the few Black-owned food businesses in the area.

“The sad thing is that I’m the only Black food business in the city of San Mateo, and that’s tragic. I feel really sad for my city. We had another good soul food restaurant here called Gators, but they didn’t last very long, which is unfortunate. I don’t like being the only anything. That’s not right. The population is too big, we need another good soul food restaurant in San Mateo, and right now there isn’t one,” Mack said.

18 HIGHLANDER SCOTLIGHT

True Ethiopian Cuisine True Ethiopian Cuisine is a family-owned business based in San Carlos. They are primarily a catering business, but have adapted to taking individual orders during the pandemic. The staples of Ethiopian cuisine are wot, a spicy stew of meat and vegetables, and injera, a flat sourdough made of wheat, barley, and teff, a grain native to Ethiopia. The business offers a variety of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, from vegetable wots to 100% teff flour injera. The primary seasoning of Ethiopian food is berbere, a combination of chili, garlic, nigella, Ethiopian cardamom, and a few other spices. Alecha Wot is stew with the exclusion of berbere, making it less spicy. True Ethiopian Cuisine also serves tibs: sauteed meat with onions and basic seasonings. The restaurant brings an interesting, spicy twist to normal take-out.

Back a Yard Grill Back A Yard is a Caribbean-American grill, with five locations across the Bay Area, the closest one located in Menlo Park. They serve a variety of barbeque plates, wraps, and salad bowls. Their signature dishes are yard plates: jerk meat with rice and beans and fried plantains. Jerk is a traditional cooking style in Jamaica, with meat dry rubbed with a hot spice mixture, which primarily consists of allspice and scotch bonnet peppers, and cooked over a smoking fire. According to Britannica, the method originated with the indigenous Taino, who taught the cooking method to enslaved Africans. The cultural exchange also went the other way. According to NPR, rice and beans probably arrived in the Americas via the slave trade.

Back A Yard’s blend of African-indiginous cooking brings a delicious twist to the common barbeque plate.

For in-depth reviews and to hear more about these resturants’ stories, scan here:

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 19

Nas ty

As millions of Americans turned on their TVs to watch the 2014 Grammy Awards Show, many viewers were excited to see Kendrick Lamar, who was nominated for seven awards.

Lamar, a Compton rapper and poet, had spent years producing albums and singles that reflected his experiences as a young Black man from a poor community.

After Lamar lost in six categories, his fans still had hope that he would win “Best Rap Album” against Macklemore, a white Seattle rapper who gained fame for incorporating comedy into his music.

He didn’t.

In an unexpected turn of events, Macklemore took home the award.

Even Macklemore was in disbelief as he texted Lamar, “You got robbed. I wanted you to win. You should have. It’s weird and it sucks that I robbed you.”

Social media platforms exploded and blamed racism for what they called “a snub.” They demanded more recognition of Black artists in awards, and the Grammys listened.

Photo by OFF THE LENS They spent the next half-decade focusing on diversity, although many viewers criticized them for being performative.

While the U.S. focused on inequality in mainstream music, the alternative music industry remained largely forgotten.

Alternative music originated from the underground rock scenes of the 1970s. Alternative rock was often more raw, hardcore, and emotional than mainstream rock, and it became popular amongst younger listeners. As time went on, alternative or “alt” music became a mix of all genres as artists refused to abide by the norms of the music industry.

Ever since alternative artists gained larger audiences in the 1980s, the genre has been largely dominated by white artists.

The voices of Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers were the blueprints of alternative music, but today its stars include Billie Eilish, Tame Impala, and Green Day. Despite the dominance of white artists, Black artists have been essential in building the genre.

Quintessential Black genres like reggae, blues, rock, and rap were all the building blocks for alternative music. Household names like Jimi Hendrix, Prince, and Little Richard helped shape alternative music as it rose in popularity. However, their soulful voices and genderbending styles were considered less palatable and alt fans often went for the grungier styles of Nirvana.

Black artists often told their struggles with racism, violence, and poverty through their music. When their stories were traded out for music that made white audiences feel more comfortable, they got excluded from the very genre that they helped build.

Rico

Black artists reclaim alternative music

Khalid Kishawi

20 HIGHLANDER SCOTLIGHT

As a result of this exclusion, Black artists forged exclusively Black genres like Afro-punk.

Afro-punk combines traditional African rhythms, punk rock, grunge, and even rap which provides a uniquely African American perspective on alternative music. Afro-punk artists provide a safe space away from the racism and gender norms of white society. They even created their own punk hairstyles that work on Black hair and incorporated traditional African piercings, jewelry, and clothing to create a style that encapsulates the experiences and joy of many African Americans.

Exmiranda, a Ghanaian-Canadian rapper, mixes R&B, soul, and West African rhythms into her music to create an empowering style of rap. Her single “Fresh Fro” features her rapping over electric guitar about the pride she has in her hair, her Black identity, and femininity. The song was featured on World Star Hip Hop but she received multiple hate comments, claiming her hair was “ugly and unruly.”

In response, Exmiranda challenged her followers to use her song to be unapologetically themselves. Recently, she has experimented with rapping in her indigenous language of Twi, which is only spoken by the Ashanti

tribe of Ghana. Her music videos use a 90s vintage style and she often wears neon colors to compliment her elegant afro.

In the COVID-19 pandemic, Exmiranda used TikTok to gain 60,000 followers and over 420,000 streams on Spotify.

“I’m never giving up,” Exmiranda said. “I’ve invested everything into my music, all my time, energy, and all the money from my day job. I want to make my brothers proud.”

While some new artists forged their own exclusively Black genres, others tried to emerge into the alternative music industry with their own unique styles. An example of such an artist is Rico Nasty, a Maryland rapper who mixes classic rap with punk, grunge, and metal. Her song “Smack a B*tch” landed her on the Billboard Top 100; however, her other songs that explore more of her punk and metal side have not gained as much traction. Today, she prides herself in pioneering her own style, which she calls “Sugar Trap.”

The snubs, erasure, and outright hatred that Black artists face is telling of the racism embedded in the music industry.

However, from Rico Nasty’s “Sugar Trap” to Exmiranda’s incorporation of West African rhythms and language, Black alternative artists are using their music to express their pride, culture, and power amidst a system set against them.

Exmiranda

Photo by Mathew Guido

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 21

Lights, Camera, Representation.

22 HIGHLANDER SCOTLIGHT

Kat Tsvirkunova Since the end of the Civil War, African American actors and actresses alike have been underrepresented and misrepresented in the acting industry. Misrepresentation was seen early in the industry with the use of blackface, where white performers would darken their skin with substances like shoe polish and greasepaint. It peaked in prominence in the United States as calls for civil rights by newly emancipated slaves caused racial hostility. While the exact moment that blackface emerged is unknown, its origins go back to centuries-old performances of European theatrical works, most notably Shakespeare’s Othello.

Lincoln Perry

It was only in the year 1927, with the silent drama film In Old Kentucky, when the first Black actor appeared in an official Hollywood film. His name was Lincoln Perry, who later became known as the character of Stepin Fetchit, “a befuddled, mumbling, and shiftless fool.”

Perry’s portrayal of Stepin Fetchit was the Black stereotype that became a symbol of the negative side of the African-American experience.

By the mid-1930s, Black leaders began placing pressure on Hollywood to rid the screens of the stereotype Perry popularized in his role.

Hollywood Today

To this day, Black actors and actresses are stripped of jobs and opportunities in the acting business. According to Variety, former “Glee” actress Amber Riley previously recalled the moment a director told her in her early career that actors of color were “a little more disposable because that’s the way the world is.”

In her post-”Glee” career, Riley internalized the message to the extent that she was “distraught” going into auditions, struggling with anxiety and a lack of confidence.

Fellow “Glee” actress Samantha Ware revealed that the show’s star, Lea Michele, allegedly threatened to destroy her wig in 2015.

Riley’s support of Ware on social media led to Black actors

alike reaching out with similar experiences, and prompted Riley to create #unMUTEny, a movement to “end Black silence in the entertainment industry, keep power structures responsible for undermining Black experiences and confront microaggressions with courage.”

Riley is not the only one speaking up about the need to boost black voices in Hollywood and elsewhere.

George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis in late May was a catalyst on an international scale, leading many Americans to organize and participate in protests and to advocate for reform of the law enforcement and criminal justice systems.

This movement has pervaded industries like Hollywood, whose controversial mega-corporations have taken the unprecedented step of releasing public statements condemning racism as thousands of Black artists have shared their experiences of discrimination in the workplace.

Hollywood itself is considered to be infused with white supremacy and a patriarchal culture. The issue now is whether Hollywood, a city founded on the very premise of exclusivity and gatekeeping, will make its dedication to inclusion and amplify the voices of Black talent and other creatives of color as intended.

When faced with slowing box office revenues in the country, Hollywood executives often privately argue

that movies starring minorities or addressing racial problems are a tougher sell in international markets, where they see the highest growth for their industry. But according to Box Office Mojo, the 2013 film “12 Years a Slave,” based on the memoirs of abolitionist and former slave Solomon Northup, was a success overseas with 70 percent of sales in foreign countries.

“Part of the problem is it’s an incredibly insular industry,” said Darnell Hunt, director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA. “The people who make decisions, who green-light projects, tend to surround themselves with people pretty much like themselves.”

But for these executives, he added, “it’s becoming harder and harder to bury their heads in the sand and pretend there’s not this demographic earthquake happening. At some point, it’s not going to be sustainable. They’re going to have to start making movies that people of all colors will want to see.”

While there is always room for improvement in the industry, it is important to look at what has already been achieved.

Black actors and actresses are getting more chances to tell their truths on screen, and they are receiving more recognition from major awards like the Oscars than ever before.

Now, Black youth have the possibility to see inspiration of Black excellence and their struggles represented on screen in recent movies like Hidden Figures, Selma, and Moonlight.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 23

What’s not to love?

Valentine’s Day dessert two ways Article by Hanna Kryhina Valentine’s Day is an occasion to share your love with your friends and family.

One tried-and-true method of bringing joy to your loved ones is baking them a dessert. Here are three festive recipes to make this Valentines Day: two quick and easy baked goods, and a more challenging recipe for hardcore bakers.

The Fancy: Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake An experienced baker can try their hand at this flourless cake. Students will accomplish the desired decadence by folding beaten egg whites into the cake’s chocolate batter. Although complicated, this modern spin on a traditional chocolate cake is sure to impress loved ones.

90 minutes

Serves 6-8

350* F

Ingredients: Butter for greasing 3 tablespoons butter 6 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate 6 large eggs, separated 1 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Invert the bottom of a springform cake pan. Line pan with parchment paper and grease parchment.

2. Melt butter and chocolate. Stir until smooth and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat together egg yolks and ½ cup sugar on medium to high speed until thick and light in color. Add instant-coffee granules and salt; beat to combine. Add vanilla and butter-chocolate mixture; beat to combine.

4. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy.

Increase speed to high and gradually add remaining sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.

5. Fold egg whites into egg yolk-chocolate mixture in small amounts.

6. Transfer batter to pan and bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven.

7. Let cake cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a serving plate.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.

24 HIGHLANDER FUN

The Fast: One-Bowl Brownies

These one-bowl brownies don’t create much of a mess, allowing cooks to clean up quickly and spend more time with their valentine. This recipe enables everyone to learn beginner baking techniques through its simple steps. Easy to master, making brownies will quickly prove to be a great way to unwind after a long day of Zoom classes.

1 hour

Ingredients:

Serves 14-16

350* F

Directions:

1 cup butter 1 ½ cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup brown sugar 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 1 ¼ cups flour ⅓ cup cocoa powder Butter, for greasing

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt butter with 1 cup of chocolate chips. Let sit for 3 minutes and stir until smooth.

3. Add sugars, vanilla, and salt to the butter-chocolate mixture; whisk to combine. Add eggs and whisk until combined. Fold in flour and cocoa powder with a spatula. Fold in remaining chocolate chips.

4. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and grease parchment. Spread the batter evenly in the pan.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 45 minutes.

6. Let cool completely for at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Recipe adapted from Tasty.

The Fast: Soft Raspberry Cookies

These cookies combine a buttery base with raspberries for a refreshing twist. While this recipe is unique, it is also simplistic, using common ingredients and requiring only one bowl. The simplicity of the recipe and the deliciousness of the cookies make this recipe the perfect Valentine’s Day treat.

45 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup brown sugar ¾ cup butter, cubed ½ cup heavy whipping cream 1 egg 1 cup frozen raspberries, chopped

24 Cookies

350* F

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and sugars. Add butter; combine with a spatula. Add cream and egg, and mix until combined. Gently fold in raspberries.

3. Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, create rounds from the dough. Arrange at least ½ an inch apart on the cookie sheet.

4. Bake until cookies begin to brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely for at least 30 minutes.

Recipe adapted from I Heart Naptime.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 25

The Fancy: Sugar Cookies with Raspberry Royal Icing Baking enthusiasts looking for a challenge can find one in these sugar cookies and their nearly impossible-to-perfect royal icing. The cookie’s surface offers a blank canvas to decorate, and royal icing achieves a level of intricacy that frosting does not.

Iced cookies are ideal for a gift, delivering love to a significant other.

5 hours

30-40 cookies

375* F

Ingredients: Cookies: 3 cups flour ¾ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 tablespoon milk

Icing: 3 to 6 cups powdered sugar 2 to 5 tablespoons milk ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup raspberry juice ½ teaspoon beet juice

Directions: 1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light in color. Add egg, milk, and extracts; beat to combine. Lower speed and gradually add flour; beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl.

3. Divide the dough in half, wrap each section in parchment paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

5. Sprinkle surface powdered sugar on the surface where you will roll out dough. Remove one pack of dough from the refrigerator, sprinkle powdered sugar on a rolling pin, and roll out dough to ¼-inch thick. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and grease parchment. Cut dough into hearts and place ½ an inch apart on a baking sheet. Freeze for 10 minutes.

6. Take out of the freezer and bake until cookies begin to turn brown around the edges, 7 to 14 minutes. Take out of the oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Move cookies to wire rack and let cool completely for at least 1 hour.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the second pack of refrigerated dough.

8. In a medium bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and raspberry juice, until almost the consistency of syrup. If icing is too thick, add milk, ½ tablespoon at a time. If it is too runny, add powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time.

9. To create one color of icing, add all the beat juice to the icing. To create different shades of pink, divide the icing into separate bowls and add varying amounts of beat juice to each bowl. Mix to combine.

10. Ice and decorate cooled cookies as desired. Let icing set for at least 2 hours.

Recipe adapted from Food Network and Betty Crocker.

26 HIGHLANDER FUN

The complex history of Valentine’s Day jessica conely Can’t buy love? Hallmark and Cartier disagree. Valentine’s Day is a key day in the commercial calendar, highly anticipated by department stores, who make sure to stock roses, chocolates, and jewelry. Behind all this commercialization, however, is a tangled history that traces back to Roman times.

Having a day of romance is a very old tradition, thought to have originated from a Romdan festival called Lupercalia. It’s thought that as part of the celebrations, men drew names of women from a box.

The couples would go on a date and soon after, if it went well, they would get married.

In the year 270 A.D., Rome was battling on all fronts and Emperor Claudius II was having problems keeping his legions replenished. He knew married soldiers were not as valiant or vigorous on the battlefield, which led him to issue an edict outlawing marriage.

The Christian saint Valentine married couples in secret, but the word made to Claudius and the priest was imprisoned, then beheaded. He was executed on Feb. 14, leaving a love letter behind signed “from your Valentine”.

In the late 5th century, Pope Gelasius decided to repeal the holiday of Lupercalia and replace it with a celebration of Valentine, who he saw as a martyr.

For centuries, Christians celebrated Valentine’s Day, which ultimately became associated with romance. The first Valentine’s Day card was sent by an imprisoned British man in the 1400s and authors like Shakespeare and Chaucer popularized the holiday through their works.

The holiday began resembling its modern consumer-oriented incarnation in the 17th and 18th centuries, as commoners exchanged cards and the aristocracy engaged in gifting elaborate presents to selected people called “Valentines,” according to the History Channel.

What helped Valentine’s Day take root in the United States was an emerging consumer culture, which was boosted by advertising following developments in printing and mass production during the Industrial Revolution.

In the following decades, the marketing machines of many companies turned their wheels to lure more and more customers into celebrating the holiday, and convince them to purchase valentines in the forms of cards, chocolates, flowers, and jewelry for their loved ones.

Valentine’s Day has contributed to the way Western culture celebrates and expresses love, associating it more closely with the material. U.S. consumer spending for 2020 is excepted to total $27.4 billion, according to the National Retail Federation.

“Valentine’s Day has turned into who can buy the most expensive something for their partner on a random day in February,” Meg Cotton, a junior, said.

Gift giving has also always been an important tradition and generally, a romantic relationship comes inevitably with material and financial considerations.

“My friend got her boyfriend a really cute gift, but I hate that it seems like an obligation to a lot of people,” Cotton said.

Ultimately, the holiday we know as Valentine’s Day has a complex history that is often overlooked by its consumerist aspect.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 27

NETFLIX WATCHLIST

Long or short episodes?

LONG

SHORT

Are you more creative or funny?

bella reeves Finding new shows and movies during the COVID-19 pandemic has become a quarantine struggle. Take this quiz to help you find Netflix content based on your personality and interests.

Do you like to draw?

YES

CREATIVE

NO

NO

YES

NO

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Hunter x Hunter Haikyuu!

Your Lie in April Neon Genesis Evangelion The Seven Deadly Sins Parasyte Saiki K. Blue Exorcist Big Mouth Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts Ouran High School Host Club Kuroko’s Basketball Deathnote Attack on Titan

NO

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Kim’s Convenience The Good Place Sister Sister Santa Clarita Diet 50 First Dates Always Be My Maybe Easy A Community Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt The Fundamentals of Caring New Girl Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love

28 HIGHLANDER FUN - SPORTS

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

NO

Fiction or non-fiction?

YES

FICTION

DRAMAS

COMEDY

CARTOONS/ANIME

YES

Do you like drama?

Would you consider yourself a class clown?

Do you enjoy cartoons?

YES

FUNNY

Are you a conversationist?

Queen’s Gambit The Umbrella Academy Money Heist The 100 Jane the Virgin Grey’s Anatomy Chef Enola Holmes The Crown When They See Us Gossip Girl The Help The Half of It Lupin Stranger Things

NONFICTION

DOCUMENTARIES/TALK SHOWS • • • • • • • • • • • •

Shot in the Dark The Last Dance Cheer Becoming Down to Earth with Zac Efron The Playbook: A Coach’s Rules for Life We Are the Champions The Movies That Made Us My Octopus Teacher The Great British Baking Show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann

Calling the SHOTS Preston Kwok

Preston

Kwok

He makes the call and throws the flag, but the crowd frowns and shakes their head at him. Some point out that he made the wrong call while others throw their hands up in frustration. He keeps a straight face and turns around to face the

players. He draws his focus back to the game and continues with his business.

A referee’s experience is more than just handling the crowd and running up and down the field: their job requires training and teamwork to make a game run smoothly and successfully.

There are many components to being a referee that makes the job unique and gratifying.

Mike Adam, Chairman of the Board for Silicon Valley Sports Officials Association (SVSOA), is a referee with over 15 years of basketball and football experience.

With his extensive experience working with high school students, he understands what the job is all about.

“A big drawback most football officials will say is (the lack of) access to a private locker room area. In addition to changing into our uniforms, we always hold a pregame conference.

Not many high schools are equipped with a locker area where a crew of five to seven football officials can prepare,” Adam said.

One common belief is that the crowd’s attitude towards them is the only thing that is on the referee’s mind, but in reality, the only real challenge is all of the preparations before a game even starts. When the match commences, many referees find themselves focused on the game and the noise of the crowd is drowned out. Their goal is to make sure that their peers can stay engaged throughout the game.

“There’s always a certain degree of action happening. Even in a lopsided game, an official always has to be on the

lookout for frustrations possibly spilling over. A lack of concentration by a referee can easily make the contest go sideways,” Adam said.

Adam believes that a referee needs to use less judgment in football compared to other sports.

“In basketball, you have to decide if there was a foul in a split-second, and in football, you can ask yourself a couple of times if that was a foul before you throw the penalty marker (flag),” Adam said.

There are typically four to seven referees in football, while in basketball, where there are only about two to three referees. With the increased amount of officials, teamwork and communication skills are incredibly crucial.

It’s crucial that a referee has calm conduct and can convey themselves well to coaches and other referees alike.

However, refining these skills has been challenging due to the coronavirus bringing all sports to a halt. To keep referees progressing in their careers, they had to make a pivot.

“COVID-19 has put a stop to games to officiate, but it hasn’t stopped the training. We still meet via Zoom and go over rules and on-field scenarios,” Adam said.

Despite COVID-19 making things difficult for referees, Adam’s experience overall has been rewarding.

“I’ve had the privilege of being around a lot of great folks (...) One of my first varsity basketball games was the Scots vs. Knights (Hillsdale) with the legendary coach Terry Stogner (...) you can’t ask for a more knowledgeable and greater guy to work with than him,” Adam said.

Barry O’Driscoll, Secretary of the SVSOA, is also a referee who has more than 15 years of experience in officiating basketball and 10 years of football experience. In his time, he has seen many benefits that come with being a referee for both sports.

“I like being a referee because it has allowed me to see the game from a different perspective than the average fan.

I like the thrill of working a big game with a crowd. I enjoy the camaraderie amongst my fellow officials. It has allowed me to give back to my community in a very unique way,” O’Driscoll said.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 29

The

Twists Turns &

of COVID - 19 Julia Roseborough Hope has been a scarce find throughout the past year. Many search for inspiration and creativity through physical activities and outlets.

Dance has been one of these rare outlets for many people, as it gives individuals a way to openly express themselves in unique ways. As dance studios in the Bay Area deal with the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic, they have had to find new and unfamiliar ways to keep their doors open.

Dance has taken up a significant part in the lives of dancers, teachers, and studio owners as they work to keep the sport alive. During the pandemic, local dance studios such as the Academy of American Dance and Arthur Murray Dance Studio have strived to create some normalcy in providing the creative outlet and training dancers are in need of during this time.

COVID-19 restrictions have caused many studios not to be able to provide their regular in-person classes. To counter this and follow community safety guidelines and county regulations, many have been able to transition their studios to virtual classes through Zoom or other platforms, as well as in-person classes when permitted.

Kaitlyn Kwan

30 HIGHLANDER SPORTS

Ts en g ir e Cl a

Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Redwood City has tried to create a sense of normalcy as best as they can throughout this constantly changing time. Supervisor Alex Doan believes in the importance of dance in many people’s lives.

The studio has made an effort to create a performance aspect for the dancers and families, as they cannot currently do their normal events due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The studio has been able to find a unique way to keep the students involved and find as much similarity to “normal” as possible.

“We found a cool thing as far as events go because where our events would normally go in normal times, in theatre venues of 50 or 100 people, we can’t do anymore,” Doan said. “What we do now is digital events, and people record their dance routines with their instructors, and then we have people that can watch from home, watch all of your community’s effort and hard work put together from home.”

Doan also stressed the recent impact of community within studios, or lack thereof. The standard group activity of dancing has been lacking this aspect, but the studio remains hopeful that things will return to normal as they make the best of what they’re given.

“Dancing is a community type activity, which is a problem all on its own, and it is a face to face activity. That’s what we are, and it’s been tough to keep going, but we are doing everything as safely as possible so people can maintain their safety and con-

tinue their hobby,” Doan said.

Despite this lack of current community connection, Doan is hopeful for the future and believes that there is only time to make the best of what is given.

By keeping this positive outlook, he is able to keep up the morale of the studio and work towards providing the best experience he currently can.

“We’re going to find ways to innovate, and we are much more active now digitally than we ever have been, and that has really helped to keep the community and dancing alive because it could have easily died. We’re not letting that happen,” Doan said.

The dance community has faced these unusual times with out-of-the-box thinking and openness to new perspectives and ideas. By keeping this important aspect of so many people’s lives alive and running, many have been able to keep their spirits up for a return to normalcy. Until then, dancers and studios will continue to work at their passion and use the creative outlet of dance as best as they can.

“There are two ways you can go about things. You can either kind of cry about it and say how unfair life is, but then you go to stage two. And you say, okay, so now what? What are we going to do to move forward with things (....) We’re not people to just lay down and give up,” Doan said.

rts

Led by director Julia Dugan, the Academy of American Dance in Redwood City (formerly known as the Academy of American Ballet) has been able to find new ways to encourage their dancers to continue their training and keep everyone engaged. This year, they introduced a new virtual version of the well-known Nutcracker due to the inability to do a typical production.

“I tried to still give the dancers a goal, and something to look forward to, as well as the parents. We did a virtual Nutcracker, where we filmed in my parking lot outside and rigged up an entire stage with backstage and costumes, and we filmed it ... I think that that provided a nice outlet for everyone, and there was a lot of joy that came from it,” Dugan said.

Although Dugan has been able to find ways to make the best of the current situation, COVID-19 has faced studios with many challenges.

“It has disrupted the community of people, and the social fabric has been eroded (...) Another difficulty is financial (...) the studio has definitely taken a hit financially, and it’s difficult to keep up a level of training,” Dugan said.

Dugan has found that the dancers and families at the studio have been a helpful aspect in keeping the studio running through these difficulties.

“I have been really impressed with the parents and families, all the dancers and their flexibility and loyalty, and willingness to support us. This has been tremendously inspiring for me because they’ve really come alongside us, and we always knew that that was there, but that’s been strengthened, and I’m grateful for that (...) I feel that God has called me to do this, and I think it goes beyond just providing novel lessons and dance to providing light and love and care,” Dugan said.

Arthur Murray Dance Studio

Livd anc eA

Academy of American Dance

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 31

A cash catastrophe

32 HIGHLANDER SPORTS Elle Horst

Athletic facilities struggle to stay afloat amidst the pandemic Elle Horst He sits at his desk, looking wearily at the stack of bills that continue to pile up.

How is he going to pay them? He has no idea. Closures due to COVID-19 caused many athletes to quit, and funds are drying up.

He’s doing his best to keep his gym open, but the money is running out fast. The uncertainty of a potential sports season looms ahead. The distance measures put in place mean that typical money-making opportunities are no longer available. Sighing, he turns to his computer.

The first thing he sees is a blaring headline with a clear message: San Mateo County back to purple tier. Facilities must shut down. He turns again to the large stack of bills with increasing dread and looks at all the staff he has to pay. His heart sinks as he reaches a decision.

He must close. Permanently. All of his hard work poured into his business suddenly means nothing. It will all be gone.

COVID-19 has had devastating financial effects on numerous sports organizations, clubs, and facilities. Many have been unable to make the amount of money needed to survive, forcing clubs and facilities to disband and shut down.

Owners can watch their life’s work slip away in a matter of months, ruining their financial situations and adding to an already stressful time.

Matt Hodges, the owner of a local gymnastics center, has seen firsthand the effects of COVID-19 on athletic facilities.

“I know with 100 percent certainty that every gymnastics business has suffered financially due to COVID-19,” Hodges said. “Many facilities have closed permanently across the country or had to lay off employees.”

The devastation is partly due to a delay in much-needed funding, including Payback Protection Program (PPP) funds that many businesses desperately needed.

“Rent was still due, and mortgages still had to be paid. Most clubs like ours depended on increased owner investment, meaning we had to use our

personal life savings just to keep the gym going,” Hodges said.

Decreases in athlete participation and outbreaks stemming from these sports are also contributing factors to these businesses’ financial losses.

For many athletes, the uncertainty that the future of their sport holds and the skill loss that comes with constant closures makes it difficult to enjoy their sport.

“The shutdowns were really frustrating for me,” said Nadia Herrera-Set, a competitive gymnast. “There was no way to know how long it would take before we could return, and I knew that when we reopened, I would be missing a lot of my strength and skills from before.”

Other athletes voiced similar frustrations.

“It was really challenging to get back into my sport. I think that’s the worst part of all of it. I was really down because my physical skills were lacking,” junior Sasha Belov, a club volleyball player, said. “COVID-19 made this season really difficult because of the uncertainty. We don’t know with the rising cases if we’re going to have tournaments, and I think that makes a lot of players sad.”

For Belov and Herrera-Set, their love for their sport led them to stick with it, and both were able to gain back lost skills. The same cannot be said for others. Both girls know of “many athletes who decided not to return to their sports.”

A large reason for this was parents’ concern for their child’s safety. For some sports, which are played indoors and in close contact with other players, outbreaks are incredibly likely. Recently, for example, Santa Clara health officials attributed a youth basketball tournament in Rocklin, CA, to over 100 COVID-19 cases in parents, coaches, and players.

“Basketball is one of the sports that shows up on various lists and articles as riskier due to the fact it’s optimally played on an indoor court and the nature of the game is to guard other

players tightly, face-to-face,” said Karen Kwan.

Kwan’s daughter, Kiana George, has participated in competitive basketball during the pandemic. However, growing concerns about safety caused them to re-evaluate their involvement.

“We decided to opt-out of travel tournaments after we heard several teams, the coaches, and some parents contracted COVID-19 after going out-of-state to play,” Kwan said. “After Thanksgiving, we put a hold on indoor practices. It was a tough decision to make because competitive players feel they need to gain visibility to be recruited for college.”

Many parents have taken Kwan’s approach, taking extra precautions and finding ways to participate safely in their sports. But others have gone a step further, pulling their children completely from their sport, leaving a massive hole in the incomes of many organizations.

“Decreased enrollment made a huge impact financially. Many recreational and preschool parents have pulled their kids out of training, and unfortunately, those programs are where gyms make most of their money,” Hodges said.

Ultimately, COVID-19 has destroyed many sporting facilities’ financial situations, leaving owners, coaches, and athletes scrambling to pick up the pieces. With rising cases, the problem will only get worse.

“I feel nervous about the future of sports,” Herrera-Set said. “I see so many headlines about how hurt these places are financially. It’s hard to feel secure about anything with COVID-19.”

Claire Tseng

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 33

Expectations vs. Reality:

Beginning college amidst a pandemic Sabrina Lo The college application and decision process is a huge part of senior year for many high school students. Writing essays, completing applications, and talking with friends about decisions can be both stressful and thrilling. However, with COVID-19 forcing students to participate in distance learning, the experiences are quite different now.

Kaitlyn Parohinog is a former Carlmont student and current college freshman. Due to her interest in sports broadcasting and theatre, she decided to attend Arizona State University (ASU).

Going into her senior year of high school in August of 2019, Parohinog envisioned college preparations to occur how they do any other year.

“I was just expecting to write some essays and then, in the spring, get together with my friends to show each other our acceptance and rejection letters,” Parohinog said.

Never would she have thought that everyone’s lives would be turned upside down. As COVID-19 swept through the world, safety guidelines such as lockdowns and distance learning were implemented.

Although traditional ways of researching the college application process are no longer possible, students found that college-related materials are now more easily accessible online.

“I think that there are possibly more

resources available to seniors due to everyone having to stay home and miss college tours. I’ve seen universities post more content online that describes the college experience. Regarding academic information, everything else generally seems the same,” Parohinog said.

With more content posted online, researching the best college becomes more manageable, although it does come at a cost.

For instance, seeing a college’s environment first-hand can considerably nudge a student’s college decision one way or another. Unfortunately, college tours have come to a halt to limit social interaction and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“For me, seeing a college up close was a big factor. I think it’s a big loss for a lot of seniors this year that they can’t go see their colleges because that’s a key aspect in deciding on which one to go to. You may like what they provide, but it might not be convenient for you. For example, if you have to walk all the way across campus from class to class, or just the hassle of going around campus, and the energy that it gives off (might not be right). You’re not there to feel what it’s like to actually be there,” Parohinog said.

As an alternative, some colleges are offering virtual tours. However, they are limited to showing some aspects of the environment.

“I think that virtual college tours are good in general terms to show what the campus looks like and such, but you’re probably not going to see anything specific that you may have wanted to look into, including nearby

stores and other places outside the campus,” Parohinog said.

As the saying goes, “looks can be deceiving.” This is certainly a possibility with virtual college tours. The campuses shown in virtual tours may not always truly appear as they do in person, but it is the safest choice and best alternative to in-person college tours nowadays.

In school, college applications are a key topic of discussion with peers during the twelfth grade. Sadly, the joys of empathizing with friends in person about desired acceptances are no longer possible.

“At first, I was expecting to hang out with my friends in person and have all of us show each other our acceptance letters, so I felt a little left out and weird not hearing back from my friends because of distance learning,” Parohinog said.

As her high school senior year came to a close, Parohinog prepped to begin her journey through college. In an average year, moving into a college dorm is a very hectic experience.

Many people shuffle up and down the halls, lugging around heavy boxes left and right. But Parohinog was met with uncertainty about whether or not ASU would allow her to move into the dorms. With COVID-19 fluctuating over time, her university’s decision was prone to change.

“I didn’t know if I was going to move in even two weeks before school started because they announced that they may cancel housing up to about a week before school started. Everything was just on the fence,” Parohinog said.

Fortunately, Parohinog was able to

34 HIGHLANDER CAMPUS

move into her college dorm, allowing her to have a somewhat typical college experience, but in a safe manner.

“Moving in was actually pretty interesting because that was the only time where non-students could be in the dorm. I feel like it was definitely different because people had assigned moving days, and I could tell the school was spacing it out more throughout the day to make sure not too many people were entering and exiting,” Parohinog said.

Although opening dorms for students does introduce a risk of spreading the virus, colleges are ensuring across the board that the process is done as safely as possible.

Parohinog started off her freshman year of college with distance learning, taking her classes over Zoom from her dorm room. But the lack of a college classroom atmosphere caused her to feel that her first few weeks of college were just like high school. It was not until she decided to try socially distanced in-person classes that she felt a change in her educational environment.

“It didn’t hit me that I was in college when I

first started the school year because everything was still online. But I decided to go to a couple of my classes just to see what it was like, so that’s when it really hit me. For example, my professor was right there, giving us a lecture in person. Because of that, I feel like I was able to retain more information and take it more seriously,” Parohinog said.

Though she is physically living at her college and is attending classes in-person, her experiences are not at all what the “college experience” would typically entail.

“What I’ve heard from other people is that many go out with their friends and meet a lot of new people, like at football games, sporting events, and just different activities that the university provides. Obviously, that didn’t happen this year, so I was kind of bummed out at the limited amount of activities that I am able to do during my freshman year. It’s pretty different than what I expected

because I thought I’d be able to get together with a whole group of friends and hang out,” Parohinog said.

To make up for the lack of social interactions and events for students, the colleges themselves are making an effort to provide safe social activities on campus.

“ASU still tries to have activities.

During Halloween, they had some activities outside, like mini-golf and painting pumpkins; just activities where you can interact with other people,” Parohinog said.

College applications, decisions, and the beginning of college are much different when done amidst a pandemic, but do not let that discourage you.

There are plenty of easily accessible online resources available and numerous alternatives to replace things that would have been done in person.

All that is left to do is just to keep a positive attitude and remain optimistic for the future.

“College applications are definitely stressful, especially during a pandemic. I just wish you all luck, and just know that everything will be okay, and college will go back to normal sometime soon,” Parohinog said.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 35

TAKING

CHARGE

Freshman class officers don’t need to be on campus to connect with the student body Anita Beroza

With the struggles of distance learning, not only can keeping everyone connected be difficult, but just planning events to do so can be a challenge.

“We’ve been doing video announcements, trying to keep everyone informed about what’s happening at school, even though we’re not on campus,” Pavao said. “Distance learning does make it tricky to get things planned.”

Compounding these difficulties is the fact Pavao and Shekhar are the only two freshmen in the ASB class.

“When we first got there, it was really embarrassing. We had 47 people clapping for us ... it kind of shocked us because we logged on, and suddenly everyone was screaming,” Shekhar said. “They [ASB] always hype each other up … and it’s great to be a part of that.”

After leading a few events, the two quickly found their place and have come to enjoy the role they play in representing students.

“Everyone is so welcoming and so nice that sometimes I forget we’re the only freshmen,” Pavao said.

Despite the obstacles of distance learning, Pavao and Shekhar feel ASB continues to be a positive experience.

“It’s been surprisingly pleasant,” Pavao said. “I thought it would be a lot more stressful or intense doing it while not on campus or not having events in person, but everyone’s been really welcoming and really kind and really willing to help.”

In the early fall of 2020, the freshman student body held its first-ever online class officer elections. Avi Shekhar and Stella Pavao were the two students who stepped up to run as freshman president and vice president.

“At the start, I had no idea what ASB was. I was just looking to meet new people and establish faces at Carlmont,” Shekhar said.

Pavao, on the other hand, found herself exploring a growing interest she has developed over past years.

“I was always kind of interested in student government; I had helped out my friends with their campaigns in previous years. It got to the point where it was like, if I’m ever going to do this, I might as well do it now,” Pavao said. “The idea of government always seemed interesting, but I wasn’t able to take a large role, being a minor, in my city government, but I knew that student government was an option.”

Shekhar ran his campaign with a specific goal in mind.

“I really wanted to lift people’s spirits up, especially since lockdown had started,” Shekhar said.

The freshman class officers’ duties are mostly focused organizing activities for the student body.

“Recently, we just did a game night, and we had quite a few people come,” Shekhar said. “We’ve done a few videos for the students, like Couchella and the Christmas Competition.”

36 HIGHLANDER CAMPUS

DISTANCE LEARNING: what worked, what didn’t Phoebe Gulsen Distance learning has affected every student and teacher differently, as online learning provides both positive and negative aspects.

“Some advantages to distance learning are that all assignments are digital, which means less physical paperwork for both students and teachers, and the encouragement of student advocacy to schedule office hours or to communicate with the teachers through email, which are valuable skills for the future,” freshman English teacher Tiffany Jay said.

Communication between teachers and students is reflected in student feedback as well, and the challenging adaptation to distance learning has not gone unappreciated.

“Most of my teachers have done a great job reaching out to students and adapting their lessons,” freshman Megan Reda said.

According to the George Lucas Educational Foundation, the most common issues students and teachers are coming across during distance learning are tech issues, problems creating structure to an online class, and the lack of motivation and peer work that students are accustomed to.

“It is so difficult being able to check in with students. Sometimes students do not read their Zoom chat and if students have their cameras off and do not respond, I am unable to tell whether they are in the class or not. I think this broadly applies to checking in to see if students are okay, following up on missing or incomplete assignments, asking students if they need support, or just establishing a connection with students and whole classes, which is so important to me as a teacher,” Jay said.

Many students feel the same way about

the disconnect between themselves and their peers during classtime. For particular students, collaboration helps them understand the content more clearly, and the lack thereof is an issue.

“I have noticed that the energy level in my classes is extremely low compared to in-person school, and this can lower motivation.

A lot of people have their cameras off and I miss being in class with others,” Reda said.

This disconnect is leading to problems.

According to the Diplomatic Language Services, teachers are having trouble catering to students’ different learning styles, and the canyon of communication is proving difficult between teachers and students that might not be reaching out.

“In distance learning, students are doing the best that they can, but breakout rooms are not the same as having table groups and being able to check in with neighbors. I also think that all around, we are experiencing more technical glitches whether that is shaky WiFi, faulty mics, or Zoom kicking students off. All of us are just making the best with the situation that we are presented with,” Jay said.

By this point in the year, both teachers and students have recognized the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning, and that they can be different for every person.

Not every student or teacher is the same, and different things work for different people.

Overall, many issues overlap between both teachers and students, from social disconnect, lack of motivation, to tech issues.

“Flexibility is the key to aiding everyone in this learning position. This situation is far from perfect, but until we are able to safely return to the classroom, our reality is to do everything we can to ensure that learning happens in the digital classroom,” Jay said.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 37

Teaching and TikTok Ruya Yaman English teacher Emily van Sebille has recently gained a lot of attention on TikTok, creating a new way for her to bond with students as well as other teachers on the app.

Initially intended for documenting the struggles of being a teacher during a pandemic, van Sebille’s TikTok quickly blew up, leading to her students discovery of the account.

“My video made its way to everybody,” van Sebille said. “On TikTok it has a certain amount of shares, but then a Bay Area meme page took it, and then it went viral on the meme page, so it has a life of its own now that is far beyond me.”

Students appreciate the popularity associated with van Sebille’s TikToks.

“I think it’s awesome, and not awkward at all to see her on the app because it’s a great way for her to connect with us,” said Mark Castro, a junior and one of van Sebille’s students.

Even though van Sebille’s TikToks are on the more humorous side, she still maintains professionalism on the app and in class.

“She has kept TikTok separate from her teaching,” said Arcelia Duran, a junior in her class. “It’s a very rare conversation and is only really brought up if a student mentions it.”

Through the distinction she creates between social media and the classroom, van Sebille is able to continue doing what she loves while documenting it through her TikTok account, all while keeping boundaries and maintaining professionalism.

Although a majority of her comments are from teachers of the Bay Area and beyond, there have been a couple of instances where students comment on her TikToks, to which she usually will reply.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with students interacting with her TikToks as long as it’s appropriate,” said Duran.

However, van Sebille has made the point in her replies that it is essential to stay respectful and kind during online interactions.

“In class, I made a joke about my weird little 15 minutes

of fame, and I told them that you really can’t take back what you post on the internet, and people are really mean,” van Sebille said. “So just be nice to people.”

Van Sebille noted that she has not had many negative experiences on the app - her students and followers have been very supportive overall. However, there are a few small regrets she has had along the way.

“If I were to redo it, I’d have a personal and a professional [account],” van Sebille said. “I feel like teaching is one of the only professions where you’re held to a really high moral standard because teachers are supposed to be these upstanding role models, and I think it’s hard when you have to see them as real people.”

Van Sebille stated that although this online transparency was stressful and even frightening at first, the pros quickly outweighed the cons.

“It’s nice to be able to have this (...) community where we’re all learning a new system of teaching, whether you’re doing in-person with the masks or hybrid or distance learning. I’ve learned a lot about how to utilize Canvas better and such from other teachers, so I’m learning, in a professional sense, from this community that I have created online,” she said.

Scan the QR code to visit van Sebille’s TikTok page!

38 HIGHLANDER CAMPUS

Screaming Scots, push on!

Dear Carlmont Students, With Carlmont most likely continuing with distance learning for the foreseeable future, school spirit has dwindled as students cannot show their enthusiasm for school in person.

Despite this, Carlmont’s Associated Student Body (ASB), is working to allow students to show their school spirit despite being physically absent from the school campus.

“Before lockdown, school spirit events included school assemblies, lunchtime events such as Carlmont Cup, and various food sales that happened after school,” Jono Sison, the junior class president, said.

Previously, many school spirit events took place in the quad, a place in the center of the school. Much has been lost due to online learning, including not being able to participate in these in-person activities. “(In-person) school spirit activities, especially those in the quad, were enjoyable as they allowed a break from academic work and allowed us to relax for a bit,” said senior Ali Owyang.

ASB have also been scratching their heads recently, wondering how to encourage students to display their school spirit virtually.

“It is obvious that spreading school spirit and keeping students equipped with a positive mindset through distance learning is extremely difficult,” Sison said.

Despite this, Sison and the spirit commission (a part of ASB that assists with all activities related to school spirit) have created a couple of new ways to interact with students. They quickly discovered that social media allows students to show school spirit in a virtual environment.

Since this discovery, it is becoming more apparent that social media plays a significant role in school spirit. Even during in-person learning, social media informed students about ongoing events and activities. Now, during online learning, social media remains operational, unlike many other traditional methods.

“Students get updated about different school spirit events through social media such as Instagram,” said Alexander Watson, a member of the spirit commission.

Not only can students engage through Instagram, ASB hosts game nights over Zoom and different spirit weeks that one can take part in.

Though this may not be the same as playing musical chairs in the quad or buying food from the Student Store, it is still a way for students to engage.

“By interacting with the class accounts, such as voting on our Instagram polls on various topics, students can display their school spirit and engagement,” Sison said.

ASB is trying its best to engage students, but students must play their part too. Just being active on social media isn’t enough; it’s best if a student is proactive and checks many sources of information to stay informed.

“ASB is working hard to deliver us with activities and school spirit days through distance learning, and to show our appreciation for them, and we must participate in those school spirit events such as the ones taking place over Zoom. Make sure to show your spirit through Instagram posts and show your engagement by participating in the spirit weeks they put up,” Owyang said.

Sincerely,

Erwan Pal

FEBRUARY 2021 HIGHLANDER 39

On the Front Cover:

“We are living through a history-making moment. When we face unprecedented challenges, we must respond with bold choices and fearless leadership.”

- Representative Cori Bush

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

- former president Barack Obama

“If you are fortunate to have opportunity, it is your duty to make sure other people have those opportunities as well.”

- Vice President Kamala Harris

“Being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination.”

- author, professor, and antiracist scholar Ibram X. Kendi

“Out of our willingness to push through comes a tremendous power...use it.”

- activist and politician Stacey Abrams

“We should be uncomfortable with the growing gaps in our society, and we cannot allow ourselves to become desensitized to these injustices.”

- Representative Ayanna Pressley